Excuse, Excuse

When I went for my guitar lesson last week, I had to admit that I probably hadn't picked the guitar up since my last lesson, about a month ago.

I did, however, take a list of other things I'd done, not by way of an excuse, but more to let my teacher know that I wasn't a lazy old dollop who just watched television all day. 

I was quite impressed with my list myself -

Watched lots of Olympics/Paralympics (ok, so that does count as couch potato stuff)

Visited the Olympic Stadium for athletics and been on the Emirates Airline Cable Car

Had a week in Norfolk

Had a weekend in Yorkshire, with a day at Leeds festival

Walked many miles practising for charity walk

Had two visits to Chiropractor to sort out my back before the long walk (and a reflexology session afterwards)

Walked the ten mile Starlight Walk and raised over £300 (thanks to all my lovely sponsors!)

Knitted a pair of socks, made a cushion and decorated tea towels with Pompoms. Obviously, this wasn't all essential work.

Read several books, including Death Message by Mark Billingham and Even The Dogs by Jon McGregor

Attempted to give blood, which they politely declined - enough iron for my purposes, but not theirs apparently.  Suppose I should eat more spinach and liver - ooh, unless there's iron in dark chocolate?

Been to weekly Yoga and/or Pilates classes

Had a big declutter with subsequent trips to the charity shop

Taken the sofa covers to the launderette.  Doesn't sound too time consuming does it?  But by the time they've dried, and you've managed to force them back onto the sofa, it turned out to be an all day job. It  was a bit like trying to fit yourself back into the jeans you had when you were 18.

Joined the RHS and visited Wisley

Been to work twice a week

Done lots of gardening

Tidied my studio.

Also, in addition to the above, and the usual boring stuff, I did a day's workshop run by Jean Power at my beading group, making beaded flowers.  Really pleased with the result and will make try and find time to make some more.

Finally, I went with my cousin Jean to do a one day glass fusing workshop with Karen Davies who runs

Hearts Of Glass

We went to her studio in Barnet, and had a lovely day learning various techniques, like cutting glass, and layering the pieces, which were later to be fired.  This is Jean pretending she's busy, but really just avoiding having her photo taken

She's making a glass panel for a door she hasn't got yet.

I made two pieces which when fired in a shaped ceramic mould will be dishes, the first one is on my usual theme

and the second was using very thin sticks of glass, which looked like coloured spaghetti

We had to leave them to be fired in Karen's kiln, but I went back and picked them up a few days ago, and I'm really please with how they turned out

Plus a little asymmetric glass pendant (yes, it WAS meant to be asymmetric) and a pair of cufflinks.  It was a really  lovely day, doing something a bit different to my usual textiles, and now we know the possibilities, I'm sure Jean and I will go back and have another go at glass fusing. 

I've got another guitar lesson tomorrow, and although I really have practised every day, I don't seem to make much progress.  I had initially seen myself as a kind of 'Erica Clapton' or maybe 'Marcia Knopfler'

At my current rate, I'll be lucky if I achieve 'Valerie Doonican'

Excuse, Excuse - The Seeds