The Sun on my Back

I know my thick walls were never designed to let internet signals through but it is so frustrating that my dongle isn't working at the hub. The internet is so slow it's like having dial up (remember that?). You click on a link, go and make a cup of tea, come back and, if you are lucky, the page will have loaded. But someone yesterday pointed out that it may be a good thing. The hub isn't a place to sit on laptops, it is a place to mingle and teach and be with people. I think she might be right but I also think she isn't a blogger.

We had the window cleaner in today. Aren't window cleaners handsome these days?! An unexpected visit. He looked very surprised to see the hub being used. I asked him nicely and he cleaned our hub's windows too - very carefully (just in case the conservation officer is reading this we only squirted water gently we didn't actually brush). But the thing about windows is that it's pointless only cleaning one side so I'll have a job and a half doing the inside tomorrow. He had a nifty telescopic brush which extended miles! I have a ladder and a cloth :(

We've had lots of visitors today and made lots of plans. We have finalised all the details of Lisa Purchase's Tuesday Art Group 10-12 noon and £10 a session (all materials included) and Yoga Babies with Nikki Huddart 11-12 noon Mondays (£27 for a six week course) and as both groups finish at noon which is when our pop-up cafe time starts so people can stay on for a chat and a cup of something if they like. Let me know if you are interested in either course. Meditation will be on a Monday night and 'Coping with your Teenagers' will now be on Wednesdays. In fact tomorrow I will write a complete list so far. 

My friend Zoe and her sister Donna popped by to ask about stalks for origami flowers. Lovely and intelligent Zoe hadn't noticed they were kebab sticks! I think Zoe felt sorry for me as I was sitting by myself in the middle of the hall. It did look a bit odd but I had moved my desk so I had the sun on my back (only the sun has a habit of moving so my desk ends up in all sorts of funny places). But Zoe, I am happy in my hall and I have plenty of company. Don't feel sorry for me.

Lot of networking is happening. So much so that I have run out of fliers! Thank you to all of you who are spreading the word. More fliers are printing as I blog and will be available tomorrow. 

I also met a couple from Birmingham who have promised to keep an eye on my brother Ben who leaves for University there on Saturday. This networking is national. I met Mike who works in Mind & Body next door. I met one of the lovely team/members/board (?) at Real Food, I met a masters student studying archaeology and later on a masters student studying English who came in with a poet, I saw Gillian again who has offered to do some treatments on Mondays during our open time 12 noon - 1:30pm when anyone is welcome to come in and Francis who just whizzed by and left her email (the longest I have ever seen) as I was busy talking and had no flyers (standards are dropping already!).

Then I talked loos - en suite loos. Hopefully we will have a new one in the next 14 days. Hurray! 

And the next instalment of the troll story for the man in Chester and for those of you who muttered about only having part of the story yesterday...

A long time ago, in a place not so far from here there lived a... troll, an ugly troll, an origami-flower eating troll. (This is more like it!)

"I'm hungry," growled the troll, "I'm gonna get myself some origami!"

So he stomped and he stomped and he stomped until he came to a green where he saw a little girl flying her kite.

"Gimme that kite!" growled the troll.

"Why?" asked the little girl. She was a brave little girl and not scared of growlers. Her mummy growled all the time. It was what she was used to.

"Because I am an origami-flower-eating troll and THAT is an origami flower."

"No it's not!" squealed the little girl clutching the kite close to her chest so the troll wouldn't grab it. "It's a KITE!"

"Well it LOOKS like origami, it SMELLS like origami, I expect it will TASTE like origami," and he tried to wrestle the kite from the little girls hands but before could take a bite the kite and the little girl where picked up by a gust of wind and carried to safety on the roof of the cathedral where the little girl looked down at the troll and poked out her tongue. 

"Humph!" humphed the troll.

The troll stomped and he stomped and he stomped until he came to a beach where he saw a fabulous sandcastle with a windmill in the top. 

"I'm gonna eat you up!" growled the troll to the windmill.

"Why?" came a voice from behind. It was the sandcastle-builder, a little boy called Bob. 

"Because I am an origami-flower-eating troll and THAT is an origami flower." growled the troll, pointing to the windmill. 

"No it's not!" replied Bob, grabbing the windmill from the top of the sandcastle before the troll could get his teeth into it, "It's a WINDMILL!"

"Well it LOOKS like origami, it SMELLS like origami, I expect it will TASTE like origami," and he tried to wrestle the windmill from the little boy's hands. But before he got the chance to take a bite, Bob's mother came over and reprimanded Bob for talking to strangers, grabbed him by the hand and marched him off for his lunch. 

"Humph!" humphed the troll and he stomped and he stomped and he stomped until...

Right I am off to conquer the world of B&Q trade catalogues with Dean. It's steep learning curve time!