I'm heading off to Muskerry East. Wherever that is. I checked Dan's oil and water. I didn't do his tyres. Surely they are still ok after his tyre repair and check over last week??  Having said that I put 2 liters of oil in Dan last weekend. He was completely empty again though this morning. Just as well I didn't apply to same logic to his tyres?  How can he possibly have used 2 litres of oil in a week I ask you????  

I'm heading off to Muskerry East. Wherever that is. I checked Dan's oil and water. I didn't do his tyres. Surely they are still ok after his tyre repair and check over last week??  Having said that I put 2 liters of oil in Dan last weekend. He was completely empty again though this morning. Just as well I didn't apply to same logic to his tyres?  How can he possibly have used 2 litres of oil in a week I ask you????  

I think I've been designated the Unofficially Official Photographer?  I had brought my camera bag along today to the Jumper Presentation Day but had been being discreet because I had assumed there would be an official person contracted to do team photos.  These firms seem to make a killing and there was a fair deal made of the Team Photos for soccer teams in Canberra. I'd brought some prints I quickly ran off from the training session last week for the kids to keep.  Before very long I had Club personnel seeking me out, and before I knew it I was taking the team photos. Of course I'm happy to do this!!  The generous help of the many parents who are helping Heath and the truly ace kids that are part of this community have been overwhelming.  This is an amazing part of the world.  I like to hope that we will fit in here and that others will like it too.  This is the least I can contribute to the team and the kids.  That of course is in addition t...

I've had a few conversations lately with people about how difficult it is to be left 'hanging' when it becomes impossible to get any sort of answer on something that's important.   I find this scenario difficult.  Being a fairly black and white sort of person I usually don't like beating around the bush.  It goes without saying that when I make a decision this is the end of it and there's no stopping me.  However I can be as bad as the next indecisive person when it comes to making certain decisions.  Even the ones that I know are absolutely in my best interest.  Perhaps that is because I can be guilty of letting my heart over rule my head at times?   I try to allow time for people to put things in their 'it's too hard for me to process' tray, but it's terribly hard when they stay trapped inside that truly wicked and frustrating place for too long.  What's the end result of this?  Well for me personally it means that I feel li...

I've had a thoroughly nice day today.  However despite this I suddenly find myself feeling incredibly down about things.  Is it missing out on the day's racing at Rosehill?  I should have been there, that's for sure.  I groaned internally when I saw the result of the George Ryder Stakes.   In catching up with the day's racing action through the various online sources of the Herald Sun, Facebook and Twitter I came across an article written by Wayne Bennett.  I always liked Wayne.  I don't particularly like Rugby League but found myself in the days that it was on television always drawn to the teams he coached because I thought he was such a great person.   Wayne Bennett, for whatever strange reason, reminds me a little bit of Clint Eastwood.  Heath's old kindergarten teacher once gave me a great and funny bit of advice.  He said whenever I was faced with a difficult situation or decision to ask myself "What would Clint ...

I've found my way into Mornington. I've only come in a couple of times before. Mostly with Lyn. I had to find the Nepean Highway to locate Officeworks.  Not too tricky. Into the carpark with only 2 UTurns. That's ok. More stationary. And another hard drive. The kids have lucked into a play date. It's nice how they are gradually fitting in and making friend.  The "What's Next" question seems to make my head swirl from time to time.  Is it the great uncertainty?  I'm probably not as bad as some at coping with not knowing what is ahead of me in some areas of my life. In other areas though I am rubbish at it, although the phone conversation I had with one of my friends last night, who's had to jet off overseas for work, helped as it always does.  He's frequently pretty ruthless in his advice.  I've learnt from experience that he's right about a lot of things.  He told me that I needed to remember how to have fun.  He's right.  I guess ...

Wednesday of this week was our little 2 month anniversary being a Melbourne Family. Ok, I say slightly defensively!!  I count days!  I remember dates!!  It's true that little landmarks and special events are important to me. I didn't end up having a photoshoot this morning.  What I originally had tentatively booked in at Emirates Park didn't eventuate because they were a little short staffed and the weather wasn't going to be ideal. The shoot today was really just going to involve tidying up loose ends from our initial shoot last week and these are things we can always come back to.  I wasn't actually upset by this.  It meant I was able to work The Big Horse five days in a row.   Perhaps I should have gone straight home after school drop off and done some bookwork, image work and house work. But being inside the four walls of my house, at my computer, is not always the best thing for me when there are things on my mind. Particularly problem...

There are times when I think I've not achieved very much with my day.  And I can sit at my desk feeling restless and unsettled, almost like I'm waiting for something to happen.  Today feels a little bit like that.  However one important photo shoot took place today.  Ok, so it was a favour for a best friend.  The oldest horse at Lyn's place is dear old Con.  He's 30 this year.  That's old for a horse.  My 2nd horse Tickles made it to 30 but died shortly after this.  We'd decided we needed some special photographs of Con and as such it was important to Monty as well.  Monty falls under the category "The Oldies" when we refer to mixing up the feeds, however he's only a couple of years older than my darling Freelance.   So today I took photos of Lyn and her horses.  She's had Con for 25 years.  I'm always joking to Lyn that horses shake their heads in dismay when they come to live with her.  It's truly appallin...

The racing world is currently holding it's breath as jockey Nathan Berry fights off what was first though to be viral encephalitis.  He's since been diagnosed with Norse syndrome (new-onset refractory status epilepticus, which relates to epilepsy).  The latest article is in this evening's Herald Sun: Nathan Berry - in Induced Coma Nathan had just won the Magic Millions 2yo Classic on Unencumbered.  He'd also just gotten married to Whitney Schofield.  Does it reinforce that message that we shouldn't take anyone's life for granted and expect that they will be there when you get around to it?  I guess that it does.. 

We are at tennis. I've had a nice day today. I watch Jessica play, deep in thought, and my mind ticks over. The Big Horse worked much better this morning. The canter is still a wrestle but it is improving.  Heath has just emptied the contents of his school short pockets onto Dan's dashboard. . Are you impressed at the extent of his Lego smuggling?  I laughed and shook my head, and told him firmly that lost pieces will not my responsibility (and that I won't be buying new ones!).  He tells me the large pockets belonging to the cargo style school shorts are the reason he likes them so much. It explains why he completely refuses to wear the other pair in a different style which I bought him as a backup. Dan's tyre is leaking.  It looked low today and when I checked it this afternoon it was down to 18.  Bugger it...  He's clearly picked up a nail up at the stables.  Alas and woe.  It will need fixing asap because Dan and I have 4 stallions to p...

Hah!  Don't be fooled...  The Big Horse was a toad this morning.  He started off well, but when we progressed to the canter he decided that was it and that he wasn't going to have a bar of it.  I probably perserved on the left rein slightly longer than I should have after finally cantered on the left leg, because I had the audacity to ask for it a second time..  At this point all the hair came off.  It wasn't pretty and it took a while but we finally got the canter left again.  I gave him a brief pat and then turned him onto the right rein thinking this will be easier for him..  Did he pop easily into the canter??  Oh no....  he spat the dummy.  Running through the transition.  Taking the wrong leg. Refusing to canter if he did finally do it.  He got one with the whip around his backside for his efforts.  He hopped up and down crossly.  Then decided he would take the right canter lead but then shouted to me "I'v...

It's a good thing to be trying to fix or change the things that either aren't working or could be better in your life. Right??  For a start I'd decided last week that my cooking had sunk to a parlous state of affairs.  I told myself this was surely mostly due to lack of inspiration and confidence rather than a complete lack of ability.  I used to be able to make a reasonable spaghetti sauce for example.  My attempt last weekend was ok.  Not brilliant, but ok.  This evening's effort was I thought pretty ok!  I put more tomatoes and tomato paste in, and I remembered the carrots.  Having said that, as I just ran through my little mental list of what I put in I realised I did NOT put the mushrooms in.  Now I admit that I think that mushrooms are The Devil's Work and under normal circumstances I will not eat them..  Ever...  However in some strange twist of fate they do seem to add flavour to spaghetti sauce.  Where's the logic in ...

I've spent the morning catching up on photos and the racing news.  I managed to watch a little bit of Racing Review on TVN before agreeing to the TV being taken over by Jessica with the Wii and so then have tried to keep up with developments online.  I'm very taken by the advertisements and the artwork that The Championships are producing.  Take a look at the images in the sidebars gracing the news window.  Recognise any of those images, and those beautiful boys?  I do....  I think the team at The Championships are doing a lovely job and I'm enjoying working with them.  They are clearly being influenced by Arrowfield Stud and John Messara from a style point of view because the marketing approach taken by JM's team is the absolute benchmark.  I'm delighted to see that this influence is beginning to stretch into other sections of the industry and to see Racing NSW embrace a project like this with such quality work. The Championships - The Con...