Reviews from

Christmas at the Horse Ranch

Christmas visit to a horse ranch

15 total reviews 
Comment from Realist101
Excellent
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Wow, I wish I had been there too!! What a grand time...I just cannot imagine a finer holiday. And you will never duplicate the pies or that time either. In 1977, we were in a blizzard in Indiana. Our old station wagon was buried in 27 inches of snow. (That had drifted all over the place.) All we could see was the attenna! ") Nice work Deb!! xoxo, susan

 Comment Written 13-Feb-2011


reply by the author on 14-Feb-2011
    That Christmas was very special. I think a lot of that is because we were in a situation my mother couldn't control. We could just be kids and have fun. Thank you for the review! Debbie
Comment from N.K. Wagner
Excellent
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A lovely memory. You've described everything so well that I can see it clearly, and you've chosen the perfect picture to illustrate your story.

 Comment Written 28-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 30-Dec-2010
    Thank you kindly for the review. Debbie
Comment from dportwood
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dejohnsrld,

The trip you write about was indeed an enjoyable time into a different life style which you have described very well.

Duane

 Comment Written 27-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 28-Dec-2010
    Thank you for reading and reviewing. Debbie
Comment from 11:17
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Now that sounds like my kind of Christmas! I like your descriptions of the cabin and all of the many things you did on your trip. I'm sure horseback riding on the trails must have been a blast!

 Comment Written 27-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 27-Dec-2010
    It was the perfect Christmas!!!Thank you for reading and reviewing. No Christmas has ever quite measured up to that>
Comment from KayteeF
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I have enjoyed this account of your treasured memory about the holiday at the ranch in 1977. At fifteen you must have been delighted to help with the preparations for dinner.
I fully appreciate the lack of electricity. Strangely enough there was no electricity supply to my parents home until I was fifteen years old. I do know the feeling of going to bed by lamplight.
I understand that you had no Television on your holiday. Isn't it fun to find other amusement as like games and horse riding. Activity in the fresh air is a great way of getting tired enough to sleep like a log, isn't it?

Just a couple of mistypes:
2nd line - My sister and I went to Arkansas [to] with a friend to stay at her father's horse ranch.
2nd paragraph start new sentence with capital [We]..

You stirred a memory of my Granny with your musings about not being able to get the pastry right, just a wee thought:
the ingredients, for the type of pastry you describe, must be kept very cold whilst preparing and mixing. This is the only thing I can suggest that you may not have tried. My Granny made shortcrust with butter and a small amount of lard. Flakey and puff pastries were always made with lard, but always kept very cold.
You have taken me a wee walk down my own memory lane my friend, thank you for the journey.
Cathleen

 Comment Written 27-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 27-Dec-2010
    Thank you for the kind review. I corrected those mistypes. I'm glad you enjoyed it and it brought back good memories for you. DEbbie
Comment from Trybuck
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1977, the year my oldest daughter was born. Well done with the telling of this Christmas memory. Those pies sound great. Well done, Buck

 Comment Written 26-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 27-Dec-2010
    Thank you for your kind review. Debbie
Comment from adewpearl
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As we had arrived there early Christmas Eve morning. - This is a fragment, not a complete thought/sentence.
Fresh air and pie crusts made with lard - yep, those were the days :-) I love your nostalgic story and its excellent descriptive detail, Deb :-) Brooke

 Comment Written 26-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 26-Dec-2010
    Thanks for pointing out my typo Brooke. Glad you enjoyed the story!
    Debbie
Comment from JSway
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What a rich telling, so full of warmth, holiday spirit, love and family togetherness. The animals are part of the giving, and they enrich the life of the woods. No wonder you've always kept this memory so close. A wonderful sharing!

 Comment Written 26-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 26-Dec-2010
    Thank you so much for the lovely review. I hope you had a Merry Christmas! Debbie
reply by JSway on 26-Dec-2010
    You're so welcome. I did, Debbie, and I hope your Christmas was great as well!:)
Comment from juliaSjames
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You took me along with you on your Christmas outing. Your writing is very graphic, so it was easy to visualize the rustic fun (including the discomfort) of this special holiday. And you made me hungry for a taste of pie. Good memories.

Some typos: should be "too tired to hold our eyes open..."
and, "dirt roads muddied by the rain."

And to avoid repetition I would delete "After the long trip" and write the sentence, "Our accommodation was a rather rustic cabin."

I suggest deleting "As we had arrived there very early Christmas Eve morning." Instead, you could indicate the date by writing, "We didn't arrive at the ranch until 1:00 AM on the morning of Christmas Eve."

 Comment Written 26-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 26-Dec-2010
    Thank you for catching my typos!!! Thank you for the lovely review! Debbie
Comment from deb552
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I love this story. While reading it, I felt as though we were sitting together and you were sharing your "adventure" with me. You created such great images with your description of everything you did. I especially liked your comment about how you felt as though you had "turned back the clock several decades." When I was younger, I went to overnight camp and we took riding trips where we secured the horses for the night, camped out and had the outhouses as our "lovely" bathroom facilities. So I was able to relate to that quite easily. It's a great story, a beautiful memory for you and now I'm hungry for one of those pies! So glad you shared your story! All my best once again! deb

 Comment Written 26-Dec-2010


reply by the author on 26-Dec-2010
    Thanks for thee wonderful review Deb. Ever since then, I have wanted to move to Arkansas, but with my disability I know it will never happen now.It is always fun to dream and remember. Glad you enjoyed it! Debbie