Summer is here

Blazing sunshine and a freezing cold wind but the best we've had so far. And even a blue sky!

Happy Birthday to me!

This morning Susie removed my alarm clock and gave me the rarest of all gifts in this job - a lie-in! Then we had some lovely cake, presents and a morning out together, walking in the sunshine on Werneth Low. What a lovely day.

Stupid Sunday

Almost had a disaster this morning - first Poppy and I were delivering papers, I left Poppy in the van and came back down the stairs from the house to find the van gone. Couldn't understand it so not panicking - I knew it hadn't been stolen. Looked right, saw a white van down the street, thought "I didn't walk that far" and realised the white van wasn't ours. Looked left, saw our white van across the road up against a hedge. I hadn't set the handbrake.

I need more sleep.



Rest of the day: went to baby gym with Poppy, watched "Girl on the Bridge" with Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paradis (pretty good film) and later took the little bundle of energy out for a walk.

Looking up

Things are looking up - we've all got holidays arranged, supplier lists for the new shop, the fridge in the current shop has (finally) been replaced, summer is here (kinda) and it's all good.

Learning to draw

Village Walk, 24 April

Poppy in the wild garlic in Tom Wood


Broadbottom from Tom Wood


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Country Walk, 23 April

Going to see the ducks (and lambs and tadpoles ...) with Grandma:

Peace :)

Susie, Poppy and Zdenka have gone to Chester zoo. Time for loud music and a long bath.

Our shop

We live in the left hand part of this house (red and white door) and work in the shop/post office. Our intended new shop is about three doors right (uphill) of this one.

Days out

The last few weekends we've been really busy - we've been to the Chestnut Centre ( Otters, Owls, Deer, Fox etc.) near Chapel, to Stockley Farm in Cheshire where Poppy fed a lamb, stroked a falcon (!!) and played with rabbits and last weekend we went to Chester Zoo (again) and had a great 4 1/2 hours. We saw the bear for the first time in our many trips, visited the bat house three times, saw the "orange juice madin" (orang-utans) and the two baby elephants. Also the kangaroos and the "dada bird" (cassowary) which we seem to have missed before. A good, if expensive, day out.

April 11

Currently we are all a bit stressed with thoughts about the new shop (if/how ...), supply problems, a broken display freezer in the current shop, prices, mortgages, too much to do, too little time etc. But if it all comes together then by Christmas it could all be really great. And compared to others we are doing nicely - we are all healthy, we are together, we are solvent ... I reckon we'll make it.

Happy face

Poppy (Nicola)

This picture always cheers me up. How could it not?

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... to our adventures in life, commerce and parenthood.