About Me

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antrim, antrim, Ireland
Hello and welcome to my blog. If you like flowers and gardens, housey stuff, food and banter, then this is the place for you. I am a decorative artist, florist and maker of things. I sell painted furniture, plants and crafts, through a local retail shop, in my native Ireland, and wedding flowers from home. I am married to a lovely patient man and have a smashing little girl. I blog for the fun of it. Thank you for listening.

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Life's funny that way!


I was attempting to write this post when a little bird who had been flying about outside my kitchen window, landed on top of a birdhouse on the windowsill and started pecking the window with his beak, as if to say 'hey you, get out here, it's a lovely day and you've got some gardening to do!' I managed to catch a snap or two of him, but apologies for the quality.

Anyway, after I was so charmingly interrupted...

A couple of days ago, after a trip to the flower wholesalers, I was having a coffee in a well known coffee merchants, minding my own business (well sort of),when I overheard an interesting conversation. I noticed two young men when I arrived with a cute little baby girl. They were having a business meeting 9.00 a.m. Saturday morning. It turns out, the father of the little girl is a web designer, meeting his client to discuss a job, or several jobs, his wife is a beautician and at work, naturally. I was so impressed by this. How wonderful that this young family can find a way to work and yet take care of their daughter as well. How 'modern' of this business owner/manager/director whatever to meet up in a coffee shop and not mind if baby comes too. I felt quite liberated just listening to it all (they did speak rather loud..honestly).

It got me thinking, life moves on , we can embrace the changes, technology etc., or we can ignore it, but either way it still moves on.

 About six years ago I went on a Food Writing course to the wonderful Ballymalloe in County Cork. I rather fancied the idea of testing recipes and  then sitting in the garden hand writing  my notes or tapping away at a vintage typewriter.  Well..... what a shock to the system I got, when I learned I would have to have a blog, a twitter account, a facebook account, etc., etc. This is the woman who could barely text on her mobile. I was not at all computer literate, not even computer friendly! I was horrified, the whole idea of food writing was now a no go area.

A year later I was trying to set up a website for my wedding flower/furniture business. It wasn't going well, the young guy I was working with wasn't on my wavelength, or I wasn't on his. I started venturing unto the internet, not knowing what I was doing. Then quite by accident I stumbled across blogs. Madelief's beautiful blog was one of the first I found. I was completely enthralled. I wish someone had told me the internet was this good! I then spent hours, weeks, months even,trying to set up a blog.
It nearly drove me to distraction, I found it so difficult to understand what I was doing wrong, or right for that matter. I didn't want to be beaten though, so I persisted. Those first few posts, where no-one responds, are hard, I felt so foolish. Then someone writes something kind or funny or encouraging and it all seems worth it.

I cannot believe I have been blogging for over 4 years now. I have exchanged comments with some of the most talented, creative, kind people. What a disservice I would have done myself if I had never attempted to battle with my fear of technology. What beauty, inspiration, fun and frolics I would have missed out on. (Do you know that little birdie is still tap, tap, tapping on my window!)

I have a Facebook account and a business page, I have set up my own website (still ongoing),have dabbled with Twitter, love Pinterest and Picmonkey and am attempting Instagram. I do admit, I stumble around these sites attempting to do great things and don't, but at least I have a bash, and it's wonderful when one manages  to figure something out.

If I could have seen into my future whilst on that course in Ballymalloe I don't think I would have believed it. Wishing all my fellow bloggers, followers, readers a wonderful week ahead and a challenge to keep moving! Love Linda xx