Anyone for Tennis?

I wonder how many newborn babies will be christened Andy in the wake of yesterday's second historic Wimbledon win for a British player?

What a blast from the past scanning the faces in the royal box, who can forget the excitement elicited in the 70's by the enigmatic Bjorn Borg?  And yesterday drew us all back to the heady excitement of Wimbledon at its best, all Pimms, strawberries and waiting with baited breath for a double fault!

'Foxglove Falls' fell silent as the contest got under way.  Even Leo, the great sportsman, deigned to spend the afternoon passively watching Andy power his way to success.  Occasionally, he sagely offered the screen pearls of wisdom such as, "process Andy, focus on the process..."  

"Peaches, I am thinking that I might take tennis up again," Leo announced without taking his eyes off the screen.  Experience guided me to just leave the idea out there in the middle of the room, in front of the screen.  Just how this will be fitted in to the tight schedule of putting practice, yoga and meditation, I am not at all sure. 

I will save this nugget for consideration at the next board meeting with Lola; already I can hear her deep intake of breath as she raises shapely brows...

The End of the Affair...

As predicted in these pages yesterday by Madame Peaches, Max failed to show!

Everything and everyone else was in position, poised to go, but once again Max failed to show...  The simple procedure of swopping the wheels escalated into a spectacle; a side show with a complete cast of players.  The ever patient, ever helpful Euan; service advisor at the dealership and butt of all complaints, even those totally out of his control.  And lovely Hugo, the driver, who delivers and collects the vehicles in understated style, his impeccable attention to detail allowing the merest mortal the opportunity to sense royalty.  The words on everyone's lips, the look in everyone's eyes said it all: Enough is Enough! 

Girding myself for Leo's disdain, I copied him in to a carefully composed email to the marvellous Max, explaining that it was a simple case of manners.  Feeling it important to cover all angels, without prejudicing future relations, I counselled that good communication is an essential tool for survival in the modern business world.  While text and electronic mail are de rigeur, and certainly have their place, they will never replace human contact.  And simply failing to 'show' for a pre-arranged appointment is disrespectful of other people's time; a definite NO NO. Warming to my theme, I went on to say:

"Max, respect for others, and their time, is fundamental for good business relations. Certain boundaries should never be crossed, and this is one of them..."  

    No doubt, Max's current business model is simply a first draft; now ready for the editor's red pen!  

The Art of Changing the Tyres

How difficult can it be?  "It's simple process, Peaches," Leo assures me, on his morning flypast through the reinforced gate. " Call Max, he's just parted company with the dealership, he's set up his own concierge company for loyal clients."

Ah Max... lovely, but totally unreliable!  Of course Leo loves him, they talk engines and horsepower until the cows come home, cooing over the purr and tonality of the latest super injected engine.  Well, I'm sure that this is all fine and dandy if you are not the family operations officer, the mortal who is responsible for the down to the minute co-ordination and execution of all things practical.  Of course, the charming Max never answers his phone, replies to emails and texts or deigns to put in an appearance for a pre-arranged appointment.  He then wonders WHY usually affable clients morph into demented toddlers, throwing all their toys out of the pram in a fit of frustrated pique!

So today, fourteen days on from an eventual response to a March request for assistance, yet another appointment has been set... and I hold my breath in anticipation that the seasonal tyres change will actually come to pass before twilight!

The Importance of being a BFF

Louis' mellow tones sooth my soul as he serenades the morning ritual with the marigolds:
"What a wonderful world..."

For Leo it's Hatha yoga, meditation and some practise putting, all squeezed in before 6am.  But for me, due to sleep deprivation which is known to be an effective form of torture, it's the repetitive action of filling the bowl, with the help of a well known fairy, and washing away the debris of the night before!

Lola, phoned yesterday to admit that another of her friends, who with immediate effect will be known as Walter Mitty, is planning a subtle coup to claim my position as her BFF.

"Now calm down Peaches, no need to be like that, it was only lunch at Sundae."

"Exactly my point Lola, that's where we go for our christmas and birthday outings, Sundae is sacred."

"Calm down, I've told Walter that currently there's no vacancy."

"Currently?  So when does the position come up for review?"

And then as usual we got totally distracted, another topic grasshoppering into our consciousness...

"On the way out, Walter saw Mr W's painting of the Madonna & Child, it's now hanging in the spare room."

"Oh, the print of the one we sit under in the cathedral; you know, when we go to pay our respects?"

"Absolutely.  Walter says it's the most beautiful painting that she's ever seen."

 "Oh, I see, Walter says...Why don't you give it to her then?

"Well, Stella says..."

"Stella?"

Stella, is Lola's older sister, for whom she has total sibling worship. If Stella says jump, uncharacteristically Lola asks, 'how high?'

"Oh, of course, Stella says..."

Lola laughs, "come on Peaches, don't be catty, it's not your style.  Tell you what, why don't you pop over here next Saturday, we'll celebrate our official birthdays?  A bit early I know, but we need to get in early this year, it's the Queen's 90th on the 21st."

" Ahh yes, another great Taurean!  Well, I suppose there's some consolation in arriving two weeks late;  I was supposed to be born on the 21st!"

Lola, seamlessly glides over my drama queen response.  "Great, drive over after the rush hour, I'm looking forward to it already.  Love to Leo, I take it he'll be off golfing."

Rooftop Nest

Today, I visited young Scarlett's new nest.  Sited at the crown of a spectacular, spiral staircase is our Entrepreneurial Spark's new abode; peaceful and quirky with a birds-eye City view.

With an eye for space and place, 'Pereguin's Perch' is full of Scarlett's style; bo-ho chic!
Now CEO of her own future, a self-contained satellite of Foxglove Falls, Scarlett has already embarked on a series of creative endeavours:
- Developing delicious, healthy 'Power- Ball' snacks.
- Practising the art of Feng shui, to encourage the flow of high altitude chi.
- Blending colour & texture to create botanical oasis in the clouds.

Tonight, I have returned to Foxglove Falls, proud, replete and, most importantly, inspired!
Settling down with one of Scarlett's power balls, I feel relaxed and excited to be in possession of an exclusive pre-view of Pavlova's highly anticipated new novel... In the words of Pa Larkin, "perfick."

Hoover Forum

At athis morning's board meeting, around the coffee table, the Pink Ladies and I swooned in unison over the new hero in our lives: the Sebo.  Smooth, stream-lined and powerful, he has us all in his thrall...  He does what it says on the box and more!  No fuss, complication or tantrums, just masterful performance.  We are all in love...

Battery Power.

It's the little things at Foxglove Falls that keep the machine oiled and running smoothly.

Without doubt, the skill set on my C.V has expanded considerably, whilst in the role of Chief Operations Officer.  Detailed knowledge of the intricate inner-workings of all domestic gadgets is a minimum requirement for the role.  Today's SOS involved the garage door remote.  To be fair, trouble has been brewing here for a while, just last week a quick trip to the hardware shop revealed that my store of spare batteries expired in 2013, a reasonable explanation for the failure to power up.  Scarlett, had to restrain me from buying a back-up, reasoning that on past performance the back up is likely to expire before it's required.

  Well, having crossed this hurdle Leo has just announced:
'Peaches, did you fix this remote?'
'Yes, Leo - all is tickets boo...'
'I've just dropped it on my way to the rower, and it's not working.'

Tout ca change...