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Milliron Monday: Apple

January 1983 - Pete, Apple, Colonial, and Streak 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021). Pete, a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, and Jody lived life to the fullest. They continue to motivate and inspire.

Johnny Appleseed, also known as Apple, was the first foal from Cricket and Alrod. Apple's bloodline included Standardbred, Saddlebred, and Morgan. Apple became one of Pete's favorite mounts. He enjoyed Apple's ground covering trot and fast walk. Pete penned a poem in Apple's memory:

Requiem - My Horse

by Pete smith

How I loved you, Apple!

(and love the memory of you still)

Rush of hare-brained gallop,

Earnest walk, flashing trot

Honest smell of sweat and manure

of Levi's and leather

Esthetic experience of flow

of form and function

Raw joy of oneness with nature

Your crafty innocence

Solo time with my therapist

Illusion at its best

Thank you, Apple, for the chance

to glimpse the power

and the glory

and the majesty

of God himself!

Connect with Gina...

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.

The Western Novelist: An Interview with Anna Elizabeth Judd

The Western Novelist: An Interview with Anna Elizabeth Judd
by Gina McKnight
Archived from the June 2021 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete
No duplication without permission.
 
It’s always fun to connect with a fellow horse-lover and writer! Anna Elizabeth Judd (Lizzy) writes about the thrill and adventure of living in the old West. She has a knack for engaging readers into wild and wooly scenarios that entertain. A horse owner, Lizzy writes about horses from her own experience and imagination. As a horse trainer, she knows the value of horsemanship and good barn ethics. A best-selling author, Lizzy writes modern western novels and children’s literature. The author of many books, her website states: “Anna provides it all as if you are in the saddle along for the journey. Her rare books bring the readers joy from nearly every genre they can appreciate.”
 
Welcome, Lizzy!
 
GM: Every Western writer must love horses! When was your first encounter with a horse?
LM: I was nine years old when I got my first horse. His name was Kennedy, he was about 25 years old. If I remember right, he lived for about six months after we got him. My mom wanted to get me a horse, she grew up with them. So, he was delivered on my ninth birthday and we put him in the backyard until we could find somewhere to board him.
 
GM: Describe a day in your life with horses...
LM: The best part of my life is spending every day with a horse. I am truly blessed. Many people might think I am crazy, but one of my favorite things is cleaning stalls. It’s very relaxing. But for the most part, when you train horses, it gives you the chance to have a lot of horses and get paid at the same time. One of the most rewarding aspects of training is when you get a horse, especially a wild one to come in the middle of the round pen on their own and let you touch them for the first time. It gives me chills every time. They are definitely magical creatures.
 
GM: As a writer, do you weave your own horse history into your books?
LM: Yes, all my books are based on personal horse-related stories. My children’s book “The
Boy Who Couldn’t Talk” is based on a young boy with Autism. Adam was a young boy when I was just a kid who would enter the horse shows in a group we called Unique. My mom started it for children with disabilities.
 
GM: Do you have any funny horse-related anecdotes?
LM: I don’t know about anecdotes, but several of my children’s books are learning how to read. I love to write poems and rhymes, so one of my favorites, is “Taffy tussled the thistles tangled in her tail trying to taste the timothy.” I don’t know, it's fun sitting with the dictionary coming up with the words to rhyme.
 
GM: You have written about horses, training, and horsemanship. What training methods do you use?
LM: I train using the horse’s natural instincts. A great book to read is Xenophon. He was a Greek general in 355 BC. My first book “The Handbook of Horsemanship” has several references that talk about his training style.
 
GM: Of all the horses in the world today, which breed, and riders/trainers inspire you?
LM: Many years ago, I was given a rodeo bronc to train. She had quit bucking and was of no use to the contractor, so he gave her to me. Her name was Libby, to this day thinking about her brings tears to my eyes. She had a heart; unlike any horse I have ever been around. I used to work with girls that had been abused and Libby had a way of bringing them out of their shells. I miss you very much… Below is the poem she inspired me to write.

The Brilliance of Your Stature

Creates an Image of Perfection

Floating Throughout the Land

Free to Roam

In the Face of Adversity

Your Strength Shines Through

From Every Fiber of Your Being

With a Heart of Fire

Passion to Survive the Existence of Time

Your Chi Flows In a Glow

Infecting Life’s Energy

To the Beings in Your Presence

Through Evolution You Became Extinct

Your Image Silenced from Sight

Although the Essence of Your Soul

Placed In the Ground to Flourish

Once Again. Recognized as

“The Grass Remembers Them.”

The Horse

 

GM: What advice do you have for novice riders and those looking to purchase their first horse?

LM: Buying your first horse, can be exciting but you must also beware. The best advice is to trust your instincts. When you go to the place and see the horse; look at how the person keeps their barn, tack, and feed room. Are they clean will organized, or messing and cluttered? A good horseman will always have good clean tack and know where things are. Then, how does the horse react to you and the owner? Are they calm and well-behaved? Do they run all over the owner, get pushy or bite? That is the sign of a spoiled horse. Or….. are they nervous and fidgety? That can be a sign of abuse. Trust your instincts, no matter how much you want to buy a horse, take your time. The horse will pick you when it's right. So, if you are not a trainer with experience, be careful.

GM: What does horsemanship mean to you?

LM: Great question… a horseman is someone with a passion in their heart for animals. The only way to train or handle a horse is with love, respect, and natural instinct training. You never break a horse, you train them.

Connect with Lizzy…

FB https://www.facebook.com/thewesternnovelist/

IG https://www.instagram.com/westernsbyjudd/

Or https://annaelizabethjudd.com

Lizzy and Kennedy

No One Cheers for Goliath: My Leadership Story by Timothy J. Brown Ph.D.

 

New!

No One Cheers for Goliath chronicles the obstacles overcome and the leadership lessons learned by Timothy J. Brown from his journey as a first generation African American college student to academic dean. As the son of a steel worker, his path took him from the small steel mill town of Coatesville, PA through his improbable ascension into leadership positions in higher education. His story, however, started inauspiciously as he landed on academic probation after his first semester at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He would rebound to earn two degrees in Communication Studies from West Chester University, and complete his Ph.D. in Rhetoric at Ohio University. From Ohio, he would take his first faculty position at Buffalo State College, before returning to West Chester University as a faculty member in the same department in which he was a student. After seven years, he would succeed his mentor and the person who first encouraged him to go to graduate school, Dr. Denny Klinzing, as department chair (Denny served 26 years as chair of the department). Dr. Brown would serve 10 years as department chair of the Department of Communication Studies at West Chester University-a program that had over 500 majors and over 35 faculty members before being named the Dean of the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. The Knight School of Communication is the only school in the nation that carries the Knight Foundation name. As Dr. Brown excelled as a teacher/scholar, he became a leader on his campus and in the discipline of communication. Among his many honors includes being named a Distinguished Teaching Fellow and a Distinguished Research Fellow by the Eastern Communication Association, and being honored as a Drum Major for Justice by West Chester University's Frederick Douglass Society.

No One Cheers for Goliath revisits Dr. Brown's leadership journey in higher education through personal reflections, life experiences, and memories of the people and events that shaped his leadership philosophy of being a servant-leader. Dr. Brown's servant-leadership approach is forged upon building authentic relationships and providing individuals with opportunities and support in order for them to succeed. Through powerful personal examples and stories, Dr. Brown captures what he learned as a leader in higher education. He believes in people because others had believed in him. He supports people as others supported him. He connects with people as others have connected with him. His ability to see people through their challenges, is reflective of the challenges that he had to overcome. The people, events, and circumstances that Dr. Brown discusses in No One Cheers for Goliath are meant to motivate, to encourage, and inspire leaders and aspiring leaders. As a result, effective leadership is a transformative process where the leader comes along side others to unlock their potential in order for them to reach goals that might have otherwise seemed unobtainable.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com

Milliron Monday: Digitizing

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021). Pete, a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, and Jody lived life to the fullest. They continue to motivate and inspire.

It's amazing the amount of photos and slides Dr. Smith and Jody accumulated. Most of the slides are of Dr. Smith at work or a specific surgical procedure that was a seminar topic at an OVMA or AVMA meeting where Dr. Smith was a frequent speaker. Surgeries, scopes, X-rays, consultations, examinations, etc. are archived on slides and photos. There are photos of Milliron Farm activities, too, such as trail rides, family events, family pets, the sheep disaster, the sawmill, and more.

We are in the process of digitizing slides/photographs. As we progress, photos are posted to Milliron Facebook Albums. Some photos are graphic (intense surgeries) and not for everyone (and not shared on social media), but the bulk of the images are of a hard-working veterinarian and his staff. Clients and pets are showcased as well as Dr. Smith's state-of-the-art surgical equipment and facility. 

Over the next several months we will be sharing a lot of photos. Follow along here. If you have photos to share, we would love to see them!

Have a great week ahead.

The digitizing process. 

Connect with Gina...

Milliron Facebook Page

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.

From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the Classroom: My Thirty-Year Journey as a Black and Blind Professor by Dr. jw Smith

 

Dr. jw Smith's Award-Winning Memoir

Now Available in eBook!

Milliron Monday: Dear Diary

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021). Pete, a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, and Jody lived life to the fullest. They continue to motivate and inspire.

Jody kept a daily diary throughout her lifetime. As long as I knew her, she carried a pencil, ready to write. I don't ever remember her caring a pen, just a pencil, and usually it was down to the nub with a worn-out eraser. 

In the boxes of Jody's books, there are at least a dozen diaries. I was intrigued by two diaries that were on top of a pile of Jody's school yearbooks (photo above). The blue diary is from Susie Simons. It's a five-year diary, dated April 2, 1951. My guess a birthday present. The pages are yellowed and the pencil is fading. The diary is full of girl happenings; dance class, boys, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, exams, classmate scenarios, family events, and daily thoughts. Not every date has an entry. She stopped writing on July 8, 1951. The entry reads... Now Nosy, whoever you are, we skip to October 23. Too bad the blank pages make you miss all the choice information. She resumed on October 23... Whoever reads this besides me shouldn't be. But for your information about blank pages, I took a siesta! I wonder what she would think that we are reading her diary now. She would roll her eyes and slightly smile.

The red diary is locked. I don't have the key. Will we find the key? 

Have a great week ahead.

Connect with Gina...

Facebook: Milliron Clinic

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.