Open Studios -whew, it is over! Three weekends of Cambridge Open Studios - it has been quite an experience. I have had wonderful support from my friends and neighbours and fellow textile artists, the weather could have been better some days but just look how lovely my garden looked from my studio today!!! I have to confess that I have been as delighted with the compliments about my garden as I have with the nice things people have said about my work! Especially as, having had an operation on my knee last month, I have not been able to do any real work in the garden so it is looking very 'cottagey'.

My neighbour George (not to be confused with husband George) has also enjoyed the OS experience but we both confess to being exhausted. Being on your best behaviour from 11 until 6, and saying virtually the same things to every visitor is quite tiring but the combination of the two studios together has worked really well. This is George's lovely wife Brenda standing in my garden - the instructions to visitors were to 'follow the bunting' which led across the garden beyond the summerhouse to the gate between our gardens. Will we do it again? Well at the moment I don't know, but maybe when the time comes to sign up again we shall be more enthusiastic! Now I am going to fall into bed because tomorrow I MUST tidy everything up and do some very necessary housework.

I have been really busy since I last wrote - not that it matters, really, as I do not have any followers! I have had my 12 year old grandson Jeremy staying with me and I have also done two of three Open Studio weekends. Marian Murphy came to cast her expert eye over my

'studio' and then came and spent a couple of hours with me on the first morning, I was so grateful as I was quite nervous. Jeremy was in his element ushering people around and making sure they went through the gate in the fence to my next door neighbour George Meliniotis to see his paintings. Gina Ferrari visited me, as did Margaret Starr, Brenda O'Carroll and Lizanne van Essen - I was delighted to see them all. Marian had suggested I had a Visitor's Book and some really nice comments have been written. We have had quite a lot of visitors, I think it helps having two studios at the same location. One weekend to go - I just hope the weather is better as the bunting (lent by Marian) is looking somewhat bedraggled and I may have to make her some more! Heaven forbid. The little chap on the left is the White Rabbit of course, another in my Alice series.

I have just interviewed an elderly couple in the village for a 'profile' for the village Magazine, typed it up and sent it off to the editor and this evening there is a meeting of the Trustees of the Almshouses, so more typing up tomorrow. If it were not for all these other activities I could get on with some stitching! Jeremy has gone back home now and I do miss him, although I don't miss the constant feeding, I am amazed how much a 12 year old can eat - and remain skinny! It's SO unfair.

this is me and my neighbour George Melionotis posing rather self - consciously for the Royston Crow! We are opening our studios next weekend (and the 3rd and 4th weekends also) as part of the Cambridge Open Studio event. George has done Open Studios before in Hertfordshire, but it is my first time and I am wondering what I have let myself in for. My 12 year old grandson is staying with us and is being roped in to help. Having just come back from a school trip to France he insists he is going to greet people in French - which should be interesting, especially as his vocabulary seems to be somewhat limited.

The Safari Supper was a great success - 54 people travelled around the village for three courses and met different people at teach venue. We finished up in our lovely new All Saints Community Hall in support of which the supper was organised. We made about £450 which was pretty good - AND we all had a good time, finishing up in the hall for cheese and coffee.

On Monday George went into Addenbrookes for a procedure to put his heart back into rythm - they stopeped his heart and then restarted it (just the way they do on Holby City!) and he has two nice big paddle shaped burns to prove it. Thank the Lord it worked and his heart is now beating nicely in rythm.

On Tuesday we had the Rotary handover to the new President - a nice dinner amongst friends, and on Wednesday it was my birthday and I went out to lunch with some ladies from the church and then my lovely neighbour Brenda cooked a meal for us in the evening. Lots of lovely cards from friends so I had a really nice day. And DD2 (dirty daughter two) came round with a present of a delightful stone hare which she craftily bought when we were in Cornwall in May.

Thursday brought the U3A embroidery class always held in my house and in the evening a meeting of the Almshouse Trustees - we are going to have to find the finance for a new roof!

Friday brought a morning working with the church ladies making items for the November Bazaar and a Tesco run during the thunderstorm. Today I did a 3 1/2 hour stint stewarding at the Launch for the Open Studios in July - in the midst of all this activity I am trying to get things finished for Open Studios! I must be mad.

I am very frustrated with this blogging lark - and I have only been doing it for two days! Perhaps I should find an expert to talk to! Maybe my 12 year old grandson..... I want to add Fan my Flame to my list of blogs I follow, but the computer says 'no' the http is not right. Well, I shall persevere, but not tonight. I have been chasing around all day organising a Safari Supper in our village in aid of the Church Hall, a nightmare making sure that at each venue people do not bump into each other. Well, at last it is done so roll on Saturday.

How did I do that?

All I wanted to do was add a comment to a friend's blog - and I find myself with a blogsite! How did that happen? What do I do now?
I think I shall go and lie down in a darkened room.