I guess I’m not much of a blogger since it’s been such a long time since I last wrote. I’ve been pretty busy, though, with what--I’m not sure. That’s the nice thing about retirement. What you don’t get done one day, you can do the next.

I do have some exciting news. My Thoroughbred, Major, won Novice Horse of the Year for 2008. Kelli, his rider, won Novice Rider of the Year and High Point Rider. Kelli and I were really excited about the honors and Major seemed to be pleased with himself. When the weather gets better, my husband promises to take a picture of Kelli, Major and me, which I will post on my blog.

A week ago, we took my horses to a different barn, which is just two miles from where I used to stable them. We are going to concentrate on dressage this year with Major and the new barn focuses on that. Change is always difficult, but I think we will all like the new barn really well once we get used to it.

I am excited to report that I have lost forty pounds since the middle of January. I did the HCG diet for forty days then switched to a protein based new diet. I feel one hundred percent better and love the feel of my loose pants. I’m sure Gypsy will appreciate my weight loss too when I get back to riding her again.

Along those same lines, I have been going to Denise Higgison, a lady I met at the current barn who specializes in a new type of structural energetic therapy. More on this later. It sounds like it may be really beneficial to anyone who wants to feel better and stronger. I went to the first session with a sore shoulder and came away feeling practically normal. I told her that with me her work is really cut out for her. Amazingly, it didn’t scare her off.

I had eye surgery last Friday. There was a film that had settled over my retina. When the doctor got in there, he discovered that I had two tears in my retina as well. I guess it was fortunate that I had the operation. This is the same eye that was operated on twenty years ago because of a detached retina.

My horse, Midnight, continues to do well at Best Friends. He is still with the same buddies, Rocky and Belle. I plan of visiting this summer.

My new book, Depth of Deceit, is coming along great. I sent my editor the first twenty chapters and will forward the last four in a week or so after I complete their final rewrite.

My favorite movies right now are New in Town, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Taken. I just finished Sandra Grey’s new novel, Tribunal, and loved it.

Well, that’s all for now. Maybe next time I’ll have some pictures to attach.

First Blog!

There was a time when I asked my friend, “What’s a blog?”. Now here I am entering this strange new world. I find that I have more to say than my newly designed website (see www.bettybriggs.com) allows, so here goes.

I decided that my New Year’s Resolutions would be: (1) Lose weight (a resolution every year); (2) Finish my novel and get it published; and (3) Get back on my horse after two knee replacements and one hip replacement. I have actually taken serious strides toward my goals.

I started a new diet, a really strict one, which is what I seem to need, and have lost about fourteen pounds in two weeks. I will stay on this same diet for forty days and then I’ll switch to a less strict one for six weeks, after which I’ll be able to go back on the first diet again.

I have finished my new novel, Depth of Deceit, and am in the process of completing the first edit. I am excited about the book and look forward to its publication.

Although I see my horses everyday, I haven’t ridden yet. I guess I’m waiting for the weather to be warmer and for me to get skinnier. My trainer continues to work my Thoroughbred, Major, and we have plans for a fun show season this summer. My other two horses are ridden for lessons weekly. My granddaughter and I look forward to riding together someday soon on Rollie, her Welch pony, and my Quarter Horse, Gypsy.

In November, I took my lame horse, Midnight (told about on my website), to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Best Friends is a marvelous facility where animals are treated like the wonderful creatures they are. I felt fortunate they would accept Midnight since there are so many unwanted horses these days. I made this decision because the lady with whom I have boarded him for the last several years was no longer able to keep him. The winters here were also hard on Midnight, so I felt that he would be better off where the climate is warmer. There are also five vets on scene at the sanctuary at all times, so his medical needs will be well met. He will remain at the sanctuary for the rest of his life, unless someone adopts him. Best Friends screens applicants very carefully before they allow an adoption. Since Midnight will always be lame, I feel certain he will live at Best Friends forever. I plan on volunteering there this summer, so I will see him again then.

I just talked to Best Friends about Midnight so this is fresh off the press. He is doing well and is in a big pasture with two new friends: Rocky, a quarter horse gelding, who has navicular problems and is lame, and Belle, a twenty-seven year old mule with ringbone and arthritis. Belle belonged to a couple who had owned her since she was two, but felt that they could no longer take care of her properly.

On a completely different topic, my husband, Scott, took pictures of our two kids’ families for their Christmas cards this year. Since I used three of my family members on the covers of my books, I thought it might be fun to point them out as they appear now, years later.

MICHELLE’S FAMILY

Heather: (bottom row) now a senior in high school and captain of the swim team, (appeared on the cover and throughout A Tuff-to-Beat Christmas).

McKenzie: (top right) now married and training to be a dental hygienist (appeared on the cover and throughout A Tuff-to-Beat Christmas).

Also shown in this picture is McKenzie’s husband, Shawn, (middle right) who designed my new website. He is currently applying to medical schools.

SHAUN’S FAMILY

Shaun: (top right) now a dentist in Spanish Fork, Utah, and a husband and father of two (appeared on the cover of Quality Concealed and on the cover and through out Challenge of Choice).

I saw a really good movie the other night, Last Chance Harvey. It’s a really sweet love story that stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson and is suitable for the whole family. Check it out.

That’s all for now. I’ll write more when something profound happens, or maybe before then.