I made soup! OK, the soup maker did. But I pressed the button. It might look like a new Farrow & Ball colour, but it tasted good. And I’m still alive. I’ve decided to call it ‘Fungi Sludge’.

I used too much water so it was a bit sloppy, but it’s all learning. I’m fact, I made two different soups! I also made some leek and potato or ‘Blitzed Kermit’.

I needed something to make me smile as I woke up full of cold, pounding head and feeling dreadful. I was meant to be taking Buddy to a jumping clinic. But after walking Bert, I was wiped out. So I called it and headed back to bed for a few hours.

A bowl of homemade mushroom soup helped. As did time resting with Bert. I’m feeling more human again now. I have 9 portions of soup in the fridge and freezer to keep me going. What paint colour should I go for next…?!

Welcome to another edition of ‘when Pip goes shopping hungry’. But there is a bit of method in my impulse purchase…

We all know that I am not the best when it comes to food. One of the promises I made to myself was to be better at eating. I really do forget to eat. Food just doesn’t interest me that much. Or maybe it’s the act of cooking. Who knows?! My body is well versed in the calorie roulette I seem to play on a daily basis.

Anyway, when I was down at my Dad’s, he gave me my Mum’s soup maker. I love soup, but have only attempted it once before. I am culinarily challenged at best. It’s a soup maker, I mean even I can’t balls that up!!

I headed to the shop yesterday to get some bits to make my first batch. OK, so I haven’t quite got round to actually making it. Baby steps people.

I spotted these desserts and thought I’d give them a whirl. I’m pretty sure protein is a good thing. Based on the fact I have protein bars and protein shakes. Not totally sure what it does for you. What I do know is that these bad boys were very tasty indeed.

You’ve heard of a doomsday prepper, well today I became a rug prepper. It’s definitely an equestrian thing. I recently had some rugs repaired and reproofed ready for winter so that was step one of rug prepping complete.

Step two was getting them out and ready to be used. Simple right?! Well not when you can’t remember which rug is which weight. So I checked the bags (one of the reasons I keep them – they have pictures on them too). Then I added tags to them with the weights. Inspired right?!

One of the other liveries thought so and asked if she could have some tags too. Does this make me an influencer?!

Of course, the acid test will be whether the tags stay on once the rug is actually on my horse. Given said rugs needed repairing, I’m not hopeful. Still I got a weird satisfaction from lining them all up in weight order. I know, I need to get out more…

Well, well, well, I finally found a toy that Bert hasn’t worked out (and destroyed) within minutes. Ladies and gentleman, I give you the clam. It had treats in it and velcros shut, so he has to use his Spaniel nose and brain to get them out.

I’ve notice recently that he’s been getting a bit overstimulated with his toys. Enforced time outs have been required. This toy is really interesting to watch him trying to work it out. He’s a little bit of a bull in a China shop sometimes.

Taking his toys away does feel a bit mean, but it’s meant that he seems to value them more and appreciate them.

It also means he sleeps on the sofa next to me. Instead of sticking a toy in my face constantly. That does make it rather hard to concentrate…

Back home after a flying trip to Brighton to choose some food. This is one of the more enjoyable parts of event management. And the closest I will come to eating the dinner menu at the conference. I will be in full swan mode while everyone is enjoying their 3 courses.

Bert and I headed down yesterday so we could spend a night with my Dad. Bert loves staying at Grandad’s. He was a very good boy apparently while I headed down to Brighton. The site visit and tasting took longer than I expected. Thankfully the M25 was very kind to us on the way back. We sailed almost all the way home before hitting roadworks. Then crawled the final 20 minutes due to various road closures, traffic lights and reduced lanes.

I used the journey there and back to catch up with a few people and listen to some fascinating podcasts. Bert used the journey there and back to catch up on sleep. Think he might have gotten the better deal. At least I got the better deal when it came to food.

My Mum was a lifetime National Trust member. She loved going to different locations. She also loved nature and trees. So I donated some in her memory at a National Trust property. Seemed like a good thing to do.

I love nature and trees too. Definitely an outdoor girl. I’m also partial to a National Trust location (and hot chocolate). So when I die, I hope someone will donate a tree or two for me too.

I couldn’t find Hugo this morning. I knew he’d come in last night. I knew I’d locked the cat flap. But he wasn’t to be found. I was rather perplexed if I’m honest.

Until I picked up my bag to unpack from camp… it was rather heavy and wriggled. A lot. It seemed that he’d decided that was the best place to sleep last night.

He wasn’t best pleased at being evicted. It made me laugh as I had come up with some rather implausible ways he could have gotten out.

Today would have been my Mum’s birthday. She would have been 82. It also marks a year since I last saw her as I made the trip to celebrate with her. Not that she knew much about it.

It feels very odd today. So I raised a glass to her. This was her in 2018 before the ravages of time, Covid and a million and one other ailments got her. I love this photo.

So Happy Birthday Mum. I hope you’re enjoying your birthday in the sky.

We’re back home after a fantastic camp. I have to say I think this was our best one to date! And that’s saying something with the number we’ve done.

Buddy was an absolute star from start to finish. We arrived in torrential rain, we finished in torrential rain, but it didn’t dampen our spirits at all.

After two jumping lessons with Caroline, today we had a jumping lesson with Jo. She broke out the spider! Oh my days, so much fun. It can be jumped in 16 different ways. We did a few. And then stringing it together with a few other jumps. Buddy didn’t bat an eye at it. He flew round everything. In fact, he’s jumped absolutely everything this week.

Our final lesson was flat. I’d asked Jo if she could help me get the feel of Medium Trot. So she set up a pole exercise. I could feel the difference for sure!

We had three cracking flat lessons with Jo. Buddy felt like he embraced his inner dressage horse. I can feel a winter of dressage coming on. For a long time, I didn’t feel we were good enough. Now I really feel we are.

Camps are my happy place. They fill my heart and my soul. They also test my brain. Let’s just say we will all sleep well tonight. Buddy is tucked up in his stable. Bert is snoring already. I won’t be far behind…

Second day of camp done and dusted. Time seems to go very slowly here and fly by all at the same time.

Talking of flying, I nearly got a flying lesson when Buddy and I had a bit of a disagreement over which way we were going. I said right, he went left and I saw the window at the side of the arena coming rather quickly towards me. Thankfully we got back on the same page without too much drama.

It reminds me just how far we’ve come together. I’ve been bringing him to camps since 2017. He has changed so much. So have I. I have definitely improved as a rider. He’s grown stronger. We’ve both learned to manage our energies better. It helps when you have first class tutelage. The two instructors here have been teaching us all the time we’ve been together. So they know us really well.

Good job too as our jumping lesson ended up being the source of much merriment, laughing and comedic moments. Not just from Buddy and me. We were all laughing so hard at the goings on. Thankfully it didn’t decent into too much chaos. Laughter is good for the soul, right?! Camps are too.