Don't you just love cherry blossom...?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Open Your Heart...
I always look forward to seeing this lovely plant make an entrance each year. I love its colour and the shape of the flowers
May 2010
01.05.10: A very cold start to the month.
04.05.10: One of my Jewellery learners pointed out that today was a Star Wars day..."may the fourth be with you"...little things
05.05.10: Extra session this week at Borrowash Library. A delightful little venue where the librarians couldn't do enough for me, pity only 5 learners showed up. We painted Ikea storage jars with glass paints and they all looked fantastic. Had one chap in the group who paints glass as a side line, so I probably learned more from him than he from me.
06.05.10: Have had offer of 58 hours from Derbyshire for 2010/2011 to teach Jewellery classes at The New Eco Centre at Wirksworth, I'm thrilled...
07.05.10: Jewellery Class at Village as normal. Collected Lucy from station and went shopping
08.05.10: Tutor Conference. I actually look forward to our yearly Tutor Conference as it's a day to learn new things and meet familiar faces for a chat. The buffet they lay on for lunch is also always excellent. This year there was no keynote speaker or meeting up at the end, which I think was a mistake, but the rest of it was well organised. Found out that someone I have made friends with at Village lives across the road from a friend of mine. Discovered this when we had to draw a picture of our houses. Went shopping with Lucy afterwards and carried something which was too good a bargain to miss. Unfortunately Hermione didn't agree...
11.05.10: Graham went off to America for the second time for his new firm. I think he is meeting up with Don and Pat to celebrate their Golden Wedding. I had a normal day teaching at Alfreton and then tap in the evening.
Just to add as I went to set off home from Alfreton, I had a text from one of my adult piano pupils to say that she'd been accepted to join Mensa having sat one of their tests. Although I was pleased for her (honest) it made me feel a bit depressed, as I don't think I would stand a chance. However, when I got home and downloaded my emails, I felt I'd won the lottery. There in black and white was a request from a journalist at the Derby Evening Telegraph inviting me to be the subject of the monthly featured photographer in The Derbyshire, wow...I'm speechless...
12.05.10: Not a particularly brilliant day, but a trip to Alport Heights to take photos of a reasonably impressive sunset helped to make up for it.
13.05.10
Checked emails around 9am, went to get dressed and by the time I got back at half past no internet...
14.05.10: Class at Village went OK, skipped usual session on the computers as I'd been unable to post the information I needed. Spent all (literally) afternoon on the phone trying to get someone to help with the internet. BT didn't want to know as the phone line worked OK and having twice spent 25 minutes getting through to Pipex, all they did was tell me how to check the router settings and then give me instructions to check settings on the computer except the person on the other end of the phone didn't know who to direct me to the settings on an Apple. Gave up at 5pm, dashed to town and bought a Data Dongle (I still can't believe that's what they're called - sounds more like a euphemism for a male part) Mick, a neighbour offered to help me come and set up. It worked, but is about a quarter speed. Worse than that, my Flickr pictures upload but are pixilated. Perhaps tomorrow it will all be sorted...
17.05.10: Today was my 'big day' when the journalist from The Derbyshire was coming to interview me. I tried very hard to think of what I might say, I'd even bought a copy of the magazine over the week-end to read up on this month's photographer. Strangely, his life story mirrored mine almost exactly. He was self taught, a musician who played the oboe, he'd even taken a qualification in gemmology and won a couple of competitions. He was the same age as me - the only difference I could find was in his picture, he was bald! Two hours went in a blink of an eye and in the afternoon a photographer from the Derby Evening Telegraph came to take my picture. I was more thrilled about which photographer came. At the moment there's only one male photographer with the paper and the girls outshine him' hands down'. I shan't name names as that doesn't seem fair, but let's just say the best one came - pity I'm not photogenic...
18.05.10: Back to normality, Jewellery class at Alfreton, piano lesson and tap class in the evening.
19.05.10: Lucy 'begged' to go back to university as she couldn't cope with the internet! I even rang up Offcom today if they could offer any advice about getting Pipex to come and mend our connection. The best they could do was give me the address of the Head Office in Birmingham in order to cancel our connection...
20.05.10: It was Adult Learner's Week this week and I had been asked to take a 'recycled' jewellery session at our new Derby Royal Hospital. Great in theory, but ill thought out in practice as only one person came and she was know to the other tutor with me. Still, Philippa and I had time for a catch up...
21.05.10: Another sunny day. Took my jewellery class at Village and collected Lucy from the station in the afternoon and we went shopping as usual.
22.05.10: Looked like it would be a beautiful sunny day today and we intended to make the most of it. At lunch time we set of for a local Food Fair being held at Kedleston Hall with thoughts of a mouthwatering pork cob for our lunch. The weather was perfect, we bought lots of interesting food and drink, we even had to go back to the car and off-load some of the things as they became too heavy for Lucy to carry. We had a brilliant time, the only disappointment was the pork cob...
23.05.10: Graham arrived back from America complete with a new toy an iPad. Did we receive a present? Did we ...
24.05.10: Was very shocked to hear that a neighbour had died in her sleep. She was a great friend to Lucy - I'm not sure how I will be able to tell her... Physiotherapy session at Heanor hospital.
25.05.10: Jewellery class at Alfreton, no tap class.
28.05.10: Jewellery class at Village. Didn't go to town shopping as Lucy was going straight to Amy's birthday party in Heanor. Amy is two today!
No classes for a week due to half term.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Sky On Fire
21.04.10
The volcanic ash from Iceland is said to have given us unusually vivid sunsets. I think they are correct...
The volcanic ash from Iceland is said to have given us unusually vivid sunsets. I think they are correct...
Monday, May 03, 2010
The Local Slate Quarry...
09.04.10: On my way back from a morning walk round a slate mine. Here is the view looking back towards Blaenau Ffestiniog. It's a completely alien landscape with mountains of slate which have been dug up from the hillsides and then discarded. Well worth the long trip and I hope we don't wait another 11 years before our next visit...
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