I just tried to take a picture of Thread Gathering, I have the whole two words now, but they are all hopeless, it's the light or the colours or something, it's a rather darker piece than I normally do. In lieu of this, here are the books I bought yesterday:
I went to Brentano's, which has the best selection of craft books in Paris. The first needs no introduction, I will just say that it is a totally wonderful book. It was 45 euros, which is not bad, I think, and has so much interesting information (you know I am into history) and beautiful photos of so many samplers, all the ones that Needleprint has charted and many more.The second is a novel, about three girls in LA who knit, I am enjoying it very much. I have quite a few novels that feature knitters and quilters, but there are not so many about embroiderers. Maybe I have to write my own? Although my writing style is more geared towards the factual, what I normally write is PA report and decision sheets and external designs, so I may not be a great novelist. It's a thought, anyway.
Speaking of PA report, I worked all Sunday, and have to work today, it is pretty slow, because I am constructing a solution and need to stop and think or verify stuff. Madame LA has done a bit of work, like saying, we will use this functionality, but she hasn't gone through the whole thing. It can be a bit like a maze, because you know the functionality that she wants to use, then you have to map it all out and go through the whole procedure that a customer service person would and work out how everything relates and where all the information is coming from. Occasionally there is a dead end, and you have to work out whether to go back and try another path, or whether you can overcome it somehow.
Still at least it is better than working for the Dwarf, he used to demand that everything had a solution that did not require customisation or development, and that this be our preferred solution. The lies I used to have to tell, because some of these solutions were horrible and only a moron would have preferred them. And he shouldn't even have been giving us these dictates, because the solution belongs to the architects, not the project director.
Yesterday I did no work, I went shopping instead. I went to Loisirs et Creations to pick up some DMC for Lady Scarlet, then I went to the nail bar up the street and had a spa pedicure. This is still pretty unusual here, there are few places that have the proper chairs with the whirlpool for the feet, but it is one of my favourite things to do. I use my feet for walking, so it is a real treat to have them massaged and so on, and I have pink toenails that match my handbag now. Then I went to Brentano's and on to WH Smith, where I bought a couple of novels. Then home to sleep and read and stitch, I feel almost human now.
Tomorrow we have to go out into the suburbs for the O orientation day, it starts at 8:30 am, fortunately with breakfast! I have all the emails with new passwords, all of which are very complex, and I can see exactly why David was always forgetting his when the Israeli office merged. They are not very kind to the elderly, in my opinion! It will take the whole day to do this orientation, and that leaves only two days of real work this week, which is very tight for finishing the PA report. So I have to do a lot today, while the rest of France is enjoying themselves.
