Life with a New Computer - A Rant: or TheTribulations of a Soft Toy Maker

Getting a new computer has been a mixed blessing in recent days - great excitement to begin with, followed by increasing frustration as the days go by and I'm still not functioning on all cylinders - please forgive the mixed metaphors but it does describe my current feeling.

Cy Bear with Little Red Ted and Big Red Ted 

The River Wylye passes through Heytesbury Village:  the bench was Peter's favourite seat when he rested on his daily walks about the village.

The computer itself is a snazzy HP Sleekbook laptop, crimson and black, and looks magnificently efficient on my desk. ( I'd take a photo and upload it here - but at the moment, that's not an option.  More anon!)  Open it up and boot it in, however, and one is faced with Windows8 which may well be snazzy to look at, but for one used to the old Microsoft Operating systems, somewhat daunting.  (I had been warned - but breezily decided I could live with it!)   User friendly it may be - for the techy-minded, but for this silver surfer at any rate, sometimes frustrating in the extreme - because it is SO non-logical!! (at least to a 72+ mind).    Also, I suspect I have discovered the reason why computers are now so much more reasonable to acquire (I don't say cheap, you will notice!)  Previously, they came loaded with all the programmes one could reasonably need:  now they have to be acquired separately or the accompanying relevant APPs downloaded (if you know how) from something called the APP Store, included in the computer programme.  Thank goodness, Alan, my wonderful son-on-law was on hand to do most of this for me initially!   Since then I've been on my own - thinking I was making progress, but finding it's not as fast as I would like.  I appreciate that the best way of finding outhow everything works is to have a go - but........

This last week has therefore has  been spent by me getting acquainted with my new tool of trade, getting annoyed that I am so far unable to exercise that trade fully, and waiting patiently for some extra tools (e.g.  external disc drive for loading vital programmes) and happily clicking on buttons relating (I hope) to programmes that are available free as APPs!  Many of my Followers and Friends are aware of my ability to click on buttons - with far reaching, not necessarily, correct or helpful  results!  So far, nothing too dramatic has occurred, but..... watch this space!

The Christmas Bazaar in Heytesbury Church - 2011

Now, to date, I have lived happily enough without the need of such things as APPS - indeed, if invited to use one in the recent past, I have hastily declined.  This computer has a whole section with APPS for almost everything under the sun that Hewlett Packard consider to be necessary for successful operation of this machine - alas, the titles by which they appear in their APP Store (for free, I hasten to add) are labelled in such a way that I'm not actually sure whether I can operate without them - or absolutely need to have them.  I'm not keen to overload the machine, although Alan did assure me that everything on the old machine only took up an eighth of the space available to him on his Data Key when he was removing stuff from my old Presario (of fond memory;  still with me, but unused - although I am tempted), so I can upload as much as like, without fear of choking the machine.

Oh, yes, and I've had to get one of those too (a Data Key I mean) - because the memory disc that came with the Presario is now extinct as a means of transferring data from one machine to another!!  I believe that is classed as Progress?

This morning - a Monday, and not necessarily the best day of the week for me - the External Drive arrived and was immediately unpacked - in the hope that by day's end I would at least be able to upload my Camera programme and user manual discs,  and edit my pictures of the two newly-constructed Gentleman Foxes, with a view to listing them and offering them for sale at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.  (Despite Alan's best efforts to find a free download on the internet, the specific model of Canon Camera I use and of which I am very fond, I hasten to add, could not be found.  Hence the External Drive acquisition.  Alas, once I'd got the darn thing out of it's tightly-packed cardboard packaging, the black, fearsome looking object - which so far I cannot fathom how to open, let alone use - has been replaced within it's packaging.  The sellers had somehow omitted to include a user manual - which they recommended I use!  So, a feedback message has been left via Amazon to that effect, and I patiently await developments on that particular front.

Thus.... no new pictures to offer I am afraid, but having now found out how to upload the pictures I already have on file, here are a few random ones just to break up this post - and hopefully relieve the gloom being cast by my current rant against all things technical.  I presently cannot upload all the pictures in my Picassa Library, which is duplicated on my computer via OpenOffice.org and my desk top file/folders or what have you.  However, I've discovered I can upload them from the latter, so all is not lost. (Little Red Ted, featured in the top picture here, is the inspiration for the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).  He was the very first patient.) 

 It's been very exciting looking at the Picassa Library by the way - photographs I thought I'd long ago expunged from my collection are somehow miraculously still available - even if I may not be able to transfer them as yet to my blog or wherever else I may decide to try and show them.  It's been lovely to reacquaint myself with some of the original ColdhamCuddlies - and I cannot wait to show them off, because many of them pre-date www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com!  Indeed, some never made it onto the Etsy Shop site at all.  Think I have to upload some 113 files to Google+ or somewhere, and then I'll be able to upload them from that source!!  So, have plenty to find out - and do - in the coming days and weeks.

As mentioned above, I have not been idle in between attempts to master my new Big Toy.  Two Foxes - one dressed in Hunting Pink (scarlet to the rest of us) and a relaxed Country Gentleman in a Royal Blue Velvet Smoking Jacket are ready to be listed and to join the Buchanan Foxes (Etsy Listing #654656642) as their dancing partners in any foxy jamboree on offer.  Turner Bear is about to begin his treatment in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124285) - the mohair fabric matching his existing skin arrived about 10 days ago, but I have been somewhat otherwise engaged!!

Now that the Foxes are complete, I decided not to delay Turner's treatment - apart from anything else, funds to cover all my new technical purchases are needed - so once I have completed this post, the Quic-Unpic will be flourished, and Turner will be "attacked" - ready for his warm-water soaking prior to being rebuilt.

 Cy Bear and I will be back as quickly as we can.  Meanwhile, if I don't blog again this week - we both wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Easter!  Looks like we're going to have a White One!!

One last thing:  like Alice in Wonderland, the machine somehow managed to shrink this page siz twice:   I've now corrected it to the normal twice while preparing it for publishing:  so far, without knowing how I achieved either result!  Life is exciting .....  as I said before - watch this space.......!

An Update Post - more news from Southbridge, Ma and our Newest Patient

Good evening again, everyone:

Cy Bear here with the promised updates about my friend Hairy Bear who recently left us and arrived safely in Southbridge, Ma.  We had some difficulty in downloading the original pictures Ms.AB kindly sent us with the story of his arrival, but eventually, we got there.  Seems that Isobel's recent change in browser caused this little hiccough, but as we're about to change our computer all together (more about that shortly), we'll try to cope as we are for the time being.

We learned of Hairy Bear's safe arrival with a message from MsAB which started

Guess who just arrived in another major snowstorm.... Hairy bear! Wow, he made it here in record time .... 

But I had to share this one with you, it is a miracle that he arrived at our doorstep, as the address seems to have washed off the mailing bag, maybe it got wet on the way? You really have to look with a magnifying glass to look for traces of it. For once I am impressed with the mail service! hairy bear is so cuddly and sweet, my Mom will be thrilled with him, I am sure. ...


Now this is the first time such an error has happened, and Isobel wonders if it's because she used a different type of pen to write the address on the polythene Postage Envelope that we use for our Cuddlies to travel in.  She did write the address on both sides of the parcel, so perhaps it was a mixture of both sides that enabled Hairy to arrive safely.  Needless to say, that pen has now been disposed of, and we've got one that is allegedly waterproof for all future dispatches!

A few days later we got this picture - together with another message from MsAB - with the answer  to the question as to whether or not Hairy would be wearing a new sweater, like Ollie and Georgie, or not!

And the message reads:

"Here are the three "Musketeers" reading together on a rainy day :) Hairy likes to be in the "nude" and has only agreed to cover up his beautiful fur during the coldest weather. They sure are well behaved bears!
Bear hugs from all of us :) "   


(Subsequent discussion between MsAB and Isobel has resulted in these guys being collectively referred to as Bearketeers.  We feel that to be more appropriate than Musketeers.  Wonder what other folks think?)

In case I've not mentioned it before, MsAB is one of our very first Followers here on this blog - as well as being the first ever customer of ColdhamCuddlies.  So, all is well that ends well.  We have been promised another picture of Hairy when he meets his Forever Friend - sometime in May,  which is when MsAB's Mom has her birthday, and Hairy is destined to be a special present for a special occasion!

Meanwhile, Isobel has now been able to get the special Mohair fabric for the renovation of Turner Bear which will take place shortly in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) and  will form the basis of a couple of future posts no doubt.  However, as there is no deadline by which the therapy has to be concluded, Turner will continue to sit with me on Isobel's bed, minus his ear - because there's no point in it being sewn back on, when it will be discarded when the treatment takes place.  MrsJS, Turner's Forever Friend, was delighted with the match we've been able to provide.

In the interim, Isobel is in the middle of sewing two new Gentleman Foxes - she's sewing the numerous pieces of head, paws, tail and boots, together with their individual clothes, and hopes to have them ready for re-listing in the shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies sometime next week.  There are then some Frogs, Owls and Gentlemen Rabbits to be replaced - and THEN  Turner Bear will be able to get Isobel's full attention.

That's all for this evening.  Do hope everyone following us has a really great week-end - with lots of sunshine.  Unfortunately, although we've had some this week, we're facing rain all weekend, with the likelihood of the return of snowy conditions early next week. Oh for Spring - I'm really looking forward to having some photographs taken outside in our lovely garden here in Heytesbury - instead of being cooped up in our mini-photographic studio inside.  I take up so much room, that there is not that much space for anyone else - but Isobel is learning how to cope with it, and hopefully the results will be seen shortly.

Our week-end is to be a fun one:  we've got Clare and Alan, together with their dog, Dotty, due to arrive here very late this evening (they're driving down from Nottinghamshire - four and a half hours away) and then on Saturday, Alan will be showing Isobel how to set up and load her new computer.  (He'll probably be doing most of it, because he's brilliant at such matters - and Clare wants to visit Think Outside the Box, our haberdashery supplier in Warminster, because she needs to stock up on her craft supplies.  That's if she needs, to:  because Isobel has got a lot of such things in her store cupboard, which she doesn't think she'll ever get round to using, that she's going to let Clare loose in there first!!!  Results should be interesting....!

Good Night All - Cy Bear.

Farewell to some Bunnies: introducing more Hares

Good evening everyone:  Cy Bear signing in for another conversation with you all.

We seem to be inundated with little toys at the moment, what with all those Baby Bunny renewals and then the new Snowy Baby Hares.  In her last post introducing them, Isobel mentioned that she was about to start producing some traditional coloured Brown Mad March Hares to the ColdhamCuddlies Family;   she's just finished two more.  She'll be changing the photographs on Etsy Listing #125962011 for the Snowy March Hares, as well as the title, after we've done this post together.  As you know, we do like to offer as wide a choice as possible.

Before introducing you to the new Brown Hares though, we thought you'd like to see the Farewell Pictures taken before the three Baby Bunnies set off on their travels to Okeechobee, Florida last week.  We are hoping that because we were able to get them off on Saturday morning - from our Village Post Office this time (the package was small enough for them to handle) - they too will travel as fast as Hairy Bear did to Southbridge, Massachusetts.

 

The Black/White Bunnies don't show up very well with me around!

 MsAB let us know that he arrived in 8 days - again in the middle of a blizzard!  Us Bears do seem choose our times somewhat awkwardly I must say!  However, Isobel has a theory - based on her experience when living in Canada - that if parcels were posted in the UK at a week-end, they did tend to arrive quicker in Edmonton, Alberta (where we then lived) than if they were posted at the beginning of the week.  We wondered then, and are beginning to do so again now, if there are more flights (both passenger and cargo) leaving the UK for America and Canada at the weekends, so there are more options for parcels to be posted.  We're waiting for some photographs of Hairy Bear playing with Ollie and Georgie as he waits to meet his Forever Friend later this year.  We've already got one of what looks like him getting out of his Mailing Envelope, and will include it in another post about the Southbridge Cuddlies as and when photographs are sent to us by MsAB.  Wonder if she's knitting Hairy a smart sweater so he can keep up appearances with Ollie and Georgie?

Anyway, here, as promised are some pictures of the new Brown March Hares - they're too young to be called Mad March Hares we think!

Finally, here is a picture of all four of the March Hares together - lively-looking little bunch, aren't they?  We're going to have our work cut out to keep them in control, methinks!

That's all for this post.  Will be back with you again shortly.  Isobel hopes to see Turner Bear's Forever Friend tomorrow at her Zumba Class where she will be showing her the swatch of Red Mohair we've found that we hope to use for Turner's new fur coat.  More of that and other matters anon!

Meanwhile, Good Night to you all!  Cy Bear