Son shine

What an incredible difference a little bit of sunshine makes, today has been glorious. Okay, not a lazing on a tropical beach with a cocktail in your hand kind of glorious, but a rush out to sit in the sunshine with every mug of tea type of glorious. And for April in Mid Wales, that's pretty good going!

Today was bound to be a nice one for me, because I spent an age chatting to my son on the 'phone last night. We don't often get to natter about nothing in particular; he is busy with his work and friends and I with mine. He lives over 100 miles away and doesn't drive yet, so doesn't come home very often at all. But last night we talked and laughed and put the world to right. He even sent me a couple of photos as I was complaining that I didn't have any recent pictures of him. So here he is... in my eyes the most handsomest chap that ever was!
Alec's picture

It has been a jolly busy day at work again today, a recent order of quilts arrived late afternoon, so I was able to pack them and prepare them to go out with the couriers in the morning. We also took delivery of a large number of DVD cases, so that we can post out our catalogue on disk to everyone who has requested one. When I ordered them, I was unable to visual what a huge amount of space they would take up in the warehouse, but I quickly got the idea when they were delivered on a pallet that was piled about four feet high with boxes! Still, so many of them will be used in the next week or so that the space will quickly be recovered.

Dave has been tidying and sorting most of the day. Every now and then we like to reorganise everything. It's a good way to keep an eye on items, check them and check their numbers so that I can make sure the website has the correct stock levels on it; whilst I usually update the site each day, there are inevitably times when I can't.

I have been the admin queen today, probably most peoples' least favourite job, but I am really happy to gently work my way through administrative tasks (how sad is that?!) because I love the feeling of completion at the end of the day. So this evening's challenge is for me to do something creative in the kitchen, but it's getting pretty late in the day, so perhaps just create a quick omelette... and a cup of tea.
Chat soon, Liz
All images and text copyright Pretty Practicals 2007 and 2008 except where stated.

Cutting remarks!

Gosh, so much has happened since my 100th blog and I have been rushing around happy as can be.

Yesterday I had a funny five minutes and decided to have my hair cut short. After 15 years with long tresses (varying between almost waist length and shoulder length), I now have what feels like a short back and sides. My hairdresser is incredibly sweet and was delighted to be able to do something more than 'just a trim', but it is much, much shorter than I had envisaged it would be when I walked into the salon. I guess I will get used to feeling bald and cold and anyway, my hair grows like weeds (especially in the spring and summer), so it won't be long before my neat and tidy haircut resembles my usual 'through the hedge backwards' look.

Plans for our jolly to the NEC are shaping up, although in my usual impatient manner, I wish we could get quotes, catalogues, printing etc done in about half the time that they will actually take. My impatience I realise, comes from my excitment about and enthusiasm for Pretty Practicals and I wouldn't change that for the world.

Everything came to a grinding halt for 80 minutes yesterday (twice) whilst I caught up with the 6 nations matches on the telly. Once again my sister was in attendance at the Wales game (she went to Twickenham last weekend and Cardiff this weekend ) grrr, how envious am I? Dave is not a great rugby fan, actually he goes to the dining room 'to watch paint drying' whilst I am perched on the edge of the sofa, cheering and clapping at the television. Another of our differences that we celebrate.... still, I run off to find something (anything) else to do whenever a Star Wars film appears on our screen ~ I guess we all have something we aren't so keen on.

And finally, the sun has arrived in Rhayader heralding the arrival of spring (maybe). The nights are still bitterly cold and the mornings have offered a crisp white cover across the countryside, like starched linen bedsheets, which have been slowly washed away by the warming glow of the tentative rays of sunshine. By mid afternoon, the sky has been deep blue, my spirits have been lifted and we have even ventured outside to drink in the sunshine and a cup of tea.
Here's a picture I took outside our unit on Friday afternoon, the sun lighting up the bark and branches of these tall pine trees which have loomed over us all winter... it makes me realise how lovely they will look by high summer.


It's my turn to put the kettle on... chat soon, Liz

Signs of Spring

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the sunshine is!

Well perhaps I am being a little optimistic in announcing that spring has reached our corner of the world. From reading other's words of wisdom, I know that the spring bulbs are starting to pop up everywhere, but in our special little micro-climate, surrounded as we are by steep hillsides, we are not quite out of winter yet. Only 13 miles away, the snowdrops are doing their thing and daffs are starting to push through the soil... here they seem to know that we haven't quite finished with the coldest of the weather yet and are waiting for it to be safe to make an appearance.

Still, I have plenty to be sunny about at the moment. My friend, Trina, gave me this lovely hyacinth yesterday which I have put into a hurricane glass and it is now sitting proudly on a chest of drawers. It is filling the front of the shop with it's heady aroma ~ heavenly!

In our office, Dave is doing his programming thing again today, he describes it as 'website brain surgery', so I am trying very hard not to disturb him too much. He really is so clever, I keep saying 'oh, can we just have this or that on the website' and without complaining that I keep changing my mind, he makes it happen. He's worth is weight in gold (& that's a lot of worth).

This evening I have planned a long, relaxing bath (with light!) and to finish my book. Mostly I want to do this as I have found another one that I want to start and I try not to start a new book before finishing the one I am reading. As I finished the last of my bath salts the other night (in the murky bathroom fiasco) I'm going to treat myself to a new bottle of lavender bath gel , make a big mug of tea and shut myself away for a couple of hours.

Hope you have a lovely weekend, chat soon, Liz