Author: langlep

So 2020 was going to be my year. The year I got my life sorted after being served redundancy notice from my job in November 2019. The year I ticked off more things from my horsey bucket list. The year I got my mental health back under control and reduced stress in my life. I had a plan. And it was a good one. Then the plan changed dramatically on 2 January. I came off my horse at speed and broke my ankle. Badly. Like all good equestrians, I got back on and rode back to the yard, sorted Buddy out and then drove myself to A&E. That’s where this journey really began... I was sent home from A&E and told to crack on, only to receive a phone call later to say they’d missed a fracture (and a rather serious one at that). Whoops! So fracture clinic on 3 January, surgery on 5 January and home to recover. I started this blog as a way to chart my recover back to the saddle. As I cleared clinics and competitions out of my diary and wondered what the next few months would bring, it's been a safe space for me to say how I'm feeling. The new plan was to get a new job, to keep Buddy is kept ticking over and recover from my injury. Another good plan! I didn't expect a global pandemic, lockdown and all that happened in 2020. This blog has changed over time but it's continued to be my safe space to share the things going on in my life, with Buddy and the cats. Enjoy!

Storm Francis

So it was a tad windy last night! I got woken up several times by crashing and banging. It sounded like something out of a horror movie!! It honestly thought my roof was coming off.

Tentatively I went outside this morning to see what the damage was. None to report. Phew! Found out what all the noise was – an overgrown Buddleja that was scrapping against my bedroom wall and smacking the roof above my head.

Cue me out there at 08:00 with the loppers. Needless to say the Buddleja is no longer overgrown…

Autumnal fodder

It’s been a very autumnal kind of day. Heavy rain one minute, blustery gales the next, then glorious sunshine. Definitely an indoor day! Decided to start preparing for darker evenings and comfort food. Oven roasted the first batch of my tomatoes. They smelt so good. Couple of portions in the freezer.

Also baked an apple. Without any injuries! For some it may be normal, but believe me when I say, this is stretching my comfort zone.

The Eagle and the crow

The only bird that dares to peck at an Eagle is the crow. He sits on his back and bites his neck. However, the Eagle does not respond, nor fight with the crow; it doesn’t waste time or energy on the crow! It simply opens its wings and begins to rise higher in the heavens. The higher the flight, the harder it is for the crow to breathe and then the crow falls due to lack of oxygen.

Stop wasting your time with “crows”. Just take them to your heights and they’ll fade away…..

Playtime

Buddy and I headed over to Brampton for an early lesson with Caroline Moore. She’d set up a floor plan that she said she uses with her advanced riders (they jump it much higher than we did). Every exercise was all about straightness. Including a line of an upright to skinny brush to an upright. Lots of cavalettis mixed in too. Definitely needed Pip Nav today!

Learnt a lot today. We’ll both sleep well tonight.

Mugshot

Found this corker while going through a box in the garage. I was looking for something (which I couldn’t find). Found a few packs of photo too. Back from the days of actual film!!

I look like I’m taking the instructions not to smile very seriously! I wish I could remember what it was taken for.