Sunday 25 July 2010

Learning Curves


The long gap between blog posts is due to two events.
The first is a small break away in the Lake district with old friends and one new.
This one in particular won my heart.















The delightful Dylan. I wish he was mine.

However, being The English Lake District......

















.......we had rain.
In fact overnight when we were there the level of Windermere rose by four and a half feet. That's a lot of water..millions ...no billions of gallons apparently..according to the Guard on the Haverthwaite Steam Railway who seemed to be an expert on these matters.
Bear in mind there is a hosepipe ban at the moment.

But we had fun and enjoyed some wonderful cheeses which we bought in Cartmel and ate on the 'beach' at Flookburgh, while avoiding the marsh underfoot.

The other event..quite momentous in my life, was the acquisition of a new laptop. Not just any old laptop...a Macbook.
Yes, we have a bare patch on the sitting room carpet and spending all that money on a little gadget is making me feel guilty but I think I'll put the little silver beauty over the hole when we have visitors and they may not notice..what do you think?

Of course I am not familiar with the Mac system so its taken me a full week to dare to transfer my photos (can you believe I had 13,000?)  and to work out how to resize them and edit them and blah de blah de blah.....my son (who is a mac-o phile, or should that be macanista?) has just given me a quick lesson in iphoto. He came from downstairs where my husband is working on his reports and needs lessons in iphoto too.

My son outlined the differences in our needs..'You see Mum, I tell Dad and he's a complete novice, and listens, and then I come to you and tell you....but you're clicking all over the place like a giddy child '

He shows me something and then I forget and he says'I just showed you that'.So I have to explain the difference in our brains..his is like a sponge and soaks up and retains everything he wants it to, while mine is a pumice stone where a bit of new stuff sinks into the holes on the top, but mostly drips off the sides.

So..here I am on the wonderful in so many ways Macbook.There are two three and four finger scrolls on the track pad...ooooohhh!!!  I love it too much and I worry about that.

Last monday was my 59th Birthday.  I had a nice day...I went to the Grand opening of the 'improvements' in the village.
I have to hold my hand up and admit that I was wrong about the Parish Council and the path through the woods which has upset me so much is nothing to do with them.
 Its complicated. Suffice it to say there are two projects on the go in these parts, one I love and one I hate.

You may, if you read my other blog, have seen the new gateposts.
They have been much altered and are beautifully carved with the stages of metamorphosis of a butterfly so again I jumped to the wrong conclusion and prejudged them. They do still have the 'Jurassic Park look in silhouette, but its generally not that bad. Here is the culpritt  artist doing another one along the route around the 'Lodge' .
















Finally...I didn't want to do a blog post until I had a bit of actual textile content to show. 
Well another first...a frame purse.
What a fiddle.















I don't know if there will be any more of these. I didn't even get the flower in the middle.
My plans are in tatters.
















 Two pieces of my work have been accepted into the West Lancs Open in Ormskirk, which starts next week.
These are the ones:




















'Evolving'

and these:











'Unfurling'

Now I've made my first Macpost. 

35 comments:

menopausalmusing said...

I am reading this with very, very, V.E.R.Y green eyes.........

:O)))))))

Lovely to see you back, Mac!

Soggibottom said...

Take care Jackie. The Dylan's of this world are very catching x x x

Karen said...

what a small world, Cartmel, I used to live there many moons ago right in front of the Priory! and Haverthwaite, well I pass there evry time I go to mothers. I love the carved post it's gorgeous and the purse look's o.k. good in fact, whats up??

WendyCarole said...

Happy Birthday. We are the same age. So glad you are getting on well with your mac. They are great we have 4 in our house! I have a nearly 3000 photos on i photo

We went to cartmel on one of our train holdidays. Got off the train a copule of stations before and walked there its a lovely village. Then got a bus to Grange.

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Many Happy Returns Jackie and congrats on acquiring such a special laptop. Just love your tweed purse! Lesley x

Heloise said...

Happy Birthday. Enjoy using your mac, I have long been a fan. The purse looks really good, it is the trying not to get glue every where I find so difficult.

Lyn said...

Lovely post Jackie and happy Belated birthday wishes!
Lots going on in your neck of the woods then. The doggie is cute, i bet you could of slipped him in your bag!
love
Lyn
xxx

KerryFelter said...

Happy birthday, Jackie. Just rearrange the furniture to cover the spot in the carpet. Good friends don't notice these things, anyway! Love the purse, but it looks like it was difficult. The air would have turned blue while I was making it!!

hens teeth said...

Happy Birthday Jackie...the great British weather eh? I think the purse looks great and well worth all efforts...I think you are onto a winner. x
ps love that doggy too.

Heather said...

Dylan looks adorable. I bet the people of the Lake District are glad to have all that rain - not so good for holidaymakers. Belated Happy Birthday to you. I love the gate post - it's beautful and so is your frame purse. Congrats on getting your work into the West Lancs Open and on your first Macpost. I have to write all my daughter's computer advice in a little notebook as I never remember what she has told me.

Julie said...

Well done on mastering the Mac! Clever girl! Belated Happy Birthday for last week. I will be one year behind you on Tuesday!

The carving does look beautiful. I hope it all weathers in and looks as though it was always there.

I am no expert but the purse looks good. Congratulations on having your pieces accepted for the
Show.

ju-north said...

Love the purse! Now I'm going to have to make that as well as the iphone case which is finished (I haven't even an iphone!). Will do a post on it soon!

meplusmolly said...

Nothing wrong with that purse - keep going!
I love my mac by the way! ;0 x

Anonymous said...

Belated birthday greetings, and congratulations on making the Mac move - I am sure you will soon wonder why you ever used a pc! They are so user friendly and it will not take long to get the hang of it. I bought an iMac about a year ago and love it. The tweedy purse looks great!

Anonymous said...

PS - I think I would have pinched Dylan.......

Karen said...

and a belated happy birthday! why didn't you say????

Mary Welsh Hubbard said...

and a lovely macpost it is! And...Happy Birthday!!!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Happy birthday Jackie and congratulations on the new Mac! I don't have one but my #1 son does and he thinks it's wonderful. Perhaps my next one will be. As for Dylan - I would have packed him right into my suitcase and brought him home!

Sheeprustler said...

Love all this post, especially the dog and the textile content!

Caroline said...

Many Happy Returns Jackie! Ah, the Lakes - love it there so much, even if it does rain. We are going in November this year - really looking forward to some crisp and brisk winter walkies after the heat and humidity of Malaysia. Bet that fabric was hard to manipulate - but don't give up on the purses!

A time to dance said...

I love the purse Jackie although Viv said they are tricky till you get used to them, I hope you do...I have enough trouble with office 7 so mac would send me mad although I love my iphone more than anything....I was serious in my suggestion of hair clips Jackie, if I got the metal bit could I send them to you and could you make a variety of leaves and hearts to cover them...my hair is driving me mad and I am trying clips to tie it back. We go away a week tomorrow when could we meet???

Gina said...

Congratulations... on birthdays, macposts and everything else!!! Here's to our last year in our fifties ; )

Rosie said...

I used to live just south of Penrith, and know just how much it rains up there! Dylan looks adorable not to mention kidnappable ... Enjoy your new toy, and if you don't like it I'm willing to offer it a good home!

Fiona said...

A new MacBook - now that is what I want. I love Macs.

Andi's English Attic said...

Oh Dylan has stolen my heart, too.
'Evolving' is especially lovely. xx

Mac n' Janet said...

You'll love your Mac we have 3 and I'm dreaming about an i-pad.

Dolores said...

Well, Happy Belated Birthday. I see you and mac have started very nicely. Each of my three daughters now have one. Perhaps one day, I too may join the world of mac.

Twiglet said...

Happy Birthday! You are just 2 months older than me!! Sounds like you had a geat time. Love the textiles.

jeanette, Mistress of Longears said...

Happy belated birthday! And welcome to Mac land! I had pc's at work and have always had Mac at home....Mac is so much nicer! Do you recall when Microsoft had all the hoopla about introducing Windows? Mac has always had the user-friendly interface...long before Windows.
At least your son will show you things; mine tells me I need to explore and figure it out myself! When I started using Flickr, I logged onto a Mac tutorial about iPhoto and it was extremely useful...told me the first thing to do is to adjust the balance.
I, too need new carpet, but with the excuse that I'm waiting for the very elderly Ozzie to finish doing his worst, I am going to get a new Mac first...the current one is so pitifully outdated, memory all used up!

Dot said...

Congratulations on your very first Macpost Jackie! And belated happy birthday). I am investing in a new laptop this week and am very excited as I love new technology(and new things in general).
Laughed at your comment about being like a pumice stone rather than a sponge - I can relate:).
Little Dylan is adorable - I want to kiss his paws.
Have a good week.
Dot xx

lilylovekin said...

You will LOVE your Mac-I love mine. Happy late birthday. Thank you so much for the kind words re: Lilylovekin you really get it. Lorrie

Chriss said...

Well, good for you! It is so wonderful to undertake a new gizmo and get the brain working in a new direction. Love your art, love your textiles, you are brilliant, and you write a good blog too.

sharon young said...

Firstly, well done on joining the Mac club, we're fast becoming a mac family too, the only thing is mine's the oldest.
Congrats too on getting your work accepted for West Lancs Open in Ormskirk, hope it's a good show with lots of visitors.
And Oh!!! that little dog is just gorgeous.

purplesusie said...

Welcome to APPLE world,
belated birthday wishes, hope you were a spoilt as i was on my birthday xx
It should rain in the Lakes at least for 1 day its traditional ;-) when we go at Easter it usually snows!!

cute dog, my out-laws have just got another dog, can't wait to meet her she is called Evie and is a collie lurcher cross, wonder what Jez will make of her?

jeanette, mistress of longears said...

Somehow I missed this post, but must comment on your son and the Mac world. When I was still working, I had to speak pc at work, but have always had Macs at home. I just got a new Mac (my last was about 7 years old) and am in heaven! My son always answers my pleas for help by telling me I need to learn to figure these things out myself! So when I bought this Mac, I splurged and for $100 (American) I am taking "one to one" lessons at the Mac store. Such enlightenment!!! I just schedule them when I feel like it and the teachers never tell me I need to learn to figure it out myself. More than worth the investment, but you can only do this when you buy a new Mac - I am betting you're still eligible. That's IF you have a Mac store in town. Also, you must make use of the Genius bar. It's free and you make an appointment online and they answer ANY questions.

If you're not near a store, the website tutorials are fantastic. That's how I learned to use iPhoto and multitudes of other tricks!
Enjoy!
jeanette



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