This Time I'm Really Going To Do It

Watty1 · 19 September 2013 at 9:29AM

Good plan with the lemons echo delta. Plus Mr Watty bought home some courgettes from a local selling at the gate neighbour so planning to fry them in olive oil with some left over potatos, add lemon zest and lemon juice and a bit of basil from the windowsill plant and that should use up a couple and make a nice dish for dinner. So yes, even the lemons will get used up.

Will check and see if neighbour has any more in a couple of days as could turn them into a nice cheap soup as well (especially as have the other ingredients for what sounds like a luxury soup in the cupboard).

Money saving meals are working beautifully this week and planning on checking the joint account to see if we are still on track later this morning. If we can just start to save a little from that account it will really help the plans along.

Poo-overing still going well. Another 3 sessions and we will have finished that field and then will move the boys to another field for autumn/winter as the field is looking well grazed and in need of a rest.

Popped a few items on ebay yesterday evening. Also have a bit of business stock that needs to go so popped a couple of items on cheap. I'm not sure it will sell but if it does will start to list more on ebay as might be a useful way of selling stuff that the business does not need.

And best of all, negotiated a 40% discount on courier rates. Totally delighted as this will save around £200 to £300 a month in the business which means more profit for the fund. I asked someone else to quote for the business and then took the rates back to the original company and said I would be going elsewhere unless.... and to my surprise they have not quite matched but have offered another deal that looks good. So delighted.

Watty1 · 25 September 2013 at 4:59PM

Been quiet. Busy time! Spent the weekend going to Suffolk to lecture to promote my company and then off to see brother for nice afternoon but whoa long drive! Totally exhausted Sunday.
Monday took the pony out for a hack and confidence wise had 2 severe wobbles. Hey ho. Luckily Mr Watty came and found me both times and after I calmed down I got back on. This confidence lark is very draining. I just wish I knew what the answer was.

Anyway decided to ask a neighbour if I could go out with her and her horse and lovely lady said yes so thats a gentle hack planned for Friday and a friend is coming over tomorrow to hack my elderly with me and the pony so hopefully those two will be better times out.

Moneywise, think deal with courier company sorted so that should save me about £100 to £200 a month :T which means more profit into the overpay fund.

And joy of joys ...carefully checked the joint account from which we rarely ever manage to end up in credit at the end of the month and see that this month we will actually have some money left over I think ...and thats after buying road tax for 12 months for my car (£220) and buying 3 months of supplements for the elderly chappie in the field. The careful budgeting is working although Mr W nipped out to buy a prawn sandwich at lunchtime on the basis be couldnt face yet more eggs. Bless him!

Watty1 · 26 September 2013 at 8:37AM

Major meltdown yesterday. Confidence with the horse hit an all time low. Mr W has suggested that I start looking for a bombproof chap, as in an younger version of our elderly companion horse. (Elderly would be fine but he is in his 20s and I've tried him a few times and whilst he is happy to hack with me and the baby, he isn't much interested in working on his own. And, to be fair to the elderly gent, I was given him as a retired companion anyway).
Mr W has also suggested I invest in some lunge lessons to up my riding fitness. He was thinking I should get someone to come here and lunge me on the baby but that not being as easy as I first thought, I think I will have to go somewhere.
I feel so down about the whole issue that I'm thinking this might be a good use of spare cash at the moment.
Totally fed up to be honest. Hmmmm.....

FloppyDisk · 26 September 2013 at 9:06AM

Oh Watty that must feel rubbish, do you have transport? Remember horses are supposed to be fun, and it's really good you're looking to school your way through it. What is actually happening? Have you found someone to hack your old boy, would he help to calm yours down at all?

Watty1 · 26 September 2013 at 12:31PM

Well the person who was going to hack my old boy was a no show. Hey ho. Good reasons so never mind.
What is happening? Umm...pretty much nothing. He is a baby and just starts or jumps or spins. With a confident rider, all one would need to do is smile and say silly boy and apply leg and off he would go. The problem is entirely me. I had a really bad accident with my last horse and when the baby starts or gets tense and looks at something I totally freeze and can't think straight. So the day before yesterday he starts as some rabbits in the hedge doing what rabbits do (!) and refuses to go forward and I end up getting off shaking. Eventually I got back on and he was fine and then we met a lorry filling the whole road - and I mean the whole road - and I couldnt work out what to do. My mind went totally blank. No thoughts of turn round and put him on someones driveway or anything. I had to get off to think straight. Actually he is quite a brave chap and very calm. When I am calm, thinking clearly and apply a little leg he very nicely walks on. And when he spins he only goes off a couple of strides in canter before I can pull him up. So basically he is great. I am in contrast a total nervous wreck and wobble at the slightest thing. And this has been going on now for months. I thought I was getting better as I have actually managed some lessons and to walk hack him a couple of times but last hack was so awful (for me) that I'm very despondant. And I have lost all enthusiasm to try again. Or even to ride in the arena that is at home.
I dont have transport so taking him someone where isn't really an option.
I probably need some intensive work on me, but, I have tried some stuff and nothings really worked so far. God I sound negative even to me! Phew

Watty1 · 27 September 2013 at 4:52PM

Pulled self together and asked neighbour to come out with me today as she has a very sensible horse. Have never met neighbour before so this was rather brave of me as am very shy! But, lovely lady. And baby and I survived. Am more than ever convinced its me that is making him nervous now. However, she has said she will come out with me again next week so lets see how it goes.

On the money saving front, everything listed on ebay sold and all but one item paid for. Totally chuffed with that!
And went to the supermarket and did a very cautious shop. Its looking good, we may yet make it to the end of the month without that account going overdrawn. Hurrah!

EchoDelta · 27 September 2013 at 5:09PM

Well done on asking your neighbour to come - also shy so I totally get how brave that was to do! Hope that it goes well, sounds like a positive first outing.

And hooray for OD free end of month!

Alchemilla · 28 September 2013 at 8:10PM

oh watty i am so jealous...i would love to be riding even losing my confidence...but i am too damn fat.
Our pony is a baby too and hates tractors. I find a schooling whip really useful, not for smacking but to reinforce the point...we let her have a look at stuff but then we tell her she has to go past it. So scary trying to tell a ten year old girl how to do it!!

FloppyDisk · 29 September 2013 at 7:27AM

Ooh I know what it is like to lose your confidence but you are battling on, you are doing so well! Great news on the neighbour, do you have a riding club nearby? They often have clinics for youngsters etc or they could give reccomendations for an instructor to come to you, perhaps try on their facebook page. I've had to join facebook just to gain riding connections!
Is he ok going out in hand, perhaps just walk him out and get him used to the sights ans sounds of a hack without you getting too nervous, ans make sure you're wearing a body protector when you're on him anyway, I find it boosts my confidence no end even if I don't intend to use it!
Don't give up Watty, you're getting there! X

Watty1 · 30 September 2013 at 5:19PM

Floppy thank you so much for the suggestions. Shall investigate facebook. And yes I have dug out my back protector and started wearing that. Plus went out again with neighbour this morning and baby was more relaxed. Only walked for 30 mins round block but both baby and I managed it without major meltdown. Neighbour couldnt see what problem was....ummm!! me?? I know its me (sigh)..... Still, I've been out twice now without incidence or breakdown on my part so I'm trying to focus on that.

Financial news... was able to make another overpayment without penalty today so money transferred from savings to mortgage. Hurrah!!

Cannot make anymore overpayments to mortgage until mid november ..but...will start building up savings pot which currently stands at £1100.25 for next one.

This Time I'm Really Going To Do It

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free