Enterprise and Proms

7th Feb
A very busy afternoon yesterday, though very rewarding, as this time of year is the Half Year review stage for the 6th from Junior Achievement (previously Young Enterprise Companies) and as usual I was asked to act as one of the judges to give them some idea of what it’s really like on finals day. It also gives them a chance to practice their presentations with an audience and learn how to deal with their nerves. Julie, Christine and I give them feedback on our observations to improve their displays, stands and presentations and as they have a limited time we use the stopwatch and tell them how long they took. Three very strong companies, this year with real effort and commitment showing and I did feel very proud of our youngsters this year. It did make the judging very difficult though – last year we had only one strong company so it was easy to pick out best presentation, product etc. This year it really has been shared out more as they all had some great products and ideas and were all successful companies running at a profit. Makes me glad to belucky enough to work in education and see so many promising young people fulfilling their potential, as so often they get a real bad press.

Crop night last night, our last one where we could go to the bricks & mortar store for scrappy goodies, so sad that the shop is closing down! I know I can still shop on line but there is nothing like seeing & stroking stash in real life before you buy it!! We had a great turn out - 15 - and it was fun to see so many of my friends again who I haven’t seen for quite a long time. Lovely to see Amanda – I do miss her now she has moved schools. I also told everyone about the Royal Manx Show and having a Scrapbooking class in the Craft section and everyone seemed pleased that this hobby is getting some deserved recognition, and all said they would do at least 1 page, and I have actually got 2 entries as a result of last nights work! How cool is that – such great ladies! love crop night as I go home feeling really chilled and relaxed – and I actually did some scrapping last night. I finished a page,(see my previous post) and almost completed my Valentine for DH.

Driving down the promenade into the village this morning the waning moon was still so bright, hanging there in the sky like a silver ball with broken edges. It reminded me of a Christmas Tree bauble that had fallen and shattered, leaving one half completely intact. Still very cold and lots of frost - mulberry bush weather as we called it when I was a small girl and I have stepped of the car out into a world dusted with icing sugar, everywhere I look is covered in frost. Jack Frost was a very busy painter last night – the only bit he failed on was painting patterns on my windows, but that might be because my cottage is tucked into a fold in the hillside, very sheltered - the Manxman who built my crofters cottage over 200 years ago knew what he was doing, building it here. I expected to see snow on the Mountain this morning - but no sign of any yet, though they have given us a weather warning locally - so maybe tomorrow!

Went with my younger daughter Rhiannon to see (and pay for!!!:)her Prom Dress after school ended today. She has chosen well - it suits her and she looks both youthful and elegant. It needs fitting and shortening for her, so she has to go back with her shoes etc. so will need to make an appointment for her fitting, probably at the end of March. Suzanne, the seamstress, says about a month before the Prom is best. I will enjoy scrapping this!!!!!

Coming up through the village to get home the sky was churning with heavy, grey clouds, swirling and rolling in from the west - so the weather man might be right about that snow! Will await developments.