Friday 21 September 2012

A quick gallop through the week

In the end, I’m not doing my HorseBack UK story today; I’m doing it tomorrow. I’ve already written 1588 words today and my brain is starting to crack and fizzle like an electrical circuit about to short.

I’m doing random portrait of the week instead.

Here it is:

Thought a lot about my dad.

Made chicken soup.

Had one perfect ride, one rather wild and spooky ride, one proper schooling ride, and one gentle cowboy mooch. Did groundwork, and felt happy that I returned the mare from a rather unsettled state in the windy middle of the week to a state of blissful calm by the end. As always, she expanded my heart, with her sweetness and goodness.

My dog, my stepfather, my mother and my horse all made me laugh.

Was the recipient of a random act of kindness so kind that it made me quite teary.

Saw people doing things very, very well.

Read four books.

Wrote part of one book.

Started a new secret secret project.

Dreamed of the stable I shall one day build.

Spoke to the Younger Brother all the way out in Bali, where he lives. Wished that he lived in Scotland.

Watched the racing. Had one very, very nice treble. Pushed very quickly from my mind the accumulator that was, perfectly plausibly, going to in win me £34,679. (I quite often do one of these for a pound, and every time, I am perfectly convinced that it is money for old rope, and I can buy Red a nice new winter rug, and then am slightly astonished and affronted when all six good things get stuffed.)

Renewed my interest in the American election. Mitt Romney! Mitt Romney. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

Thought: must write that damn Mitt Romney post I keep promising, but wondered if it would make any sense. The man does not. Everyone who knows him says he is a good, honourable, family man; loves his wife, loves his sons, gives to charity, helps friends in need. And there he is, out on the stump, saying wrong and untrue and disobliging and hypocritical and idiotic things. (There is the weird thing about the dog though. Everyone says Who is the real Mitt Romney? If poor Seamus the Dog is a reflection of the real Mitt Romney, then the Republicans are in a world of trouble.)

Thought about poetry.

Wondered if it could really be true that the Chief Whip just said ‘fuck’ to a policeman. (Surely not?)

Felt mildly furious that my horrible mobile telephone which I hate went and died on me.

Sent a very long, catching up email to my dear friend The Expatriate, in California. Missed her, a lot.

Wondered if anyone will ever agree on how to sort out the economy.

Said goodbye to the swallows, who flew south to Africa for the winter.

Said hello to the geese, who starting migrating over from the north, in great, honking V-shapes in the sky.

Felt stupidly lucky that I have mountains to look at.

Maintained my absolute lack of interest in the iPhone 5.

Met some ravishing new horses.

 

My quote of the week, because there must be a quote of the week, comes from yesterday. A retired soldier who fought in Afghanistan was giving a fascinating talk, and in amongst all the interesting things and pearls of wisdom he said this: ‘It’s not weakness to ask advice from someone; it’s weakness to think you know everything and carry on regardless.’

I thought: those really are words to live by.

 

Today’s pictures are what the auctioneers would call a mixed lot.

Have been going through my endless photograph files, trying to prune the excess, and pulled out a selection of pictures from the last few months:

21 Sept 2

21 Sept 5

21 Sept 6

21 Sept 6-001

21 Sept 7

21 Sept 8

21 September 1

21 Sept 8-001

21 Sept 8-002

21 Sept 12

21 Sept 12-001

21 Sept 19

21 Sept 10

21 Sept 20

21 Sept 22

I LOVE that last face. What is she thinking?

Have a very happy Friday.

PS. Feeling very goofy indeed, and have a horrible feeling this post is filled with spelling mistakes and typographical errors and grammatical howlers. I squint and squint at the screen and cannot see what is right and what is wrong. So please forgive.

13 comments:

  1. Thank you for the photographs, especially the deer, the Pigeon, and Red. It's a thoroughly driech day here in the south, and they cheered me in my just back from holiday blues. There were horses in the field next to our gite, two greys and a chestnut. I thought you would have liked them.
    And when you can gather your thoughts, yes, please, a post on Mitt Romney. Because really, how? Why?

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    Replies
    1. Mona - the thought of my pictures cheering yr dreich day makes me very happy indeed. Now I shall go and see if I can figure out Mittens. :)

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  2. I am impressed by your soldier's pearly axiom. So much so I will put it in quotation marks as my Facebook update for a day and see how many Likes it gets. I think it will chime for anyone with good common sense, but whizz straight over the top of the head of those who need it most (t'was ever thus...).

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    Replies
    1. Goldenoldenlady - what a salutary point. Fear you may be right. He was such an interesting and nice man, and that quote particularly chimed with me because I had been wrestling with humility all week. It was one of those things where I gave a sigh of relief and thought, oh yes, that's all right then. I don't have to know everything, I can ask for help. Hurrah. Long to know results of your Facebook experiment.

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    2. PS. Are we Facebook friends? Would you send me a friend request if not so I can see? (But won't mind at all if you want to keep your timeline to real life people rather than blog friends. Must not be presumptuous.)

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    3. Have sent Friend Request, as requested. No, don't mind in the least. I have a handful of FB chums I have never met, or only met after becoming FB friends. We have often nattered away about some shared interest or joke as though we were already chums but somehow lost touch over the years. It's something of a joy, I find. A point of affinity. Not to be sniffed at.

      I have decided to leave the comment up all weekend, as FB traffic greatly diminished Friday-Monday, as a rule.

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  3. I am somewhat afraid my comments will not be as witty or steeped in language skills as what I have been reading here on your blog, but thank you for sharing your thoughts and life simplified into a few headliners. Introspectively, we should evaluate if our headlines represent one's self appropriately...certainly Mitt Romney has great qualities but can't seem portray himself effectively to the public. I hope that like your soldier, I can be humble in my quest to improve in multiple venues and find wisdom from truth when encountered.

    Laughter burst quickly as I realized that I too have a hidden love/hate relationship with my cell phone. And as I listed my headliners for the week, I feel blessed to have love in my life in many dimensions and wonder how I can increase my efforts to make a difference in the world or just in my own little corner. Your corner seems to be filled with love as well and even though we are not FB friends, I feel your warmth and goodness through your pen.

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  4. Beautiful photos. And that last of the Pigeon... have seen that before on my lab. She is thinking, "any minute she will throw it, must be ready!"

    Love the Mittens nickname... don't feel alone, many of us don't understand either. I have many perfectly sane friends and family who will vote for him.

    Sadly, no, I don't think anyone will ever figure out the economy.

    Still laughing at the comment about the Chief Whip.

    Now here is the burning question: How do you possibly have time to read FOUR books in one week with your schedule?!




    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, my thought too: you did ALL that AND also read four books?!? (Whether they were for "work" or pleasure, no matter!)

    Pigeon looks "concerned" in that last photo...but maybe I'm projecting.

    Have a glorious weekend!

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  6. I'd love to read a post on Mitt! Seriously, people need their heads examined. But if we are lucky he will continue making unbelievably stupid comments and kick himself out of the running. There is still hope.

    I am sure the pigeon is going to talk some day soon. It will be wise and she will have a very posh accent.

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  7. I read too much already about Mittens. I hope that in November he will be vanquished and we'll hear no more of him. He's bonkers. And the Chief Whip is rightly the chief whipping boy of the Westminster Bubblers. He should resign.
    That's the world put to rights!
    Now lets read about your other exploits :-)
    PS - I shall try the FB experiment too. What a wise and valuable insight.

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  8. I would say querulous, in the last picture.

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  9. I love that quote and those photos. I've been learning (over and over and over again) that it is not weak to fall. That I am not weak for the times I have fallen but in fact strong for the times I've picked myself back up again. Hard to believe of oneself though, but crystal clear to see in others.

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