Blog Award

I have so much still planned to write and so little time! For a very short moment I felt very smug and happy with my finances but now that I paid my self-employment tax for 09-10 and the largest pressing bills it's back to the drawing board and counting the pennies...sigh.
But never mind, I have a new exciting training project on the go for Academy and I will fill you in properly as soon as possible. This month I also have 2 new riders coming for Assessment Days to join the Academy :) we shall see how they do and whether we can figure out best way for them to train with me on regular basis.

So, that's that and now onto the Blog Award! I received it from a few bloggers but haven't had the time to see to it so here we go now.

The Award comes with some rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Thank you to:

Nic of Rockley Farm

Musings from the Judging Box

A Teen's Dressage Dream 

for this lovely award :)

Seven things about myself. 

1) I get annoyed when people say I work too much and/or think about work most of the time. It's not only my work, it's my hobby and passion in life. You don't get people being told: don't think about work, hobbies and passions in life, right? ;) 

2) Having said that I do have other interests too which I don't blog about that much. Like painting. Would love more time for that. 

3) I wrote several "books" (in Polish) and stuffed them in my drawer. My childhood dream was to become a rider, dog trainer and a writer ;) 

4) I like traveling and would love to do more Academy training events in different countries as well as around the UK. 

5) I received an amazing gift last year, a training holiday in Portugal. We will be going in June this year. More about this soon :)

6) I believe that to get satisfaction from what we do we need to give it our best. Otherwise we might as well not do it at all. 

7) I love swimming. 

Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers. OK, I wouldn't call all of them recently discovered but here we go (no particular order!): 

1.http://horseofcourseeng.blogspot.com/

2.http://shannonfornari.blogspot.com/

3 http://ayearwithhorses.blogspot.com/

4 http://livetoevent.blogspot.com/

5 http://girlplushorse.blogspot.com/

6 http://teammcnair.wordpress.com/

7 http://allhorsestuff.blogspot.com/

8 http://anneihannover.blogspot.com/

9 http://sbjolseth.wordpress.com/

10 http://danilonpuraraza.blogspot.com/

11 http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/

12 http://ontrackforacci1star.blogspot.com/

13 http://www.bitlesshorseblog.com/

14 http://transitiontoharmony.blogspot.com/

15 http://walkingwithhorses.blogspot.com/

I will do the contacting bit when I have more time, got to dash off now. 

Honest Scrap Award

Thank you very much to http://horseypants.blogspot.com/ for giving the Honest Scrap Award to me.

Now, let me think about those 10 Honest Things you don't know about me...(but do you really want to know..?;)

1. I believe in impossible things.

2. The first sport I ever trained (as oppose to recreationally tried) was long distance cross country running. I ran up to National level. Most of the coaching/training principles I use when teaching riding are based on those old experiences.

3. I am fiercely competitive...but with myself only. I actually genuinely like other people doing well. To the point I once cheated in a race so someone else could win it. I learned since that you just don't do this in sport ;)

4. I can be cynical which I dislike.

5. I no longer have a bad knee (one with ACL damage). I now have a bad knee (no ACL damage) and a worse knee (with ACL damage).

6. Once upon a time I had the best friend you can hope for...until I discovered the person was also my worst enemy. Life's lesson learned...

7. I received a few writing excellence awards of sorts. In my native language that is. I wrote a series of short stories nobody really understood (possibly because I wasn't making much sense;). The title was (in translation) "Wide Awake Hypersomnia".

8. I am very eclectic in my interests and know a thing or two. This helps me at work a lot. The only people I find a struggle to get on with are people without sense of humour. Generally - the wittier the better.

9. I have some very special people in my life. Those who walk into a room and make everything better just by being there. I have a couple of very special friends. Those who somewhat complete me and make me a better person. There isn't much I wouldn't do for them.

10. Well, apart from letting go of the last pancake. I adore pancakes.

Oops, almost forgot about this Blogging Award

I was presented with the Friendship Award by Mikael at Rising Rainbow Arabian Horses and it's indeed very much appreciated :)

The award description:
"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

Hmm, I will have to think who to send it to as 1) I am not sure if I even read 8 blogs regularly! 2) even if I do read them I rarely leave comments so not many people actually know of me...

For now this Award goes to:

Suzie at Diary of a Young Horse

and

Beckz at I Will Jump Sweet Jumps

and

Daun at Eventing Percheron
...................................................................................

This Award made me think about something: how in English language a word 'friendship' seems to apply to such variety of interactions between people. You rarely hear people saying 'had a nice time with this 'acquaintance' of mine', we all call everyone friends regardless whether they actually give any damn about us or not.
In Polish language there are a few words for a friend (a casual acquaintance sort of friend) and only one word for a Friend (someone who is way more than the aforementioned acquaintance) and you don't mix and match...

I have come and keep coming across some really great people but if I have learned anything from life the hard way it would be to never do that mix and match...

I received a blog award :)

Thank you so much Dressage Mum - you do know your blog is excellent!!

Arte Y Pico Award

Fellow blogger, "Me,Mira and The Racehorse Dude" awarded me with Arte Y Pico Award.
What is the meaning of the expression: Arte y Pico - well, [according to Arte y Pico original blog] "basically, ironically, it translates into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, “lo maximo.” LOL! It will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, Wow. The Best Art. Over the top."


Here are the blogs I am awarding with Arte y Pico (some may have already received this, I am not sure!!):

1) PeachyHollow - for her wonderful tale of everyday life of a creative soul; for all the pictures - so full of life and so true. Amazing blog.

2) The Eventing Percheron - story of Brego, the Percheron of many talents; plenty of high quality videos and stunning pictures documenting fascinating road to success for both Brego and his owner. Knowledgeable piece of writing where you can laugh and learn in the same time.

3) Box Of Stars - for a fantastic idea for a blog - you must visit to check it out!!

4) Horse Hero Celeb Blogs - extraordinary insight into lives of top riders (including coverage of 2008 Olympics with 'behind the scenes' pictures) in various equestrian disciplines. One not to miss!

5) Zdankowski Blog This one is for my Polish friends only, I am afraid (as is kept in Polish language), a blog of a photographer, an old friend who took pictures on my website and who writes with good old Polish sense of humour :) Not to mention the presence of great photos from various pursuits!

There are some Rules that come with the Award:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winning, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winning and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y pico” blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) To show these rules.