{"id":96543,"date":"2020-05-15T15:27:26","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T14:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/?p=96543"},"modified":"2020-05-15T15:27:26","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T14:27:26","slug":"pies-staying-positive-and-an-unusual-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/presenters\/alison-keenan\/pies-staying-positive-and-an-unusual-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Pies, staying positive and an unusual performance!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve just come back indoors having watered my pots before the sun hits them; I should have done it last night, but was playing a drawing game with Honey on Zoom and completely forgot!\u00a0 It takes a while as I\u2019ve now got over 30 pots and the vegetable patch too, plus the bed in the front garden, but they bring me a lot of pleasure.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been delighted with my roses this year, particularly this one that the children bought me when mum died last October.\u00a0 It\u2019s called Kathleen\u2019s Rose, and her name was Kathleen Rose\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 It has just bloomed – at the same time as the rose bush she bought me for my birthday, so that made me smile.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

I\u2019ve also planted my Richard Jackson<\/a> Giant Scented Lily bulbs \u2013 along with at least eight of my QVC colleagues \u2013 so am hoping that they start to sprout soon.\u00a0 We had to abort the official lily growing competition because of the delivery restrictions, but we\u2019re all pretty competitive so watch this space!\u00a0 I\u2019m rather glad we have a high hedge around the garden so that my neighbours couldn\u2019t see me in my pyjamas!\u00a0 I do plan to get dressed soon, but my Cyberjammies<\/a> are so comfortable I often find I\u2019m still in them by midday!\u00a0 How are you coping?\u00a0 I do hope that the slight easing of the lockdown has meant you have been finally able to see those you\u2019ve been missing?\u00a0 I\u2019m still a little unclear on the distance we\u2019re allowed to travel to visit close family, but I know that it would be impossible for me to \u2018see\u2019 my granddaughter Honey and not hold her, so for now we are making do with Zoom games and FaceTime calls.\u00a0 It was her fifth birthday on the 6th<\/sup> May, and I have to admit I struggled not being with her and making her cake, but Lucy set up a Zoom quiz with her little friends and Honey told me she\u2019d had brilliant day. \u00a0I think these photos say it all. \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 \u00a0We are already planning how we are going to celebrate once this is behind us.<\/p>\n\"\"\"\"\n

Thank you so much for writing to me last time, although I\u2019m sorry to know that some of you have been struggling more than others.\u00a0 Not knowing when life is going to return to normal is what I think most of us find hard to accept, but a great piece of advice from Walt Whitman that my friend Miceal Murphy passed on was this:\u00a0 \u2018Keep your face always towards the sunshine \u2013 and shadows will fall behind you.\u2019\u00a0 In other words, look towards the good, the positive and the happy.\u00a0 Focus on those things and the bad, the negative and the sad will fall back into the shadows.\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to stick to this and it\u2019s often the little things that cheer me up.\u00a0 Like this beautiful Lily of the Valley that has managed to bloom in the middle of a particularly huge fern, or this dear little calf I saw with its mum on one of my walks this week. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\"\"\"\"\n

Something else that made me happy was sharing my Storytime with you.\u00a0 QVC are doing their level best to keep in touch with you all, and for my part, I thought it might be nice if we could connect through a good book.\u00a0 Jackie Kabler<\/a> hosts a Book Club which is doing very well, and so I thought I\u2019d read to you once a week on a Saturday evening.\u00a0 The first short story was by JoJo Moyes and last week I chose Rosamunde Pilcher.\u00a0 You can find these stories on my Facebook Page Alison Keenan QVC<\/a> and I hope you can join me this Saturday for \u2018Crocodile Shoes\u2019 \u2013 another corker from JoJo Moyes.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

I\u2019ll be pre-recording this one as I\u2019m actually at QVC in the kitchen from 7pm to 9pm presenting one of my favourite shows \u2013 Eat, Taste, Love!\u00a0 I know we\u2019re going to be featuring H.Forman\u2019s<\/a> and I\u2019m hoping to sample their Gin and Tonic Cured Royal Fillet of smoked salmon<\/a>, but they also have fishcakes and chicken goujons on the menu too!\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty certain we\u2019ll have some pies too, and with so many brands to choose from it\u2019ll be decision making time.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just ordered The Real Pie Company 10 Piece Pasty collection<\/a> as they are delicious but we also feature Toppings Pies<\/a>, Wilfreds<\/a> and Chunk of Devon<\/a>.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to be in heaven!\u00a0 It does though mean I\u2019ll mean I\u2019ll miss our Family Quiz which has become a regular feature every Saturday evening and is an absolute hoot!\u00a0 Colin is the quizmaster this week, and we invariably stay on chatting ages after the actual quiz is finished so I may get home in time to see them all.<\/p>\n

On Sunday by way of a change, I have a Diamonique<\/a> show at 11pm which will feature some of our latest coloured stone designs.\u00a0 The Design of the Month<\/a> that features a simulated Alexandrite stone is stunning and under \u00a325, and have a look at this hexagonal Vintage Style ring<\/a> featuring simulated blue spinel \u2013 so classy! \u00a0I\u2019ll be with you a midnight too because we have a Today’s Special Value offer from Lola Rose<\/a> (item number 251100) \u2013 a set of two beautiful bracelets in several different stone options so you choose.\u00a0\u00a0 And from the pretty to the practical; later in the week we\u2019ve got a three piece collection of skincare from SBC<\/a> and also a chance to buy the latest Shark<\/a> Duo Clean Upright Vacuum with Anti-Hair wrap technology!\u00a0 A great price and Easy Pays too and with you on Friday the 22nd<\/sup>.\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s worth having a look at our website<\/a> as they\u2019ve put together some really interesting features on everything from food<\/a> to gardening<\/a> and beauty<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I thought I\u2019d leave you with something that will hopefully make you smile.\u00a0 Every Thursday along with the rest of the country, we clap and make a noise for all the front line workers and the NHS.\u00a0 Last week Colin set his drum kit up in the garden (as you do!) so we could say thank you in a slightly different way.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think Phil Collins has anything to fear, although in my defence it was the first time I\u2019d ever played the drums!<\/p>\n