http://topshelfediting.com Writing, Editing and Proofreading Services Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:01:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Under the dappled shade of majestic post and live oaks, just off State Highway 4 near the tiny community of Patillo, Texas, sits a little farm that is a big labor of love. When I say a “little farm,” I’m not referring to acreage, although there isn’t an overly large ... http://topshelfediting.com/horsemen/little-horses-big-hearts/ This article in appeared in The Horseman magazine, January, 2009 Country music sings his praises. His life inspires an entire genre of books, and his star still rises in various interpretations on the big screen. Women love him and little boys want to be him. He has his own ... http://topshelfediting.com/horsemen/the-great-american-love-affair/ Some men have jobs. Some men have passions. Chuck Drake is a man fortunate enough to have a job that is his passion. As manager of RCJ Land and Cattle Company and Parker County Equine Aquatic Therapy, Drake goes to work every day living his dream. Prior to 2003, Drake worked ... http://topshelfediting.com/cowboys-and-other-legends/aquatic-equine-therapy-proves-its-worth-to-horses/ Photography by Karen Mitchell Smith I saw his bike as soon as I pulled up to the convenience store. It was dusk, and having spent the day in my hometown, I was ready to make the hour-long drive to my home. Planning for a quick dash into the store to ... http://topshelfediting.com/current-events/hungry-in-the-home-of-the-brave/ Google the words “cutting horse capital” and the first eight pages that come up on the search engine revolve around Weatherford or Parker County, Texas. And as the old timers would say, “Where there’s smoke there’s fire.” Translate that to: Where there are horses, there is a plethora of support/servicing ... http://topshelfediting.com/current-events/cutting-edge-medicine-for-the-cutting-horse-capital/ Water Colors Original photo uploaded by Karen Mitchell Smith Fall is the season of change, of transcending normal appearances and showing forth with all the richness of reds and golds and the earthiness of browns. It is a last burst of glory bridging the heat of summer busyness to the season ... http://topshelfediting.com/religion/water-colors/ ‘You just passed gate three, looking for gate four!” yells the navigator as the vehicle careens action-movie style — two wheels on the ground, two in the air — around the tight curve. The navigator hangs on precariously, leaning to the high side to balance the rig. Sounds like a scene ... http://topshelfediting.com/current-events/its-not-just-your-usual-sunday-buggy-ride/ It sits to the north of Interstate 20 at Willow Park, not too far off the road, but hidden from the hustle of rush hour traffic by a thick row of pecan and hackberry trees. If you didn’t know to look for it, you would miss it altogether, except for ... http://topshelfediting.com/horsemen/mystery-and-legend/ Some things just run in the family. Like freckles, for instance. Personality traits, too. And horsemanship. Or, in the case of Lynn Saunders’ family, horsewomanship. Saunders, her daughter, Denny Ralls, and 14-year-old granddaughter, Deven Riggins, share something many families share, a love of horses. But it’s what this three generation team ... http://topshelfediting.com/horsemen/three-generations/ Enriching Your Prayer Life through Contemplative Prayer “Be still and know that I am God,” the Lord tells us. Oh, how I long to follow that directive, but how? Ironically, at a time when we have more conveniences and technological advances than ever, we also have more demands on our time ... http://topshelfediting.com/religion/be-still/