Killing me softly with his song - Roberta Flack

Those of you who follow my ramblings on Facebook will know that I've been in a state of great excitement since our factrice (post lady) called this morning with a very special parcel for me.. And as a result of the contents of said parcel, my earworm all day has been the very beautiful Roberta Flack song Killing me Softly.

For those who don't know it, and you really should listen to it, Roberta wrote it after going to see Don McClean (American Pie) sing and being amazed at the poignancy and the relevance to her of his songs.

Through an old friend, Robin Eccles, I was introduced, via Twitter and Facebook, to the very lovely  Kay Prout.  I knew she made unique miniatures, a way of telling someone's life in intricate detail, and I was thrilled when she said she would make one for me.  That was the parcel that came today.

I have never met Kay in the flesh but have always called her my soul sis.  She has the most amazing talent for soaking up every tiny detail about someone from their briefing ramblings on social media and logging them all away in her phenomenal memory.  She also has an incredible witchy way for knowing things she can't possibly know through normal means.

She told me to open it outside as it risked making a mess.  I was expecting those expanded polystyrene things like cheesy puffs. But no, my nose told me right away that it was lovingly packed in hay.  Real hay. And very good too.  I know about these things, I have stable management certificates to prove it.

The first thing I saw was the stable. I've always been horse mad. I learned to ride at Offerton School of Riding.

Just look at the detail. The stable is half timbered, in the magpie style typical of Cheshire, where I'm from.  Each individual roof tile has been made and placed by hand. There's even a climbing white rose, as I'm growing a Kiftstgate rose just like it.

Inside the loose box  is a mare and foal. The mare is exactly like my old Cleveland Bay x Thoroughbred mare, Sally. The foal is the spitting image of my best friend Jill's horse, Cinnabar, or Cinna to his friends.

There are so many tiny details I can't list them all, but you can see the clippers hanging on the wall just as you go in, all ready to clip Sally when she starts getting her winter coat. Now just look at my fabulous tack room (oops, it won't rotate!)

I love cleaning tack! The smell and the feel of the glycerine saddle soap. And look - driving harness! Fabulous, lots and lots to clean, and the real Cinna is broken to drive, too. The little lamp even works, so I can see to make up evening feeds.

Next comes my other miniature, and there is just so much to show you.Top right are pictures of my dogs,

dear old Meic and my current horrors Ci and Fleur. Below them is HRH, my part Siamese cat, with her little emerald crown (which has tipped over and I couldn't right it.) Under that is my favourite painting by the artist Alan J Slater. And in the corner, a tiny little pig, a nod to Sell the Pig, of course.

Over on the left, there's mention of the other great passion in my life - cowboys! That's Cameron Mitchell's face, Uncle Buck from the High Chaparral, for which I wrote an episode and look! At the bottom, that must surely be Pancho from the Cisco Kid, or perhaps Tuco from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

"Telling my life with his words" says the song. But my new treasures tell my life in the most amazing and unique way. And it is unique. No-one else will ever have the same as I have, made with such skill and knowledge and love.

So now do please excuse me - I have horses to feed and harness to clean once more.