The Nutcracker...lightbulbs and fear

I found myself in a cave with 18 enthusiastic youngsters, trying not to show my fear!! not easy when you have most of them blinding you with the beams of light shining from their miners lamps, each asking if you were going to go through the 'Nutcracker' and are you scared? You are sitting crunched up in a dark, dingy cave trying very hard not to look scared when infact you are terrified BUT trying your upmost not to let the children know, so as not to scare them. The Nutcraker is the smallest opening in the cave which you have to slide/crawl through to get to the next opening further down in the cave. Okay if you are the size of a ten year old but when you are a medium sized adult it makes a bubble of air get stuck in your chest...Eeeek! As I got down flat on my stomach and started to crawl through commando style I suddenly remember promising my chum Anna that I would come up with a few ideas for a project she is working on.....this was my thought pattern," you can do this just breathe, you can do this, Oh yes bingo that could be quite nice and effective a christmas nightlight lantern I can make it with a combo of papier mache and coloured paper , a good project for christmas time, oh no! my battery pack has got stuck and I'm not sure that I am ever going to get through this gap and pooh! I won't be able to actually make the project for Anna and Oh, I was really looking forward to making one to show her. Maybe it was the only light I saw down there or the inspiration came from the miners lamps but there you go, its just plain weird how you get some of your most creative ideas.

I did make it through the cave only to have to face the next two activities...abseiling and rock climbing!!!!! Oh yes forgot to add that I had about 60 bruises but they did form a really pretty pattern.

To Noah

Well, now that the long wet summer is over, we, at the studio are preparing ourselves for a productive winter. At the moment the studio feels like Noah's Ark, a haven from the rain. My dog Keltie looks positively miserable and has refused to get out of her basket, I have to temp her with bits of chicken to get her to move and even though I have bought her a lovely doggie raincoat, she isn't interested. The canal boaters are putting a brave face on things, they chug past, smiling and waving, while the rain drips off of their noses. Keltie could learn a lesson from them about being British and stoical. You can't let it get to you....have to have fun no matter what the weather is doing.

Enough of all things wet!! and now for some more interesting ideas. Hearts, yes that universal much loved symbol. I have always collected heart shaped objects, stones, bits of wood, even painted wooden hearts made heart shaped cakes you name it, I love the shape. On Monday I was preparing dinner, cottage pie in fact, and I was peeling the potatoes for the topping , when I pulled a heart shaped potato out of the bag. A little bit of joy, made my day, I took it that nature was sending a sign!!

Now its off to Kelties basket to wake her and tell her that no matter the weather we are going for that walk......anyone got any chicken??