Hi John and LaNell,

If anyone had told me  8 months ago that I  would be writing on the POTW Forum at AdlandPro, I wouldn’t have believed them  I don’t think I believe it still.

I am here because of you, my very good friends and it is your friendship that is the biggest prize.

I never believed that it was possible to make friends on the internet.  I was very wrong and now know a wonderful group of people at AdlandPro that anyone would be proud to call friends. I wish I could hug you all. 

My life – born in London in the age of paper and pen and wirelesses.  When I was little, I loved to put on plays – always the director, never the actress LOL.  I went to college to study Law and there I was active in the the Social Welfare group of the Students Union, organizing children’s parties for the local Kids and Fund raising events for the victims of natural disasters,(like floods), amongst other things.  I found time to study and rock and roll too!

Then off to work at being “something in the City of London”, where I spent my last years as a management consultant until I decided to move to Spain, in 1986.  I live on the south coast of Granada in  a town called Almuñecar, better known as El Castillo in Laurie Lee’s famous book of his walking trip through Spain, “When I Walked Out One Summer Morning”.  It is a beautiful historical place that is full of Phoenician and roman ruins, with a few relics of the Moorish rule.  I live in a little house in the nearby village, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, which I look at across a field of olive trees.

I have two beautiful boys who refuse to allow me to put their photos on the internet, who study in the Capital Granada City and look out on to the Alhambra Palace from their classroom window, (even though they are meant to be looking at their books), and a fat cat, a little mongrel dog called Luna and a big beautiful husky called Sultan who is the gentlest creature in the world who was abandoned here about 6 years ago.  One day I hope to walk him in Central Park with Rick and Marilyn and John and Marilyn’s dogs, although I am a little nervous to let him off the leash since Arild ran him over last month. LOL

I visit Granada for any major paperwork and medical stuff, which is always an excuse to spend some time in its majestic ancient streets.  It hasn’t been knocked about like so many of the andalucian cities so there is so much still to see.

My angel business started by accident.   I had been working doing many different jobs, to support my family including publicity manager for a magazine and a publicity gifts business.   I have always loved angels, and painted for a hobby and in l999 was asked to provide a stand for the Spanish Cancer Association Craft Fair – which was a roaring success and from then on I started to take my angels to markets and fairs and gave up the road for a life in my workshop, next to my home. 

Now, I have been joined by a friend from my village and spend my days painting angels and nativities for shops and private customers.  The “suited business Lady” turned into the Angel Lady, who is invariably covered in paint with bits of gold leaf sticking out from under my nails.  But I have a smile on my face when I work now and my studio “spreads” into the house at times and the kids complain that they cant sit down for angels all over the place.  (I still maintain my part time occupation as a clutter queen).  ¡Every Christmas I run an Artisans Fair with a colleague to support the local artisans and the Spanish Association against Cancer

I joined AdlandPro to promote my Website Alas y Cia on line through the Community and discovered this big and wondrous community, which has also become part of my life.  I have a wonderful group of friends and we’ve laughed and cried, and scolded and advised.  And this year I am going to be lucky enough to meet a few of you, although some of you are still very far away. 

It has been a great pleasure to join up with Rose Enderud on the Arts Exhibition At AdlandPro Forum.  We both separately wanted to do something to liven up the Arts and Crafts sections of Adland.  They had been sadly underused and there was no opportunity for Artist and Craftsmen to network at AdlandPro.  Then Rose started her Artshow forum and generously opened it to all AdlandPro members to show their work.  It started to become very popular and attract people who were delighted to have a possibility to show their work.  It is one of Adland’s most successful new Forums with over 7000 visits to date and a few more added every day.

After this, Rose invited me to start the Arts Exhibitions with her – one man (person) exhibitions for individual working artist and craftsmen which has been a great success and will be a fixture at Adland Pro.  We have now been joined by Venerina and AdlandPro is putting arts and crafts on the Internet Map!!

We are now at our busiest time in the Alas y Cia workshop – as angels and nativities are extremely popular a Christmas – working hard.  We now have my good friend Mary Hofstetter working with us and she is going to forward ship our US orders for angels and nativities in the States (to keep the shipping costs down, we will be sending out in bulk and she will distribute orders on from Ohio!).

So friends, Thanks to all of you again.   See you at the Arts Exhibitions

Alas y Cia Granada Angels and Nativities from Spain Web Site    

Arts Exhibitions at AdlandPro

Saludos

Jenny