A Moment to Reflect

Hi there everyone, hope you’re all doing well.

Thanks for all your comments last week on the turf laying. It went well – I think. Hard to tell until a few weeks have passed though, I suppose. Anyway, it’s very sweet that you comment on my silly personal updates. It does seem a little odd to me to put the random happenings of my life in a blog about the company I work for. But it’s very nice that you engage and share your own experiences. I do like to hear your advice and opinions.

Also, when you’re about to go into a pitch or a promo, you can’t just jump right in there, can you? It’s good to lead into it. I also write a lot of sermons for church, and you always need a good intro illustration to capture attention and to illustrate the points you’re going to make. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes less so. Nevertheless, I’m used to a nice slow build. A little bit of narrative and story-telling really helps to root your audience right in the context and helps them to invest in the rest of the content.

Anyway, here’s my new lawn. It certainly looks nice right now and, I have to say, I really enjoyed putting it down. I was so excited to do it I even woke up early and was at work wheelbarrowing it all into the back garden at 7am on Saturday. But, upon further reflection, I have started to wonder just how well it went. Do you ever get that? At first glance, everything seems to be just how you want to be. Then the more you look, the more tiny little imperfections you see and you wonder just how good a job you did… And that can be frustrating.

HOWEVER… Like in laying turf or writing a sermon, or creating a craft project, or pretty much anything in life really, we often need to remember that we probably did get it right the first time. As long as we researched and prepared well, we’ve probably done a good ENOUGH job and that all the little things we spot that we consider imperfections are ultimately insignificant so we don’t need to keep second guessing. Doesn’t mean we can try and be better still the next time, just that we don’t need to despair at not being perfect the first time.

Speaking of being reflective, Barb was reflecting on her A Moment of Clarity and had the epiphany to try it out on another day at another time. We’re still happy with Friday at 3pm, but we’d like to reach more of our audience since not everyone can make it then. So, if you’ve not been able to watch A Moment of Clarity live since it began, well, perhaps Wednesday at 7pm is better suited to your schedule?

Barb will be bringing back the awesome Reflection Masks from Friday’s session and will spend another creative hour or so expounding the artistic virtues of these very clever creations. Below is a little clip from Friday’s session, beginning near the end so you can see how it turns out and get a feel for Tomorrow’s outing 🙂

Other things to mention about this week is our Mixed Media Friday show. That’s right, Barb will be going live on HOCHANDA this Friday at 9am and 1pm for the launch of our brand new Feel Good Words stamps and Masks collection.

https://claritystamp.com/pages/clarity-on-tv-1

You can read more about the shows here.

https://claritystamp.com/pages/clarity-on-tv-1
https://claritystamp.com/pages/clarity-on-tv-1

Well, this blog is turning out to be rather long and I don’t want to keep you too long I’ll save a few more snippets of gossip for Friday’s blog. But mark my words, the gossip will be oh so juicy!

By for now,

Stuart

10 thoughts on “A Moment to Reflect

  • 23rd March 2021 at 3:54 pm
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    Well done, Stuart. That was a good job done. I could do with some of that inspiration you have for your sermons! Anyway, looking forward to Wednesday night. After a long day, it will be a nice bit of relaxation. Take care. Hx

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  • 23rd March 2021 at 6:56 pm
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    Hi Stuart, your lawn is looking good, just need to keep it damp until it has started to root. Just think of the fun you will all have in the garden this summer knowing that you have done it all yourself.
    Looking forward to the Facetime live tomorrow night along with the SHAC shack trip to Venice then on Friday we have the mixed media show. Need to have a catch up tonight with my mask & Paul’s Groovi shack session from this morning as Tuesday is the day I go over to Mom’s to take her shopping plus today she had to go for a blood test & then Saturday she has her 2nd vaccine so I will then feel happier that she is less likely to be really ill if for any reason she does catch Covid.
    Thanks for our weekly update

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  • 23rd March 2021 at 7:59 pm
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    Hi Stuart, We are all our own worst critics !! Your lawn laying looks stupendous, it has surely been a labour of love as you were so eager to get out there at 7am, well it has certainly paid off, a brilliant job, you should be really proud of all your efforts.
    Love from Patricia xx
    PS Happy Birthday to Grace xx

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  • 23rd March 2021 at 10:41 pm
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    It’s a garden. Just do your best. The kids will never be allowed out in it if you hold out for perfect looks. Not sure why Barbara needs to reflect when the session is taped so you could follow it anytime.

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  • 24th March 2021 at 8:58 am
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    Your lawn is looking good, my lawn is looking very sorry for itself, more moss, weeds and bald patches, but I have a lovely little dog, so as long as she’s happy I not bothered what it looks like. I just give it a mow when it needs it. At least with the moss, it usually looks green! Looking forward to the shows.

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  • 24th March 2021 at 10:48 am
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    WOW Stuart well done on the turf. Remember to keep it watered now. We had a priest, who is now a Bishop, who did the most amazing sermons. Never longer than a few minutes but boy, right to the spot. No dozing off on his watch lol. I know what you mean about seeing the imperfections in our own work. Guilty as charged to the point of I have no confidence in my “art” any more. Ho hum never mind, I’m sure it will return some day. Stay safe and God bless 🙂

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  • 24th March 2021 at 6:48 pm
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    You’ve done a great job with the lawn. Now you just need to keep it watered! I hope you don’t have any female dogs!!?? My lawn had huge yellow patches when I had girl whippets. My current rescue is a boy so I have strange patches on the paving slabs by the house ! I also have hedgehog poos all over the grass (it doesn’t aspire to the title ‘lawn’). I won’t be able to watch the programme at 7pm -I just can’t craft in artificial light and anyway, just like to relax in the evening and rushing about finding inks, pads etc isn’t relaxing for me. I’ll really enjoy catching up at the weekend though as I love the reflections masks.

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  • 25th March 2021 at 4:42 pm
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    You did a fabulous job on the lawn. In a couple of weeks the kids will be running around on it. Seed would have taken the whole summer, and still would not have looked this nice.
    I enjoy the bits of your personal life in these blogs. Nicer than the impersonal, “Hey you need to buy this to make your life complete” that I get from most companies.
    As for the timing for Barbara’s shows, I live in the US, so I always watch on Youtube.

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  • 27th March 2021 at 10:13 am
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    Your lawn looks wonderful Stuart, hard work doing it but the reward looks wonderful.
    I have been in the Shac Shac from the beginning and have loved every minute of it, I can now draw,colour and when I look back I can’t believe I’ve done these drawings,I can’t thank Barbara in her busy life has taken us to different countries, told stories to each one, so Barbara also did Geography with us as well, then when Paul started the Groovi, it to has been wonderful, and also the lovely projects that we have had, its true to say if Clarity hadn’t stepped into help us we would have gone mad,long May Shac Shac carry on to continue the fun sadness and laughter
    Well done to you all and Avery big thankyou xx

    Reply

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