Now It's Spring !!!!

Mr Johnson, We Are Here To Tell You It's Spring

   Now I know spring has arrived and not because of the wonderful sunshine we have had here in the fens, but because a few little friends arrived to let me know, every year they manage to get here and what very welcome guests they are too.

   It's March the 11th and after a very enjoyable afternoon working in the kitchen garden I took a few minutes to sit and have a cuppa bedside one of the smaller ponds, then I saw the best sight of the year so far, the first little patch of frog spawn sat nestled in the surface weed, but an even better sight was that of my favourite spring visitors sitting watching me with those stunning magical eyes that seem to read your mind, tiny beads of golden stone that no lampwork bead maker on this earth would ever reproduce.
   I think if I tried to explain how happy I felt seeing these little guys you would probably think I was mad but to me this is the best sign of spring and one I long for every year after the cold months here in the east of England. It points towards summer mornings when the sunshine pours into the bedroom window at 5am and those cooling July evenings when I sit by the pond reading after a long warm day at my torch, sitting outside eating fresh salads with home baked bread and those sharp summer puddings with thick cream. So you see those little visitors may not be noticed by everyone, but this old beadmaker thinks the world of them and thanks them for their time every spring.

   Tomorrow is a ceramic day for me and I hope to collect some batts for my wheel in the morning, a friend from my landscaping days who is a carpenter has cut me some which to be honest as saved me a small fortune and also means I can make a good amount of pots at one session, now I just need to get more beads sold to buy clay, it really gets my back up when I think I pay more for the delivery of the clay than I pay for the clay itself, but I should just be greatfull I can afford it in the first place.
   I hope you all enjoyed the weather today and fingers crossed it's the first of many nice weekends ahead. I managed to get lots done in the garden with more seeds being sown and the early potatoes all set and covered with fleece, I even managed to get the garden clock hung up after spending the last two years still in it's box, now I have no excuse for being late for dinner in the evenings, as if I would !
   On the bead side of things, I had a very productive morning making focals that will be listed tomorrow evening along with more sets on etsy, I seem to be playing around with the rock effects more this month and after getting some great feedback from new customers I feel they are worth making. Sometimes when sales are slow or one type of bead doesn't sell you need some nice comments to pick you up, in the back of your mind you always wonder if your making the wrong beads, should you be making the same as all the others, are your colours not bright enough, all those things go through your head, but when you get people giving you great feedback or sending you emails thanking you for their beads it reminds you that you are doing the right thing and sod the rest, if you enjoy making them then there will be others who will enjoy using them.
   Ok, dinner time here then an evening watching tv and doing nothing, enjoy your evening and get out there and find those little spring visitors, you know you want to !