Month: April 2018

AT THE STABLES

To my boy… ♥️

amischiefmanaged

This week marked my little pony’s birthday – his 22nd! – which we celebrated together with the usual blend of carrots, treats, a bemused but happy toss of the head from him and lots of reflection from me on the decades we’ve now spent together.

It’s 18 years since I first met Charmer, and I continue to be amazed every day by the joy, love and balance he brings to my life just by being in it. I usually try to rein in the soppiness I pour out here at least a little (believe it or not!), but as time goes by I only grow more and more grateful for the blessing he is in my life and has been throughout all these years.

He was the perfect childhood pony and every dream I had come true when he became mine way back in 2000, thanks to my lovely parents, on a day I don’t know if I’ll ever quite believe happened. Every pony book, every scribbled story of my own, every devoured horse magazine and every daydream was eclipsed by the reality of my very own boy, a gift I am forever grateful for.

As I wrangled through my teenage years, he was my adventuring companion and a friend I don’t know where I would have been without, anchoring me in the all the turmoil of adolescence.

We’ve grown together, and looking back we’ve weathered so much. He’s seen me through uni years, working life, the ups and downs of every chapter and some of the biggest highlights and lowlights I’ve known. I always remember an early morning jumping session on the morning of my graduation; evening sunlight at the farm the night I got engaged, my new ring glinting as I stroked his neck; and a November sunrise hack, gathering my thoughts, on my wedding day. In turn, I’ve laughed at his antics with fieldmates old and new, nursed him through bouts of illness, celebrated his triumphs big and small, ducked and dived through woods in one home after another and watched him enjoy so many different views and grow so many different patches of grey in his once-black coat.

In spite of how constantly thankful I am for all these years together of sunny days, tears cried into his mane and everything in between; it still took me by surprise to find myself lucky enough to be wishing him a happy 22nd birthday, and especially with my daughter in tow. I once read a quote I’ve always remembered that said “Every horse deserves, at least once in his life, to be loved by a little girl.” I’ve felt the same little girl’s huge love for Charmer throughout all these years as I did the first day he became mine – and now he’s lived to see a next-generation little girl in his life too. ♥️

Pinterest / Moments by Lori-Ann

A very happy birthday to my old boy… and a very lovely Sunday to you all. X

FAMILY, NATURE & SEASONS

Stepping into spring at last! 💛🌾☀️✨

amischiefmanaged

It’s been a while since I wrote on here (it turns out life with a young baby is as busy as it is wonderful, haven’t found much time for scribbling in amongst what has become the everyday rhythm of feeding and changing, pram walks and naps, stories and games.. ♥️). I did have a few partly thought-out posts I never quite got to writing up in the last few weeks, as spring has wrestled with winter and time has tumbled on. For the longest time we seemed to be in limbo, snow in one direction and daffodils in another, truly “summer in the light and winter in the shade.”

Eventually, however, we have been rewarded for our patience throughout this very long winter, and a real and lasting change is finally in the air. This weekend we had a chance to spend some real time in the sun for the first time all year and even sit out in the garden, wee one and all!

We also all got out for a family walk, me on horseback (still so enjoying being back to riding and building up both my fitness and Charmer’s bit by bit!). It was so unbelievably lovely to all amble together and to watch the pony peering curiously into the pram and our daughter gazing up in amazement at his big fluffy face!

This morning the sun has risen straight into the sky without a hint of mist or a cloudy start, and so looking forward to another lovely day in it. Have already done the early farm shift this morning – brushing the mounds of winter coat out of my biggest boy and leaving him in the field happily grooming with his buddies looking for all the world like a summery pony at long last!

Hope you are all having a lovely week. 💛