Brittney & Polocrosse

When we started horse riding here in the UK I was taken back by the difference between English riding and what I had done in the past. It took me quite awhile to get used to the idea of possibly falling off (had never done that before), trotting, cantering, correct leads, etc, and then to 'advance' to dressage, jumping, and cross country ... man, I thought I was something else. Then came Polocrosse, and I fell in love.

Polocrosse is a combination of the sports Lacrosse and Polo. You don't have to be a 'good' rider to participate, but it does help! However, I found my riding actually improved as I started playing Polocrosse, because I am concentrating on the game so much my riding just starts to happen. After about a year of me playing I finally got Brittney interested in it. Below are some pictures of Brittney on Issi during one of the weekly team practices. Brittney is wearing the light pink jumper.

Warm up includes sharpening communication between you & your horse. Because you are holding a racket in one hand, the reins in the other hand, and the game is very fast paced, you & your horse have to be 'intune' with each other.

In the pictures above they were riding around without stirrups in canter, 20 meter circles, etc, making sure the rider had a good seat and the horse was listening.

Brittney is leaning over Issi to pick up the ball with her racket so she can then throw it to a team mate. It can be a long way down there to pick up that ball when you & the horse are in a canter...

Brittney getting ready to throw the ball to her team mate.

This spring and summer before we move back, I hope to enroll me and Brittney in some training courses for Polocrosse. These are usually weekend retreats with camping, no showers, port-a-potties, lots of junk food, and all weekend riding - as long as the weather holds out they are usually quite fun. Currently there is no riding school in the Peoria area that plays Polocrosse, but I am hoping that we can change that when we move back. Hence even more of a need for us to improve our riding & playing skills.

Mediterranean Cruise - part 1

While living in the UK we have been taking advantage of the easy travel options. In the beginning we tried to go somewhere at least once a month; thankfully we have cut back our travel time (I can't keep up with the laundry & we girls enjoy our riding too much). However, one tradition that we haven't given up on is a cruise during the October mid-term break week. It allows us all a chance to see the sunshine, enjoy the smell of the ocean, and see a bit of the world.
This year Kevin had researched and thought he had found the deal of the century... The MSC Magnifica was a new boat commissioned in the beginning of 2010. It is a huge boat with a good number of swimming pools. The big deal with MSC cruises is that kids go free so we thought that was a good deal for the pocket book. The family room we stayed in was huge with plenty of storage for all of our clothes, so it definitely looked like we were off to a good start.

Our boat is bigger than yours!

Our cruise started and ended in Venice, and our ports of call were Bari, Katakolon Olympia, Izmir, Istanbul, Dubrovnik. We had been to a few of these places before so the girls & I were planning to stay on the boat, let dad do the excursions, and we would enjoy the pools, the sunshine, and the relaxation. For the most part things went according to our plan except the food on the cruise was not very good and the weather was awful. We saw more rain than sunshine, but it did not deter the girls from swimming. Most of the time I would sit by the pool, under the canopy, wrapped up in towels ~ but at least I was getting fresh air and catching up on my reading.
Also, most of the people on the cruise were not English speaking so when announcements were made it would take forever to go through the 5 different languages (with English being the last one) ~ Russian, German, Italian, French, English, and something else.... And as you probably guessed, with all these different languages came quite a few different cultures and people skills. Let's just say we found ourselves biting our tongues a lot and holding the girls close to us at times.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Sophie. I love her smile while she's running!

This cruise had two nights of dress up. Unfortunately since we travelled with Ryan Air we didn't have the luggage or space to bring variety per say... but the girls looked excellent none the less.

Brittney all dressed up!

Sophie dressed up with one of the many towel creations...

another fabulous towel creation - rabbit

We had a really good time on the cruise; the main objective was met ~ good family time coupled with relaxation. We played lots of cards in the game room. Kevin had an excellent time in the casino. Both, Kevin & I enjoyed the spa, and I got my usual pedicure treatment. The girls and I were regulars in the ship library checking out books and reading one a day. I think it is safe to say, the Duffy family nows how to relaxe in style!

(I'll add some posts for the ports of call that we went to...)

Kevin just doesn't change...

In December Brittney had to complete a school project that was all about her, so she did a scrapbook with a page for each year plus a few extras to include Issi (her horse), travels, family, etc. On several of the pictures of Kevin she would write the caption 'dad never changes; he always looks the same.' Well if that ain't enough to rock your confidence ... she didn't write that about me! But I guess I really shouldn't be offended; since moving to England I have had a new hair color every few months and have gone from wearing makeup & 'corporate' clothes to smelling like horses & definitely looking like I live with them. But for the month of November Kevin didn't look the same. His work group did a fund raiser for cancer research, and so the participants had an entire month to grow the 'best' mustache. Well bless his little heart, the best mustache was never in his future, but I am proud of the effort he gave it....

Of course when the day came to shave it off, it was a huge family event. We all gathered in the bathroom for the momentous occasion and had plenty of fun as Kevin was shaving it off...

Now this is the 'Kevin that never changes & always looks the same.' The one we love so much!!!!

Heroes in the Horse World

The girls & I love to ride horses. We even enjoy mucking out the stables, because then we are at least around horses. But we also love to watch the professional horseman and horsewoman in the world. It gives us a chance to learn from watching them and to see what 'it' looks like when 'it' is done right.
One of my favorite tv shows is Horsemanship Essentials, which is the tv version of the online website for Intelligent Horsemanship. It is based off of a partnership between Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks. They work with 'troubled' horses and teach the owners how to communicate on an equine level. It is absolutely amazing to watch Monty or Kelly get a horse to 'join up' with them in such a short amount of time; then once that happens, they can then work with the horse to correct almost any problem.
Anyway, in November we got to see it all up close & personal when we visited a show outside of London. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! They really do it all in a short amount of time, just like you see on the tv show...

This is Monty Roberts. Some people call him a Horse Whisperer... I don't know if that is a proper title, but I can tell you he has a way in that round ring with a horse.
Sample of the Round Ring that Monty or Kelly work in. We were sitting just a few feet away from the ring so we could see everything. It was awesome!

Kelly Marks autographed the books we bought and spent some time talking with the girls. On the following Monday I made a comment on her Facebook page about the show & she responded back in a personal manner, even remembering the girls. I was so impressed by her 'personal' touch.

I so enjoyed this experience & cannot wait to put it into practice with my own horses once we move back to the states.

Back in September, we all went to the Burghley Horse Trials. We enjoyed the shopping and watching the Show Jumping finals, but for the girls (especially Brittney) the highlight was meeting Mary King. She is such a nice person; I have a new respect for her after watching her interaction with so many fans & knowing that she needed to be getting ready for the Show Jumping finals. She is a class act!

You know the funny thing about the Horse Trials, when we first moved here I would go to the Horse Trials each year with the other American wives, not for the horses but for the shopping. The last two years, I have enjoyed the shopping but I have gone for the horses. Funny how time can change things...

Fox Hunt ~ New Year's Day 2011

What a fabulous way to start the New Year - Kevin was off to Lincoln for an all-day antique auction while the girls & I spent the day around horses. Everyone in the Duffy household was happy!

First came in the Master of the Fox Hounds (MFH) and the Whippers-In with all the hounds. What a fabulous sight & sound. All these dogs make plenty of noise...


Next comes the Bird of Prey & his handler. In November of 2004 the UK introduced a hunting ban, therefore the group uses falconers to bring in birds of prey to the hunt. I should probably point out that the hunt follows an artificial laid trail, so the hunt is really a recreation of past traditions.

The one thing I love about the hunt, is seeing all age & ability in the riders. I have seen entire families ride - children to parents to grandparents. What a fabulous way to spend a day!

Once the entry parade has finished, the riders and the dogs prepare for the day. The riders receive their mince pies & shot of Brandie while the dogs mingle with everyone around, especially girls with sticky hands and food hidden in their pockets.

Sophie thinks these hounds are the most beautiful dogs she has ever seen. Please don't tell Duke & Daisy; they might be a little jealous.

At this point the Master was checking with the Whipper because they had received word of a hound escaping. Sadly the dog had wondered off and was accidentally hit by a car, but thankfully nothing was broken and there was no permanent damage... he just couldn't hunt for the day.

Once everyone had finished their drinks, the wandering dog was recovered, the Master made his final speech, they were off. In a way it is anti-climatic once they trot off because there is so much excitement while the horses & the dogs are around, then us spectators just quietly go back to our cars & head home. However, we girls went to the stables and rode our own horses for the afternoon. It was a fabulous day - yucky weather but good riding.

Now, Kevin had plenty of fun at the antique auction. We won't talk about how much he spent, instead we will share a picture of a portion of what he bought. The furniture had to be delivered and the baseball items had already been stored for safe keeping (yes, you read that right - here in England, Kevin bought US baseball items).
When all was said & done it was a pretty good day ... until the flu hit Kevin & Cathy hard later that night. I won't blog about the flu, just use your imagination.

London after Christmas 2010

Since we opted to stay in England for our 'last' Christmas in England and because Kevin cannot stand to sit still for any length of time, we decided to spend 3 nights in London during the Christmas break. The weather was warmer than it had been before Christmas and all of the snow was clear, which was a really good thing considering how much walking you do in London. We stayed at a Hilton next to the Wimbley Stadium. We had a family room but that only included a double bed (smaller than a queen but bigger than a full bed) and a single bed. The first night I tried to sleep on the double bed with the two girls... nope didn't work, I ended up sleeping on the floor. The next two nights I made Kevin sleep on the double bed with the girls; now don't go feeling sorry for him because it has already been proven that he can sleep through an earth quake so sharing the bed with two wiggly girls was no problem for him.

We went with the girls to two shows: 'Go, Go, Go' (think Wiggles combined with High School Musical) and a pantomime of 'Snow White.' Both were pretty good, but we forgot to take any pictures.

One day we went to the History Museum. Now I am not a museum person, but the museums here in London are pretty cool. However, it is safe to say that Kevin enjoys them way more than me and the girls.

Sophie with 'Aslan'

Next day we rushed to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. Now 18+ years ago when Kevin & I first visited London we thought this was one of the coolest things in the world. This time, it was pretty lame. We waited outside the palace, in the growing & quite rude crowd, for a 5 minute walk by ~ no line ups, no formations, nothing. We saw a better Changing of the Guard a few years back at Windsor Castle. Oh well, at least the girls can say they saw the event at both locations....

The Mounted Guard

The Band

We went to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Excellent family event, but very expensive - approximately £5 per person for a ride (£5 is around $7.50), so we let the girls pick two rides each and had a family ride on the Ferris Wheel.

Sophie is not too fond of Ferris Wheel's, but lucky for her we had brought Pink Baby along. It isn't quite as big as the London Eye, but it gave us a good view of what all was available for us in the park.

Next we visited the Talking Tree

Sophie enjoyed the swings (used to be my favorite until I started getting motion sickness from the round & round & round movement)

Brittney and I rode the roller coaster ~ way fun!

And for their final ride, Brittney and Sophie enjoyed the Haunted House. As they were entering, I told Brittney to watch after Sophie not scare her... that was a mistake because Brittney hadn't thought of it til I put the thought in her head; you should have seen the evil look that came over her face. But I am proud to report, she was a good girl & looked after her younger sister :-) (that's enough to make a mom proud)

After a two hour wait, we entered the London Aquarium for a fabulous experience. There is just something very calming about watching fish & being around water... Kevin & I found ourselves enjoying the peacefulness of it (sounds like we are getting old).

This is as close as I care to come to a shark. They were huge!

Sophie wanted this picture because it looks like 'Dum Dum' from Night at the Museum

stingray waving hello to us

The 'last' walk back to the tube for our 'good nights sleep' in our family room; it wasn't as late as it looks in the photos but we were well & truly tired after walking for miles & miles the last 3 days...

London Eye & House of Parliament with a few rain drops added

Brittney is either holding Parliament or squashing it ~ either way not a comforting thought

This is the same Pedestrian Walkway that is destroyed in the Harry Potter film

We visited Hamley's Toy Store, ate some great food, and made some wonderful memories. You know, sometimes I am very ashamed of us for not spending more time in London while living so close, but oh well, life is too short to fret over that...

New Year's Resolution ~ NOT

First off, no promises on the regularity of the posts but I am hoping to catch up on some of the previous trips and ultimately back into blogging on a fairly regular basis. With less than a year left here in England I feel I need to document as much as possible so we can remember the fabulous times we have had. Our last Christmas as ISE's in England, we actually spent in England; we didn't go skiing as usual but based on the amount of snow we got here in Peterborough, you would of thought Mother Nature was bringing it to us. So, I'll make a list on the side of the blog and check it off as I update the blog. Keep checking back to see what I post :-) Talk to you soon! Cathy