summer hols nearly over

Stefan and I have been in Poland since 6 July, and will return finally after a month.  The trip is coming to an end as I write, only 3 days to go and we leave for Warsaw (Stefan dentist); Vienna (quickie visit to my cousin, Stefan’s 1^st time to Austria); Garmisch Partenkirchen for 3 days to visit son and family, and finally London. It was not a conventional ‘holiday’.

This is the house. 100km from Krakow, Poland.

We now have a pavement and new rainwater pipes!

It is far enough along for us to sleep in, and cook, but is basic. Cement floors are difficult, and in the baking heat I take showers outside, in the mud patch, with the hose. Mud due to recent torrential rain.

But the visit has been very productive.  All sorts  of work have been done and continues.

Such progress has been made that I feel very much at home. Stefan’s  family as ever is most welcoming, and I have made a bit of a breakthrough with the language. Really nice at last not to feel totally outside it all.

Our first breakfast... exciting or what.

It took a while to shake off the bad conscience leaving the work behind, to say nothing of other domestic commitments, but in time I felt better. Laura and I have been keeping up a long distance dialogue. She too has had her adventures that had nothing to do with work, so we have both been dodging domestic events and sparse internet connections while finalizing the website and polishing the newsletter. Roaming charges are prohibitive, still, so communication when it works is precious. You certainly learn to be economical with the chat.

Once back there is spot of teaching in the Midlands, then I need to get stuck in well and good into the WWW collection, using the Fairmined gold leaf, and getting ready with anything new that is cooking for Top Drawer, mid September, Olympia.

Off for a break!

We are off tomorrow!
It has been a long time since I needed a break so badly. I could sleep for a week.
We have a lovely Czech girl to be in the house for the parents, who will be here for nearly the whole month we are away.
I will miss the garden here... loads of veg. but then there will be plenty to eat in Poland. No danger of going hungry.

Work on www.ffjewellery.com is coming on, so will not be long.
Once back I WILL get more work done:  I have to do the sample pieces for the WWF for them to show in the Autumn.  Pictures of all sorts of endangered species (practically everything).

I have a new friend in Poland who can make the settings for very competitive rates.... so maybe there will be a more affordable range in the future. He has made some of the signet rings, so I can                 show them at Top Drawer. Mid September, Olympia, London.  More later.