It's been a frustrating sort of day ...

but finally I have finished the magnum opus, the history of British embroidery. With a lot of last minute cutting and pasting and the realisation that it would have been better to make the covers after I had finished the contents. [Although if I had done that I would probably just have stuck the whole lot in a lever arch file!]

It wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t decided at the last minute to add some of my vintage needlework magazines. I didn’t want to punch holes in them so I put them in plastic pockets. Which protrude. And one of my additions is longer than the cover. But – it is finished. A. will get it on Thursday and I will suggest she marks it by weight …


The thing that really frustrated me however, was this. Simple little thing isn’t it? First – I wanted to use an elderly Microsoft program I have to, play around with the picture and add some words. But every time I tried to upload anything into the programme – it crashed. I even tried deleting it and re-installing it, to no effect. Perhaps it’s telling me I ought to learn Photoshop.

Then Picasa would not let me put multiple copies of the photo in landscape – which would have fitted better. I got cunning [or so I thought] and turned the picture through 90 degrees. Then it would arrange them in landscape but not in portrait.

When I tried to print – the cradle jammed. My HP throws a hissy fit if you put in more than a few sheets of paper and the transfer paper on top of ordinary paper was too much for it. Unfortunately once the cradle has jammed the only way I can persuade it to print again is to turn everything off – printer and computer – and start again.

After I’d succeeded in printing the pictures I realised that the bib I had bought, supposedly designed for this purpose, was towelling.

So the picture looks blurred and Puppy looks fluffy – which he is. I don’t suppose Charlotte will mind. And I have 3 more copies if I find some more suitable bibs …

We are supposed to be going to the theatre tonight, in Newbury, with Charlotte's other grandparents. Those of you who live in the south or west of England will have noticed that it has been a little bit windy today. We have also had thunder and enough rain to make puddles on the drive - which as we are on chalk is not common. So far it doesn't look too bad - I am hoping it doesn't deteriorate. I haven't been to the theatre in ages and this is something I have wanted to see for ages.