People

People are what makes the world go around. We are surrounded by them. We are ourselves one of them. We speak to them every day, work with them, see them everywhere. What would the world be like without them? Especially those that mean a lot to us and are special. Have you ever stopped to think about how much the people in your life enrich it? For me, today was when that thought came. Everyone I encounter enriches my life in some way or another. And I am extremely lucky that most of them enrich it in a positive way. Of course I am not short of those people you could happily punch but they are few and far between! As I start my day I wake up with a lovely person (not a randomer, don’t worry he is my boyfriend ;) ) who is kind and gentle and generous. I get ready for work and quite often have emails, texts and tweets to read as I start my day. Some of these are from my beautiful friends, some are from a group of fellow early birds who share the pain of the 5.30am alarm, and some are from intellectuals sharing their intelligence on blogs and articles. More enrichment and it’s still only 6am. As I arrive at work around 7.30am I have a chat with the always cheery security guard, he quite often tells me what the weather is forecasted to do for the day – this in itself is surprisingly useful, as someone that enjoys being outside it is quite good to know if it’s going to pour all day! He asks how I am, what I have been up to and tells me his plans for the next few days. He ensures my day starts with a friendly face and some familiar words. Once I am upstairs in the office I go to make a cup of tea (of course), whilst I am brewing said cup there is a lady who comes to make her coffee. She always asks how I am, and always remembers what I have told her I have been doing. She may not care that much, but to remember what I have told her the previous day or before the weekend is thoughtful – and it makes me smile. My day continues very much this way, with people adding their two penneth of smiles, laughter and kindness to my day. And these are just the people I see every day!

There are then those who I see less often, but are still rather special. My beautiful family, who are all wonderful in their own way. They have taught me what I know today, kept me safe and loved me. Enrichment doesn’t get much richer than that right? There have people who have come into my life quite unannounced or unplanned but have definitely been welcome. The lady I write for; she owns an equestrian magazine and asked if I’d like to give writing a go after she saw me post a message online. She’s such good fun, very kind and an inspiration to busy, young, equestrian women trying to juggle careers and horses. Through writing for her magazine I have encountered more enriching people. People who ride still despite having had life changing injuries or accidents, people who are incredible artists, people who follow their dream no matter what and people who have stayed at the top of the sport for longer than I have been alive! There are friends who I awkwardly spoke to on my first day of University who I would now never be without. They have become a huge part of my life, my rock and the people who will never fail to make me laugh when its needed. The friends who have stayed around since we were knee high and in primary school. They are still in my life, still putting up with my ramblings and being as lovely as ever. There are people I have met trying to help them, when in actual fact it’s likely they have helped me more. People who have very little themselves yet still give to others, both in time and resources whenever they can. There are people I know through having horses, the girls at the stables who I ride with, friends who help look after Fleur when I am busy working, friends I have met through working with horses who taught me a lot of what I know today and still support me with encouragement when I go to competitions.

This is just a snippet of the people I encounter, and have encountered over my life time. It’s only the one’s I can think of right now and that have touched my life recently. What about all the others, and there are others out there – lots of them. I am a very lucky person, and next time one of those who I would quite like to punch winds me up, or I am feeling fed up or having a bad day I will endeavour to remind myself of just how lucky I am and of all these ridiculously wonderful people that surround me.

Hormonal Mares

So Fleur and I have been going to some local unaffiliated dressage competitions as of late. We are really lucky to have such a wonderful yard manager who kindly takes us out in her lorry - Sir Lady Thomas (that is what the lorry is called ;) ). Fleur has improved loads since we bought her, she has muscled up and become a lot stronger in trot and canter. She seems to really enjoy going out, and isn't spooky or naughty at all which is great for my confidence. I think sometimes she enjoys it a little too much and we get comments around her being tense and inconsistent in the outline, just where she is so excited to be out and about. Her favourite is when we go somewhere with mirrors and she gets a good look at herself! Recently we have been schooling a fair bit and working on a more consistent outline. So last weekend we headed over to Rectory Farm to do a prelim test. One of our friends Melissa was going from the yard also so she gave us a lift. Mavis (Melissa's horse) and Fleur go out together in the same field and are best buds. They are both usually well behaved girls when out together but not today, oh no!! As soon as I took Fleur to warm up Mavis got a little distressed. We had forgotten that the girls are currently in season and therefore rather clingy! Melissa decided to call it a day when Mavis was napping to Fleur. I sort of calmed Fleur down in the warm up and thought we might be able to do a half decent test when she saw Mavis and started neighing again. They both resembled the sound of pigs if I am honest. The test was rather comical - jumping out of the arena, canter half pass (not intended), flying changes (not intended) giraffe impressions, you name it Fleur did it! Safe to say it wasn't our best mark but you live and learn. The girls won't be going to parties together again any time soon ;) We have a good three weeks til our next planned outing and then 3 weeks again until the champs we qualified for so hopefully we can improve our marks.

It's been a while...

So I realised I haven’t blogged in a reallllly really long time! I am not really sure why to be honest, I think life just gets in the way from time to time and we can forget to make those important moments to do things we love. But here I am, I am back – no need to worry! So I guess there are a lot of updates that need to be done as it has been a rather busy few months I have to say. October saw a new addition to my life. She is beautiful and cheery and rather hairy – everyone meet the wonderful Fleur! I saw her up for sale on the off chance really as I wasn’t planning on looking for a new horse until mid 2015. She took my fancy and when I went to see her I fell in love! She didn’t seem anything special until I rode her and the deal was sealed so to speak. She came to us the following weekend and I must admit it is one of the best spontaneous decisions I have made. I hadn’t really realised just how much I had missed having my own horse. Because I need to go and sort her out every day it gets me out in the fresh air when I may make excuses and stay indoors. Through the winter I had been riding after work with a head torch and then at weekends. It isn’t always easy buying a horse going into winter but the spring and lighter nights are definitely on the way. I have had some lessons on her with my lovely instructor, Laura and she is coming on in leaps and bounds. She was quite under muscled when I got her so we have been working on getting her stronger and fitter. She is now working much better on the flat and hopefully soon we can start a few small fences J We recently started taking her out to dressage competitions locally just to get her out and about really – she was a star, we couldn’t have faulted her. She took such good care of me and although gets a bit excited at cantering is very well behaved. On top of all that, she never fails to put a smile on my face on a daily basis, I am a very lucky lady to have her.

Second big update is that we are in the process of buying a house! Which is also very exciting. Its an old converted coach house in Cheltenham. We had looked at a fair few and wanted to be a little more rural but discovered that our budget just didn’t get us the size we liked. John has many bikes, and I have many clothes of Fleurs and my own – so we needed something of a decent size really. We really enjoy having people over for dinner and to stay and our kitchen in the current flat is postage stamp sized, so a big must was a nice large kitchen with room for a table. After lots of disappointing viewings and some stressy and emotional weeks we found our house! We are going through the process at the moment and hoping to be in by end of April, fingers crossed. Just in time for summer evenings and BBQ weather which will be lovely.

Apart from that life is the same old really! I have developed a new found love for crocheting so doing much more of that and less sewing. Hopefully when we move and I can actually get to my machine (lots of bikes in the way currently) I will pick it back up again. I PROMISE to write again soon J

Reasons I am happy today...

1. I have the worlds most wonderful family
2. I just had some delicious home made veggie burgers for dinner
3. I have had a long week but doing a job I enjoy which earns me more than enough money to pay the bills
4. I can go to sleep in my home tonight safe - not as common as we think in the world
5. I am warm and cosy snuggled on the sofa
6. Today I saw a double rainbow:)
7. Tomorrow I get a lie in!
8. I am healthy and well
9. I have kind friends
10. I get to spend the weekend with my lovely boyfriend

You don't miss what you've got until it's gone...

It is a bit of a cliche saying but in many respects - SO true. We have all had those times when we wished we hadn't taken something/someone for granted and now they are gone you miss them so much. Well this weekend I had that very feeling. John and I went down to Bournemouth to see our wonderful 8 friends from University. We lived and studied in Bournemouth for 3 years with this incredible bunch, and god do I miss them! We are now all dotted around the country in our various jobs, and the fact we now only get two days off a week (rather than 7 as a student!) we rarely see each other. In fact, it was the very first time we had all been back together since leaving Uni over a year ago. It was just like it always is, ridiculous amounts of fun and laughter and really great to see them all so happy in their lives. On Friday, John and I went for dinner with Abi and Chrissie, the others didn't arrive until Saturday. We went to La Tasca for some tapas, and a good catch up. The others all arrived on Saturday, and despite the weather forecast predicting grey skies and rain we got some great weather. We relaxed in the gardens and had dinner together in the evening. I managed to catch up with everyone on how their jobs were, how Iain's holding out- he is training to be a barrister (hard work), how Becky's travels were and what her next trip will be, where will Lauren move to next, Abi's holiday plans, George's career options, Chrissie's moving plans and what we will do when she lives only an hour away. It was truly lovely. Sunday, John and I had half marathon training to do (no rest for the wicked) so we headed down to the seafront nice and early and had a fantastic 60 minute run. My ankle has been quite sore the past week, I am not sure what I have done to it and it was starting to worry me, but a nice long run seemed to blow the cobwebs away leaving my ankle feeling stronger than ever. There were plenty of people down at the beach, even at 9am they were all cycling, swimming, running, or just relaxing in their beach huts while the kids frolicked in the sand. It was a peaceful atmosphere at that time, nothing like a couple of hours later when the crowds decend! We all had breakfast together before we each had to depart on our respective journeys back home. We did all say we must do it again, and sooner this time. For me, it was a bitter sweet weekend, so absolutely wonderful, but it did make me miss being around the corner from them all, it made me miss giggling in lectures, popping in for dinner, or to watch a film, or to go to the beach. I am so unbelievably lucky to have had three years with them and down by the sea :)

Bye Bye M25

 I am no longer a resident of the M25 area! Woooooo! I cannot express just how happy it makes me not to have to drive on that dreaded road every weekend! So, as part of the graduate scheme I am on I am doing a new 9 month placement in Bristol. As John already lives in Cheltenham, we decided it would be nice to live together. We know the area now as John has lived there a while, and its a lovely town. We got ourselves a nice little flat close to the M5 to enable me to get to Bristol promptly. It is still really close to John's office though he only has a five min walk. The move was, well, a bit manic to say the least. I hired a man with a van - can't go wrong. Loaded all my stuff, of which I have far too much, in Crawley, drove four hours to Cheltenham, drove to new flat, unloaded my stuff, drove to Johns flat, loaded Johns stuff, drove to new flat, unloaded Johns stuff. Phew. Lots of heavy objects, lots of stairs and 28 degree heat. It was exhausting stuff. Our nice van man left us to it, and we thought it would be wise to decorate before unpacking. So Friday evening and Saturday was spent doing a lot of painting. I think it will be a while before I take a career as a painter/decorator. I managed to get paint in a lot of places it shouldn't be (skirting boards, plugs, lights etc) whooops. Although hard work, it was so worth it as now the bedroom is a bright white with one blue wall rather than sicky green! No sicky green headaches for us in the mornings. On Sunday, Janet and Neville came to help us build the wardrobes. Well, Neville helped John, whilst Janet sorted screws and did our ironing (star!) and I made cups of tea (essential to any DIY task). So come Sunday evening we were pretty much exhausted. We had sorted the bedroom though and unpacked all but our clothes. It felt so nice to be in our first home together - one that we can make ours. We have had a great first week, both a little tired as still lots to do, and I have started my new role too. I've been to Crawley and Basingstoke in my first week so again, a little manic! But at least we wont be bored hey. We have had lots of cards from friends and family with well wishes for our new little home, which is so lovely. This weekend brings a trip to Ikea - for those much needed home items, oh, and Dime bars mmmm.

A trip up the M1

This weekend I have taken a rather long trip, around the M25, and up the M1 to see my lovely family. By family, I mean Mum and Nana as Fraz is currently in Thailand and Russ was busy working. The trip up was a bit of a ballache. M1 on a Friday- I should have known better really. 5 hours it took. I got there in the end though. As much as I love the south, there is something really homely and special about Sheffield. I love how you can be so close to the Peak District yet still be so close to the city centre too. I love all the little independent restaurants and shops, something you don't see a lot of in many cities these days. So what did we get up to? Well Friday night I was pretty shattered so we got an early night. Saturday morning, John, Mum and I went to a cafe we found last month. One of our wonderful friends Hazel recommended it and it was nothing short of brilliant! They do a delicious brekkie so we all tucked in; that set us up for the day. I had to go into town to collect my photos from the exhibition as it ends today (sob). So we did that, and had a mooch around town. We went to the winter gardens and had a browse around the museum at the back. All over the city centre there are yellow bikes placed, to mark the start of the Tour De France in a few weeks. That will be the next time we are up north, to watch that! Sheffield is a city that takes pride in its heritage and people from the city, as well as what is happening there, so it was great to see the Tour being promoted in such a creative way. We headed home and had a simple but tasty dinner,even Mum enjoyed my veggie cooking! Today we met up with the lovely Mark and Liz, and went for a walk with our cameras. This was the first time we had met Mark and Liz properly, so it was great to put a face to a name and have a good old natter. And even the weather was good! On leaving Mark and Liz we met up with Nana, Mimi and their brother, Uncle Anthony and his wife Elaine for some lunch. The 5 hour drive there and 4 hour drive back was so worth it. Nothing can compare to spending some quality time with loved ones, in a city you love, enjoying good food, walks and laughing lots :)

Cravings for Tempeh

Ah Tempeh! I would love some right now. Tempeh is a delicious food found only in Indonesia, it is made from soya beans and then fried. Last year when I was there on my travels I ate it every day for lunch. I actually found a place online here in the UK that sold it, I ordered some but it just wasn't the same- maybe as I was eating it in dreary Crawley and not on a tropical Indonesian beach with the waves lapping at my toes! Yes, that could be it! I was driving home earlier and started to think about my travels last year. I was wondering what Rony the surf instructor we met is up to, and Felice who ran one of our favourite restaurants along with an orphanage. I so want to go back. Get me back to Indonesia! It is such a beautiful place, with such happy people. People who have very little but are still honest, kind, and most of all, happy with what they have. I want to see the black sand again, the rice paddies, the bright colours of the offerings to gods. I want to eat tempeh and square rice again, and taste the delicious pineapples. I want to feel the warmth of the Indonesian waters while I'm swimming with their beautiful fish. I want to talk to the locals about their lives and how things are for them. I want to see the kites again. I want to feel the homely feel there, and just walk for miles along the shore watching the world go by. I want to smell the eclectic fragrances at the market and buy batik sarongs. I want to sit on the deserted parts of Kuta beach and watch the locals fish when the tide is out. I want to see the banyan trees and their crazy roots. I would even stretch to getting chased by monkeys if it meant I could go back. One day, one day soon, I will be back in the beautiful Indonesia ....

Super powers

Hello hello! Long time no write I know, I'm sorry! It has been a very busy few weeks here. There are just not enough hours in the day for all the glorious things I want to do. If only I had a super power which meant I didn't need to sleep. Then I could get it all done! What is this long list I hear you ask? Well, I'd like to write more, take photos more, sew more, paint more, crochet more, I have a list of odd jobs to finish my bedroom as long as my arm, read more (long list of books waiting),cook more, bake more, walk more, exercise more, talk to friends more, ride more, learn french more.. the list goes on! Unfortunately I have boring tasks to do as well, such as a day job, food shopping, washing and so on. I do get time to do some of these nice things among the compulsory ones but only for an hour or so each evening. I need a clone of me! Or someone to invent this super power- imagine the things I could do! The other super power I would choose would be teleportation. I am sure there must be some clever physicist out there who has invented this already, but could he hurry up please so that when I fancy a pizza I can go to Italy, or I could go back to Bali to surf for a day, or to Beijing and walk along the Wall of China at sunrise before work. What with teleportation, and the need for no sleep, life would be incredible. Even more so than it already is :)

International Women's Day

This weekend, Saturday March 8th 2014, is International Women’s Day! This is basically a day dedicated to women around the world (sorry boys!) to celebrate achievements by women and raise awareness on how we can empower women and make lives better. Many events are held all over the world by women in order to celebrate this fantastic day from relaxation evenings, craft workshops, lectures and so on. So, are there any women who inspire you? Here are a few of mine (no particular order)…

  -  Jack Monroe- Jack is an activist, single mum and author of recipe blog and now fantastic book! She started off blogging about her struggles as a single mum and putting food on the table for her son. Her blogged recipes and food ideas which were cheap to make but still nutritious. She was scouted by penguin and asked to compile her recipes into a book which has just gone on sale. She now also stands up in parliament regularly and campaigns about the poverty and food crisis in the UK. I have so much admiration as she is actively campaigning about something which affects so many people in the UK, a highly developed society, a fact which is quite frankly ridiculous. Go Jack!


 -  Malala – Malala is a young Pakistani girl who campaigns about education for women and girls. She was shot in 2012 whilst travelling on a bus in the town of Mingora in Pakistan. She was shot purely because she was standing up for what she believes to be right, and the Taliban didn’t agree with her views. She was transported to Birmingham in the UK to be rehabilitated after the shooting. A petition was named after her, aiming to have all children in the world in school by the end of 2015, quite a mean feat, but definitely a fantastic thing to be aiming for. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, the youngest person to have been nominated. What a wonderful and strong young lady.


- Felice Fanny – Felice is a lady I met on my travels last year whilst in Lombok, Indonesia. We were in a small town called Kuta on the south coast of Lombok and found a tiny little shack of a restaurant. This belonged to Felice. We ate here three or four times during our stay in Kuta, enjoying the delicious tempeh burgers she made whilst watching the women cooking. It was a wonderful restaurant and whilst we ate we discovered that Felice used some of her profits to provide food for the children of the community at the weekends. She did this to ensure that they got one good meal per week, and also puts on activities for the children, so they get a break from work and enjoy a little fun. We donated some of our clothes to the children and I am now looking at a way to get money to Felice on a regular basis to help her continue this excellent work that is vital to the community. She has a huge heart and is a beautiful woman.


-  Zara Philips – Zara Philips is a lady I admire massively from an equestrian point of view. I have watched her event since I was a little girl, and always loved her determination and courage. When I worked in eventing and evented myself I warmed up alongside her several times and was just in awe of how skilled she is and the kind way she rides. Some people criticize her and say that she is bound to be successful due to her background and support, both financially and expertise. I partially agree with this, and think she does have great support, however, from riding myself I know it would be impossible to get to where she is
today without copious amounts of incredible talent. What’s more is she does all of that, and achieves results whilst in the public eye and scrutiny which cannot be easy. She is just a normal person like you or I when you meet her and that is surprisingly refreshing.


- Karen Lynch – Karen Lynch is CEO of a bottled water company named Belu Water. I first discovered Belu Water a few years ago when looking into ways to fundraise for Wateraid. Belu produce bottled water which is now stocked in many UK restaurants and supermarkets, and all their profits are donated to Wateraid. Karen has grown the business to enable it to be as successful as it is today- something which is not easy in the recent economic climate, especially with a ‘luxury’ product such as this. I love the ethos of the company, and the charity they help, Wateraid, is one of my all time favourites. Water is something that we all need, and many of us take for granted but after a week without running water in the Sahara desert I can tell you- it is something of huge importance and influence in our lives! I now hear that Belu are moving into other areas such as recycled glass and so on, but I have no doubt that with Karen’s influence they will do well!



-  My Mum – My mum! Of course! Where do I even start? She is just the most wonderful woman ever really. If you have had the pleasure of meeting her you will know exactly what I mean. She has always been there for me- she offers advice when it is needed but gives me space to be myself and live my own life, and always has, something I appreciate massively. She brought me up on her own with some help from our family, which I know was a tough few years for her, yet I never wanted for anything. She once even let me eat apple pie for tea! Mum is a very kind woman, and would give you her last penny if she thought you were in need more than her. She is peaceful and grounded and still is the one I turn to when I need someone. I can’t imagine how things would be without her, and I admire her immensely for what she has achieved throughout her life, both professionally and personally. If I grow up to be half as resilient, talented, loving and wonderful as Mum, I will be happy.


- Anita Roddick – Anita Roddick is a bit of an obvious one, but my gosh - I do love her! I spent a lot of time with people who work at The Body Shop and have many friends there, and her values and aspirations still run deep within the company- a wonderful achievement to create a workforce who believe in the company so strongly. She started the company back in the 70s, based on strong values. These values are reflected in the products and as a company they are extremely hot on ingredients being sustainable and working with individual farmers to give something back. The Body Shop has regularly campaigned and partnered with charities and NGOs to change the world and attitudes little by little. One lady I know personally, Jessie (hello Jessie!!) and her team managed to get laws changed on sex trafficking – incredible! The Body Shop now also have their own charity, The Body Shop Foundation. They do fantastic work with the environment, people and animal based charities, and were also responsible for starting The Big Issue. Although Anita is no longer around, here is to you Anita and the wonderful legacy you have left for us.


-  Emma Wade – Emma isn’t famous like a few of the others, but she is just as wonderful! She is one of my oldest friends and she really does inspire me. I have never told her this so she may be a little surprised reading! I remember days when we were younger galloping around fields on our ponies and having numerous sleep overs at weekends. Now, she is a young mum and training to be a midwife. She is currently part way through a college course before hopefully heading to uni to get qualified. I know in my heart of hearts she can and will do it, I know it is something she really wants and has found her place in life. Her daughter, Isla is one of the cutest and funniest children I have met- so for Isla only she should be bursting with pride (and I am sure she is!). She is a resilient young woman who has had an incredibly tough few years, bringing Isla into the world and more recently has had some life changing health issues. But hopefully things are on the up for Em, and she’s stronger than I have ever known her. Em you are an inspiration to all young women, stay as you are.

-  Lucy Caslon – Lucy is the founder of a charity called Msizi Africa. I found out about Lucy and her charity through a friend of a friend and looked at their website. She started the charity back in 2007 after volunteering at The Mantsase childrens home in Lesotho. She saw how little nutrition the children got from meals, as there was simply not enough funding, so on her return home started the charity. They raise money each year to fund feeding programs in Lesotho, as well as support the Mantsase Childrens Home. Many children go to school hungry, that is if they get to go at all. This may be because they don’t have parents, or if they do, there is not enough money for education and food. Lucy and her team ensure that children get healthy and nutritious meals so they can do better in school and generally be healthier. Back in November I helped at a fundraising event for Msizi, selling some greetings cards for them- it was such an amazing night to be in a room with people that have made such a difference to the lives of those children in Lesotho. Incredible work Lucy.

Ah, feeling rather emotional now, speaking about all these inspirational women! On Saturday I will be celebrating them and every single other woman on the planet, not just the famous ones, or the ones we know to be inspirational, but all of you as you are all inspirational in your own little way! Happy International Women’s Day!

Who is thee Worlds biggest lover of Cornwall?

Any takers?! Well, I beat you to it! Ask any of my Cornish friends and they will tell you that I love Cornwall almost as much, if not more, than the Cornish folk themselves. I have just returned from a wonderful weekend down there with John, Janet and Neville. Janet's brother has a cottage in St Just and kindly let us stay there for a long weekend. So last Friday we headed down there. One of my good friends, Abby and her husband Will live in St Just too and this weekend they were having their little girl Florence christened. That was really the primary reason for going down, if any reason is needed at all! I hadn't met Florence yet and was rather excited. She did not disappoint and I am pretty sure she made it top of the list for cutest babies ever. It is so nice to see them happy as a family and enjoying their first baby so much. They are both fantastic and natural parents and seem to be really enjoying their new jobs as mother and father to Florrie. We had a quick catch up with them Saturday morning, before heading to Sennen for a walk. After the recent storms, the Cornish coast is looking a bit battered in places, but still as terrific as ever. The sea at Sennen was so crazily rough, I have never seen waves as big, I think even bigger than we saw in Indo. Sennen is one of my favourite beaches of all I have ever visited, it has lovely clean sand as well as some rocky parts and its more of a cove than a long straight beach so tons of character to it. Sunday we went to Florence's christening, a lovely service and a big thanks to Abby and Will (and Florence) for letting us share their celebration with them. She was very well behaved and didn't cry at getting her head wet :) After the christening we had a walk around Penzance. The coast here is particularly bad after storms, such a shame and is going to take a lot of work to get it back to the way it was. Monday we headed to St Ives- I found a brilliant textile artist who has her own shop, among many other artists. St Ives really is an arty hub so I did enjoy it :) Also bought some clotted cream fudge, a must when ever in Cornwall! In the evening we met with Abby,Will and Florence to go for dinner and have a proper catch up. Which was lovely. As they live right down in south Cornwall I don't see them too often but they are always cheery and never change when I do see them, such a blessing to have friends like that. John and I both adore Cornwall and the lifestyle and are praying we can one day find a job down there! The hunt might need to start soon, after this trip I think we are both itching to get there now. I love the scenery, the cliffs, the coves, the minack, the sea, the fudge, the people, the pastys, the accents, the cows, the markets, the air, the colours, the breeze, the scones, the ice cream. Just everything about it really! We have another week booked to go in September which will be our holiday this year, and I am looking forward to it even more now. Even after travelling to far away and exotic lands, Cornwall still snatches the top spot of my most favourite destinations :) If you haven't been... go!!!!

Feeling Blessed

So I have the day off work and I am sat on a train headed to Cheltenham to see the wonderful Mr Hobson. I have a cheese and celery sarni and listening to the genius that is Bon Iver. Lovely! I visited my step mum and brothers for the evening last night, which as always was lovely. Kim cooked us a delicious dinner and we got to spend some quality time together- a rarity now they are all growing up and off doing their own things. They have had a rather rough six months or so and I am just so so lucky to have them. All three of my brothers are unbelievably talented and bright, and I know in my heart that one day they will be doing wonderful things with their lives. I hope they believe in themselves as much as I believe in them. Last weekend I visited my beautiful mother over in Malta, who is another one who has had a bit of a crap time lately. She is such a clever and inspirational woman, and she will be fine again soon- she just needs to get her sparkle back. But on this train, just thinking about my loved ones I remember just how lucky I am and now I am feeling very blessed. That doesn’t even mention the rest of my family whom I love dearly. Or my truly magnificent friends who never fail to make me laugh – dotted around the country I am never far from one of these people. My job is going swimmingly and I really am a lucky girl. I hope in my heart that one day everyone will experience a little of this happiness for themselves, and to all of you who are in my life who add to these feelings and make me so lucky, thank you xxx

Friends in Expert Places

I spoke to a very lovely lady I know the other day. I dropped her an email asking for advice as her husband is a rather talented artist and together they have created their own fashion label- how fantastic! I wanted to know if either of them had any tips for someone getting interested in art, as just recently I have been considering many things around motivations, style, creations etc etc. She gave me some grounded advice : everything you do, do it from the heart not with selling in mind; when people don't like/buy your work it isn't a reflection of your work just a reflection of where they are at; PERSEVERE. Her email resonated strongly and re-affirmed thoughts and feelings I already had about the direction of my little arts venture. I have decided for the future that I will no longer create items for sale- but purely for my own enjoyment and work on developing my skills. I found selling things took away my creativity and added way too much pressure, thus removing all enjoyment- which is why I am doing it surely?! If anyone does ask to buy an item I would be more than happy to sell it - however, only at cost price which is usually between £1-£2 - I have decided to suggest to purchasers when they buy something that they also make a small donation to their favourite charity, but ultimately this is up to them. I would absolutely love for this little venture to one day turn into a social enterprise, spreading the joy and colour of arts and crafts whilst also adding value in other places too. But for now I can just enjoy the journey, and as dear Kate advises- do everything from the HEART <3

music memories

Ever been somewhere and a certain song comes on and it takes you straight back to another place?! Amazing isn't it! I love it when this happens, especially songs which are attached to happy memories. I was just painting away with the iPod on, and a certain song came on - Backseat by Atlas Genius. This song takes me back to the summer. For those who have read my blog for a while you will remember 'that journey' from Hanoi-Hue in Vietnam where our bus broke down. We were 3 hours from our destination and on our second break down of the journey. We hadn't eaten for almost 24 hours and ended up spending 3 hours at the side of the road in 35 degree heat before managing to hitch hike on another bus. I was laid in my bed-seat a bit squashed up as the bus was over-filled and rather peckish I must say. We were hot and bothered and spirits dampened. I remember laying there and thinking 'Thank god we are finally on our way'. This song by Atlas Genius was the first song that came on, and I was filled with elation. Elated that we were no longer stranded, elated we were on our way to Hue, elated we were on our way to food! It still fills me with that euphoric feeling- odd that I could feel euphoric in such a bizarre situation?! Another one, is Def Leppard- Pour some sugar on me (and any other Def Leppard/Bon Jovi/Thunder). This takes me back to younger years sitting in the back of mums car, while she blared this out with the windows down and we both sang along. I can still remember all the words to the whole Bon Jovi album 'Crush'. All of these songs mum used to play just transport me immediately back to that care-free feeling when music is playing, you're singing along and there are no troubles in the world. Beautiful . Just in case you haven't had the pleasure- both songs mentioned are linked :)

C C C CHRISSSTMASSS!!

It is almost upon us! For some it is a time of eating, indulgence and joy. For me, I enjoy seeing my family and friends the most. I don't care too much for gifts, the food is nice, but again, if it wasn't there I wouldn't mind an awful lot. I do absolutely love seeing people whom have special places in my heart and I don't necessarily get to see the rest of the year. It is the one time of year when most people are together and we can share joyous moments, creating memories and enjoying time with each other. Everything is ready for the day, I have purchased and made gifts, wrapped them, finished work- nothing left to do now. As the day grows closer and closer, there are festive treats in shops, yuletide glows flowing from the streets, and carol singers a plenty. I even have glittery nails! One thing which is stuck in my mind however, and I can't seem to shift it is that for some the festive season is a time where they are just reminded of the treachery and solitude in their lives. The homeless who may have no where to go, the elderly who have no remaining family, those affected by natural disasters who no longer have a place to call home. I should be excited and anticipating the fun and festivities. And I am. But these people are on my mind and I just feel like it must be harder than ever for those less fortunate at this time of year. Last year, Mum and I volunteered at a homeless feeding project on Christmas Day. One old fella really stuck in my mind. I was collecting pots to go and wash them and he was sat slurping his mug of tea all alone. I asked if he would like me to get him a cooked brekkie. He just peered out from under his beanie and grunted 'leave me alone'. My heart broke for him. I was sad for him that he was unhappy, and hungry, and had no one special to spend the day with, even to share a few happy words. But the truth is that there will be hundreds of people out there who will unfortunately not be able to celebrate, or have no one to celebrate with, and for them, this time of year must be very difficult. I count my lucky stars that at this point in life, I am lucky enough to have money to provide myself a roof, food in the fridge and that my family and friends are all fit, healthy and well.So as I enjoy the day with my wonderful family surrounding me, my prayers and thoughts go out to every single one of those people, and for them (and the rest of you) I hope that the new year of 2014 brings better days and a glimmer of hope.

Inspiration

So, as many of you know I have recently started my own small crafty business, Bintang Arts. I have been selling things online on Etsy and through Facebook, and have done a couple of events too. I absolutely love making things, the colours, the textures, just creating something new. I have a strong interest in photography too and often take the colours from a photo I like when making something. I also love upcycling things, taking something which had one purpose and giving it a new lease of life by turning into something else. It is good for the planet to reuse these materials and saves on costs too. It also often means that no two things I make are the same, which is somewhat special. I have been trying out all sorts of techniques and experimenting really and have decided to stop making certain things and concentrate on a few items. So from now on going forwards I am going to try and make everything from upcycled materials where ever possible. At a few of the events I have done and some other small similar businesses which I have seen, I have wondered what it is that makes those businesses successful. Part of that success I have observed, is that they are making things which are popular. I have questioned whether I should be concentrating on more ‘popular’ items before realising that being ‘popular’ isn’t what inspires me and if I go down that route my inspiration and creativity will soon die. I don’t want to be one of these people who will sell out to commercialism and forget why they started something in the first place. I was first inspired as a small child when doing all sorts of crafts with my god mother- just ‘having a go’. Most recently inspired by places in Asia such as the Arts Centre in Bangkok and the beautiful artists of Ubud in Bali. The last thing I want is to forget those inspirational moments and become a ‘business woman’ rather than a craftsman or artist. So here is to inspiration, keeping that inspiration alive and sticking with it.

But it isn't even New Year yet...

I know it isn’t the New Year yet, but alas, I have made a resolution. I never usually bother, well, I do, but they often get broken in the first week or so as they are usually a bit pointless which leads to me not bothering to keep them. However- this one is a little different. Just recently I have been feeling like there is a whirlwind in my brain and I just can’t seem to concentrate on anything. I will be at work and can’t think about work, or be cooking dinner and be so distracted I have cooked it, eaten it and washed up without even realising I started. Not good. So- here it is- the big resolution. To pay attention.  It seems so simple doesn’t it. I know you are probably thinking, ‘Well I pay attention’ - but do you? Because I know recently I haven’t been, not at all. The effects of not paying attention I have found to be quite dramatic. I have stopped enjoying things that I love- simply because when I am doing those things I’m not actually ‘doing’ them . Like writing for example, or sewing, or painting, or cooking, or walking. Instead of paying attention to the beauty of the colours, or the feelings of passion I have about the subject of which I am writing, or the textures and tastes of a meal, my mind has been whizzing around on ‘stuff’. Well, mind- here’s news for you – no more whizzing! Now we will pay attention to what is happening and enjoy it. So- with my new resolution, this morning I thoroughly enjoyed a walk to work- no mind whizzing but in fact absorbing the stunning autumnal colours which are soon to be gone. I wonder how I came about this resolution? Well, as a result of my mind feeling a little ‘whizzy’ recently as I wasn’t quite my pecker old self, just a bit fed up and my creativity  had taken a knock too. Normally I would do something I love and enjoy in these circumstances, but even that wasn’t working- and then I sort of just realised my world and experiences were passing me by whilst I was obliviously whizzing. Whiz whiz whiz! I also thought about recent times when I really enjoyed those things, eating, writing, creating. And one of those times was when I was travelling – which is all about enjoying the moment you are in, and absorbing it, and well, just living it.  So I thought I owe it to myself to take these everyday opportunities and just enjoy them again. The colours, the faces, the nature, the designs, the smiles, the smells, the patterns, the emotions, the tastes, the textures – absorb all of them. Just take ten minutes today to try my resolution, and pay attention to what is around you. It might even spur you to think of one of your own ;)

Loopy Roo

Today has been a very sad day :( I have had to say goodbye to my bestest friend, Rupert. I got Rupert in 2007 when working for Bruce and Ali. He used to be a racehorse, then was with various eventers before coming to me to teach me the ropes of eventing! I had a great season out eventing on him, before he sadly got an arthiritic injury which meant he could no longer be ridden. As he had been so wonderful and was generally still healthy we retired him and he has been living out his days in a herd of horses up at West Hall in Byfleet. He never fails to put a smile on his face with his cheekyness and quirks. He has kept us on our toes the past 6 years, with small injuries and weight problems but always been a cheery little chap and just generally enjoying life. Despite that, he has been quite poorly recently so we thought it was the kindest thing. He always drops weight through the winter, but we usually feed him lots and wrap him up in rugs and he does ok til about February/March and then it isnt long until the grass starts growing. But just after that nasty storm we had he dropped off masses of weight, very suddenly. We weren't sure if perhaps the storm had stressed him out, so we pumped a bit more food into him (there wasn't much more he could eat!) but this week he had taken a turn for the worse. We were scratching our heads and worrying as to why he was getting thinner and thinner despite all the feed he was having. We had the vet out on Monday and they did blood tests. The blood tests came back, and the vet said there was a huge excess of protein in Roo's blood, and he also found a tumour on his chest which had rapidly developed. He expected, after being told what we were feeding Roo and also looking at just how thin he was, that some sort of cancer had taken hold. The vet advised he may only live a few more days, and although probably not in pain, he could soon feel some discomfort. So this morning I headed over to see him, and say my goodbyes. Despite knowing it had to be done, and it was the kindest thing it was still so hard. I have sold horses before, which is sad, but not the same. And we have had cats put to sleep before, but I think with a horse, the partnership is somewhat different, making it that much harder to say goodbye. The past few years, he has been a rather special case with a lot of special needs but I think that has just made me more attached to him knowing he really needs us. Saying all of that, our last hour couldn't have been more perfect together. I sat with him while he had his breakfast, and he kept trying to knock off my wooly hat (his favourite annoying trick!). He didn't finish his breakfast but decided to take a walk around the field. I walked by the side of him and when I slowed down or stopped, he just looked at me almost to say 'cmon would you!' so I continued to walk with him. He stopped under a tree at the other side of the field and rested his head in my arms by my chest. Roo normally hates cuddles and will only let you have one before pulling away and eating grass again. I am convinced he knew it was time, as he stood there with me stroking his face for about 20 minutes. So we just stood there having our last few moments together, having cuddles and kisses. He was in quite a bad way by the time today came, extremely under weight, with scabby skin and diarrhea as well as a lot of lumpy tumours. I think his body had just about given up on him, with the cancer taking hold so quickly. It wasn't nice to see him in that way but he was still his old self, being cheeky, but he definitely knew it was time to go. The vet came, so I gave him one last big squeeze before leaving him with Anne and the vet. By now, he will be munching grass in the sky with his old pal Nimmy. RIP Loopy my beautiful boy, one day we will meet again.

graduation

Last week was graduation week. After four long years of hard work the day finally came!! About time! Mum flew over from Malta and Nana travelled down from Sheffield on the Monday afternoon so I collected them from Gatwick and we had a bit of grub before Mum headed down to Bournemouth. She got a head start on us as she wanted to visit the lovely Aunty Fifi who lives down there. Kim also travelled down to Bournemouth on the Tuesday to spend the day and celebrate with us so it really was a special day in the end. Nana was asking me on the train down if I was excited and I really wasn’t, I just couldn’t see what the big deal was. But when we arrived it all changed. It was just so wonderful to see all my friends in their gowns and caps after we have all worked so hard. The ceremony involved a lot of clapping. A lot. And a lot of Chinese students getting masters and PhDs. But they eventually got around to us BA lot and we finally got those hard earned certificates! Wahooo. I should really frame it and treasure it but at the moment it’s in a drawer. Mum cried. As expected. We then went out for dinner in Bournemouth and Fiona joined us. Kim and Nana both gave me graduation gifts, which was so kind although unexpected. It was a bit sad when they had to leave on Wednesday morning and I headed out to work, although I am hoping to get out to see Mum in January or February so that is something to look forward to. John’s graduation was on the Thursday, which I didn’t attend due to work, but I saw some photos and he really pulled the outfit off! Much better than me, with my cap falling off the whole time. I went back down to Bournemouth on the Friday evening to have a celebratory dinner with him and his family, which was lovely. So there you go, we are finally graduates!!!

Hello November

I can't believe that it is November already. It doesn't seem two minutes ago that we were revising for finals and dreams of travels were keeping us going, and now its almost Christmas! I do love autumn though, each morning walking to work seeing all sorts of beautiful colours on the trees, and some of the prettyest sun rises. November is a bit of a busy month this year too. Tomorrow we are headed down to Bournemouth for graduation. Mum is flying over, and Nana and Kim are also coming so that will be just lovely. Johns graduation is later in the week, so on Friday I will go back to Bournemouth to see his family and some of our friends, big catch up is well overdue! Later in the month, on the 20th, I am privileged to have been invited to a very exciting event! It is a charity quiz held by Msizi Africa for World Aids Day. They invited me to have a stall there and sell some things, with some profits going to them. They do some fantastic work over in Lesotho with children, based around feeding programs and the importance of getting a good meal so I am ever so thrilled to have been invited. Whats more is that Jenni is over in Lesotho at present and has been taking some exceptional photos for me to make into cards- brilliant! After the quiz and things quieten down a little, I will be off to Cheltenham to see Johns new flat. He only went and got himself a job last week ! So he will be moving into a new place soon. This weekend has been spent online shopping for a bed and sofa! All very exciting if a little grown up. Its a bit crazy how quickly 2013 is going.