Monday evening

Good evening,

Well I was fortunate enough not too ill when I woke this morning,
I did have a sore throat. I can't believe I have another cold, I never get colds and yet it was only weeks ago I had one, normally immunity after a cold means you can't get one again straight away, but this feels like a cold.

Anyway, I was certainly well enough to scramble out of bed, dress, drink tea and hurry off to the stables for my first Equine therapy morning.

I had slept well, falling asleep straight away when I got into bed, so I was bright and cheerful, and somewhat nervous.

The bus got me there right on time, and I went in, first there.
The group was eventually about six of us.
The first jobs were mucking out and doing hay and water.

Then we got a pony and we built an obstacle course to walk the pony round, and we did a kind of relay of walking the pony, changing places and asking each other quiz questions, this as well as being fun and keeping us occupied, is about teamwork and relating to others, which is exactly what I want and need to do.
So, we had fun, and everyone did their best.
It was a lovely cold morning, and it did me good just to be out there, participating, occupied.
Then we all stopped for tea, and did some paperwork and talked, usually people share their news, and because I am new, I was asked a few questions.

Then we had to go and catch the ponies and bring them in, the one I brought in was very keen to get to the stable so it could eat things.
Then we did a brief creative session, making calenders, and then it was time for my bus, it was lunchtime then, because the therapy takes the morning.

This type of equine therapy is not the original plan, which equine therapy about emotions, this is more about communication and relating to people, basically in my case, trying to relieve my terror of people that the horrific damage by the church and police has caused, and to go back to where my ability to relate to people never had a chance to develop anyway.
The emotional stuff will eventually be dealt with by the expert therapist who's waiting list I am on, when I can afford to see her.

I really enjoyed the work this morning, and there was a funny moment when I was asked to point to the horse's ears during a session of naming the horse's body parts, and the horse obligingly turned it's head to me and pretty much handed me it's ears.
The other thing is, there is a pony called Mario, like the one in 'Top Secret' So I can say 'He caught a cold the other day, he's just a little horse!'

This evening the people emailed me some pictures of me working with the horses.
I like that, because again, we are building me back into life.
I can't afford to go next week, but it is a rolling programme, so I will go when I can.

When I got my bus, the bus goes into town and I was hungry, having shot out without breakfast, so I nortily ate potato wedges, then I went to a charity shop that I like and volunteered to volunteer.
The other charity shop last year is notorious for not following up volunteer applications and they still haven't, but the one I visited today are giving me a trial next week.

Anyway, I did my monday caretaking, and now I have showered, put my dinner on and been cleaning and sorting my own place out, done a load of washing, now I am going to do my usual television and writing and relaxing.
Dinner is chicken and rice when it is cooked.

The weather is grey and cold.