At Last A Sunny Morning

Sunny Fresh Start To The Day

   After the last two weeks having bought us so much unsettled weather here in the fens, it's nice to wake to some spring sunshine, the garden is still very damp but the promise of a day without rain is one to look forward to. For the last three days I've sat working at my torch wondering when I'll manage to start completing some of the garden jobs, there are plants to set out and nets to erect to protect against the doves, not to mention the first weeding session of the season, everybody says how lucky we are in this part of the country having the rich dark soil in which we can grow anything, they forget this means the weeds grow with amazing speed too, so owning a good onion how is a must for any veg grower here in the flat lands.
   Yesterday my oxycon arrived so on Monday I'll be returning those heavy old oxygen tanks for, I hope the last time, the good news is that this means in just the first year I'll save over £700 which to us is a small fortune at the moment. It's all part of the larger plan to try and make life a bit easier here so we can afford to carry on making a living doing the job we love, it's going to mean us giving up a lot but if we manage to keep our heads above water then it will all be worth it.
   I hope the first of the plants will go out on sale at the gate this weekend, the bench and sign are both finished and money box just needs attaching then it's all lights on go and we'll see if we get any extra pennies coming in, I don't care how much we make but any amount is better than just throwing these extra plants away as in years past.
   On the bead side of things I've been melting a lot of the rod ends this last day or two forming usable rods out of those little wasted ends that we all seem to cast to one side when busy working, it's yet another way of saving a few bob, yesterday I managed to form nine rods just in the few minutes between making sets and focals, I guess if I spent an hour or two doing the same then the results would be a few kilo of glass rods ready to use.
   I must say, over the seven or eight years I've been a full time bead maker I've never known things this difficult, only a lucky few are not finding things hard and as yet there seems to be no signs of improvement. It effects everyone from those who make and sell the jewellery, the bead producers and those who supply the bead makers with the materials, lets all just hope we get through it to fight another day, I'm sure we will all be trying.
   Well I better get back to my torch I need to get some focals made to list in my etsy shop, they seem to sell well there at a fixed price so worth listing a few more, a lot of the etsy customers don't see many of my focals so it's always nice to get feedback from those seeing your beads for the first time.
   I hope you enjoy your day and the sunshine warms your garden as it is here, fingers crossed it will stay with us today, I think we really do need a rest from the rains now.