Friday 13th March 2009

 

Wow!! Where did the last three months go???!!  The last time I wrote to this page we were still looking forward to Christmas. Now that seems a distant memory. However, we did have a great time visiting with Jennie, our daughter, and her family. The two grandchildren were a delight and to spend Christmas time with them was a real treat. 

On Boxing Day we drove from Maryland to Kentucky- a mere 856 miles!! - to visit other parts of the American Family. It took us 17 hours which we did all in one go and, although in this country that seems like madness, actually in the States covering those sort of distances was so much easier because you just basically get on the interstate highways, set the cruise control, and just keep going, there's nothing to hold you up and the miles just slide by.    While we were away the Cafe was very well run by Amy, and our team for which we are always grateful.

 

Now we are looking forward to Spring and the bulbs I planted in the pots last Autumn, are budding up nicely and we have White Helibores in the flower bed as well as yellow jasmine climbing up the wall.. I am now thinking it's time I got the hanging baskets to my nurseryman as it will not be long before he will be planting them up for the summer. He does such a good job and they are always such a spectacular display of colour. As for the window boxes, I was thinking this week I should get some bags of potting compost ready for their planting up which I like to do myself.  I think it will have to be busy lizzies again. There is just no other plant that gives such good value for money. They love the shady conditions of the yard and flower for months throughout the summer.

There are more days now when its warm enough to sit outside in comfort so we are finding more of our customers taking this option, not just the hardy smokers!  At the moment the Cafe is not over busy, so those that visit,  just outside of the normal, 'lunchtime' hours can find a table with no trouble. The soup continues to be very popular. I did the Thai Chicken one this week and it was, as always, very well received. In fact one or two customers have remarked as they leave, that the soup is the equal to that their wives/mothers, make at home!! (praise indeed).

 

As our Saturdays have started to get busier we have taken back young Barney to help us out. You may remember him from last year when he did his 'work experience' with us and made such a good impression that we kept him on to help out over the Christmas period. Well, he's back! Just for a few hours on a Saturday, which helps the regular staff over the very busy lunchtime and helps us continue to give the personal, attentive service, which Cafe Morello prides itself on.

 

In fact there are is more 'staff' news. Amy, our daughter and manager, is pregnant, due in August, so another grandchild on the way! (And that's not all!! See below). She hopes to keep working until the end of July but we shall have to see. Fiona, our Saturday girl, has been doing a regular Thursday stint, however she leaves college in June and will start with us full time. Flossie, who turns Sixteen on Mothers Day is continuing Saturday and school holiday cover and will be joined by Barney who once he turns Fifteen  which is in July, will step up his hours and we hope he will be with us for a long time.

On the grandchildren front we are particularly blessed this year as our daughter Heidi is also 'with child' due in June. So this is going to be a particularly busy and exciting summer. As a forerunner to these events Jennie and our two grand-daughters are coming over from the States for a month in April so Pam and I are going to be busy next month too.

 

We also have a great big thank you to give to all our customers for their generosity over the last few months. The Burundi Bears we sell, made by ladies in the Bunwell area, have raised over £100 to date. Then there was the NSPCC 'Stop for Tea' Appeal and we raised £106 for that. Then, today we got out the face paints, silly wigs and hair spray for 'Red Nose Day' and raised £33.10. Our customers are definitely THE BEST!!, Thank you all so much.

 

I will close this blog with the thought that Easter is just round the corner. As usual we will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday but open on the Saturday, so if you are in the city, we will look forward to seeing you.

 All the best,

Take Care,

Steven

Wed 15th. April

In the last Blog I mentioned Easter, and now its come and gone. Time flies so quickly!! Hope you all had a good time and did some fun things.

As I write this we are still in the school holidays so the Cafe is pretty busy, particularly over the 2 hour lunchtime period. Thankfully the weather has been mild so the outside tables are now coming into there own and relieving the pressure inside. We also are seeing some of the first tourists who are having a look round the city and find us for the first time which is great. I made a spicy dahl and carrot soup this week which I was a bit nervous about because I put a little extra chilli into it. I thought it would be wise to put a warning on the board that "this soup bites!" However, I should not have worried, our customers, who dared to try it, really loved it and one asked for the recipe! I am now looking to finish soup making for the summer. I think I may keep in going into next month and then make the change to Greek salads. It depends a bit on the weather and on the demand. 

Apart from the soup, nothing much changes at the cafe and to some that's the attraction. Just good, basic, honest. food, attractively served, in a friendly, warm atmosphere. That's our secret, it's not hard but its not something the chains, that are springing up everywhere, can do. That's why we' re picking up new customers everyday. Of course it does rely on having really good, hard working staff and as always our team rises to the challenge.

I mentioned new babies due this year to our daughters and since writing we have more news!!. The third daughter, Jennie, who lives in America, is also pregnant, due in October!! That's one in June, one in August and now one in October. What a wonderful year its going to be.  Amy went for her second scan yesterday and is having a girl. She is keeping well and is pleased with the news. Now everyone can go mad on the pretty girlie outfits.

Jennie is over here at the moment with our two grand-daughters, Emma and Ava - 4 and 2 years so life is pretty busy having two tots in the house. There are toys, everywhere!!!  I am having a break from the cafe so I can spend as much time as possible with them. (though I have to own up that I did escape and go fishing one day!) Today we are planning a trip to Africa Alive at Kessingland. Just praying for the rain to stop at the moment.

I mentioned Easter at the beginning of this blog and we had a special event. Some of you may know that over the last few years Pam and I have become Christians and this has had a profound effect on our lives. Pam was baptised a year ago and on Easter Sunday I decided the time was right for me, so I was baptised at our local chapel. It was a lovely service and we had our family and lots of our friends there to share the occasion. But that was not all! Pam and I decided to renew our vows too, which we did at the same service. So we had a double celebration and what a lovely day it was.

I think that's a fitting place to leave this blog for now so I'll say bye. Hope to see you in the Cafe soon...!!

Steven