Saturday 14 July 2012

Emotions recollected in tranquillity and context is all

I have been reduced to sobs by the kind comments here on my blog - I cannot thank you enough for being so sweet and lovely.  I find it very moving that people would bother to spend precious time writing here and I thank you all kindly.


Of course I have had no reply from Pinterest - why would they.  Of course other people have since pinned the photos that clearly state 'DO NOT PIN' in the title - thank you Linda Maus (sounding like the Father Ted caravan sketch now.....)  for spoiling this morning for that. And thanks also to Becky Schultea who long ago took photos of mine from Flickr without asking.  I am being reduced to a petulant child stamping her foot in the playground (because Michael Finnigan would not share his juggling balls with me.....I remember that to this day - how that poor lad was teased....) and of course the onus becomes mine  to sort it out because a big business could not care less (thank you to the person who emailed me and suggested that I should get a life and if I didn't want my photos to be pinned I should not have a blog...I dare not name them in case they live around the corner!).   I will ask my brother (who lives in Angola) if anyone has ever  heard of Pinterest there - the assumption seems to be that I should have known about it and that I should have protected myself from it.  I only found out about my photos by chance - someone else told me.  The world does not revolve around big enterprises 

I will take this opportunity to state (once again..oh mum do you have to go on and on...)  the following:

I think that it is great that people find pinterest great - good for you, super, smashing, lovely - I just did not want my photos being used there. Making a link on Pinterest back to my blog does not make it ok for me.

I LOVE people having ideas and making things similar to what I make and do - we all share in that way.  I have ideas and thoughts by reading your blogs too.

I do not pretend to have a monopoly on ideas - please do make your own things and then show pictures on your blog too,  I love to see that.

I do not sell anything through this blog (you will find no link to ebay/shmeebay/etsy/bestsy/folksy/dokesy - even though I am  there....shops sadly empty).  This blog is not about promoting a business  - I may have rashly mentioned a little stall at Chichester next Saturday - does that count? At the last stall that I had last year I made £30 (takings =  £65 - less £25 petrol (!!!!) and shared £30  cost of table with my sister - not taking into account cost of actual things I made.....maybe a bit less if I deduct tea purchases)

I am not attempting to curry favour with anyone by sending things now and again (thank you Polly - your comment made me sob a little more....)

Context is everything - I sobbed again (eyes getting puffier every day) when I read a very moving blog yesterday - a woman who had posted a picture of herself with her baby - her son later died when still a child.  The story was extremely moving and sad - the lovely photo of her with her son had been pinned on Pinterest with headings such as : 'so cute' underneath.  Stripped of all content and context.  There are many people who do not want their photos on Pinterest.  It should be an opting in thing not that I have to opt out....(for me that also smacks of the arrogance of bully business tactics)......enough said.

I do not recall ever stating that people who pin are 'bad' in anyway - but I can only assume that those who have used my photos have not bothered to read the blog. - because of that in part I do not find it flattering in the slightest.

I am not a photographer - until I got my new glasses I could not see which buttons I had to twiddle - my camera was second hand.  I do not own a fancy camera and I do not know what  the settings are for - I often have it on 'night vision' mode in broad daylight and vice versa.

I do not make a living by a) my photographs b) the things that I make

I have changed jobs (out of choice not due to sackage!!) and careers many times

I like to learn new things very much indeed

I worry an awful lot

I have been up since 04.15  - not unusual....(to be loved my anyone (something for Rachel - ho ho) - this is being fuelled by mighty cups of tea

I listen to 'Farming Today' (and Radio 4 generally)

I have lots of marking to do.and work is piling up...

I have made a 'mirror' blog and fiddling around with that to see what I can alter but I am completely bamboozled by it all.

 If I make this blog invitation only how do I invite you round?...

I do not park on double yellow lines,

I do not use my mobile 'phone when driving (I do not have a mobile 'phone),

I pick up other people's litter

I do not clear up other peoples dog poo,

I check on elderly neighbours (two nights ago there was no reply - I drove in the rain to his daughter's house .worried to death...he had gone to the pub...)

I have tackled a mugger (just the once mind!)

I have rung the Home Office in the middle of the night and raised civil servants from their beds in order to fulfil the last wishes of a patient (done that more than once)

 I have rung the Coroner for South London at 02.00 for the same reasons as above....more than once (Sir Monty was very nice about it and we had an interesting chat with me trying to fulfil the wishes of someone who had been tragically murdered )

I have always  asked bereaved relatives what they would wish their relative to be dressed in (please don't put me in a shroud when my time comes) - one gentleman returned with the wedding dress his wife had worn many years before.  It was very difficult to get it on her but we did it (and her make up too) - even though I knew that the mortuary staff would have to take it all off again.  I would always try my very, very best to makes final requests happen.... favourite pyjamas for children...old rags that were childhood comforters. I would do anything I could to make it happen not only because of what they were doing for others but just because.  I reduce myself to tears thinking of all those families and their sad stories.

I have a  very, very strong sense of  fair play

I have sponsored a child in Thailand for years

I love India

I shout at the children (gasps from the crowd...)...sometimes

I let cars out of junctions

I open the door for people (young and old)

I realise how lucky I am

I have been on live telly and live radio (Radio 4 indeed) several times

I have written a chapter in a published book

I should write my own book

I have written numerous articles and presented at national conferences

I like talking

I like typing - years ago I qualified as a shorthand/typist

Are you really still reading this?

I sometimes break into song when teaching anatomy and physiology

I sometimes dance when teaching anatomy and physiology

I am very fond of the Krebs cycle

I am fond of memorising poetry - Keats, Shelley, Wordsworth (see what I did there - ho ho , something for the Wordsworthians!),  Plath,  Zephania  - all sorts

I love the brevity of poetry (even the long ones!!)

I am fond of memorising Shakespeare

I have strung out bunting across the interactive white board in the classroom

My students would be shocked if they knew about this blog

My students nominated me for a teaching award

I am studying for yet another masters degree

I should move on to a Ph.D.

I very much wished this blog just to be about nice old things and stuff I have made...this was my nice space, a refuge from the woes of the world - near and far

I have only written all this clap trap to show that I like to think of myself as reasonable and that I hope (most of the time) I treat people with great respect and kindness (Dom sometimes does not agree...). Also to show that this blog  is not the be all and end all of/to me but it was important

A fine state of affairs I must say.....

Still trying to figure out what to do

Sad there are no photos today.............

If you have stuck to the end reading this then I applaud you indeed!!!

I appreciate very much indeed that our lives spin on a sixpence

I am now going to listen to 'Marching Strings' to cheer myself up...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbxcy5enNIU   Please dance along....

PS We are all very proud of our big sister (a summary from her local paper)  - she is someone who really is a good soul:


CONGRATULATIONS SUE!
Many congratulations to Sue D------ whose fortyfive years (and counting) of nursing in the
community was recognised by an invitation to a
Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 22
May. The sun shone on the day and all those villagers 
whom Sue has helped over the years will join with
us in hoping that Sue - and husband Bob - had a
really great time.

20 comments:

  1. Morning Jenny,I was reduced to a small sob after reading the above....you are indeed a lovely person.I often think people look at signs that say (for example) don't pull this handle, and something comes over them...they can't help themselves or most probably don't care what the consequences will be...actions and consequences,I can often be heard saying to my children.
    Also my personal favourite, water babies Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby!

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  2. Good lord missus Custard!!
    ...invitation or for private viewing by you only does seem the only way to move forward, unless you have techy friend who can somehow render the photo's unusable to post or link back to? {not even sure that can be done} I'd be sad to see you go but if it would mean you can post freely without being shredded across the tinternet then so be it.

    Despite your protests you really are quite remarkable...

    Nicky
    x
    {honestly was his name Michael Finnigan??}

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    1. Indeed it was - that song has been in my head every since...
      Thank you for your upliftingness
      Jenny
      xxxxxx

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  3. I hope that I will be able to look at your blog if you continue , Your pop up shop was lovely and I did read your last post through to the end, I too make hardly any money from my crafty exploits but it is not all about money is it, I also shout at my children, I do not know what a krebs cycle is but something tells me that you can't put bunting on it!
    much love Lou

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  4. Gosh, its awful reading through your former posts. Hope you feel a bit better today, love this post! good luck with the pop up shop, it looks fantastic.

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  5. I also love the krebs cycle, I have a bit of a fascination with mitochondria in general! Perhaps I should keep that to myself!!! I have been keeping up to date with posts, sorry to not have posted before. I've been very saddened by the 'pinterest scandal' as I now refer to it in my mind... indeed, I went to those ladies 'boards' as I was intrigued by how they refer to your lovely photos. The last lady to have been mentioned had 20882 'pins'! its no wonder she doesnt have time to read any of the words, nor for much else I would imagine!!! (Blimey, they are also arranged into 127 categories, thats quite some time she has!) I think that is what I find so sad, that people are observing the photos and not hearing you talk ... as beautiful as your photos are, its the 'Jenny chat' that keeps me coming back! You're such a creative and inspired person, which I believe only comes from living a full life (not from recreating other peoples photos!!!)xx

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  6. I only found out about your blog from the Homes & Antiques article and have popped by a couple of times since. I really enjoy reading and seeing pictures of what you do and have no interest in pinning. I set up a pinterest account and then thought, hey I have a life and not enough time to do the real life stuff I enjoy without sticking things somewhere on the internet. To be honest I don't really get it, but each to their own. I really enjoy the creative process of blogging and the interaction with likeminded people and like you it would pee me off if people were nicking my photos (they might be for all I know?). I'd be more annoyed if people stole my design ideas and passed them off as theirs mind you, but I can't control either like you. We all just love in hope that people are decent don't we.

    Anyways if you do make your blog invite only I would love to be able to still pop by. Check me out if you want to see I'm not an oddball.

    Lisa

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  7. I have been reading your blog since the lovely dottie angel highlighted it as one to see and indeed it is .Your humour , your makes and your treasures just make my short time in your world a pleasure .I am no techy minded person at all but there is a simple way to google search your photos and find out where and who is using them . Go to the google home page ,on the bar at the top click on the word 'images', in the search box there should be a little camera icon , click on that and download the photo you want to check .
    I hope this helps xxx sarah

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  8. If you want to go "Invitation Only" then you might need to ask interested peeps to leave their email address here and then it's up to you to send invites to everyone. It will stop the pinning but it will also limit your blog readership a huge amount. Such a pain - why are people so selfish and blind and inconsiderate and careless? Aah don't answer that - I know other people's minds are a mystery indeed. And really, I could slap Pinterest!

    I enjoyed reading more about who you are - you seem to be a lovely, kind and interesting person. Thanks for letting us in a bit. :)

    Reading this also just reminded me that I have three loaves of bread I bought for my elderly neighbour this morning and still need to take next door! (She freezes them.) Best go as the afternoon is getting on now.

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  9. Please invite me! This post has made me really sad ... You are a lovely person, and yes I read it all, as I am sure your other followers did too. I don't understand Pinterest, have joined but not pinned anything and would certainly not take something directly from someone's blog without permission. They do it because they can .. It's as simple as that. Don't be disheartened because of other people's ignorance, people who cannot understand a simple request ... You have so much to offer, and these comments show how well thought of you are, (I'm gushing now, stop it!). Have a lovely weekend Jenny, and look forward to reading your next, hopefully brighter, post. Claire xxx

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  10. Dear Jenny,
    I found your blog this morning, ironically enough, through Pinterest. I have to say I feel rather grateful to have stumbled upon it this way though I apologise that it was through something that makes you upset. I hope you don't think all pinners are evil, I truly pin things that I find beautiful and useful (though I have deleted the photos that led me here), and beautiful and useful describe the lovely things I found here. I pin them for my own enjoyment and if that makes me a bad person I'm not sure why. There is a solution to your dilemma that is far more satisfactory than going private I think. If you go to this link http://makingamark.blogspot.com/2012/02/pinterest-how-to-prevent-your-blogger.html
    it explains in detail how to add a tiny bit of code to your blog that prevents pinning. I tried it on my blog and it worked! It takes a bit of searching in your code to find the right place to insert it, but it is totally doable. I hope this helps.

    Sincerely
    Kathy

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    1. I was just going to recommend this same article for instructions on how to prevent your images from being pinned! Truly sorry that there are folks who do not care about your "No Pin" requests on your blog posts.....and once they get to Pinterest, they spread like wildfire by folks repinning (and never checking out the original source). To be honest, I got here from Pinterest....I am someone who actually does check out original sources before repinning. Best wishes to you!!!

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  11. I read your whole post and found it heartwarming! I too would like an invite if you go private. Warmly, patty- jean

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  12. It makes me really sad that this pintrest thing has ruined your blog for you and your followers, me included.I hope this previous comment from Kathy works for you. I never look at pintrest and don't ever intend to following your experience with them. Do they also lift things from people's flickr sites? That is where I first found your blog link.

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  13. I too read to the end and enjoyed every bit!xx

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  14. Oh dear Jenny! I have to agree with everyone - it's your writing I come here for and if going private is the only way forward then so be it! I'm not really sure what pinterest is , I've assumed it was as awful as facebook so I've kept well clear!
    Glad you're listening to 'Farming Today'- that just confirms what a good egg you are!

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  15. Wow!!!! Don't be sad...you are awesome. I don't have time to write anything else....but be encouraged from the other side of the pond.

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  16. Hi Jenny

    May I add my voice to all the others in support of you. It infuriates me that some think they can ignore someone else's wishes so blatantly.

    I fully understand that this blogspot was/is your own personal space and now they have sullied it. My garden room/studio/WendyRoom is my personal space but it didn't stop some little toe-rag from going in there and taking my beautiful little ceramic hovis moneybox with the meagre earnings from recent craft fairs in it. I could swing for them. In many ways I am more upset about the moneybox being taken than about the money it contained. I don't suppose I shall ever see another one.

    I hope you don't give up telling us your daily thoughts...and if we can't have any new photos you have already given us many, many beautiful things to look at and I shall be more than happy to revisit previous postings. Thank you for always brightening my day.

    Philippa x WendyRoomCreations

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  17. Dear Jenny,
    I will read your blog no matter whether you have photos or not. Your wonderful creativity and delicious collections attracted me first on Flickr, but your blog has expanded my enjoyment of all things Custard- your far-reaching family, your tra-las, those beautiful daughters, that house! No matter what your intent, you have truly touched the hearts of many readers. I know I am not as generous with my own thoughts or creations, but Please keep me in mind if you go "Private"- Rose Red Cottage

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  18. I thought you might like to know (and I'm not sure if there is one for blogspot) but I use wordpress and there is a plug in called 'pinterest block' that prevents your images from being used. I would at least consider looking into that.

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