INCARCERATED!

once again, I have to apologise for a long period of absence.  This time, it is not because of apathy or lack of inspiration, it is in fact because I am now in my SIXTH week of a hospital stay.

I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say it was a sudden incarceration connected mostly with heart issues, which are almost under control now.  I have a procedure on Monday to come still so am not totally out of the woods but feel now I am on my way at last.

Unfortunately, the condition has worsened my hand-shake problem, so was not able to while away time with sketching.  It is an odd condition....I can type, as you can see;  I can in fact paint, using pastels;  it is fine detail that evades me now - writing, making linear marks using a pen or pencil, this is now extremely difficult.  Yet I can cut glass without too many problems, and can make sense of wiggly marks by incorporating them in my enamelling work!!!!  It is a question of finding out how to overcome obstacles, or working with the problems, rather than being too limited by them.

Perhaps this is a mantra for the future, as I am not getting any younger, and can certainly see a future full of potential issues and hazards and problems as my body gradually lets me down.  Happens to most of us eventually. One thing that I am very grateful for is The Internet.  For all its faults, I have to say it also is an amazing benefit.

I have been so supported through these past weeks by my so-called "friends" on the glass forums on Facebook.  I have only met one or two of them, yet feel I know so many others purely from their words on a screen.  They did not need to offer me words of encouragement and support - we usually just talk about glass-making - yet their generosity has been overwhelming.  I know it only takes a minute or two to write an encouraging comment but please do know that if you hear about someone in hospital, or poorly, that the effort you make will be very much appreciated.

Also I have been able, via a laptop, to while away some happy hours learning, by watching tutorials and demonstrations on You Tube.  This has been SO invaluable!  It is fun and brilliantly time-consuming to watch how something is created;  You Tube is an amazing resource.

Hopefully I will be home in due course and will be able to post some more useful blogs, but in the meantime, thank you everyone who still reads this blog, and thank you everyone who has been so supportive.
here I am having been allowed out to lunch at a local cafe.  `notice the interesting costume jewellery.....!!!!