Good Evening Everyone

Hasn't the weather been blooming awful!  I have had to walk in to my course this week as I have no other way of getting there and have got drenched two days on the trot.

I am so very sorry that I have been absent for the past few weeks despite the best of intentions to actually post on a more regular basis. I had the best of intentions but as the saying goes "the best laid plans of mice and men" went severely awry.  Not that I have not been up to things - as usual I have had far too much on my plate and do not seem to have had much time to do anything constructive in the house at all which is getting me down a little.  I have also had a bad cold which could have been worse in the greater scheme of things.  Because of my reduced immune system it takes a while for such things to go away.  I always seem to get double whammy on colds these days and it takes much longer to leave my system.

For the next eight days or so I am also on a computer course to learn the logistics of Excel and Powerpoint.  It is predominantly Word based training which I am extremely familiar with in any event but even I am learning things here as well.  The course is supported also by learning about to write a good CV - yes have already been on one of these but this is combined with Professional Employment Consultants and interview techniques and also trying to find something suitable on the job front.   It seems to be very cohesive. There is also support in respect of Universal credit and information regarding that from what I understand. There appears to be an awful lot of support in this regard.  There is also a professional legitimate qualification at the end of the course if we have been successful.  This is partly course work based.  I have also been assisting with helping those not as familiar with the Word software.  Somehow this is also helping me reinforce what I actually know. So a "win-win" situation at the end of the day.  I am enjoying it.  It is making the little grey cells work (not that they do not in any event) but I have not worked for a year so fingers crossed I am hoping that this will lead to something useful.

I have not been able to craft properly either.  In sheer desperation I have started to crochet a blanket made up from squares.  I should not have really started a new project but my fingers were twitching and I needed to do something in my quiet moments.  I just cannot sit and watch TV without doing something.  

Five squares have been completed so far and I have used a little wool on the aqua colour, a reasonable amount on the white (not a ball though) and one ball (I am on to the second of the silver colour which looks like a beige at times but is in effect a pearly grey).

I initially started this in an attempt to tempt a friend back into crochet.  However she is not able to focus completely at the moment which is a pity as it would help calm her down.  She used to crochet  years ago but has not done it for many years.  Never mind.   I hope to have her going again in the autumn; something to do on the longer colder nights and make something useful in the process.  

Since my birthday I have been to the Kate Rusby concert in Peterborough.  That was pure magic; she was fantastic and has the most beautiful of voices.  She was struggling with a cold but you would not have known by the tone of her voice.  If she comes back to Peterborough I will definitely be going to see her again.  The evening went far too quickly and she held us spell bound with her beautiful songs.  The band which includes her husband Damian O'Kane were fantastic as well.  Can really play their instruments.

I also went to an Antiques Fair at Stamford Meadows with my friend and last weekend we went to Springfields in Spalding to a small fair there that although small had some lovely pieces.  I ended up buying a Sylvac vase which I managed to get hold of for £5.  I saw two of these vases at the Fair.  What are the odds of that happening.  I bought the cheaper of the two.  The other one was £26.

I thought that this might make a lovely centrepiece for next Easter.  My Nan had a jug with this design on with a bunny at the bottom.  I particularly like 1930s style vases.  I should not have bought this, but at that price.  I could not leave it behind.  It took much soul-searching.

Right must get ready for tomorrow.  I just hope it does not rain again.  I am very tired, but in a good way.

Be back soon.

Pattypan

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