Blogging

I have been busy building a blog for The Two Rivers Wind Ensemble I thought it would be quite quick and easy! I looked on my dashboard and it said create another blog, so I thought great. BUT it kept putting me and my profile on the other blog. I got into all sorts of trouble. I got there in the end but I had to create another email address. Unfortunately I managed to delete half the info on my blog including my picture profile and my links. S just to let you know I will gradually try and put it all back. In the meantime I would be grateful if you would check out the other blog from time to time and let me know what you think and how I can improve it.

German Visitors (Posaunenchor)

Exeter Cathedral


Umberleigh
The Posaunenchor band from Altenmedingen Germany

This week we have a German band visiting us. They have a very full programme with early mornings and late nights. We have two of them staying with us. Yesterday they played in Exeter
Cathedral at lunch time and a joint concert with The Albert Hall Swing Band in the evening at Umberleigh. I apologise for the quality of sound on the video.



This morning they have gone to Clovelly and are going to The Milky Way theme park this afternoon followed by a reception with the Mayor of Barnstaple this evening so another late night. I am going to get a Chinese take away. I don't do cooking at that time of night.

Little Visitor

A couple of weeks ago this little hedgehog was in our back garden
during the day. It seamed happy enough. It wasn't a bit bothered
by us and even posed for the camera. After it had a sleep it woke
up and wandered away. I hope it was alright and that we see it
again.



I gave it some meat



Digging for worms


Time for a nap.

WATCH THIS SPACE

Upcott Valley have just started their latest challenge. Should be interesting! The challenge is to cut holes in our fabric give the cut out bits to the other participants and then fill the hole up using fabrics from their cut out bits. should be interesting.

I have been quite productive this week, building up my ear ring stocks, tidying my work space and cutting the holes in my challenge fabric. I thought it was time I blogged.

I am busy with the bands I am in. One playing at a dance on Saturday and the other busy preparing for a concert a week tomorrow which I am looking forward to.

The German band are coming to stay in October and have a packed week. They are playing in Exeter Cathedral on the Monday and The Eden Project on the Wednesday. They have another two concerts. They will be so tired when they go home. I know I was when I came back from Germany.

Festival of Quilts

Well I am back home from the festival and thought it was about time I did some blogging. Val Sarah Vinnie and I went up to Birmingham early on Wednesday, all a bit excited about being invited to exhibit at the festival. We were guided to the unloading area which was not too far from the stand and unloaded. The building was a hive of activity with sack trucks, crates packaging everywhere. We came very well equipped with two hammers and at least three spirit levels. Vinnie and Sarah started drilling, hammering and drawing lines with the aid of the spirit levels, while Val and I stuck Velcro squares on the backs of the write ups and smaller calendar pieces. Sarah and Vinnie had to keep dashing away to try and move their cars to the car park but never managed as they were boxed in. Luckily we were able to just get out at the end of the day. The space looked tiny when we arrived but as soon as we started hanging our work it seamed to grow. We were all pleased with how it looked.
Thursday arrived and we got there in good time. Everything was neat and tidy (there must have been an awful lot of hoovering during the night) The quilts looked fantastic. The judging had been done. Vinnie had got the bronze award in the Contemporary class. We had a hard job keeping her under control after that. We were so proud of her, she's a little star.
I met so many people that I knew and saw a few as they walked by. For those of you that have not been it is a huge event and believe me it is quite easy to walk round and round one area and completely miss other areas without even knowing it till you get home and read the catalogue. I was there for three days and did not see it all. On Thursday I know there were 10,000 people there. I have not heard the numbers for the other days but they felt busier.
We had a lot of really nice comments and it was also nice to see so many people from other countries. We met people from Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, America, Canada, New Zealand and I noticed quite a few from Ireland too and I know at least one Welsh person was there even if I didn't see her!
I am very tired now. I think it is all catching up with me. I will put some pictures up of our exhibition so that you can have a little insight into what it was like.

Feeling Much Better

Well I thought it was time that I blogged. I am feeling sooooo much better. I am really enjoying this weather. Yesterday we went out for a drive round the North Devon coast. It was not quite as warm and sunny there but it didn't rain. Today was shopping day so it is all catching up with me now.
Last weekend we went out for the day to try and find somewhere to go mackerel fishing. We ended up in Ilfracombe. As we drove to the car park on the quey i noticed several people were dressed up. I new immediately that it must have been Victorian week. As we parked the car I wondered why the harbour wall was edged with people looking out to sea. They were waiting for the Waverley(a paddle steamer) to come in. It was already two hours late. I thought I would join the on lookers. When it got into the harbour I was surprised at how big she was. It was lovely to see all the elegantly clad passengers board the Waverly while the buskers played old time music.

The Waverley




This morning before 7, I heard a bang on the window. I thought that sounds like a bird. About 15 minutes later my husband got up and opened the kitchen blind and saw the woodpecker at the bottom of the tree trying to climb up. When I got up it was still on the tree trunk. I kept an eye on it in case there were any cats around. I managed to take a picture which proved there must have been something not quite right. usually the slightest hint of a camera it is gone. It stayed there for about 45 minutes and then flew away I did see it high up in a willow tree a bit later so it seamed fully recovered.

I have been tidying the garden and re potting the plants, sweeping the steps. Soon I hope to do some sewing.

GETTING THERE

Well now we are well into June. Hasn't the weather been kind to us. Thankyou firstly for all your kind comments and thoughts. I hope I am on the mend now. The plaster is due to be removed on Monday which will be nice as it is like wearing glove. I did have to go to the physio yesterday as I had twisted my knee and couldn't walk at the weekend but that is much better and she has given me a stick (which I can't really use because of my plaster)
Last night I went to the Contemporary Craft Fair. It was a lovely evening. At the last minute. I contacted Genie and arranged to meet her in the park. We had never met in person, but spend quite a lot of time blogging, flickering and facebooking. We both went into the fair and spent the next couple of hours looking around for inspiration. We find a nice stand selling sketch books and artist materials at a very good price so had to stock up bit. We then both enjoyed a sit down with a very refreshing freshly squeezed orange juice. While chatting we discovered that our husbands might actually already know each other too as they both belong to the same fishing clubs. It is such a small world. We had taken the dog back to Genie's house and while there I was able to view some of the catalogue killing results. We also swapped ATC's.
I was quite nervous about going out in case I damaged anything else. Well although I was tired I am still in one piece.
Hopefully before too long I will be able to make something at the moment I can just about manage to make a sandwich!