The man I truly loved has passed away....

My heart is broken. I had lost someone before that I cared for, but this time I lost my father, April 17th.

Calling me a Daddy's Girl puts it mildly. I have other blogs to post and people to write too and so many details to wrap up. We've put up www.glennsutton.com I am truly enjoying reading the things people have posted about my father. Check it out. It's tied into Blogger.com.

I can't get upset here b/c I want to respond to my father's friends on his website with my full emotions. Later I will address how special my father is. Truly a World Class Dad. Completely loved me and I completely loved him and it's all good, except he's gone a little sooner than expected. I don't have the words for the loss yet. I'm working on them, but mostly I remain positive b/c I know our relationship was strong. (for those of you who know my Dad, you understnad why I express the word straawng!)

I have no regrets. I have no unsaid words. I have the wonderful memories and the love & support from him which I hope to carry forward to my loved ones. Everyone should be fortunate enough to have relationships in their lives like this. I truly know what love is.

Of course, that knowledge is either going to make things extremely difficult for me going forward romantically or potentially make my heart so open & pure to that kind of love that I find bliss one day. Dad wrote a song "Find A Man Like Your Daddy." I haven't listened to the words yet, but I'll keep you posted on how it "tunes" out. Thanks for the thoughts & blessings. I've needed them right now and I hope I can return them to you in your time of need.

Love each other. It's important. It's hard. But the reward is truly amazing.
Peace, Love & Happiness,
Lisa

Manuel at The Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa, OK)

Flew into Nashville today, returning from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Manuel invited me to attend his opening gala and event-packed week at the Gilcrease Museum in honor of his State Coat Thank You Tour. My sister was on her way from Dallas to meet me and we were ready to spend some quality time together supporting Manuel.

Manuel's standard groups of people were in attendance. His assistant, Lali, his children Manny, Morelia & Jessie, and several interns from the Nashville studio.... Dani, Sara & Philip. A few of his better clients showed up in full Manuel attire as well, giving the evening some festive flair. Elizabeth Scokin from NashvilleFashion.com and The Oak Ridge Boys were also there to support the State Coat installation.


Bunny (my sister) and I snuck back to the hotel early to have a little 'us' time. The ceremony was gorgeous, so I don't think we were missed! The next day was filled with a morning brunch for the patrons to the museum who were given personal walk throughs with Manuel. Then TV appearances and Q&A sessions, ending with an evening concert by The Oak Ridge Boys, who brought Manuel up on stage to honor his special week in Tulsa.

Come Monday, most of the friends & family had left and the real work began for the Cuevas Family: Educating local children about Manuel and his trade. I stayed through to support them as they spent several days speaking with high school kids about the dying art of hand embroidered goods and custom tailored suits and offereed classroom style days of illustrating patterns for jackets and combining fabrics. Watching Manuel work with the children to explore ideas and passions about their future was great fun! Several of the young girls were extremely interested and show great promise ass future fashion designers.

There were many fun activities available to us during our stay by the generous people at the Gilcrease..... Oklahoma wine tasting, a hay ride at a longhorn steer ranch, private archive tours of navajo blankets & artifacts as well as many great conversations and fabulous dinners. I adore the Cuevas family. They are a talented bunch of road warriors, ready to embrace their dreams and create their passions in the form of some of the rockin'est clothes I've ever seen!

My Latest Favorite photo

Driving back through the mountains in California I found this jewel of a lake on a lesser travelled highway I've highlighted in my Atlas for future reference. I truly wish I would have noticed the beauty more at the time but it was really cold! You can see the grass starting to grow close to the water though. Spring was springing...

I want to be a cowgirl

Since going to Quarter Horse Congress last year (see photos) I made the decision to see how seriously I could reconnect to the horse community. I have old acquaintences there, I enjoy the lifestyle, I enjoy the animals ......

Trouble is I'm not really interested in full time horse ownership at this point. My mother was able to afford good horses and good trainers. Most of them respected and recognized within the AQHA industry today. So I was spoiled, or lucky. And I'd want to have the best if I was going to start trying to ride or develop a horse, which I just can't afford to do yet.

The AQHA - The American Quarter Horse Association - is my area of interest. But ring mastering, doing local &/or child oriented horse events or agricultural shows will more than likely be how I ease my free time back into the horse community. But eventually, I do want to explore opportunities with the AQHA both as a competitor, a judge and a business comrade. I may be helpful in spreading word about the AQHA to the entertainment industry. I have my own "fish to fry" in that arena currently with the Carter Boys (see related articles), but one day, when I'm ready, I hope to make the AQHA proud and to give something back to the community that helped to "raise me right."

I was elected Tennessee Quarter Horse Queen for my first 2 years of college. I become 2nd Runner-Up over all at the Congress in 1991. Previously I held offices as TJQHA President and Secretary, and represented the TN Youth Team at both the World & Congress shows, over 10 consecutive years. My first major quarter horse win was Congress Reserve Champion in the Small Fry Walk Trot in 1979. I was 8 and riding M'Lady Riker, a 17.2 hand mare! I had been showing in TN may years prior to this, competing in Lead Line & Walk Trot classes on my first horse, Skipter's Chief.

My main showing/competing years in AQHA were spent under the tutelage of Charlene Carter, riding Duncan Parker & Bett High to numerous state all around and national wins. I showed every season through middle school & high school until I left for college and Bob Kingsley went on to retire Duncan out in California riding him on the weekends in saddle club shows and feeding him carrots. Better-roo-roo spent the rest of her days at Charlene's place, hanging out with babies in the pastures and was later buried by the swimming pool. Skipter's Chief is laid to rest out here in Leiper's Fork, TN, where I currently live, and I see Irish, M'Lady Riker's baby, every day, as she's become our beautiful pasture ornament.

Most of our horses have become family members, so it's hard to imagine getting back into buying horses right now, as I constantly travel, and my cash flow isn't that good yet. So I've decided I'd start ring mastering and go for a judges card or two. How hard can it be? Look for a later entry regarding the CBC (Equine Judges Testing Seminar) to see what I ended up testing for. argh!!

It will be financially worth spending some free time over in the horse world because I've always thought the graphic design, photography & imaging I do for the music business, would be successful in the horse industry. I've represented Manuel, the reigning cowboy-couture-designer to the stars, and could help the young girls with their costumes and advertising, etc....... one thing at a time! I'm just thrilled I'm finally taking the time to do something for me and getting back around the horses is turning out to be a great plan!

The more I'm back around the horse shows, I'm realizing the horse industry is a lot like the music business. They are both a form of entertainment.