It's in hospital!

The laptop has gone into hospital. Poor thing. We managed to get to the town where I'd bought it today. The snow had melted enough for us to feel it wasn't 'silly to travel'. In fact the roads were very clear, although soggy.

The guy in the shop examined the patient - I think they would call him a triage nurse in hospitals. There was that 'dread' when he tried to turn it on and we sat and hoped it wouldn't start up properly and make us look complete idiots. Bit like a false labour!! Anyway, it breathed a small sigh and did nothing. A tear rolled sadly down my face as it was 'booked in' and taken away on a gurney. Such a sad time. No visiting hours were mentioned so it's probably going to be in the ITU department.

So, it's on it's way to hospital and will be home in about three weeks - if surgery is successful. Meantime I'm working on a very old laptop in the evenings. I have to stoke it with coal every so often as it keeps slowing down. It's got a thatched roof and is built of wattle and daub. Then it would be as I live in a historic area with lots of thatched roof houses!!!!!

All greeting and 'get well' cards should be sent to Hospital HP, Somewhere Town, Somewhere in the UK!!!!

Just found these!

Well yesterday I was mainly snowed in which gave me a long time to spend sorting out a pattern that I've been working on for ages. Well I've done other things in between but I've finally completed it. Just a little more work to do on it but it's virtually 'there'.

I have one more pattern to check over tomorrow and then I will allow myself to start something new. Not sure what yet but I've lots of ideas mulling around in the head and brain cell #3 is raring to go, go, go!!!!

While tidying up my computer desk yesterday I found these two motifs!!! I

did them a couple of weeks ago - before the Spring cleaning!! They are both from the new GR8 book. I really enjoyed working both of them.

Two 'deaths' in a day!

This is sort of tatting related!!

First 'incident' was at the library when I handed over my ticket to check out three books. The lady said 'you've expired'.

Well, I said, I feel alright, nobody told me I was dead and I haven't been ill for a long time. Poor lass didn't understand at first!! I knew that she meant my ticket was out of date. They now have to be renewed every year.

The next 'death' in the family is my laptop! My link to the world in the late afternoons/evenings and the place where most of the designing is done. I write things down 'as I go' in a Word document. For two days it's been 'problematic' starting up so yesterday I started it while eating lunch. It was fine - although it did need two attempts. When I got downstairs to use it at four o'clock it had died!!! So, a mad panic to find the receipt because I couldn't remember exactly when I'd bought it. Ah, November 2007. Thankfully the shop I got it from does a two year extended warantee so we decided to take it back there this morning.

BUMMER. There's four inches of snow on the ground!!! Mind, it may well be gone by mid morning.

Meantime I will try and work on a very old laptop which is SOOOO slow it's like riding a tortoise!!

Back to making bookmarks!

I have the honour of being 'chief sticker' for the Ring of Tatters!!!! What that means is that I'm allowed to pretend I'm back teaching school kids again BUT this time I get to play with the glue and NOT the kids!!!

I use the PVA 'school' glue that I had in the classroom all those years ago. My equipment for this job of making bookmarks for the Ring consists of the following. An old and not required again CD (to put the glue on!), a fine double ended knitting needle, the card bookmarks and small motifs.

Last time I spoke about this task I said that more supplies of motifs were 'on the way'. Little did I realise there were going to be SO many!!!! I'm pleased to say that most of them are 'without tails'. That's the most annoying thing when you're doing this job - having tails to cut off. I never remember them until my fingers are covered in glue!!!

In the picture below you'll see some of the new style bookmarks. There are two butterflies shown. One a four ring one (very hard to stick down and get looking 'right') and one five ring SCMR one (easy peasy).

I like to play with the very small doodles, putting several on a bookmark sometimes. See the large one at the bottom left? I can't remember the name of the lady who sends these in but she used to send in loads and loads. Wouldn't it be funny if somebody recognised their contribution?

I've remembered!!!

Yesterday evening I actually remembered to go to the online tatting class which Georgia runs!!! I do often wander in there and then forget I'm there!!

I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser and always have certain tabs open so usually flip between them all!! Bit like my brain which has often been referred to as a 'butterfly brain' as it flits from one thing to another!!! Also never seems to settle long in one place!!!

Anyway, I've remembered that somebody asked for the picture of the flowers in a ring which I did back at the end of last year. I couldn't find them last night but here they are now!! Safely hiding on my main computer!!!

Back and tatting!!!!

I think I told you about the party I went to on Saturday. I had the best time ever. Just the sort of party I love. Champagne, Wii, egg sandwiches and two small boys to play with!!!

It was Sebastian's 7th birthday and he wanted me (second choice babysitter - grandma's first!) and another lady there. No small friends required!! How flattering is that?

When I sit for the pair of them (the older brother is almost 9) I usually play Wii and read stories. We also have 'in depth' discussions about life too. I gave them both a book token as I never can keep up with what they or my own grand kids are reading!!

Last night I made them a bookmark each which I'll take round later after school. I used my funny face bookmark pattern but had a problem 'starting it'!!! Not unusual as brain cell #3 had had the week off tatting. I thought I'd do some more drawing for it later today but have just looked on the computer and found that I've already got one there!!! When I've done the 'chores' I'll add the drawing to the page so that next time I'LL be able to understand it!!!!

Thinking aloud - with brain cell #3

Now the web pages are finished (well, I suppose they'll never really be 'finished') I can start playing again. Nearly a whole week without tatting - must be a record!!! Mind, when we travel to the USA I do tend to 'not tat' as there are so many more interesting things to do. Like visits to Wally World, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Joann Fabrics and all points in between!!!

Must admit unashamedly - I LOVE America and Americans. When you think about it through my aged brain and eyes it goes something like this.

I was born in 1943 - towards the end of the war. American soldiers had arrived in the area to help us out around that time and they were very welcome - particularly by the young ladies of the time (I know that as a fact)!!!! Nylons, spam and other 'goodies' were 'available' at a price. Not telling what that was but it didn't always involve money!!!!

Some 16 or so years later (from what brain cell #3 can remember) the Americans were arriving again in droves to view the tourist attractions. NO, not me - I was a timid and not very attractive teenager!!!! They were loud and rich at that time although I guess the economy welcomed their money!!!

Some 18 or so years on from that date (I was a mother, teacher and all round idiot) I was demonstrating tatting occasionally at a local tourist attraction in the school holidays, I once again came across the American tourists. BOY, what a shock. Out of all the nationalities who passed through the venue and the many who stopped to speak to me, the Americans were the only 'nation' who not only knew what I was doing but were very interested.

Hats off to America and the Americans. Me? I'm not racist, sexist, anythingist but I am proud to be a human being (allegedly) and I LOVE my 'neck of the woods' and America!!