This is one of my husband’s favourite quotes, and he has a point.  If someone’s busy, there’s a good chance they’re organised enough to be able to fit something into their schedule.  Sadly, I have the feeling that whoever originally said this had a PA.  I most definitely don’t, and fitting everything into the day can be a bit a bit of a challenge, especially with an unpredictable toddler on hand.

Early this week, our plans got thrown by H needing a trip to A&E after falling and getting a huge splinter in his hand.  He was very brave ‘because I’m a big boy, Mummy’ but had to miss pre-school that day, and then had the rest of the week thrown out with trying to get back into the routine after the Easter holidays.  If it makes me a bad parent, so be it, but am I the only one who thinks it would be great for them not to have long breaks over Easter etc?  Two weeks is just long enough to mess up the schedule.  I dread to think what we’ll do come the summer holidays.

And it’s been a busy week in other ways, too.  I’m starting work on a new project for a former boss of mine, Chris Robson.  He’s started a company called YouWish, which has a neat little idea at its root: instead of trawling through hundreds of pages on Google to find those elusive things, especially the less tangible ones, why not post what you want on his site and let registered businesses who offer the product or service you want contact you directly, or let other users make their recommendations if they’ve already been there and done that.  

It’s beautiful in its simplicity, and while there is still some tweaking to be done on the interface, I think he’s got the foundations of something quite special.  Search in reverse.  I’ve been having a play and entering some of my own wishes, though decided against posting some of them.  I’m pretty sure there’s no way to retrofit a volume control to a toddler, or a remote control that can clear foot traffic from Brick Lane on a Sunday when you actually need to get from one end to the other at something more than the pace of a lethargic snail on valium.  I can dream, though

S and I have also been having some ideas for one of our spaces at the Rag Factory.  We have a lovely gallery space here and have been wondering whether there was something more we could do with it to help the artistic community.  And we think we’ve come up something that could be quite fun.  I’ll post more about that at a later date, as we have to work out a few of the details and think how best to get the word out, but it could mean that independent artists could exhibit their work at a very low cost… has to be worth exploring, anyway.

And for those who’ve been waiting for it, The Gemstones web site is up and running.  It’s not what I’d call finished yet, but it’s not a bad placeholder.  We’re singing at a memorial service on Wednesday, but some of the more fun stuff is up on the site already.  I’ll be adding more when I get the time.  

One last note… for anyone who sees this before Monday, come down and see Havering College’s excellent 12 Degrees show.  Some very good work there, and a number of the pieces have already been sold - not bad for 2nd year students.  If he has any sense, Saatchi will be attending their degree show next year.  Definitely worth the detour if you’re in the Brick Lane area.

In all, it’s been quite a couple of weeks here.  Yes, life is always busy, but this has been one of those rare times when busy didn’t really come into it.  Thanks to the infection I ended up with after the gastroscopy, I’ve lost a sizeable chunk of the last fortnight being ill.  While I can work through most things, even I can’t function properly with ears and sinuses causing me to lose my balance and making me nauseous just for moving my head.

Thankfully, I have some lovely clients who’ve been very understanding, and with Mum coming down to help out with H for a few days we managed to get through the worst of it.  While S was fantastic about helping with things like getting H to and from pre-school and sorting out meals for him, it was one hell of a workload for him to have to take on… not least because he ended up with concussion last Saturday doing some work in one of the spaces and has not really been feeling quite right ever since.  Yes, I know, what a pair

Throughout this week we’ve been playing a game of will-she-won’t-she about this afternoon, which was when our group, the Gemstones, was due to be performing a showcase at the Cavendish Arms in Stockwell.  Still too ill on Thursday to sing in rehearsals (or anywhere else for that matter, not even in the bath) and unable to make the final rehearsal yesterday afternoon as my voice was still rough, it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that I’d make it.  Thankfully, the antibiotics have been doing their job and I was able to make it to the gig after all.  While I had some worries about my voice making it through the whole set, the whole thing went without a hitch.  The audience responded well, our musical director was happy and I think we’ve built our confidence in preparation for the gigs we have coming up next month.

The only cloud in sight is the knowledge that I will have to head down to A&E in the next day or so, as I fell and caught the index finger of my right hand.  Obviously I ignored it at the time, but with it still painful and much more swollen, I need to check that it’s not broken or, if it is, that it sets straight.  The last thing I can do with is losing mobility in that finger: since I’m right-handed it’s already affecting my ability to chop things, write, type or even get H dressed on occasion, so it’s off to the docs with me.  Again.  

But, in all, life is good.  I’m feeling human again, the gluten-free lifestyle is starting to make a difference, the gig went well and I have a good week’s work ahead of me.  Knackered I may be, but I know there are plenty more good things out there to look forward to.