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Conversations through the middle

Life from a (slightly) more mature perspective

Hooray for sports day!

July 7, 2011

There’s been a bit of a historical moment in our house this week – my little girl came third in her sports day obstacle race and she enjoyed it! To explain, I hated sports day when I was a school and Dot is no different, in fact the morning of the event she was praying for rain with her friends in the school playground. She definitely gets it from me as her dad used to play schoolboy rugby for Essex.

I spent many a stress-free afternoon in the junior school classroom keeping my hay feverish best friend company while the rest of the class ran, jumped and egg and spooned their way to victory – or tears – at the annual team fest on the playing fields. I learned very early on that I hated sports day. I was rubbish at games, couldn’t catch a ball for toffee and ran with a waddle. Still do. One day I shocked myself by hitting the ball in Rounders – it was bowled by a left-handed bowler. I’m left handed. That might have had something to do with my lack of skill when faced with a right-handed bowler, but I can’t blame everything on being ‘cack handed’ as they used to say at school.

I learned to accept a long time ago that I’m not sporty. Once I’d got to grips with that then sport became more of a pleasure. I run/jog/walk at my own pace, I’ve recently started Zumba (though my merengue is more meringue), and of course there’s my horse riding…

I like to think of myself as one of those creative types – my brain just functions in non-sporty ways. I wish I’d felt like this when I was 11 though. Being bad at sport caused me much heartache and many tears as time after time I wasn’t picked for the team or was last to be selected along with the other non-sporty kids.

Which is one of the reasons why I’m so over the moon Dot enjoyed her sports day and did so well in her race. Hopefully for her sports day will be a fun exercise not become the great big bogeyman it was for me.

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

Trotting on

February 7, 2010

John and I rode out this morning with another couple of girls from the livery yard and their horses, we were out for around an hour-and-a-half, the longest hack we have done so far. He was tired when we got back to the yard because we did a lot of trotting, more than we have done for ages.

Again, he was brill in all ways. We went a new route and he handled it really well, even though for some reason there were lots of cars around (on a Sunday morning can you believe, why weren’t people still in bed?) We met several dogs, joggers and cyclists – the only one he seemed to be wary of was a very large poodle with a quiff.

I lost a stirrup manoeuvring our way through apple boxes stacked up either side of the path at one point – he did take a dislike to them – but he went through at a jog so didn’t disgrace himself by taking off with me, and I managed to hook my foot back into the stirrup pretty quickly.

Another great step forward for us I think.

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Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

Riding out

February 3, 2010

He is definitely feeling better today. I rested him again yesterday but decided to ride out this afternoon and see how he coped – he was fine. We were going to go out alone but ended up going out with the new livery and her friend, John and I introducing them to the ‘short block’, which is about 35 minutes. Imagine, me showing somebody around on a hack!!!! That would have been unheard of just a few months ago.

Anyway, he was a star as always and we enjoyed a relaxing ride through the countryside. I’m so relieved his fall the other day didn’t cause any damage. He seemed to have a good time – he always does – he definitely prefers being out and about to being in the school.

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

I live in the countryside with my dogs and cat, and I love horses, yoga and running (sometimes). Writing is what I do - I've tried other things, but keep coming back to it. And I'm learning to meditate.
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