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- The Run for the Roses
“Find the good and praise it.”
Hello again and happy May!
There are so many events happening in May, one of them being the Kentucky Derby (a.k.a, the “Run for the Roses”) happening this Saturday!
I have been watching the Derby and the Triple Crown races on television since I was about 8 years old. (I was a big fan of The Black Stallion series of novels, too—read every single one of them I could find in the Humphreys County Library in Waverly, TN.)
I’ve never missed watching a KY Derby since then. Even if I’m on the road (as I was at this time last year, speaking at the Erin Public Library about my book, Walk through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America), I find a way to stop somewhere and find a television or an internet connection so I don’t miss it. After all, it’s the “fastest 2 minutes in sports”!
So, this newsletter will have a Derby and Triple Crown theme to it. Please bear with me.😀
Have you ever been to a Kentucky Derby, or any Triple Crown race, in person? Do you watch/follow the Triple Crown races on TV, or maybe even the Iroquois Steeplechase that takes place in Nashville? Do you enjoy horseback riding? Please let me know by replying to this email—I’d love to hear about it!
Cheers and happy riding,
Yasmine
For New Subscribers
Here are some links to prior issues you may have missed—some of the best ones 😉 :
Why Positive Vibes? (How this newsletter got its start)
A Very Good Year (Contains many of the highlights of the journey for Walk through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America in the year of its release, 2023)
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You (St. Patrick’s Day 2024, with an excerpt from my upcoming novel, The View from the Cliffs)
You can find all the archived issues of Positive Vibes here. (Scroll down on that page after clicking on the link.)
What I’m Feeling Good About
Each year around this time, I pull out my copy of Secretariat, by Bill Nack, and re-read some of the most exciting portions of it (and there are quite a few of those bits). Nack had … well, a knack for describing horse races in such incredible detail that you felt as though you were right there riding the horse yourself. And in the case of Secretariat, you were on the greatest racehorse who ever lived.
If you’ve never seen the Disney movie by the same name, or read Nack’s book, I highly recommend them both. The movie is truly a feel-good one, and they do an excellent job of recreating the races and making you feel the awe of what it must have been like to watch Secretariat’s story unfold in real time.
Speaking of which, I know that several of my subscribers may have actually watched at least one of Secretariat’s races live on television. Are you one of them? Please let me know! I’d love to hear about it—just reply to this email.
I mentioned I was speaking at the Erin Public Library in Erin, TN, on Derby Day last year. If you missed the newsletter recapping that and the event at Johnsonville State Historic Park—where history really did come to life—you can read it here:
What You’re Feeling Good About
One Positive Vibes member, Mary Margaret, wrote:
My azaleas showed out this Spring. This is the last to bloom.
“ Just living is not enough…one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” —Hans Christian Anderson
I would amend the quotation to say lots of flowers.
One of Mary Margaret’s azaleas
(This section is where I’ll be featuring good news, tips, and bits of wisdom from readers—so please reply to this email and share some with me! It can be anything, big or small. Whatever you’re feeling good about.)
More Good News
Still the greatest of all time …
A lovely rundown of the Derby’s 150-year history:
For all the details on the 150th Run for the Roses:
And why is it nicknamed the “Run for the Roses,” after all?
And for Throwback Thursday, here is Secretariat’s Kentucky Derby (full race):
Finally, how about those hats? Here’s a look at how KY Derby fashion has evolved over the years:
And speaking of races:
Pawsitive Vibes
One member of the Positive Vibes community, Trish, was kind enough to share these photos of her beautiful Australian Shepherd puppy, Crosby, who turned 5 months old yesterday! Trish reports that Crosby is learning to herd their chickens, is “very self-assured,” and “is an amazing dog.” Go, Crosby! 😍
 Crosby around 8 weeks of age |  Crosby at 5 months |
Got a pet pic you’d like to share? Please feel free to reply to this email!
Riddle Me This
Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ, then they stamp, then they stand still. What are they?
Answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
For Your Playlist
I’ll never forget how this song was playing in my car when I pulled up to Fred Ramsey’s house to pick up our new Golden Retriever puppy, Ike, on April 1 of last year. It doesn’t get any more Positive Vibes than this! 😉
Here’s the link if you’re on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/29U7stRjqHU6rMiS8BfaI9?si=34681232c722450e
 Ike at 7 weeks of age |  Ike this week (1 year, 2 ½ months) |
Last Word
When I bestride him, I soar; I am a hawk; he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.
Tell a Friend!
Know anyone who could use more positivity in their lives and would enjoy this newsletter? Send them the link to subscribe for free: https://yasmine-ali-author.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Fan Mail Address
How to get a signed bookplate sticker: see the intro to this post.
Answer to the riddle: Teeth. Did you recognize this riddle? It’s from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
