Sunday 21 September 2008

That Sunday Feeling

Good grief. Can you believe here we are, Sunday night yet again? Time to finish the ironing (or at least one pile of 'essentials' anyway) throw some bleach around the bathroom, do some much needed grocery shopping and tidy the house.

Sundays are funny aren't they? Rob and I still refer to them as school nights, and I have to admit that even though I now have my own business I still get that tummy churning thing on a school night that I did all of those years ago. I am sure it will get better in time, but you see I am a bit of a perfectionist. I just want everything to be perfect at work each day, not give anyone any reason to complain, and want all of our lovely customers to leave with smiles on their faces.

So far so good. And yet whilst I realise that we must be doing OK, with lots of regulars and customers saying encouraging things, I do worry that if I become complacent, if I start to relax, then something horrible may happen. So for now I shall continue to get up at stupid o clock each day, carry on worrying (carry on losing weight-see there are benefits!) and then we should be fine. Oh dear, maybe I need to see a shrink...

I do thankfully still find baking relaxing, and here are todays experiment, GIANT toblerone cookies. Hmm, they really are rather enormous, you know. Rob has road tested one and confirmed they are good. So tomorrow shall have them sitting prettily in a glass cake dome. And someone may even buy one!

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I haven't been to the allotment for a while, due to time constraints. I do thankfully still have time to step out of our kitchen doors and onto the patio though, reach an arm through into the greenhouse and......tomatoes. They taste sweet, smell fabulous (I love the smell of tomatoes) and are keeping us in lots of tasty meals. Pasta bakes, spanish omelettes, bolognese sauces, soups, etc.etc. There aren't masses left but we have done well from just three plants. The cucumbers have done brilliantly as well. I just stuck three plants in a grow bag and put them on the patio. We have had huge amounts of cucumbers off them-I can highly recommend them for next year!
Sorry the picture is a bit blurry!


Since opening the cafe my hands have suffered dreadfully. Whereas I used to sit behind a desk for a living and spend my days slathering handcream on, now I spend most of my time washing them. Obviously I can't use hand cream at work (doesn't tend to taste that great on a bacon baguette) so they have become dry and old looking. Rubbish. All is not lost. On our trip around a very well known supermarket today (OK, Tesco!) I found white cotton gloves. Which always reminds me of WH Audens Poem...'Let traffic policemen wear white cotton gloves'

So tonight, when you are all sat watching telly, reading books, surfing the internet or lying in the bath, I shall be sat here with mountains of hand cream on and my white gloves. Pretty attractive, I'm sure you'll agree...(please be aware that I was giggling hysterically whilst Rob took this picture)



I hope no one rings the doorbell.

32 comments:

julia said...

Hhhmmmmm, something slightly surgical about those gloves!
I can definitely confirm that you are doing EVERYTHING right in the cafe, it's a fab place, only wish the budget would allow a daily visit (actually that wouldn't be very good for the expanding waistline either!)
Enjoy your evening, chicken and all!
Julia xx

April said...

Sexy Gloves sweetie! However I can vouch for the fact that hand cream under cotton gloves works a treat!

So glad everything is going well for you - wish i could come visit!

April xx

Lynn said...

If the café thing doesn't work out, you can become a mime. (I feel your pain on the yucky-hand thing -- we massage therapists spend a lot of time washing our hands in HOT water, and wintertime is brutal!)

JuliaB said...

ooh! very glam. I do feel for your sore hands though. Lush do some lovely rich creme's which might help. x

French Nanny said...

You could try Udder Cream. It is used a lot by cross-stitchers in the US. It is used to prevent cow's teats becoming sore and is therefore food grade. Use the white, not the yellow. I get mine from a local Country store, but you could order it through your Vet.

Summer by the sea said...

Hi Anna - your Sunday sounds just like mine - I have ironed a few essentials (school uniform for the boys) and nothing more, I have cleaned the bathroom (in a fashion) and have done my shopping online at tesco.com. I run my own business and I know what you mean about Sunday night jitters, you wonder what the week will have in store for you - so much more exciting than a 9-5 job don't you think! - Natalie x

The List Writer said...

I admit that I have sometimes put my handcream on, put gloves on over the top and then gone to sleep in them.

G highly alarmed to wake and see me with slightly sinister-yet-greasy gloves on my hands at 6:30am, but my hands would have won awards they were so soft!

Rob's a tolerant chap - I'd give it a go if I were you ;o)

N. xxx

pinkgreen said...

Very fetching! The toblerone cookies look fab. I may even get to try one this week (fingers crossed). I'll be popping in soon I promise. It certainly sounds like you are doing everything right. I still find Sundays funny even when I'm not working - old habits die hard!
Cathy XX

Ali said...

My hands are grim in winter - Neutrogena Extra strength is my saviour. If it works for Norwegian fishermen....

And Waitrose had a special on Toblerone when I did my shop earlier - I see some very similar cookies in my future. Though I'd much prefer to come to your cafe and eat them there!

Anonymous said...

ironing - check, school lunch - check, washing up done - check. Sundays are just not days of rest anymore lol. I love the smell of tomatoes off the vine too.
lisa x

Victoria - Florence and Mary said...

I still call them school nights too!

If those cookies taste as good as they look I'm sure they'll be a success

Victoria x

Lisa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lisa said...

Oh you naughty girl, putting the words toblerone and cookie together then showing us a photo, too tempting! Heaven on a plate.
Take care
Lisa x

Petticoat Lane said...

Now, you sitting there with Udder Cream on under your white cotton gloves is something I'd LOVE to see!!!
Now, if it's a more fun and interesting way to lose weight that going to the gym can I please put my name down for a Saturday job? But only if you promise not to display any of those delicious looking cakes and cookies that live under the glass domes!! That would defeat the object!

Gina said...

I neglect my hands too - always washing them and they have red dye on my fingers at the moment - might have to try the white gloves! Cookies look good!

Kitty said...

You could pretend you are the butler? Or are polishing the brass? My grandma always wore gloves like that to polish her brass and copper stuff. Gosh -I hadn't thought about that in years.

Hope the gloves did the trick, anyway! x

mollycupcakes said...

Who says that hands that do dish can feel soft as your face lol ha! rubbish. I hope the hand cream and glove idea works sweetie, you do look a little like a magician lol and for my next trick, I will make these yummy cookies disappear, pif, puff, poff gone! lol
Gorgeous toms from your plant fabulous colours.
Hope you've woken without the Monday morning feeling today, sending you happy, happy thoughts for the whole week.
Many hugs sweet girl.
Catherine x

dragonfly said...

I have been known to do the white cotton glove trick too...a pair is hidden in my bedside drawer for such emergencies!

Those cookies look divine, btw...

Mrs Moog said...

Ooh those Toblerone cookies look gorgeous.....drooling over the keyboard here!

The gloves thing works for feet too...well, not gloves exactly but cotton socks and loads of cream.....now there's a look for bedtime - gloves and socks. Very sexy ;)

xxx

Fancy Elastic said...

Good idea with the gloves. I might try that... they look pretty cool too! Your cookies look scruptious too. Keep up the good work, it is clearly working a treat.
x

P. said...

Those cakes look yammy. Toblerone in cakes, such wonderful idea.

Alfazema

Anonymous said...

Oh Anna you are too damn cute for words in that photo!!
Hope you manage to find a good work/life balance somewhere on the horizon, I can only begin to imagine how much work the cafe must be. In the nicest possible way of course, but you do sound sooo busy. Don't get yourself burnt out hun.

The cookies look scrumdiddlyumptious. I am wishing for the umpteenth time that I lived near you dear Anna!
xxxxxx

Janette said...

oh I so wish I lived near enough to come to your cafe on my day off - but alas a proper planned trip it will have one day to be. That school night feeling - I don't really think it ever goes away really but how lovely it must be to have your own cafe especially a cafe that serves such lovely biscuits.

Keep on with the handcream and gloves i'm sure your hands will be supersoft again soon.

Janette

Ragged Roses said...

Hmmm now that last image is slightly worrying ...!!!
I wish you would try and stop worrying, eat some of those cookies and enjoy the feeling of being a success. You deserve it.
I love the smell of tomatoes too, even more with some basil on the side!
How was it at stupid 'o' clock this morning?
Kimx
I still get that Sunday evening feeling too, I don;t think it;s going to stop either

tess said...

those cookies look fantastic Anna, I agree with ragged roses, eat one right now to disolve your worries! love the tale of the handcream, it certainly works, and have you tried putting handcream on under your rubber gloves when you are washing up? the warm water makes it soak in really well.

prettyshabby said...

I have horrid rough man-hands with dirt that never ever seems to come out from my job..I think I need to get me some white gloves too and a gallon of hand cream..sharpish!..
mmmm..lovely.. I can smell those tomatoes..but the toblerone biscuits look yummier! x

dottycookie said...

Gorgeous looking cookies and tomatoes - mine got blight, grrrr.

And I do believe you have betrayed your Four Weddings obsession again ;-)

Neutrogena hand cream worked wonders on my hands when they cracked open after endless washings when the kids were tiny ... say no more!

Miss sew n sew said...

I can reccommend Loccitane Shea Butter hand cream for that it's really good stuff!!
The cookies look sooo good I don't know how you don't resist scoffing them all I would be no good I've such a sweet tooth!
Sarahx

moss stitch said...

Reading all these replies and the mental pictures of you are .....errr.....extremely funny!!
I too suffer from dry hands - I just can't wear gloves when glazing - yep really bad!
The chemist said to use E45 cream and not any others - I told her I was using Dove!! Have to say, very greasy but lovely the next day. I hasten to add I haven't done the white gloves tho....!
I am slobbering over the thought of toblerone cookies...hmmmm

Tracy said...

Oh, yes, cream and wearing those gloves overnight--you'll have soft hands! Cotton gloves aren't always easy to find nowadays in shops, mostly online--thankgoodness. Sundays are the best day of the week...but come Sunday evening, there's definitely a sulky moment at our house when we realize Monday is just around the corner and back to the usual--LOL! Those cookies look sooo good...Happy Days ((HUGS))

Things Hand Made said...

I love the hand cream from Crabtree and Evelyn. Its v. expensive but good for intensive hands. Nice gloves, you could umpire a snooker match in your spare time!

monda-loves said...

my hands always crack at this time of year, so last night I went for the Michael Jackson-esque white gloves and some body shop almond oil hand cream. I did feel pretty silly going to bed wearing gloves, but I'm going to do it again tonight as I hate having cracked up hands - it's just no good for sewing.

Those cookies look fab. mmm. cookies.

Monda
x