Unabridged Opinions

Remember this? Even though I moved here in November, it was the winter that really struck me.  A little over a month ago, the snow was crunching under my feet, and I was wearing four layers while attempting to go for a run. These last two weeks, though, there were leaves on the trees and bulbs blooming everywhere. I added ten minutes to my walk into town because I kept being distracted by the bright purple and yellows of the flowers or a tree that started leafing out in bright green. Or the sun, which has been making an astonishing number of appearances in March. I’ve been making smoothies and opening every window in the flat with something that is not far short of glee. Continue reading

This sort of dreamy fade-out was one of the effects the photographer did with our wedding shots. Somehow, it feels like it works better with horses. This is Truce, a horse I rode while at Briarwood Riding School–he is now owned by another of Sarah’s students and is an adored member of the family. Besides being gorgeous (and a great mover), Truce also managed to give me my first and only black eye. And I have had the flu for the past week and wanted to relive a funny memory, so you get to hear all about it. Continue reading

One of the elements that horseback riding makes you hyper-aware of is your own personal set of bad habits and their inevitable consequences.  Many of my own set of bad habits are linked to nervousness and fear.  They are both physical and mental, and in nearly ten years of riding, they come back to haunt me frequently enough to remind me that, like anxiety, it is how you deal with them that makes all of the difference.

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