A Letter from Sweetie

Dear DEN Friends:

I am very sad to inform you Jan and I were waitlisted this year. When Jan told me, I told her we better saddle up and get going anyway, because I am sure we are going to get off that wait list and we need plenty of time to get to Washington D.C. what with that terrible traffic on the highways and beltways. She said not to worry about it, because she was going to some conference called ISTE and that she would see all of her old DEN friends there. She said it was time to give some newbies a chance to go to DENSI.

Needless to say, I was devastated. I cried and I cried. That took care of her needs, but it did nothing for me. That had nothing to do with why I went to DENSI. I went to DENSI to meet and greet those newbies. I went to DENSI so they could get a chance to know the famous Chincoteague’s Sweetheart! I am famous, you know. They put me in a book called Girls and Their Horses and I was in American Girl magazine when I made my swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island where the Abernethy family bought me twenty years ago this month. Well, enough about me. I was just so sad I wouldn’t get a chance to see all my old friends to celebrate my birthday and DEN’s birthday and welcome in all the newbies.

Yesterday as Jan walked out to get the mail, I continued to pretend not to eat like I have been so she would feel sorry for me. Suddenly, she was running back to the pasture waving a piece of paper in the air and shouting gleefully. “We’re going to Washington! We’re going to D.C.!” I, of course thought, she meant we were going to DENSI, so I started doing laps around the pasture with my tail held high, whinnying and snorting. My friends, Spuds Mackenzie and Sophia did the same and being much younger and thinking it was a competition soon had me panting so I ran back to Jan to get the details.

She told me the letter was from none other than the President and first lady of the United States of America! They had heard about MY dilemma! They heard that there was a very famous and very sad horse with a birthday coming up and a birthday wish to meet the DEN newbies. They offered to pick Jan and me up in Air Force One and put us up IN THE WHITE HOUSE for the whole week of DENSI!

So guess what? We are coming! I’m not sure we will get into American University where the learning is happening, but we will be in the city. Keep your eyes open, Newbies, for a palomino with a DEN Star on her back wearing a tribe shirt. If you don’t recognize us, I am sure there will be plenty of old DEN Stars to point us out.

Don’t be shy! Come up and introduce yourself and get your picture taken with the famous DEN Chincoteague’s Sweetheart!

Sincerely and Always,

DEN’s Chincoteague’s Sweetheart (Sweetie)