Conversations through the middle

Horse (and sheep) days – Chloe and Freda

April 26, 2013

This past week I’ve had the privilege of looking after the most wonderful horse and sheep duo while their carer has been away. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, as I’m still hurting over the loss of my wonderful boy John, but I did it anyway. It goes without saying I’ve fallen totally in love with the two of them.

Chloe the Connemara is the most gentle soul who has the look of John about her, it’s the expressions on her face, her kindness and her soft eyes that remind me, rather than her physical features – John was a Thoroughbred after all. They both share the same mannerisms, even down to trying to nibble my bum when I’m picking out front feet.

Freda the sheep? Well what can I say, who knew sheep were such characters? She is cheeky, inquisitive, shy yet overpoweringly nosey so her shyness gets forgotten as she simply has to see what’s going on at all times! She is quite a girl.

The two of them get on fine, they even share haynets, though not food (horse feed contains copper which is poisonous to sheep – I have learned so much about these lovely creatures in the fast few days).

Alas my week babysitting is now up and sadly the partnership will be split up next month as Chloe goes to a new home and Freda goes back to her farm. Even more sadly, I’m not in a position to give either of them a home at this time though I wish to God I could. I think Chloe will be okay, her new owners sound responsible, but I’m worried about what will happen to Freda. Initially, she will go into a field with other sheep so she will be happy enough, they will miss each other though. I’ll miss both of them.

Chloe has just had her tail plaited by Dot, you can just see the top of her head over Chloe’s back

Freda in her house

Ladies who lunch – enjoying a spot of hay together

Pets in plant pots – oh yes

April 25, 2013

Oh my goodness, I know it’s been ages but life got in the way. Not in a good way, more in a work-I-have-bills-to-pay way, and despite my best intentions I didn’t have the energy or the inclination after 10 hours a day at the computer.

It seems though that the laugh may be on me. I hope to God I’m wrong, but it’s looking very much like I’m not going to get the money owed to me for the work I did, that I will have to chase the company that owes me through the courts and even after that, even with a court judgement against them, they may not pay. How fair is that? It’s a rant for another day – ‘Does freelancer mean skivvy these days and where do companies get off treating us like something on the bottom of their shoe’.

And soooooooo in the spirit of not letting it get to me and not depressing you, dear readers (that’s if I’ve got any left after my prolonged absence) I present to you….

Kitty in a plant pot and Bunny in a plant pot. I don’t know why but this is the favoured seat for both Rosie Raditt (our cat) and Cookie AKA Mrs Bun (our rabbit).

The two of them sit in plant pots for hours at a time, awake or asleep, it doesn’t seem to matter. Still, as long as they’re happy. Have you seen the size of her ruff – she is as big as the cats and they run away from her. Does anybody else have pets with strange quirks? Let me know, I’d love a laugh xx

Why Mother’s Day is the happiest – and saddest – time

March 11, 2013

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and it was the noisiest Mother’s Day I have ever experienced, with Dot shouting even more than usual. Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely and she made me the most beautiful card, but boy can she shout.

It’s always a funny day for me – on the one hand I have my own Dot now, and it’s a very special time with her; on the other hand I don’t have my mam anymore, which is very painful. Usually it’s more a constant dull ache than a sharp pain – it will be 30 years this August since she died – but Mother’s Day is one of those times when it hurts like it happened yesterday.

I have seen lots of blog posts about yesterday, but I couldn’t bring myself to read them all. I suppose Mother’s Day brings out the selfish me in a way – I don’t want to read about other people being happy with their mums when my mam isn’t here with me.

Here she is, before she was married, before she was a mam. She is beautiful. She was the kindest, happiest soul you could ever meet.

And here she is in 1981, in Australia, visiting family

My mam x

Fresh food, freezers and falling rain

March 10, 2013

This amazing sight is just outside Vinopolis. Very appropriately, it was chucking it down when I took this photo

Yesterday was rather a busy day, I was in London for the launch of a new cooling range from Zanussi, which was held at Vinopolis, a place I’ve wanted to visit since it opened.

Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo was on hand to talk us through he new products and I took loads of photos – but the guy has ants in his pants and didn’t stand still. At all. So I’ve had to delete most of them as they were just a blur (which the day could well have been for me had I given in to the Prosecco that was being liberally handed out. (Well, yes, I did have a couple of glasses, but that’s all honest.)

Luckily the fridge freezers were a bit more accommodating when it came to photographs.


I like the way the inside is designed, with really deep salad drawers and dedicated bottle space. I don’t know if you can see, but there’s another narrower drawer above the bottom shelf that still leaves space on the shelf itself

The freezer section has a really deep drawer – handy or what?


See what I mean, he can’t stand still…


This is the best photo I have. Gino chatted with the guests and gave a few food tips, none of which I can remember. We were asked for our tips and one of the audience revealed the interesting fact that if you store potatoes and apples together they will keep fresh for longer – I didn’t know that!

On the way back to the tube I popped in to Borough Market, which I’ve read so much about. These photos give you a flavour of the market – it was full of lovely, stinky cheeses, fruit and veg, meat, wines and perhaps most importantly, cakes. It was packed with people and there was a happy atmosphere, but overall, I found it a bit contrived. That’s not to say it doesn’t serve its purpose, I’m sure it does, and there should definitely be more food markets out there so we have a choice about where to shop. It seemed to me more like a tourist attraction than an actual market though. I’m not sure it that makes sense, but I couldn’t afford to shop there regularly as it’s too expensive, which defeats the idea of markets surely.