monthly chat

Don't you just laugh at that title? The intention is to write a monthly blog but I've got no one around to tell me when it's due. When I wrote for Dollshouse Magazine, Christiane, the editor, got so used to having to remind that it was due.......the night before! But the intention is there, let's see what happens.



It's been 'one of those months'. Happens everyso often but I've no memory of how I coped with it last time and have to re learn.....or ask friends. Thank goodness for friends, they can get their own back at me for running their lives.



First of all I had to plan for the two workshops. One in Norway and then, almost straight after, one in Holland before planning for the IGMA Show in Teaneck. Well, things were going pretty well apart from the fact that my small workshop got covered in piles of stuff for each one and the usual happened, chaos, so it all had to get sorted. Just when it did we heard news that the airlines may go on strike. Fine, it wouldn't effect my getting to Norway but then I realised I'd never be able to get back in time for Holland. Well, we all knew that it wouldn't - probably- occur but it wasn't worth the risk and we decided to cancel, such a pity. I was so looking forward to the Sunday class where I'd volunteered to teach some of the school children I'd met last year. Wonderful teaching young people because they have such free spirits and I learn do much from them.



Then there was Holland. Trees's husband is seriously ill so would it happen? Fortunatly it is so I could get organised for that and I had an extra week to do it in. But things were just not feeling right and then I had the breakthrough. Get my workshop and flat cleaned up and sorted! It's the last thing I ever think of and the best thing to do. First of all the flat, because I had so much to do I'd not been putting things away and then couldn't find anything. First rule of clearing up is to get some plastic sacks and start throwing things away. Wierd! Just how many tee shirts does a man need and how many of them are wearable. It's my Mother in the back of my mind telling me that 'I could cut them all up and use them for dusters'. HAH! They've gone! Strange that, I've found room on shelves I never knew I had. Even stranger, having tidied up I found that putting things away when I've used them really works. I know where things are and I can find them next time.



Doesn't work in the workshop though, all dollmakers know that. We use so many different things that we create chaos just doing the first thing. But it does work on the notice board down there. You know the sort I mean, the one covered in inches of 'useful' notes and reminders. Had to brace myself for this but I found most of them were quite irrelevant and well past their sell by date so they either got dumped or put in the file drawer, the drawer I can finally get to because I'd also cleared the space in front of it. Having got a clear notice board I could print out two year planners, one for the end of this year and one for the whole of next year. Wow, I know where I am and what is booked. Better still I can see what space I have in between. Wish I'd thought of this ages ago!



Then there's the website. Seems like the hosts have changed their way of working and my pictures keep vanishing. Gary, my wonderful computer guy, tried to work it out for me and, for a time it worked. New pictures were taken, loaded up and put on showing what I'd got for Teaneck......then they all dissapeared again. Gary, thank goodness has taken over hosting it, and by next Wednesday it should be all hunky dory. I'm putting Gary up for an award, he's the only computer person who, when he's tried talking geek language at me, realises that I've no idea what he's talking about and tells me again, in simple 'press this and then do this' language. I'm sure it makes him feel very superior but he doesn't show it.



Now all I have to do is have some fun, forgot that's what life is all about. There's an evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein on the Proms tonight and I'll know all the words plus chicken salad and fruit for supper. Wow, life is good!