My Chestnut Beauty

My Chestnut Beauty, a photo by chezabela on Flickr.

He's living proof that you can be fabulously gorgeous and fit as a fiddle at an older time in life xxx 19 years and looking good xxxx

A Robot, a Camel and a Nutter

Do you like my new Christmas decorations

I especially like the camel as he looks a bit like Tetley:)
  

A head full of bombs xxxx

Been a bad blogger but gonna get back to it. Just been busy with starting the job at Lush and trying to learn the myriad of products, ingredients and uses x

Just Hacking About

Had a nice eventful ride 1st Tets had a race with a Greyhound, then a deer jumped out in front of him, then an ambulance went passed flashing and wailing as we were waiting to cross the road so that freaked him out then when we did cross loads of Gypsy horses were tethered right next to path and then 2 Dalmatians decided to run at him but we went and had a good gallop anyway.

I'm going to be so Lush darlings x

 

Went for an interview yesterday not the usual type of one on one discussion, it was a group interview which was much more fun. 

First of all we all sat on the floor in the stock room and we'd been told to bring something which would represent our personality. It was interesting seeing what people had brought there were globes, makeup brushes, gig tickets and much more, I took a picture of Tetley, of course what else :), and used it to describe how I love to learn new things and how I have met a whole new set of people since joining the horsey world.

 We were then split into groups and each group given a product and some paper to write down ideas about it. We then  had to do a demo of the product which in our case was a Hottie massage bar  

It was certainly a different format to interviews I had done before but made sense for the job type and was fun. 

Oh yes and each candidate received a bubble wand to take home which was good. I used mine tonight and had a nice soak whilst listening to Bon Iver. 

Anyway I received a call earlier and got through the interview so I go for a shop floor trial a week on Saturday. Wish me luck xx

Bryn the beautiful

This is Bryn a colt on my yard 

He's a Welsh Section D and absolutely gorgeous 

Sack of Spuds Position

Oh no flat hands!

I'm constantly reminding myself to sit up and engage my core with shoulders back and facing forward, rather than what I tend to do which is to look down.

When I achieve this position my horse moves forward into an energetic walk and when I don't he slows down and I know I'm blocking his forward motion by restricting free movement of his back.

Pilates is a really good discipline to practice to learn about core strength and I read a description of the Alexander Technique's idea of head forward and up which I think is really relevant for riding.

 http://www.imogenragone.com/alexander-technique-directions-what-are-they/

But breaking bad habits is just so hard I can have a really good position when I'm actively thinking about it but as soon as my mind wanders, which is pretty soon when your a daydreamer like me, I collapse through my middle compressing everything down, which is not good for me and not good for Tetley as all my weight drops down through my body instead of my heels.

The good thing about riding though is it gets you to think about your posture and become more body aware, if your not already, and that is as they say 'all gravy' :)

A grand day out x

Oh what a lovely day the sun was hot and no work was getting done today.

We all piled into the car 3 adults, 2 kids and the dogs, its a good job I have an extremely large car, and off we popped.

We had a lovely walk or in the case of the dogs charge around and I couldn't believe how much the vegetation had grown in the couple of months since I had last been to this spot, in parts I felt like I should be hacking my way through with a machete and keeping a look out for any prowling big cats or elephants. 

Shock Horror - Sid in the water!!

We went down to the river to let the dogs have a drink and a cool off and I was shocked to see Sid (the black one) paddling about, as usually he hates the water, honestly he wont even step in a puddle he skirts around the side so as not to wet his feet. Lily and Piglet were making the most of it wading for stick the boys threw for them and Lil did her usual trick of putting her head under water to get the stones.

After walking up through the grave yard, where Lewis had me reading out the names on every stone we went past, we had a short break for drinks and ice cream at the local cafe which has been there for years and is for reasons unknown (to me) called Cafe Vienna. I felt like I was on my hols. with the Coca Cola umbrellas and chalked out menu boards and I was only a couple of miles from home.

Cafe Vienna

Then into Haslam park for a while so the boys could have a go on the children's play area and then home where the dogs flopped down on their beds and didn't move again for hours.

Where'd you leave your teeth Charlie Roberts?

This is Charlie my great friend Jane's grandson who came to tea today and as you can see he has a few teeth missing but he's still a handsome chap. We had a pork dinner and then baked apples and cream but no pics of the food as we were, as usual, to keen to get stuck in, oh and I made Vodka and Cherry cordial which is a fave Sunday drink of ours.

A bit of male bonding Charlie and Al watching F1.

Jane and Charlie

No we're not going to the shop for toffees AGAIN!

Just wish there was Thunder and Lightening

It's raining it's pouring and it smells so good x

Section D and Me

Section D and Me, a photo by chezabela on Flickr.

Me and Tetley at the show ground yesterday we had a good time and got two 4ths so I was happy for our first equitation classes, especially as I forgot my show half way round the first class but happily the judge was very understanding.

Getting ready for the show

The Hair cut, a photo by chezabela on Flickr.






























All day at the farm today as it's show time tomorrow so it was all bathing and trimming and cleaning of tack.

Got our first equitation class tomorrow so wish us luck and fingers crossed we don't make  complete tits of ourselves.

A Brief Encounter - A story of lost love - Staring Cyfyng Flyer and the birdy

Another scorcher today :) and Tet's found himself a new friend

'What's that large red thing and what's it eating and more importantly will it share I wonder'

'OK what's this very small creature and what's it doing here' say's Tetley

'I wonder if he'll be my friend?'

'Oh no he's gone please come back small thing and we can be friends'

Weekly lesson and Tetley puts his foot down

Here's my boy tacked up ready for his lesson and he doesn't look to keen does he, not that I blame him cause neither was I in fact I was dreading it in this heat.

Anyway we went ahead with it and it wasn't to bad, well it was hot but not quite as bad as last week, and everything was going pretty well until the end when Jane my instructor said we were going to practice an equitation class for our local show this weekend.

Tet's just wasn't having it he was being a shit backing up and trying to go the opposite way to where I wanted him like he was saying 'Forget it Mother there's no way I'll be doing the show don't you know I should be retired at my age'

I think I'll go to the farm early tomorrow morning and take him in the school for a practice before it gets to hot then we can go for a little hack before the hordes of fly's are out to annoy him x

French and Saunders - Ponies

So Funny

Job searching and filling in application forms just melts my mind

Cinderella, Ray Mears and a Nazi cat x

Here's a pic of  Tetley's shoe which as you can see is no longer on his foot :(  now how can he go to the ball.

Thursday

I went to pay a visit to my close friend Jane to spend the afternoon and evening in her lovely garden, over the past few years she has worked extremely hard at turning what once was an overgrown rubble filled mess into a peaceful colourful oasis.

I found this toy sword and couldn't resist

We had tea and chat and as the day turned to evening I had a good time being a fire starter, poking around and blowing on the fire to get a good flame going and getting a face full of smoke instead I don't think I'm quite up to the standard of Ray Mears yet.

  Ray Mears How to Light a fire

Oh yes and here's a picture of a cat that wandered through

the garden does it remind you of anyone?