The sisters were on the move again. Their next destination, Plymouth, MA. I hobbled, while my sisters giggled, into a seaside local café for fresh clam strip lunch. Fine until I dumped an entire large Diet Coke on the table, myself and Kim’s fish dinner. Oops, but the clams were to die for! Next up, Plymouth Rock. Not that big, but really cool. No, the wind was Really Cold! We exchanged picture taking with a sight seeing couple who were also braving the cold to see the rock. Kind of small…..but neat.

We had chosen a rather historic hotel for that night, the John Carver Inn. Another word for historic is old. But it was quaint, yeah, that’s it. Everyone was aching for internet access and of course the hotel had none. Up the street and around the corner the sisters headed to the Cyber Café. Way cool, great coffee, friendly service and access to the world wide web. Changing our travel plans, we booked a new hotel for Tuesday night as snow arrived with a vengeance. Dinner was enjoyed by the fire in the hotel restaurant.

Internet! Yeah!

MONDAY - 12/15/04

We checked out first thing in the morning. The snow had been followed with warming temps and a little rain so the streets were clear. My lesson this day was not until 3pm so we headed south to Cape Cod for some exploring. Kim had really wanted to visit Martha’s Vineyard but the maps showed that the ferrys may not be running in winter. But, we found one. Had to take a bus to the ferry departure and wait about 45 minutes. Then looking at the schedule, we were going to have a whole 30 minutes on the island! Oh, well. At least we were going to have a ferry ride, another first for all of us. It was cold. It was windy. We found this cool shop with all kinds of crystals and stones and such. I found a pendulum that called to me and some healing stones as well. After grabbing a cup of soup we had to literally run to make the ferry going back to Cape Cod. Oh, the chowder was scrumptious!

At The Grazing Fields I found my instructor, Liz, and settled Jan and Kim into the viewing room. My horse was a 17 hand warmblood named London. Oh, what a beauty. At this barn they rode their horses up in a dressage frame with constant suppling. Again, using my legs was a problem. I kept giving out and I would let London have his head while I caught my breath and Liz was not happy with that. Habits are so hard to ignore. As she worked me, I felt the sweat running down from underneath my helmet but it was so cold out that I had lost feeling in my toes! I have watched the tape since our return, and boy, do I look good on a 17 hand warmblood! I definitely need one of those!

The rest of the day was spent getting lost in southern Massachusetts on the way to Rhode Island. Finally in our hotel by 7pm.

TUESDAY - 12/16/03

We checked out early to make a 9:30am tack up time at Tower Hill Equestrian Center. Jamie was my instructor and had been looking forward to having another instructor in the saddle. Risky Business was a lovely 16 hand bay Thoroughbred. We had a lovely ride with a soft walk and trot but more of a canter than I am used to riding. We worked on half-halts and sitting deep. By this time my leg muscles were really screaming to stop the madness and wanted to crumple into a heap.

I had learned a lot about my riding in these three days and a lot about my teaching style by observing my instructors. I have decided that I like me as an instructor! Thanks to all three teachers for taking the time to schedule a one-timer lesson. I have taught these before and it is so hard to mesh the teaching and riding styles into a mutual understanding in only a half an hour! All my flaws that I like to hide so delicately were brought out in the open so that I could work on them. This was only part of the purpose of the trip but an invaluable part.

Off again. This time to New London, CT for a lunch date with a fellow Sheltie person, Ann F., friend of Kim. Good conversation and more seafood! From there we headed north to Mystic, CT for a 4pm check in and trouble with the hotel. Jan’s connecting room was not ready yet. We all piled into the room that was ready and then set off for some sightseeing and shopping. The first quest - a lighthouse! Kim really wanted to go up into a lighthouse! On the way we found a really cool cemetery. Take a detour, we drove around looking at the grave sights and mausoleums. Many of the graves were from the 1800’s. After picture taking we made our way on to the lighthouse. Unfortunately the lighthouse and museum were closed for the season. We had fun looking around anyway.

On to the shopping. There was a grouping of shops just across from the hotel. Jan found a stamping store, Kim found a dog and cat only store and I….. snowballs in between! After dinner we return to the hotel to find that Jan’s room still was not ready. 8pm, Jan finally gets into her room!

WEDNESDAY - 12/17/03 - MY BIRTHDAY!

I didn’t feel any older, unless you counted my screaming riding muscles. First order of business, had to call and cancel my lesson for today. I hurt all over. Three lessons in a row were enough. There were presents! Presents are good….. most of them horse related. Jan, Kim & I proceeded to have a lovely breakfast in the hotel. Our waiter was really sweet and presented me with a poppy seed muffin with a candle on top! Jan and Kim decided that 100 people needed to be told today that it was my 40th birthday. So here they went….. “Excuse me sir, it’s her 40th birthday.” As they sometimes stared blankly, I would add with a big smile “and she lowered her cholesterol.”

“It’s my 40th Birthday!” I joined in the quest to inform. My inner child gained confidence. The morning started in a quest for another light house. We found the one in Mysic, couldn’t get to it, but we did find one.

We also found Kitchen Little Restaurant. We had to stop. It was tiny and so cute. Another cemetery… we had to go look. This one specified No Picnicing! Jan had to have her picture taken with that sign!

Time to head toward Boston. We stopped first for a birthday tiara. On the cross country journey from lower Connecticut to eastern Massachusetts, we stopped from time to time and each time more people in New England knew that it was my 40th birthday. We planned a detour through Wellesley, MA to see Dover Saddlery, the original store from which the catalog came. What a cool birthday gift. We made it through a number of small New England towns at rush hour (why do they call it ‘rush’ hour?) as it started to rain….. Oh well, to Dover - I felt as if I had stepped into a fantasy. I had received so many Dover catalogs over the years that it very special to actually be there. Oh, and shopping. This is good. A purple crop, a brush for Mainstay, some new breeches, and dressage booklets were gathered. The manager seemed quite amused at my awe and maybe the tiara. She gave me a warmblood and rider Breyer horse. She said that one is never too old to get a Breyer for your birthday.

Back to Embassy Suites. We were all to tired. We decided to head to Quincy Market for my birthday dinner. Jan had her first ride on a subway. I had clams and a birthday French fry! There was only one problem, no birthday cake with candles! We were all exhausted. “Life is so unfair” cried my inner child. I got to travel to new places, do and see new things, yet I was so disappointed that there was no birthday cake. I guess just because you turn 40 doesn’t mean that you have to be a grown-up!

We all got back home safely. And I am trying to use my legs more and everything else that we went over in my lessons. Still learning, this is good.

P.K. Theobald, Age 40