One of those perfect photo moments

Have you ever spent ages trying to capture the perfect photo of something only to never be quite satisfied with the results?

Then, months later and quite unexpectedly, you see what you were looking for and snap it quick not expecting great results because you haven't had time to adjust the settings on the camera properly.

However, the results are quite stunning and more than you had imagined.

I spent a lot of last summer chasing bees around the garden. I have posted some of the results on here. Although I was quite pleased with many of the photos, they were never quite what I wanted.

Mark and I want some pictures for the bathroom wall. He wants some of those funny poster type ones, I didn't.

Finally we agreed that we were going to use some of my photos. He had seen some that he liked online so, knowing the sort of thing he likes and armed with my new macro lens, I proceeded to try to take some.

Nothing has been quite right.

Then, yesterday, I was out with one of the residents having a look around the local market before we went for a cuppa. There, snuggled inside a daffodil, was a bee. As it happened, I had my camera with me and stopped to snap it. The wind was blowing a little so I set it quickly to a fast shutter speed as I didn't have time to play around with the setting properly. The wind started blowing harder and the bee started crawling about.

I was convinced they wouldn't be much good and was expecting camera shake. But when I got home and looked at them on the screen, this is what I saw!

I have no doubt that it is far from a perfect picture technically but I don't care.

It brings a big grin to my face when I look at it because I am so pleased with it.

March Calendar

I know, I was really bad last month and didn't do one.

So I hope this months makes up for it - especially as I waited all day for the sun to come out long enough to make the crocuses open. But it didn't.

And it was my birthday!

I have decided to be 27. I figured that nobody believes 21 any more so I might as well pick a number I like and stick to it.

I had some snowdrops from Benjamin, which was why I was out in the "garden". I also had some cash so bought some bulbs while I was out shopping. I planted them all yeasterday afternoon.

I had some flowers from Mark. He found a bunch with bright purple ones in. He knows its my favourite colour. When I opened them to put them on the vase, all the stems were purple as well, which led to a discussion about dyed flowers and the way it was done.

Of course, then we had to experiment and have put one of the white flowers in a glass of water with blue ink in it. The ink keeps disappearing though so I don't think it is the best thing for the job.

I might just have to splash out on some food colouring.

Its (nearly) Easter

Yes, I know, I have been a bad blogger.

But sometimes real life takes over and knocks you off your feet.

Just as I was trying to get myself back on track after Christmas, I get an email from Lycos that they are closing all their sites on February 15th. Mine would have to be with them, wouldn't it?

This isn't the major problem it would have been this time last year. Of course, all my work is on my puter so I don't need to save anything from them. And, due to other reasons, I set up a domain name last summer along with some graphics in Photobucket for the buttons. All this meant was I would have to find a new host for my site then forward the the domain name to it. Quite simple really.

Or so you would think!

My site used to be with Pipex, our ISP. I moved it all because their server was constantly being hacked and I was constantly getting people telling me my site was full of viruses. Luckily, Pipex seem to have got their act together and, with the time constraints I had, it seemed the simplest option to go back to them. Especially as there are no ads there because we pay for the webspace as part of our package.

Mind you, I didn't think of all the other things, like the loads of links to individual pages scattered around the net. And the blog roll. I made a bit of a mess moving that over so, if yours doesn't work, please go and try again.

Then Mark quits his job!!!!!

It was for medical reasons. Working with all the cement and plaster all the time has made his eczema flare. And this isn't like any eczema I have see before. It is quite ferocious.

And, again, the question of "Can we really afford the internet?" comes up.

There have been good things going on! I sold a Valentine choker at the Florists.

And I had an order for a whole load of bits from Nicola at Truly Scrumptious.

And I have been selling quite a few patterns recently.

But this is what I have been working on more recently.

These are quite old patterns but, as I am making a pile to (hopefully) sell for Easter, I thought I would give it a little overhaul. The way I write them now has evolved a lot since I wrote this one.

The heads, wings and feet are all made in one piece - apart from the eyes which you sew on afterwards - which gives it all a softer look.

The Easter Baskets patterns is available for sale.

The Eggs are made from all the ends of the balls so I don't waste a single little bit.

And they are a free pattern on Rainbow Valley.

I am going to list the baskets on Etsy tomorrow, so I may even sell a few through there.

And the Florist wants some for her Easter window.

This might call for a shopping trip!