A new friend.

I always find it a little hard to write about meetings with people from the Purplecoo website as it seems hard to encapsulate what has so far been a good experience in a way that doesn't sound dull. Already I can feel my usual writing tone changing to that of a reporter and losing something of the emotion on the way; I don't mean it to happen, but don't quite know what to do about it. I suppose privacy is an issue - it's hard to write about the things you talk about without giving details away which the other party may not have wanted known; it's also hard not to detail each subject covered without sounding like a teeneger in full flow - "and then he said...and she said"...and so on. So here is a report of my morning with Suffolkmum which took place yesterday at Trengwainton Garden in Cornwall yesterday - just take it from me that I had a brilliant time and really liked SM!


Yesterday was gorgeous - the most wonderful, hot sunshiney day. Did you get that? I said HOT! So hot was Cornwall that Suffolkmum, her hubby and two children, myself and two of my littles almost melted as we walked around the gardens of Trengwainton near Penzance. I had arranged to meet up with SM for the final day of her holiday in Cornwall, deciding a walk would be good but not expecting it to be so hot that a swim in the sea would have been more appropriate. To make matters worse I insisted the children wore coats as the mist still lingered and it could have gone either way - mist in Cornwall always lifts to reveal persistent rain or sweltering sun with no clue to help you out; add to that the fact that weather reports for this sea-bound county are usually wrong and you can see my dilemma. I paid the price as I carted my thick and heavy cord three-quarter length and Isabella's thick and heavy cord three-quarter length plus a largish bag of the necessary bits and bobs (nappies, etc) around the pretty walled gardens. Ah well....

I have never met SM before, but knew we would get on - I have always felt that she writes the way she is, not feeling the need to hide her persona and I really hoped that was the case as I had really taken to the character on the page, so to speak. She was exactly as she seems - lovely, warm and friendly (and as glam as her pic suggested darn it!!!). She bounced out of her car with a huge smile and that was it, we chatted as though we had known each other for ages which I suppose we have in a way. She really was as she appears to be and I hope I am as my blog make me sound as I certainly write it as I think too. I can't show pictures as I forgot my camera yet again (unfortunately R, her husband, took a leaving picture of the two of us but I am demanding the right to veto its publication!).

The only downer on such a lovely day came when I discovered that the SM family had once considered moving to Cornwall - typical of my luck that it didn't happen; think of the fun we could have had and the children really hit it off too. Lucy was loud (very!) and lively and now is planning a letter to J and K (SM's children) as she liked them so much. I think she hopes that will ensure a trip up to Suffolk in the future to continue the fun! Isabella walked for two hours in the searing sun without a moan, her whole time being spent searching for water (a stream runs the length of the garden and Isabella is addicted to water being a good Cornish mermaid) and filling her pockets with pebbles. She finally allowed me to carry her on the last little bit of the walk as her chubby legs couldn't take any more. It all ended far too quickly and now I am annoyed as there are so many more things I want to chat about - chickens, gardens, soap-making, children, work....the list goes on. I suppose there is always email, but it just isn't the same as a chat over coffee is it? Perhaps I can persuade them to move through the children?!!!!

I really hope I have made a friend for life in SM ( oh how weird it seems now to type those initials when there is a real and lovely person in their place). I hope she feels the same.


And now in the absence of photos on my part, here is one that I feel like posting instead:

Mr Dave in his new Hawaiian shirt showing the orchids on the reverse and the halo that appeared around his head; apologies for the blurriness and also the strange posture!