Sunday 17 May 2015

May

This is rather early for me in May so you never know I MAY even do another. (see what I did there?)
Its because I have stuff to blog about although my photographs are now spread around various 'devices' and I'm not so good at syncing them so it gets more difficult.

We had an afternoon out on Bank Holiday Monday to Glasson Dock and saw this lovely sight on the Lancaster Canal.


My big news is that I have made myself a lovely new website.
Squeeeeeeeel!
I am ridiculously excited about it.

I've waited for my web developer son to make me something beautiful for years but you know how the 'cobblers children have no shoes'  well the techie geeks mum has no website. UNTIL SHE MAKES IT HERSELF.. oh YES!

Well actually with the help of 'weebly' and I must say the techie geek has indeed done the complex stuff about linking the domain with the builder site, which consisted of 'pointing' things at other things. Well that baffled me but he did it for me in a matter of minutes.

So you can see a lot of my work in one place at jackiecardytextiles.com

Still, the website works and I do like it. I had visions of things like animated needles stitching onto the next page etc., but as it is, it does the job, clearly and concisely. I've linked to this blog on it but I would have liked to have the blog on the website. There is an option to write a blog but I'm rather fond of this one and don't want to move it.

Last weekend I had a stand at the newly relocated 'Art in the Garden'. If you search this blog for 'Art and Garden' you'll see how lovely it was and I did it for about 13 years. Two years ago it came to an end and I was quite ready for the break. Having to work hard for an event in Mid June meant I never really did any gardening at the most important time.

However it has been re-born in a garden quite a bit further away from me, and in May.  Last year I didn't do it. But when I went to look around everyone was saying how they missed me and I should do it so this year I did.

It was a wet wet saturday. It had been raining but the rain stopped. The ground was sodden. It was very cold and I wondered why was I bothering. I hardly sold anything on Saturday. However Sunday was nicer weather, more people came and in the end I didn't do badly. But the main thing is that I had a really fun weekend. Such a laugh with the people I was with in the marquee. People asked if it was the beer tent! They could hear us from a distance.
Here's Pam with Mika.
Our view from the tent. It must have been saturday as there are no people in it!


 This stern chap is a first cast , from China, of a terra cotta warrior. He's well secured!


 A view towards the tea and cake tent. (Gorgeous cake by the way, especially the Cow Ark Cake)
In the flowers is a beautiful ceramic globe by Amy Daniels who also had a stand there.


There were lovely little touches about here and there . My photos are from the phone so not as good as my camera.



The garden is beautiful but the plants were late so it wasn't. as had been expected. in full flower. Some of the steeper areas had to be avoided due to the slippery ground. But still we had fun.


Now I'm working for Woolfest in Cockermouth on 26th and 27th June. ( Please note, Friday and Saturday, not Sunday) I'm so excited.
Its a big event.
I must work harder!

Oh by the way.....
In the last post you may have read about our trip to Grasmere.
We had parked in a 'Park with ease' carpark, where there is a number recognition camera. When you leave, you put your car number in and it tells you how much you have to pay. However we only had £3.69 and it was £3.70 so when we saw 'Pay Online' thats what we did.
I did it as soon as I got home.
But we couldn't find the amount so I had to choose £3.75, duly used paypal and forgot about it.

Then last week we had a letter to say we had to pay a £50 fine.
So I had to appeal. I was hopping mad.

The Assertiveness module of the NHS wellbeing workshop course came in handy.

I said I didn't expect to wait the usual 28 days for a reply as I had done nothing wrong.
I had a reply that night.
But its turns out I HAD done something wrong. I'd had the temerity to put in a o instead of a 0. An oh instead of a zero. So it hadn't recognised the number. But 'on this occasion' they would cancel the fine. Like we'd done it before.

So, do be careful if you have a circular character in your car number, choose the right one on a park with ease site.

More assertiveness happened yesterday. Our newish neighbours have been very drastic in their hedge trimming. We can now see right into their garden after having had 30 years of privacy. I worried about how to deal with it. My husband was saying we should put a big trellis up but then I didn't hink we should really have the expense.
Then I decided that I would be politely assertive, putting my point of view.
So I asked them if they'd pop round and when I showed them what its like for us now, it was agreed that it was not good. They are very nice people and fortunately we seem to be agreed now. So they are 'mulling it over' and she has promised to work out a solution.

That made me feel a lot better. Instead of getting all worked up and resentful I sorted it with new found assertiveness. Not bossiness. I probably spoiled it by telling her I'd been on an assertiveness course but hey..it worked.

In other news..Hetty had another op on her eyes to stop them watering. She had her tearducts flushed, but during this process they found more eyelashes inside her eyelids and removed them. F.O.C.
I asked what that meant..its free of charge. And our vets is not noted for its generosity. I even had to pay for the bit of bandage that holds the buster collar on! I wouldn't mind but we are building up a large collection of buster collars for dogs and cats. I never think to take one with me.


Now. Do you remember me talking about my African inspired piece for the Australian Magazine, 'Embellish'?
I thought they'd hated it. I was embarrassed because I didn't hear anything more from them.
Well its only the main picture on the bloomin' cover!!!
I'm thrilled to bits. Its out in June.
Once its out I think I'll be able to share a detailed picture on here.


So there we are. As the self-esteem module of my wellbeing course said:
'Don't make assumptions'

Bye for now.









7 comments:

Rachel said...

Congratulations on your cover story!

Linda B. said...

Love the simplicity of your site, and the presentation of your work. Well done.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

You should be SO proud of yourself for creating your own web site (and it's a beauty too!). I know exactly how you feel about waiting for our children to do things for us (sez I, who waited over a year and a half for my son & DIL to create the cover for my book and insert some pictures. I finally gave up and did it myself). Your new website looks clean and your work shows so beautifully. Congratulations!! (oh yes, and great use of your assertiveness training too).

Robin Mac said...

Wow, what wonderful news - I love the website, I just wish I could still see to do the felting. Never mind, I will just drool over yours. Your website is magical.
Congratulations on making the front cover of Embellish - I shall have to look out for it and put it under my scanner to read.
I hope Hetty's eyes are better after this treatment. Cheers

Twiglet said...

Fab post - well done on the mag cover too! x Jo

Heather said...

Congrats on being a covergirl and getting your website up and running. Hope the hedge issue is sorted and that Hetty is feeling more comfortable.

jinxxxygirl said...

Well your post is just chock full of information.. I hardly know where to begin..... I guess i'll just say i'm so happy you have so many good things going on in your life...Even things that weren't so good you turned them around... Always so happy to see a post from you... :) Hugs! deb



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