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?

The Nephew, a meal and loosing my mind x

OK I know it's now Tuesday but I've just got time to catch up on what I did at the weekend.
Oh it was a good one SUN,SUN,SUN and proper hot summer sun as I'm sure you know, but after last year with months of rain of biblical proportions it just can't be said enough WE HAVE LOTS OF SUN.

SATURDAY
 

Anyway Saturday morning the nephew came for a visit as he wanted to go to the stables with Al to ride on Tetley and I'm positive he must grow a few inches every night as he's just so tall I feel like a midget.
He managed to empty my tin of biscuits I baked the other day well with the help of the dogs that is

Please Please Please can we have some biscuit

The rest of Saturday was spent mooching around the garden then a nice walk with the dogs.

Sunday

It's Nick's (my son) birthday today so he wanted to go for a family meal on Sunday and my sister Collette suggested The Wharf in town (Manchester) I've never been before but I booked a table and arranged to meet them there, so me, Al, Nick and his friend Becky nipped on the train and off we went.

The pub is set next to the canal with barges parked up and lots of tables and chairs outside with a BBQ going and on such a lovely day it was a shame to have to go sit inside for our meal but it was worth it as the food was yummy.

There was a really good relaxed atmosphere which was helped by the barge people setting up their BBQ on the grass at the side they were messing around in a dingy and one guy was swimming in the canal.

So that just leaves 'loosing my mind' which I accomplished yesterday when I went for a hack with Jess one of the girls from the stables, we decided to go bare back no harm in that, but Jess who is half my age and twice the rider expressed a desire to jump the log. Now any normal, sane 50 year old would decline on this offer most strenuously but no not me I went for it full throttle only to find myself on the ground battered and bruised ah well serves me right maybe next time I'll just say no.

These boots were made for riding x

Can I show you a picture of my Mountain Horse boots which I love that much I've actually polished them x

Morning musing

If I go to Outer Mongolia with Tetley will he be worshiped as a God by the little ponies :)

Jump for joy

Went on a brill fun hack today with nice horsey friends and me and Tetley jumped our first log together I was buzzing xx

Ginger biccys

The problem with baking is the eating these days, I've always been able to eat pretty much what I liked and stay slim as ever but now I'm 50 and at an age where I spontaneously combust on a regular basis every biscuit or piece of cake I eat wants to stick around. It's a problem with no answer I think as I get plenty of exercise mucking out, riding, walking the dogs etc and generally leading an active life so I just have to accept it and carry on.

I love to bake and today it was Grantham Gingers or as they're called in this house Hollow Biscuits. I've been making these since my son was little and he's a grown man now, they're crispy on the top and puff up (hence the hollow ref) and they have a lovely chewy bottom, they're gingery and sweet and I can't stop eating them and they're especially good with a glass of milk x

How long till the tins empty I wonder?

9oz Self Raising Flour
Ginger to taste
4oz Butter
12oz Caster Sugar
1 Egg beaten

Grease 2-3 Baking sheets
Sift flour and ginger
Beat together butter and sugar till creamy
Add egg and flour and mix to form a firm dough
Roll into egg size balls and put onto baking sheets
Bake for 30 mins on gas mark 2 untill crisp and puffed up
Makes about 20