Progress report - on Several Fronts.

Hello there Everyone:

Cy Bear back again, having "dictated" this post to Isobel - so she can type it from "up the road", where she has been house- and pet-sitting since Thursday of last week.  She's been in and out during morning hours each day since, because of the need to finish the crab-apple processing and other community related matters, and she's due to be doing the same until Wednesday morning next week.

For explanation of this "progress" - see below

First of all, despite the heading here,  there's not been that much progress on the Baby Foxes/BabyMobile project, because of the distraction of the Paralympics from Rio de Janeiro this week (and that is likely to be the case for the next week because the Games will be on-going until the week-end).  Isobel will be busy next week-end, because it's Clare's birthday on Saturday, Philippa is coming up on the Friday evening, and we'll be busy playing with GrandsonE on Saturday.  Then we're both leaving Nottinghamshire on Sunday for a few days holiday in Devon. (So, once again, we repeat - NO BLOG POST next week - but do come back to check:  Isobel has been known to change her mind - or something else may  have occurred.  The computer is going with her!)

Secondly, the Crab Apple Butter production line was successfully concluded on Friday afternoon, with the apples shown in this picture in last week's blog post being converted into the finished item. 

Picked crab apples waiting to be processed

It's been cool enough in the flat to keep the apples from rotting too much, and in the end, our friendly gardeners actually provided Isobel with 3.5 kilos (something like 6-7 lbs - Isobel doesn't have her usual metric converter to hand at Clare's home).  The final result is 11 similar sized, but different shaped jars, and two small jars - plus a little left over so that Isobel could take some around to near neighbours - for taste-testing!!  We've had the impression that some of our friends here at Old Chapel Close  were a little wary of a Fruit Butter!!  We felt that some independent tasting reports might render the future sale of the items more likely!!!

Then on Wednesday morning, just before she left to do some shopping for the week, we had an order - for our Badger Stripe Slippers.  

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/158936304/unisex-novelty-slippers-badger-stripe?ref=shop_home_active_1

They have been commissioned by one MrMW from San Francisco and as they are made to measure, (as are all of our Novelty Slippers - whether for Gentlemen, Ladies or Children). the actual construction of this gentleman's slippers will commence once Isobel gets back from Devon after September 26.  (This is OK with our customer).  The one's pictured in our listing are a size smaller than MrMW's actual requirement.  He merely requests they look as near as possible like the example given.  As ever, we'll do our best to do so!

Then, in the afternoon of the same day, we found another order (the first time we've had two in one day) - and both for one of our higher-priced items, too!.  This time, it was from a lady who wondered if it would be possible for us to send her one of our Winston Wombat 3-Way Bed Pillows. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/99230084/winston-wombat-3-way-bed-pillow-pajama?ref=shop_home_active_1

There was a potential snag though because she needed to have one of them by Saturday (yesterday) for her son's birthday.  After an exchange of messages on the Etsy convo system, we discovered she was in London, so it would be possible for us to do it - but we would be taking a risk in following it up.   Royal Mail does a next-day service which guarantees delivery by 1300 hours the day after an item is posted (the cost of which would be covered by the postal charge).  MsNW then wanted to know if we could get Winston Wombat to her on the Friday, as she had arranged to be away on the Saturday for her son's celebrations.  We managed to do so - even though we actually hadn't received the funds in Isobel's local bank account - although Etsy had done so, because that's the way the purchasing system works.  (One disadvantage of  BST (British Summer Time) being 4 hours ahead of  EST - Eastern Standard Time - which is the time zone Etsy operates within!)

Remember, Isobel is supposed to be residing up the road - and the two Winstons and all our packaging materials are firmly ensconced here at home!  The speed of the operation meant that we were unable to offer the usual "Cuddlies Catwalk" session - giving the customer the chance to choose exactly which of the Cuddlies she would like - so we decided to send the one on the right of this picture.

Before he was wrapped up, we took some pics - and this is Winston Wombat Right before he was prepared for the journey:

The photograph at the beginning of this post, is one of our traditional Farewell Photos with me, as Mascot to the Coldham Cuddlies Shop.  Then Isobel took the photograph beneath - just to show how long a Winston Wombat is - compared with me sitting in my usual spot on the bed.  My right arm is between the back of Winston's head with his tail behind my "wrist". (He looks a little crooked, because of the angle of the pillow on which we are both resting!)

Once he was fully wrapped, he was put in a polythene postal envelope and Isobel got on the next  'bus into Kirkby town centre, and he was dispatched at just before 1100 on Thursday morning.  Because the paperwork for this transaction is all here at home with me (and Isobel is not!) we cannot check whether it did arrive so we'll have to wait until Monday when we hope to hear from MsNW to see if Winston did meet the important deadline, and whether his intended Forever Friend and he are happy with each other. Am afraid, you'll all have to wait to hear in the next installment!.

Until then - hope you all have a great week or two.  The weather here is lovely at the moment, with late summer sunshine to the fore.  Long may it continue!  See you all when I next see you!

Your friend, 

Cy Bear.