Monday 11th August

It has been an eventful couple of weeks with some urgent orders and quotes to get through, I also finally put all the emails waiting for answers (yes I know there are some of you who have been very patient, thank you) in a single folder for my special attention. There are loads of you wanting advice and several who I officially call "fans" and I am flattered on a daily basis by you all. It really can lift my spirits sometimes when they are struggling to cope. I think I have it all under control now, the showroom is done and I have put in some lighting at last even though I am waiting for some electricians to do some magic with the plugs, so I have made some temporary measures. At least I have light on the glass now and it makes such a difference. To be honest, these are just cheap little clip on lights so hopefully customers see the glass and not what lights it up perfectly adequately. Do you know I am really looking forward to putting Christmas decorations up....ok ok I am sorry....

I played a golf match for the club yesterday and whilst playing just had the joy of spring in my step. My mixed partner and I (apologies for those who do not play golf) played greensomes and after leading just about all the way lost on the last hole. We had to give away 4 shots, shooting 81 gross against our opposition who shot 80. C'est la vie, but what a game!!! We all played under handicap. I play off 18 now, my lowest handicap was 13, long back in the good old days in Africa, when we used to play on average 3 times a week, sigh, in the sunshine, with caddies, sigh. I have decided that is not even a challenge, here is where you really learn to play golf!

It is coming up to Cambridge Glass fair time again, gulp, so little time, lots of ideas in my head, 21st September is the date. Get there if you can it is an awesome event.

As you can see by my little "ticker" on the left there, I am doing ok in my GI diet. I do not feel weak which is always a good sign. It is an excellent diet and really works. One thing for sure.....I have been SOOOO hungry. I spread my allocated food across the day for when I am desperate and go to bed as soon as I start feeling a little too hungry after supper, because basically there is NO MORE to eat until tomorrow. We really do eat too much and it works to be a grazer of good things. So don't put anything in your tummy that was not recently growing or breathing...honestly.

I will leave you with a picture....a recent commission of a Kudu on a crystal ice bucket. The Kudu is on the front and the Msasa tree on the back, completely hand engraved. Total cost to customer £150.00 for those who may like something similar.

Keep well, eat properly (no more than one glass of good Aussie red each night).

29 July 2008 - new showroom

Yesterday, the 28th July 2008, I had my first customers through the new door into my new showroom. What a triumph. For 23 years I have envisaged what I see in front of my eyes today.

Endless uphill, against the grain and wading through thick treacle...that is how it has been, but I have always seen this little picture in my head. Not too big that I can't handle it myself and not too small to go un- noticed.
Difficult marriage, divorce, losing my home, losing my kids (for that story see HERE), having my life threatened, having to leave my home country and my belongings to come to this strange country with nothing, leaving friends I love behind, dealing with bizarre and hideous behaviour of certain much loved people who I thought I could count on for moral support, (never do that!) ....the one picture I had in my mind never faded, I never lost faith in myself and my goal.

I started engraving in a tiny corner of a spare room, then into a very very tiny room added onto our house(our bathroom was bigger), after my divorce I moved the business into a large garage on an industrial park...then I left Zimbabwe and waitressed for 18 months whilst engraving once again in a tiny corner of a room, this time Brian's dining room!! Then my first rented UK unit was without water or a loo....next was the 2 small rooms I still rent in an industrial park alongside my 3rd office - the new showroom.

I have not put in the lighting as yet and there are a few pictures to put up and a couple of dabs of paint here and there, especially outside, and a little doorbell needs to be added. In time I will upgrade the display cabinets too. All in good time and as and when I can afford it, which is my golden rule!!

My children and my Brian have been too precious for words and I could not have made this happen without their love.

My customers have been awesome, right from the very first one ever, back in 1983, I will forever be grateful to you for your confidence in me and how this in turn helped me build confidence in myself. So many lovely helpful people on the way too, from the friendly forums to those who just pass by like angels, leaving me with sometimes the tiniest of gems, sometimes just a valuable comment. And my dear friends, who have stuck by me and encouraged and made me laugh when I just wanted to cry, offered me a shoulder (even by email) when in the depths of despair, thank you.

Whatever you do in life, never give up and strive to do everything yourself so that you owe no one. Unfortunately you will ALWAYS get the miserable characters who do not want to see you succeed, but they are put in your way to help you to fight on. Nothing is supposed to be easy otherwise you wouldn't appreciate it. A wee butterfly has to fight its way out of it's cocoon so that its wings are strong enough to fly.

I have added a few photos of the showrooms last few days of progress . Next time I will add pics of the new little kitchen/storeroom (which was the old showroom) and the finished workshop...a very important area where it all happens! Also of course, a picture of the outside.

Just to prove my point about the struggling to make one strong...oh yes...we had another storm last night which overwhelmed the drains, which were full of moss which had broken off the roof...and which should not have been there if it had been maintained properly!!!...and my brand new showroom carpet is completely soaked across about a 5th of the room. C'est la vie! My old showroom was flooded only 2 months ago. Such minor problems in the grand scheme of things.

Always count your blessings!
Les

leaving the little old showroom

..and heading for the new...one room away

Shane and Sian who grafted so hard decorating

VOILA!