I'm soooooo brave

Those of you who have read my blog before will know that I'm a bit of wimp when it comes to certain aspects of horse ownership and horse care. Because of this in-built fear (and a great desire to stay alive) my poor Phoebe hasn't been taken out on a hack since we moved to Surrey...imagine your horse bolting off with you in the middle of a ten acre field....yikes!!!

Anyway I was very brave today and took her for a tootle round the field, with my riding instructor walking alongside just in case.

Anyway I am thrilled to report that good old Phoebe didn't put a hoof wrong and we had a very very pleasant amble around the perimeter of the field. She was a bit puzzled by car radio noises as the hedge came close to the car park at Walton Bridge (very busy in the sun as there's a great ice cream van!), but apart from that not even a hint of naughtiness...bless her cotton socks.

All the girls on the yard cheered when I got back, and I was very proud of myself for conquering my fears and having a nice time. Lovely!! And now as a reward I'm going to have home made chips for tea!!!!

Physiotherapy...or should that be physchiatry?

Actually it's the former!!! For a few months now my shoulder and arm have been a bit painful. The discomfort comes and goes, but as it's my right arm, it's been a bit inconvenient. It wasn't getting any better, so yesterday I made an appointment at Weybridge Physiotherapy Centre.

Imagine my surprise to discover...after an hour of exercises, and some very painful prodding (all borne with huge bravery!!!) that the pain is a result of a) bad posture - apparently I have humped shoulders and stick my chin out too far, and b) left over issues with a thoracic vertebrae fracture from 21 years ago!!!

According to the lady who treated me, the nerves coming out of the sides of my spinal column (I didn't even know there were any!) have been trapped intermittently because of tension in the area!!!! This is due to my body's memory and protection , via tension, of the old injury site...fascinating... and there's me thinking it was just due to old age...ha ha!!!

The resulting discussion has taught me that the best thing is to let she who must be obeyed (16 year old daughter) muck out her own horse from now on (Yippee), and I also have to re-learn some basic posture.

She's made me a sort of temporary brace out of bandages and sticking plaster which is a kind of figure of eight which wraps around my shoulders and across my back, and I have to go back for the next 4 weeks for manipulation and massage.

The worst part was sitting on the bed in front of a mirror and seeing my saggy grey bra, and my totally un-toned upper torso in horrific close-up, although the nice lady did say that she had seen much worse (!).

I feel like a new woman (or a new man - that would be if I could find one!)

The good news is that I'm not falling apart after all, and there's hope for a pain free few more years!!!!

Skip Fun

Things have been a bit quiet recently. Last week I went to Sheffield for a week to sort out our house up there and have big clear out - very cathartic and therapeutic!!! I hired a skip and cleared out two garden sheds....three wardrobes and numerous drawers and cupboards. I worked on the premise that if I hadn't needed something for the last 7 months, then I really don't need it and so threw it out (apart from the Christmas tree of course!).

My Skip was 3/4 full after about 3 days. One morning I was standing at the living room window and saw a man stop at my skip, and start rooting through it!!! Is going through somebody else's skip in broad daylight acceptable, or not? I really wasn't clear about this. Technically, I suppose you could argue that if you have thrown it out, it's fair game for anyone else...however looking through someone's wheely bin wouldn't be okay...would it?

Anyway, this bloke going through MY RUBBISH annoyed me...so I popped outside to have a word!!! My way of thinking was that the skip was outside my house, filled with my rubbish, and I could change my mind about something at any time and decide to rescue it.

I asked him what he was doing, and he said "going through this skip". I said "well, don't...it's my skip, and it's still my rubbish, so please leave it alone..." The man looked extremely embarrassed, and slightly puzzled, but to be fair, he did go away and as far as I know never came back.

I have asked my colleagues at work this week about the moral dilemma, and the social implications of looking through someone's skip when it's outside their house, and we seem to have an equal split of opinions.

What do you think? Does the rubbish in a skip still technically belong to the person who has hired the skip...or....does it belong to anyone who wants whatever's in there?...difficult dilemma... answers on a postcard please?

As for me personally I could never look through someone else's skip, mainly because I'd propably topple into the skip and spend the next 3 days waiting to be rescued!!!

A New Angel

Yesterday morning, after a long illness and extremely brave fight a very special cousin of mine finally found peace, and sadly passed away.

She was beautiful, vibrant, funny, kind, generous, loving, hardworking, and had a spirit and soul of the very best kind.

She leaves a devastated husband, sister and brother, and mother. Nieces, nephews and cousins too numerous to count. There will be many, many tears.

Also , after time, much rejoicing, as anyone who ever met her or knew her, will remember her with the greatest love and affection. She was / is the kind of person whose laughter and heart will always be remembered, and celebrated.

God Bless you Angela xxxx

Phew - what a scorcher

Today it's 29 degrees centigrade down here in Surrey. I had my shopping and laundry done by 9.30am, and have just spent 2 lovely hours on a sun lounger by the pool. "Oh, didn't you know we had a pool?" - yes we are very very lucky and have a lovely swimming pool in the garden. We can only use it about 2 weeks each year(!)

The pool man has been this week (Sorry girls - not photos of the hunky pool man as he's about 68 years old and only has about 3 teeth!!!) and the pool is clean and heated. Lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely........Last night I had a riding lesson, got home all hot and sticky, and just jumped in the pool to cool off. I don't think I should gloat any more as I may lose my friends!!!!!

Silly Silly Girl

it's me I'm talking about in the title. Yesterday I was tired, and hadn't had a very good week at work, and was facing a week's worth of laundry, no food in the fridge etc etc.... I got home to find that my wheely bins hadn't been emptied, and quite frankly it was the last straw!!! I broke down in floods of tears and had a complete "Woe is me, my life is crap" kind of 20 minute episode. (Any woman over 30 reading this will understand - but anyone else....just think yourself lucky that you don't do this kind of thing!)

Luckily for me, my lovely friend Malcom came over (secretly, whilst I was at the stables!),took my rubbish away, tidied up, and brought me a lovely bunch of flowers.

Totally restored my faith in human nature.....if he wasn't spoken for I'd marry him.

Zola Budd Or Elmer Phudd?

Inspired by tales of Women (and Men)doing inspirational things, like running lots of miles to raise money for charity, and motivated by a huge desire to give up smoking...this week I decided to take up running.

I'm old, and half knackered, my joints ache a lot these days, and my legs are no longer as shapely as they once were - but after seeing the sizes, shapes and ages of some people who run around here, I figured that running is not a sport with boundaries!!!

Because I never do anything by halves, Tuesday lunchtime saw me traipsing round Kingston trying to purchase a pair of proper running shoes. JJB Sports is crap (actually a fashion store ...?....for chavs!!!!) and John Lewis' sports department left a lot to be desired.

Deflated I went back to the office with the wind knocked out of my sails. But my friend Issy told me about a shop called "Swetty Betty" which specialises in running gear for ladies (I'm a lady?) So off we went again...and one hour laterI was the proud owner of some lovely comfy shoes, a pair of funky black shorts, a nice little white vest top and two pink sweatbands...altogether a rather natty ensemble. The woman in the shop was lovely and very helpful, and she didn't smirk once!

That evening after the sun had cooled off I went. Strapped my ipod to my arm and found some Aerosmith tracks to run to ("Love in an Elevator" is quite motivational!) I did about a mile, and must confess I had to stop and walk a couple of times - oh alright - about six times, but as I ran past the Tennis Club I held my head up high and tried to look as if I had been doing this for ages. There were other people out running, and they all waved and nodded at me as we passed each other on the road - very friendly lot these runners!!! Every time I saw someone running towards me I had to make myself keep going. When I got home I collapsed on the sofa in a sweaty jumbled heap, and then drank about a gallon of water.

I wasn't quite sure if there are any techniques involved - as in - a proper way to move my legs, or a correct way to swing my arms, or even how to breathe properly (I did remember to keep breathing!)

The next day I was expecting to be in a lot of pain, and my legs hurt a bit - but by day two I had turned into Douglas Bader. I couldn't get out of bed, struggled to climb into the shower, and steps or stairs were a complete No - No.

It has taken me three days to recover, but undeterred, last night I went again and this time Dan accompanied me on a push bike. She kept laughing at me (charming...I'm your mother!!), and I must be improving because this time I only had to stop and walk three times.

So I shall keep going, and perhaps soon I will be able to do the whole mile without stopping!!!!