Corinna's Maverick & Smint's 2nd place

Maverick hasn't

competed in dressage

before, so

Corinna rode

Smint.

Smint having a

well deserved hose down.

Corinna with her 2nd place rosette.

Dressage Competition Sunday 21st June 2009

From end to start!









Corinna was competing at the Polo Club in the Dressage.

Wearing her birthday jods, shirt and gloves she warmed up in the top arena, riding Smint.

She then went to the covered arena, looking very composed and in charge.

She came 2nd out of 5 with 63 points.

Another visit to another hospital!!!!!!!!! for the love of horses

Thursday 18th June, Corinna has a dressage riding lesson

6.15pm I get a call from Corinna saying I needed to take her to hospital to get her neck xrayed

She had been thrown from the horse, onto her head, her neck jarred then she did a somersault...............

I arrived t the Polo Club 30 mins later to find her standing, rather shaken with a very painful neck, but with a sense of humour.

I ended up taking her to Mount Elizabeeth and we went straight in to A&E, were seen immediately and then continued to have a neck xray and a CT scan of her head.

She enjoyed the ride in the wheelchair and the blue gown was very fetching!

She had managed to graze her hairline and cover her face with bruises.

The Neurosurgeon appeared and checked her over and then examined her xrays and scans - nothing broken, only a lower neck sprain thank goodness, so no neck collar!

Painkillers, arnica cream, hot beany and some supper - she was starving!

I suggested that maybe she wouldn't be riding that particular horse again but she wasn't deterred at all!!

A good night sleep and she woke up ready for her GCSE, and wanting to have her riding lesson on saturday and her dressage competition on sunday!

Corinna's 15th Birthday 17th June 2009

Corinna was 15 (2 days before her Science GCSE's). She had a normal day at school then a quiet supper at home; Niall had a regional dinner; which managed to include chocolate, and lots of lovely cards, emails and presents from friends and family - thankyou very much, thankyou letters will follow.

Zorbing on Holland Plain

Archie was invited to Saul's Zorbing party - oh dear he wasn't going to be able to partake because of his shoulder, if you want to do it, you have to hold on to handles above your head, strap yourself around your tummy and your feet and get pushed down the hill - like being inside a great big hamster wheel - looks fun but might make you throw up!

but luckily they had a water zorb - where you sit in the bottom of the ball in a pool of water and slip and slide as the zorb gets pushed along!

He rally enjoyed it and it didn't hurt his arm. The weather was fabuloustoo - and no snakes!

Durian season

I then decided to buy a few pieces of Durian

from the local market. It was wrapped in celophane and I hung

it from my wing mirror outside the car on the way home - it smells

so strong.

Guada wouldn't let me bring it into the house. I just had to try some!!!!!!!!

It is like cutting into something really pasty, and eating something 'hot'with a consistency of dijon mustard mixed with flour, and

the taste is just NASTY and claggy and you just want to get it

off your tongue.

I wouldn't let the kids try eating any, but I made them look at it to see the consistency. We wrapped it up and put it in the bin!!

The Durian season is here- looks like a small football with bumps and smells like sick or rotting flesh. They are banned from hotels and public places, but you can still buy them, or collect them when they fall from the Durian trees.

We have Durian trees along the railway line and the locals come and collect them first thing in the morning once they have fallen overnight and last thing when they have fallen during the day.

You need a machete to cut them up, the inside is a little like a concker with compartments and the flesh is yellowy.

Hospital visits in abundance!

We have had a busy couple of weeks - firstly Archie was jumped upon at a rugby match against the Lycee and 'popped' his shoulder, it was very tender (but not dislocated) so we started with physio and after the 2nd session it was still as painful, so we went to the Orthopaedic consultant and then had an MRI scan -Archie didn't enjoy the headache from that! and back to the consultant. He has damaged his inferior acromio-clavicular ligament (on his right shoulder). He has been wearing a sling for the last 3 weeks and his left arm is getting much stronger!!

The consultant reckons it will take 4-6 weeks before he can get complete mobility pain free - he can't lift his arm above his chest at the moment - not condusive for rugby, tennis, swimming and all the other things he likes to do! could have been worse!

The healthcare here is wonderful and thank goodness for BUPA.