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

Missing the show

The Arab is my partner Al's being ridden by Lydia and the welsh cob is mine being ridden by Al

 Well it was our local show (Silverbirch) today so we had a wander down to do some classes but when we got there we'd missed all the classes we wanted to do as some classes had been cancelled so they'd got through the rest really quickly. Anyway we had bacon buttys and a coffee from the food van and the horses grazed their way across the showground so the day wasn't a total loss, I took the pics on the walk back home.

To Market to market x

I'm very lucky to have two award winning markets on my doorstep. The town where I live (Bolton) the market is a 10 min walk for me and then the next town (Bury) with a brilliant market is just a car ride away.

So this afternoon I had a walk to my local market, I put in my earphones and listened to my current audio book which is called  'Some kind of Fairy Tail' as I marched along happy to be out on a foraging mission.

 I had my supply of sturdy bags with me cause the ones they give you are crappy flimsy things that cut into your fingers and rip open at the slightest suggestion of a  sharp edge or corner.

There's something exciting about market shopping which is lost trudging round a supermarket. Maybe it because I was brought up on it, every Saturday as a child would be spent on Salford market with my sister, Mum and Gran and sometimes one of the Aunties as well and I would always ask for a piece of Lancashire cheese to eat on my way round cause I loved its sharp creamy taste that set your jaw on edge.

 Anyway it always feels like an adventure still or a treasure hunt as you never know what goodies you'll end up with. Today it was Chicken and toffees and Bananas and a plant for the garden and other assorted items. And the best bit was eating Violet Creams on the bus coming home BLISS xxxxxxxxxxx