I’ve got a new computer, can you tell ?! The wonderful Colin came and set it up for me and then went away on holiday. Hmm, the only thing I forgot to ask him was how to get in to my website on the new machine ! Hence a couple of days delay in the newsletter.
The reading retreat was A M A Z I N G ! Held in beautiful clapboard seaside house in a small Suffolk village, everything was done to make the stay comfortable and cosy. There were just four of us on the retreat and the reading room was a very large lounge with log fire and four comfy sofas, so we had one each. The bedroom was large and comfortable with a goody bag awaiting on the bed containing a soft cosy fleece throw and a very fragrant candle, which, on my return home was found to overcome even the smell of wet dog !! I just loved every minute, reading for hours on end with no interruptions, no guilty feelings about what I should be doing and delicious food, I wished it could have gone on for another week !
On my way home I had to change trains and got half way up the stairs to change platforms when I realised I had my suitcase but not my handbag ! I just felt sick and realised I must have left it on the previous train. I bumped myself and my case back down the stairs and rushed on to the platform where I was relieved to see that the train was still there. Rushing towards it I passed a bench and there on the seat was my handbag !! I must have put it down to say goodbye to the other girls and not picked it up. So, an enormous THANK YOU to the honest people of Ipswich for not pinching it !
We are coming up to Book Sale time again, just over a month to go to 13th April (as usual St. Pantaleon Salle de Fete, 10am)and we are busy collecting and sorting books ready for your delight. I think I can safely say that this one will be better than ever, we have some fabulous books in, not only the usual same ‘ol, same ‘ol. You will not find Da Vinci Code, anything by Peter Mayle (I have my reasons) and we have weeded out the many editions of Captain Correlli, Kite Runner, etc., and John Grisham – although, panic not there are plenty of his books, just not the old ones. We do try to bring new(ish) books to the fore especially interesting novels. I discovered Richard Russo from picking up a book at the sale and can’t get enough of him. If you have books to donate, do get in touch, we can usually arrange collection or you can bring them on the day. Of course there is my usual rant … cookery books !!! What the devil is the use of having a cookery book that is so thick and heavy that you need 15 kilo weights to keep the page open and when the recipe doesn’t work you can use it as a corner stone on the house you are building ?! I would like to make each celebrity chef carry ten of his/her own books up and down stairs ten times then they might think about reducing the useless content of the book and their own self importance ! However, they do sell !
Whilst we are on the subject of rants – we were weren’t we ? – it has happened again. I got an email asking for help in a desperate situation, a old dog going to be pts in four days unless a home can be found. I was on the case. A series of emails back and forth and I had a home for the dog and a very happy lady who was looking for a suitable elderly dog. All this within a couple of hours of having received the ‘desperate’ email. I got straight back to say that the dog had a prospective home and we could make arrangements to move her. In the evening I had a reply saying the dog had been homed ! To say I was mad would be an understatement. However, it did make me decide never again to try to help home a dog who was not actually with me.
Having said that, I cannot understand why Daisy on the adoptions page has still to find a home, such a cutie and just the sort of ‘scruffy’ look that Brits go for. Also, the Jack Russels, where are all you JR lovers ?!
I moaned about the rain last month, so I must say how wonderful the sunshine has been this month. Sadly it won’t last, how do I know this ? Because I have planted up a few pots outside !
Colin is back from his hols now and as Poorpaws is changing, look out for a new look website – well, not new look, but new content.
Sue x