I haven’t written a blog post for a while, the last one I wrote was in January! And let’s face it, rather a lot has happened in the world since then!
We are all still in the grips of the Coronavirus – Covid-19 Pandemic and the world is a very different place. Social distancing, all but essential businesses closed, no socialising, no seeing family except through video chats, one daily exercise allowed, no non-essential travel, holiday bookings all stopped, flights grounded, beaches fairly empty, building sites shut as the supply chain is broken until DIY stores and builders merchants re-start, Festivals no longer taking place, including Glastonbury Festival where I work whenever it is on (Was to be their 50th Anniversary Celebration this year), Edinburgh Fringe Festival also cancelled (We go every year as it is such fun).
Here in Cornwall, it is quiet, and we are very lucky as we have SPACE. We can walk every day along the cliff tops, around the golf courses, on wide stretches of open and empty beaches. There is space to move aside when someone is walking the other way and beautiful views. I do feel so sorry for those that are in cities, in places where it is not so easy, they may be living in difficult conditions yet we are all being told we must stay at home, to protect the NHS.
-March 16th we in the UK had 152 new cases and 20 new deaths, that figure has risen and risen. March 31st 3009 new cases and 381 new deaths. April 5th 5903 new cases and 621 new deaths, with our prime minister Boris Johnson also suffering with the virus and admitted to hospital. April 8th 5491 new cases and 938 new deaths. April 21st 4301 new cases and 828 new deaths. At least 100 healthcare workers have died from the virus. The UK have done far less testing for the virus compared to some other countries.
It’s all very sad, and sometimes hard to believe it is really happening. This is going to take a LONG time to go, and it will be ages before we can return to what used to be normal.
CERTAIN departments in our hospitals are of course very very busy, High dependency units, ITU’s, Critical Care Wards, with patients suffering from the effects of the virus, needing Oxygen or Ventilators. Elective Surgery is cancelled, outpatients are closed ( unless needed for chemotherapy/dialysis or other life saving treatments) so there are parts of the hospitals with hundreds of empty beds, keeping them free for a major surge in admissions from the virus. I am doing my bit by making scrubs for use in the hospitals that need them!
As it was my birthday on the 20th April, I was bought a sewing machine by my husband. A great present and I’m very happy that I can help the NHS in my small way.
Jewellery sales have been slow until recently, much of my stock is in a local gallery which is of course closed. Thankfully I have quite a lot of pieces at my home and with sales increasing it’s nice to be sending items out. Our Post Office has limited opening at the moment but at least it is open for 2 hrs a day. I have a fair amount of supplies and finished items at home so orders can be taken. However, if a certain Gemstone is needed, and I cannot get it, I will of course refund the money. Also, I am unable to HALLMARK at the moment as the Assay Offices are closed.
I do have some lovely BOMBAY SAPPHIRE jewellery in stock and more glass that I can fuse so if you are a Gin Lover one of these pieces would be great! All pieces are TOTALLY UNIQUE as each piece of glass fuses very slightly differently, though I do my best to match pieces for earrings!
I also thought in these difficult times that it would be great to do some jewellery with a percentage of the sale going to a charity. So as I live in Cornwall, and also I do voluntary work for the Cornwall Air Ambulance, I thought I’d choose them. Their ‘colour’ is RED with the new Air Ambulance a gleaming bright red, so I bought some fabulous Red Carnelian Gemstones and have set them in Eco Silver!! They look STUNNING. Red Carnelian Gemstones are know to have healing properties: increases personal power, encouragement, boost creativity and compassion.
The small ear studs have 100% of the sale price going to CAA, the other items have 25% of the Sale price going to CAA. Hope you like them, and if you purchase you will be helping Cornwall’s Air Ambulance whilst getting yourself a fab piece of handmade jewellery by a local silversmith đŸ™‚
Best finish now as I need to do some plant watering! The weather here has been amazing for weeks, so so sunny, blue skies and warm, with empty beaches….I keep taking pictures as I just can’t believe it! It makes people feel happier despite the awful news we get every day, so here’s a photo recently taken when I was on a walk to Rock from Polzeath. Look at it and smile, the world will recover from this virus so lets all try to be positive, stay safe and stay well xxx
