Monday's News

Well, I wasn't really looking forward to Monday much as we had 8 footcare appts booked in that would take us from 9.30am till about 5.30am (taking an hour's lunch break though, which we don't normally do). I had to take Antoinette to the stables before I started as well - she's taking the first of her BHS Progression tests this week and has 2 days of training before the test on Thursday afternoon.

When I got up I checked my emails and was amazed to see I'd won a digi kit over at DST! So that cheered me up!!

We did the appts. - it was SO hot driving round - very muggy yesterday. Not nice. Went back to stables to see if Antoinette wanted to stay and watch the Dressage comp. that was going on there, and of course she did - she was busy being Julia's little helper!!! I haven't seen her look so happy for a long time though - when we arrived, she came running over, and there was this little brown (from the sun) dirty (from all the dust at the stables!) face with the biggest smile you've ever seen!! So, just gave her some money for food and drinks for the evening and left to take mum home.

Got home, had a coffee and a chat with Evie and Andy, then came on to check my emails (I know, it sounds like I'm obsessed, but between my service provider sending through anywhere between 2 and 4 copies of the same email on occasion, and all the digi site newsletters I've signed up for over the last few months, lol, I can end up with over a hundred a day, so it's better to keep on top of things!)

To my amazement, there was one from Cheryl Johnson - she's the Photographer whose courses I took a couple of years ago; she's also a fellow UKSer, and also is in charge of submissions at Scrapbook Inspirations mag! I'd sent a LO in for the theme of Christmas, just a simple one about how I'd love snow at Christmas! As mine wasn't about wanting some big gift, or wanting to see long-lost rellies, I wasn't expecting to be chosen for publication, esp. as it's the first time I've submitted anything, lol! BUT! She wants to publish my LO!!!! O.M.W.!!!! How exciting is that?!

So I'm ringing round, telling mum n dad, and doing a happy dance here, then sat down to carry on with emails...there's another one from Aimee, a newish Designer who makes some scrummy scrummy kits...have a look here... http://girlboheme.com/gbstudios/ (you can get to her store from there!). I'd sent her an email after discovering her yesterday lunchtime whilst meandering through the www and applied to be on her CT. She was emailing back to say yes!!! Yeehaaah!!!!

So, yesterday, I had 3 pieces of very very good news!!!

Went back to the stables at 8.30pm for Antoinette - she was still 'happy as larry' and just finishing up with Julia and her horse Donny. Julia let her give him some extra strong mints and take him down to the field - she and Antoinette were so pleased as they'd come 1st and 3rd in the Dressage, and there were a LOT of entrants - 19 - last night, and the majority were not from our stables! On the way home Antoinette told me that Julia had said to her that when she goes out to shows in future, Antoinette can go with her and be her groom!!! How great is that?!!!! So, of course, Antoinette was floating on air last night!!

She'd also had a chat with Julia about loaning Marley, assuming the price is right, as we're waiting to hear from the owner. Antoinette was really torn as much as she loves Marley, it felt a bit too close to trying to replace Molly, so she really didn't know what to do. Also she was worried Julia would think she wasn't interested in her and Donny any more. So she chatted it all over with Julia, and they decided it would be a good idea to do the loan - for Marley as well as for Antoinette - and she could still do things with Donny!

So, all in all, yesterday turned out to be one of the most eventful days we've had for a while!!

Today Margie and I plus Meg and Evie are all going up to Pickleberry Papercrafts in Faversham so Margie can have a nose! (It's a lovely shop!!), then later Margie and I are hoping to do some genealogy research. I'm trying to go back down dad's father's line, but as neither he nor his siblings seem to know anything about their paternal grandparents, it's not easy! We ordered dad's parents' marriage cert yesterday and what we hope is his dad's birth certificate. They prob won't turn up for at least a couple of weeks though. It's far far cheaper to order them from your local Registry Office, but it does take longer. But, when it's a choice between £8 ea or £20 ea (from Ancestry.com) , it's not really viable to do otherwise!

Back later!

Bernie x