Flaming Busy June!

It’s Bastille Day, warmish, nearly sunny and quiet in the house. So what am I thinking about this mid-July day?

Christmas – obviously!

If you are of a sensitive disposition you may wish to re-tune now.

Actually I am going to dwell for a moment on what the last month has held for me as it has been hectic to say the least and involved all of the following: a day trip to Phoenix Trading Head Office in London, the temporary loss of an E-Class Mercedes in a Gatwick short term car park (see explanation below), a delicious meal and a meeting with David’s charming future in-laws in St Andrews, an opera in Southampton, 9 hot days on the Cote d’Azure, a whiz up to London for Bridesmaid’s shoes, hair and dental appointments, a mere 15½ scintillating hours in my car over 2 days with a meeting and lunch in Wolverhampton followed by my car breaking down, a 21^st Birthday party in East Yorkshire, a day trip to Gatwick for our Christmas launch, a Freshwater Pearls and cards evening, two test drives of new cars (not bought – ‘old’ car repaired as still under warranty), a strawberry tea with cards in aid of Kent Air Ambulance, a comedy night at The Stag, a Southampton University Orchestra concert, dinner at the Three Mariners, Faversham.

Life – don’t talk to me about life!

Most of it was of course rather fabulous and fun. I got a tan too. Beware Gatwick though – they are at liberty to move your car in your absence (on some kind of trolley, since you ask, into a disabled bay) and they don’t even leave a note to say what they have done let alone apologise for it and the fact that having set off the alarm (doh!) your battery is now as flat as a proverbial pancake. Taxi home to Sevenoaks anyone? (Thank you Nightingale Travel)

I am quite sure that employed people who have to ask for days off and cannot gallivant to this extent must be green with envy at this itinerary. The grass always is greener on the other side isn’t it? So I shall not complain about the ironing and metre high grass back at home! It is remarkably green actually.

I am now fully recovered from all that and am pleased to announce that I am ready for battle, no, I mean Christmas, I feel as though the last month has lasted about 6 times that. I have no desire to sleep anywhere but my own bed and am very pleased that I’ll be here (probably in bed) until Nick’s wedding next month.

As you can see I have also taught myself how to insert hyper-links and gay abandon hardly comes close to describing the manner with which I have already managed to sprinkle them here.

So down to work now – planning for the Christmas season starts now and anyone wanting to get a seriously good discount on their Phoenix order should contact me asap.

For the Phoenixers among you – I am still not putting my cards in cellophanes, though I do understand that some of you doing outdoor events feel it is a necessary precaution. Hopefully we’ll do most of our selling indoors from September and you can wean yourself off the cellophane for the busy time ahead.

I will just mention that the new range is something special – it is more expensive than last year – isn’t everything? But Phoenix do print all our cards in the UK and supporting UK industry comes at a cost. Sad to tell, many large card publishers have deserted the UK for overseas printers to keep their prices down. Our Christmas cards are charity cards as always, and I will be supporting Venture Trust again this year at my ‘At Home’ events. I will be very happy to help any charity that asks me though and I am already booked to do a local event for Action for Children, among others. Always happy to do more – especially the small ones.

Back to posting out the few remaining summer supplements I have to customers who haven’t heard a peep out of me for months. Ah – a peaceful job with no brain input required. Mailing out the Christmas brochure in a couple of months might be a bit less relaxing – Harriet Lynch – do you fancy helping me out again?

If you would like to be on my mailing list and receive your own personal brochure – let me know. I will just say however that the whole range is available to view on-line – aha, I feel another link coming on here: my website. Christmas IS coming but not quite yet. Promise I’ll let you know just as soon as it is but in the mean time – shall we just enjoy the summer?

…exits to the tune of ‘in an English Country Garden’ stage left.