Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A walk in my shoes....

Evening all,

Some people say what they love about blog is my honesty....the beautiful Lisa from Monaco Cupcakes (@monacocupcakes) told me she loves it because she recognizes so much of herself in it as a small business owner...she told me that I express how a lot of SME business owners feel but wouldn't say aloud....on Twitter she promotes my blogs with the hashtag "#walkinmyshoes ".....that's quite a compliment in my shoes........

 Since I started writing in March the blog has reflected my own state of mind...I've noticed that some people who read at the beginning & identified with my anxiety & applauded my honesty seem to withdraw when the blogs become more positive....I've had some senior people, gainfully employed say that they too identified with much of it especially when the going got tough....I think my siblings now know me in a way they didn't before...



I hope the blog has made you smile, I hope if like Lisa  & you are a small business owner, it made you feel that you are not alone.I also hope that like me you had some real highs during the year.....well done to all of us who have kept the pulse of small business beating, with our energy, our tenacity, our creativity....

Next year is shaping up to being a good year, there is a good vibe out there on the ground.....I intend to achieve great things for The Delicious Food Co.....

Just don't expect to see any of us til the start of Jan 2014, we will all be recharging our batteries, lying low....

"Will you have a Baileys with your breakfast love....?"

Ooooooh yes please !

Merry Christmas

Shirley x

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Chilli con Carne....Mr Delicious Style....

Evening All

This time two weeks it will be Christmas Eve, my house will be full of our close friend from college & their kids, who will pop in for a festive drink & a bowl of Mr Delicious' famous Chilli con Carne. The chilli thing started as a joke when we first started this festive gig many years ago, as chilli  was the food offering at every party we ever had from the student years....until....well until 4EVR.

 However just like our friends kids, who used to drink juice, but now drink wine & beer....the chilli has all grown up.....
Now its diced beef, marinated for days...with cinamon, chillis, brown sugar & very dark chocolate....each grain of rice is hand picked by Mr Delicious to see if it makes the grade for this special gathering.Without a doubt those few hours on Christmas Eve are my favourite time of the year, every year.

On one level I'm winding down for Christmas, my head is..thinking presents for the kids, getting the house ready....I have grand ideas about having it all painted by Christmas, I even sanded down the bathroom door on my way to bed last night ...as you do..
....prep, prep, prep....

On the other hand, my head is in overdrive planning for next year & The Delicious Food Co.When we re branded the company last year there was a three year plan....at the end of the three years there would be a big payoff....I'm not quite sure if we are in year one of two at the moment.....Did year one start when we first went on sale in shops which was March 2012 or did it start when we first took delivery for our fab & funky labels last December.....

One of the great things about being the boss is that I get to call the shots and so, whilst some might suggest it's kinda cooking the books, I've decided to officially declare that on 31 December 2013 The Delicious Food Co will celebrate it's first full years trading & as we pop those champagne corks on New Years Eve, it will be with some relief that I kiss goodbye to 2013....& rock on in to 2014.



Shirley
x



Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Free falling towards Christmas & 2014




Evening All,

The last week in November was a tough one in many, many ways....but once 1st December kicks in & Xmas FM  starts broadcasting, deliciously, from the radio, there is only one thing on my mind & that is the last day for deliveries before  to Christmas and the break until we are back on 1st January...


Over the past few years, there have been some great  years & some  incredibly tough ones....it's ironic that this year despite being our most successful so far.....it's been one of the toughest.We have all worked our butts off....& now we are spent  & tired...our batteries are empty..... We have produced, labelled & delivered over 65,000 Delicious Food Co salads & sandwiches & another 40,000 for clients under their own brand. We have catered for over 2,000 diners @ corporate lunches in different locations.... god knows how many sandwich platters we've made & delivered...all done by just four of us from a 500sq ft kitchen & a small Ford van.

I'm proud as punch.

My head has been all over the place this year as I've had to deal with stuff I never signed up for...
The move from my lovely office to home has not resulted in a more chilled me, the yoga thing never quite took off & as for munching on raw carrots & jogging down the canal between closing deals...maybe next year.

The next three weeks will be dominated by whether clients pay us or not...an overdue payment from a significant client may or may not come in ....they can't confirm...emails are not been answered...that leaves me in the same position with my suppliers...if the money owed to me is paid ...happy days...for us & our suppliers... if not...well let's not go there ..yet....I want everybody  paid before Christmas...& I'm going to to make it happen....

My brother called me yesterday, he reads endless "self help" books and has a deeply philosophical view on life, as well as an amazing house, a big job  a beautiful wife & four fab kids.... (ya see they do work....those books)
He suggested that "we"......meaning me of course, get into a different head space for next year, to celebrate the highs & focus on the positives, of which there have been so many for Mr Delicious & me.

So that's what I'm going to do...I'm going to stand on the diving board, side by side with Tom Daley, remove the demons from inside my head....and dive head first,  flawlessly, splendidly into 2014 ...




FREE.....


Shirley x



Sunday, November 24, 2013

A Happy Life.....

Evening all,


Yesterday was Mr Delicious birthday and he celebrated by staying in his PJ's all day & watching telly....he was also nursing one hell of a sore head after a wonderful evening with our friends Fiona & Tom who cooked us a fabulous Indian dinner.

Mr Delicious works far too hard. He's up & gone before 5.30 everyday, collecting the bread from The Bretzel & Arun bakeries for our wonderful sandwiches & he's often not home til late.This evening as I cooked my third Sunday roast dinner EVR, I noted that it's been quite a while since he's cooked a dinner at home at all. We have been catering for lunch almost continually for the last month out in UCD, so dinners chez nous has been a selection of delicious leftovers from VIP lunches....Asian Salmon....Guinness Beef Stews, Pepper Pot Beef...Plum Chicken....a choice of two each evening....

You really cannot believe how totally unappetising another leftover catering dish can be after a while. So last night despite a choice of Thai Chicken Curry or Salmon Steaks, when I suggested a "fish & chip" supper Mr Delicious was more excited than had I suggested dinner in Chapter One.....

There is nothing quite like a chip supper, a soft egg, a glass of milk & some white bread, for a lazy day & a hangover...

We had decided to defer the birthday celebrations to today, which involved him going to work early, whilst I printed out endless labels...him coming home to watch the rugby , then going back to work to make sure everything was done & lock up.....My roast dinner was a triumph...given that I did it all by myself......(I told you I can't cook.)...my cauliflower cheese would have given my mother's quite a run for her money...

The kids made a delicious birthday cake...& as he blew out the candles they said ..........."make a wish"....." to be rich" came the chorus from the little darlings....and without a moments hesitation Mr Delicious replied..
"I am rich"

You know something he's right, being rich is not just about the bank balance, it's about quality of life, having fun.....family & friends....but I can't help thinking that an improvement in the bank balance would make life a lot more fun.....& that's the challenge for next year....more focus, more clients, more money,
& lots, lots more fun,,,


What constitutes a happy life?
Enough money to meet your needs
steady work
a comfortable fire
a clear distance from law
a minimum of city business
a peaceful mind and a healthy body
simple wisdom and firm friends
enjoyable dinners and plain living
nights free from care
a virtuous wife who’s not a prude
enough sleep to make the darkness short
contentment with the life you have,
avoiding the sneer, the poisoned sigh;
no fear of death
and no desire to die.
(A Happy Life by Brendan Kinneally)

Have a great week.

Shirley xx

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Getting my priorities right...at last....(Stick with me on thisone 'til the end)

Evening all,

Last week I had a quick review of my blogs & recognised some key trends...Mr Delicious..stress..the van....fear...sleepless nights...The Delicious Food Co brand........cash flow.....my house... I pondered how much, if anything I had managed to change....


I know I promised to give up making deliveries & we are working on that at the moment...Web site & social media are being addressed. Already up to end of October we have exceeded last years total sales by 10%. We have stopped to draw breath & are working with the fabulous Johan van de Merwe (www.foodstyle.ie) on tweaking our salad range to introduce bigger, bolder flavours....

With sales up cash flow has improved & I have slept well for two full weeks....now ain't that something....

In my blog," Harry this one's for you"....I said my life is dominated by the highs & lows of my business...that I need to reduce it's dominance in my life....I think I may be achieving that too.

On Wednesday I was due to showcase my gorgeous salads & sandwiches at a food fair for Irish producers in Fresh in Grand Canal Dock...I love the Fresh team:; from day one they have been so supportive of our business, not just in terms of sales but with advice & encouragement. Mr Delicious & Johan had produced a fab new range of salads to launch at the food fair. At 3.30pm, as I headed to Smithfield to pick the food from the kitchen I got a text from my brother to say a beloved aunt who was in hospital had taken a turn for the worst & had little time left.My first thought was that I couldn't let the Fresh client down...I'd go to the fair, display my wares, leave early, leg it to Drogheda, hopefully before it was too late.

But as I drove down the quays it slowly dawned on me that the nearer I got to Smithfield the nearer I was Drogheda....and so I did something I don't think I would have done a year ago. I called the client in Fresh & explained what was happening....he told me to forget the food fair & go to what was important ...my aunt in hospital... and so I bypassed my kitchen & headed in my little van straight to the MI to be with Rose....

When I got there Rose was in an agitated coma, I stayed with her alone after the family had left until after 2.30am...I sang to her, I prayed with her & I reminisced about my childhood that she was so much part of with her.....all the while she held my hand tightly. At 2am the nurses came in to change her medication & they had to prize her fingers from my hand. When I returned to the room she was finally in a deep peaceful sleep'

Rose died peacefully this morning and I have no regrets. On Wednesday with the blessing of the client I did the right thing....and those hours I had with Rose will stay with me always....

I will do a food tasting in Fresh next week....and I have little doubt that my aunt Rose & my dad (the ultimate in plain country grubbers...) will be looking down at me from heaven as I entice my customers to taste my "Roasted Beetroot & Puy Lentil Salad" or "Lemon Chicken & Couscous Salad with Pistachios" and they will howl with laughter....saying "God bless our Shirley...she always did have notions of grandeur..., sure that's not food she's serving down there...at all, at all "

RIP

Shirley x

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

My Emotional Rollercoaster...



Evening all,



By now you should know, if you've been paying attention, that The Delicious Food Co make mini salad pots/salad bowls & preservative free & spelt sandwiches for the retail trade...We do lots of other stuff, but one thing at a time...as I said before I hope  we are going to be friends , and I'd like you to get to know me slowly..one product range & skill at a time.


The day of a food producer starts with deliveries. I start my day in SPAR Merrion Row, it's a lovely posh SPAR, black shiny marble floor, gold logo...ambitious owner...busy, busy, busy. I have a great position there, two shelves in the front fridge, always sell well there. Next it's off to Mount St (another shiny SPAR) where we sell well. It's as I head off to Barrow St, that the nerves start to kick in...as I unload the van with my box of salads & head for the store, my heart starts pumping...boom, boom, boom faster, faster...I enter, take a deep breathe & confront my fear....yes, yes, yes...my shelf is empty, I've sold well. This is one of those stores that performs erratically. They are an all or nothing crowd in Barrow St...I blame Google all that free food.


The trouble for me is that when sales are slow it's  MY brand that hasn't sold. It feels personal, all those deep rooted rejection issues, crawling to the surface.....was it the "Herbed Chickpea Salad" they rejected...or was it ME....my gorgeous funny brand of lovely produce made with such care & love.

And so it continues Fresh Grand Canal, unload van, head for the store....deep breaths...remember that stuff I read about mindfulness, live in the moment....enter the store...be confident, smile at everyone...this one's not so easy, cos I gotta get past the coffee dock, head high & prepare myself....and there I am, The Delicious Food Co, proud as punch, almost sold out...my shelves waiting to be replenished ...which I do..with all the love of a mother, in the front row of a toddler & tiara competition watching her offspring moulded by her, crowned ....queen of the shelves..



I deliver to 15 shops every day (& growing)...so my emotional roller coaster needs managing.

Mindfulness that's what I'll do...live in the moment...accept rejection if & when it happens...lift one of those unsold salad pots,caress it, absorb the sounds of the store, breathe in... breathe out... slowly, live in that moment of rejection & replenish with new stock,then... hop in my van & leg it to my next store to feel the love.



Shirley x

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Bless me Father, for I have sinned (I'm a social media cripple....)

Evening all,

Social media...it's all the rage these days...ain't it..?

A savvy social media manipulator, will have potential customers gagging for their service or product, even before they launch.....they will appear in every weekend supplement...be reviewed to death.... will become the "go to" commentator for every soundbite....become shining examples of how to achieve success in a recession....

Suddenly it won't be enough to know about their product/ service but we will need to see what their living room looks like....as they beam from a double page spread & explain why they love the eclectic mix of vintage furniture with uber modern pieces....and we will all think "wow"...and wonder why we threw out that disgusting sofa...when it looks so good in the savvy social media manipulators pad.....
Facebook/Twitter/ Linkedin/ Blogging..I do them all, but with the exception of blogging, I do them all badly...I'm the ultimate social media cripple...I don't even have a website for God's sake...& that, these days dear reader is the ultimate sin against business & humanity....
It's time to sort this out..it's time to get The Delicious Food Co media profile rocking & rolling....it's time to generate interest..among the great unwashed...those who've never heard of us, never mind tasted us....We want our potential customers to want us as much as any teenage girl wants Harry Styles....

So I'm going to make some changes...I'm going to get my website up & running ....my Twitter a/c (@deliciousnews) will talk more food...less dog..I'm going to work out how to post & paste stuff on Facebook...I'm going to embrace this social media thing...I'm gonna make you "like"me... make you want me...

And before you know it, it might well be me, beaming at you on Sunday morning from my living room spread, telling you how my fabulous living room look was put together, on a shoestring, using furniture that savvy me found in skips that I simply repainted & upholstered....

Now ain't I amazing......

Shirley

x

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Worn Out.....

Evening all,

I haven't blogged about business for a bit...personal life just got the the way..the juxta position of fabulous birthday celebrations full of good wishes, love, great pressies, a fab party & having to deal with a rotten bunch of life's frauds, masquerading as good honest people....

I'm worn out.....tired & stressed.

Business has been great...very busy., but with the same old, same old cash flow issues...I'm finding it hard to get the motivation to keep going....if I won the lottery tomorrow I wouldn't turn up on Thursday...I'd stay at home, make my house beautiful, walk the dog & make lovely home cooked meals for my family....I've never wanted that life for myself....until now...

Today being a Muslim feast our amazing staff were off celebrating their culture...Mr Delicious went into work at 4am & got home at 7pm...albeit to a clean house, a home cooked stew & a world champion qualifying footie match on the telly...is there anything else a man needs....

Tomorrow we on top of the usual deliveries we are catering for a lunch for 50 in an office canteen with no cooking facilities at 12 sharp. My client sent me the menu choice for the lunch (non negotiable)

"Option 1.Asian Salmon or Spinach or Ricotta Tortellini in Tomato Sauce
Option 2. Winter Beef Stew or Chicken wrapped in Parma Ham
served with baby potatoes & seasonal vegetables"

"That's four options", I said in dismay ..."No just the two"...she smiled powerfully...."Option 1 & Option 2"
I'm exhausted at the thoughts of getting it all from my kitchen to the venue, keeping it hot & getting everybody fed in the alotted one hour....but it will be done....& I promise there won't be a hint of how tired or stressed this hostess is...not this time anyway

Nite x






Sunday, October 6, 2013

Harry ...This ones for you.

Evening all,

Last night I had the best party of my life.It was my birthday & I've just moved into a new decade & celebrated by hosting a big Disco Inferno party for 100 of my close friends & family in The fabulous Odeon Bar It was a super night, great food (of course) & a dance floor that was jammers all night.

The move to a new decade is always a reflective time as we look at what we have achieved to date & look forward to what we hope to achieve in the next.

I often think that I'm an under achiever, that I haven't reached my full potential.....that I should have done that by now. My life is dominated by the highs & lows of my business... last night as the crowd gathered around & sang happy birthday to me, I realised how much I have achieved...how proud I am of those achievements...the family I have, the friends I have, the life I have.

Sure it's tough as the cash  ebbs & flows...it's hard to always stay positive..to see the bigger picture.

So with the big birthday celebrations out of the way..it's back to the beast that dominates my life....time to focus & get that final box ticked...successful business(woman) ..tick....it's also time to acknowledge that its dominance in my life needs to be reduced....the constant worry, isn't going to achieve anything.

Last night as I danced with one of my old college friends, Harry, who I don't see often enough, he told me in his broad Limerick accent that
he loves my blog. He said he loves when he sees a new post, he says its "so me".... he wondered what it sounded like to someone who hasn't met me

I hope that you are enjoying the blog too..Maybe some day you will buy a Delicious Food Co, salad or sandwich, read my daily musing, that you will enjoy it...and then, in a funny way..I think that you too, will have finally met me..

Have a great week.


Shirley x



Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Power of Association...

Evening All,

Last week the manager in one of my stores approached me and told me I had left my delivery docket book
on top of the fridge in her store the previous day.. Damn, I thought as she handed it back to me...the daily delivery/invoice book will give somebody a really good snapshot of my business....who my clients are, how much they are ordering from me & for how much....it's like your neighbour opening your bank statement in error & handing it back...you just know they've probably had a peek

As the manager handed me back the book, I felt she was looking at me strangely, she then told me to go ahead with a price increase I'd been looking for, it was fine, no problem... in fact the product was most likely under priced anyway..great little products selling well....delighted to stock us & support us ...

I got back into the van, still somewhat unnerved by the new interest....and then the penny dropped...a quick look at the missing sales book revealed quite a story....there were a number of not only impressive sales, but some impressive clients...we had delivered to over 30 clients in 2 days....the manager who saw me daily but seldom acknowledged me, has suddenly seen me in a new light....

This little food producer has gained a new respect simply by the company she keeps, or should I say.. the companies that keep her...

oooh...I think....I'll leaving my docket book on top of a few more fridges...

Work it Shirley, work it......

x

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Men in white coats..they're coming to take me away....

Evening all,

Yesterday as I filled the shelves in one of my shops the owner pulled me up for not wearing a white delivery coat....so 18 months after I first started  delivering to shops, this morning I rolled up in my white van decked out in an over sized mans white delivery jacket....box ticked... client happy...

......but I feel demoted..


I've been put in my box..the client sees me as a mere delivery guy, not the owner or the boss...(I did text to ask if he had any special requirements as to what I should wear underneath, but it would seem I can wear what I like under my white delivery coat)....no further special requests from this customer on this occasion....

I've learnt my lesson, I need a driver who isn't me to deliver my products whilst I get on with growing the business & looking like the boss.....I can't do both...there just aren't enough hours in the day...So, no more van deliveries for me, no more white coats...this little food producer is going to up her game, slip into some designer jackets & jeans, nip around the city, winning accounts, making sure customers are happy....doing what ever it takes.....

Anything that is, except wear a white delivery coat !

Bon soir.

Shirley x








Sunday, September 15, 2013

Hitting a wall ..getting over it


Evening all,

If you read my blog last week, you may have picked up that this little blogger was running out of steam. Yesterday I thought about deleting the post, "Small business Edge of (in)Sanity"...had I revealed too much about myself ...had it become too me, me, me all about me... nobody wants to read that do they....

However, that's how I felt, over whelmed, temporarily scared for the future...and this blog is about being a small business owner and those emotions are very  real...for all of us....so the blog stays..and we now know that it ain't all fun & games..and that possibly the more successful our businesses become..the more we fear what we have to lose...

I spent the weekend in that state of anxiety...Yesterday "Yelp" invited me to a blind tasting dinner..six courses cooked by Michelin star chef in Pacino's in October. I haven't met the Yelp team yet, but I am touched & excited by the invite...we will be blindfolded for the tasting...that is so up my street in terms of experiences...I have been invited because I am a food blogger...ME ! invited to something so exciting on the back of my blog...

So I'm back in the game...last week was a blip, I hit a wall that I wasn't sure I could climb over.Tonight  I'm at the top of that wall & I'm about to clamber over it...I still have to complete the rest of the assault course, but I'm physically fit, I just have to stay mentally fit....that's the challenge... it's all about what's in my head.... thinking big....believing in myself...my business,  the fabulous....The Delicious Food Co.

Big birthday next week...be positive, be strong....Dancing Queen...

Shirley
x

Friday, September 13, 2013

Small business...the Edge of (in)Sanity




Evening All,

After a few really positive months, with one good thing after another happening, it only took a little thing to send my spirit plummeting downwards. I've told you about the problems with managing cash flow & we are finally getting on top of it. Most of my clients are paying within 60 days & the bigger ones pay earlier.I know the pattern, what big payments I'll receive in week 1,2,3 & 4 of the month, and I manage our outgoings accordingly.

Last weeks big payment due on Wed for week 1 hadn't been paid by Friday, when I called accounts, I was told "oh sorry I forgot...I'll do it now.." too late for Fridays standing orders and to pay myself & Mr Delicious for last week. On Tuesday I picked up big payment for week 2, when I opened the envelope there were two cheques, one was post dated.for week 3.. I kid thee not... I cried.....another week of stress...trying to get money in from other clients 

Suddenly everything was a problem, the amount of time I spend in the van, the lack of space in fridges in my shops,the time that staff  start at in the morning, the state of my house...I was in a big black hole.

By Thursday lunch time I had covered off the second post dated cheque, with two payments from other clients and the client who had post dated it changed the date so I can lodge it today, so technically we are ahead of where I thought I'd be at the end of this week.
 Problem solved!

But it's not....I'm shook by how easily the negativity & fear took over, I'm worrying about next weeks big payment and how that will effect everything...I'm worrying about the week after....and that's a big one for me because it's my birthday....a significant one..which I will be celebrating with a big DISCO themed party.

I've taken tomorrow off, I will clean my house, I'll make some sales calls, I'm going to the Dublin Fringe Fest, a big love of mine with some friends....I need to get my mojo back and I need it quickly.

I need it for my business, I need it for my family & most of all I need it for me..

cos I am after all..the Dancing Queen, youung & sweet only 17 Oh yeah !

Shirley x

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

First the good news...then the bad news

Evening all,

Today I got a call from my Google client...did you hear that...yes Google....Google is quickly moving up the leader board to become my biggest client. Soon Mr Big might not be so big...but Mr Big calls the shots & with corporate clients you are just never sure, decisions can be made way above my direct contact, that can mean that suddenly one can find themselves surplus to requirements....so like the alcoholic, we take the business one day at a time...

I told you business has been really good of late & with the audit out of the way, my focus is on getting more sales in. But already we are totally stretched, we need two more tables in the kitchen & one or two more people to get our product out. Today we had to prepare 10 individual salads for a meeting tomorrow for a client who will be taking 80 kilos of salads each week, as well as the individual salad bowls....

Today as I tottered around Tesco buying fruit for the rider,( which we are sponsoring) for BRIEFS , a camp cirque du soleil show which is running as part of Dublin Fringe Festival, my phone rings...Mr VIP client is on the line...

"hey Shirley...you know the salad pots I'm getting from you every day....how would you be fixed if we tripled our order....from Monday"..."that wouldn't be a problem" I say confidently...yet totting up the additional hours of labour in my head

....I call Mr Delicious, to break the news..."I've got some good news & I've got some bad news"...He groans..."gimme the bad first...." "Mr VIP wants an extra 60 salads per day starting Monday" oh dear he moans..".and the good news is ?" ....."Mr VIP wants an additional 60 salads per day from Monday....".

Them's  growing pains for you...



Shirley x




Friday, August 30, 2013

Dear God, just let me pass....

Evening all,

This was a big week for us at The Delicious Food Co. Each year one of our clients, Compass plc audit all their suppliers to ensure the quality & safety of their food operations...The email announcing that my audit is due is without a doubt the most terrifying email I receive each year.

The audit is NOT for the fainthearted. A scope for the audit 32 pages long is attached to the email...dates are required so that flights can be booked for the auditor....who comes over from UK.

My auditor last year was formerly head of QC for Marks & Spencer..do I need to say more.....

I try to ignore the email for as long as possible, adding it to the list of things that keep me awake at night...then with a burst of courage I email them  asking if they have a date for me, pretending that I have already responded ...once that's done there is no going back....flights are booked and I start frantically going over every record making sure everything is in place & up to date....product spec, packaging specs, calibration, water certificates, HACCP....

Each year I pray to God that I pass...failure means an automatic delisting, a loss of business & the stigma that goes with it...

On Wednesday afternoon in the final throws of the prep, I thought it would be a good time to give my house a deep clean....I'm not sure what part of my brain does that.... but some how I felt that going to bed in crisp clean sheets & waking up in a pristine bedroom...would help me pass....the 100's of data sheets needed to be filed....could wait.

Bed at 1.30am & up at 5.30... I gathered the files doing a final check that I had everything, tick, tick,tick...

Phone call comes announcing the arrival of the auditor, she's in the building....heart racing I go to meet her, like a lamb to the slaughter, my HACCP folders in my  trembling hands....but there was no need for the fear....she was lovely....my food operation is in good shape...each item on the scope was covered off by us...She said we were a credit to ourselves we should be very proud ..

Then the final analysis...

....not only did we pass....but The Delicious Food Co is an A grade Compass supplier.

Whoopie !

Shirley x.




Sunday, August 25, 2013

Banking on success.....

Evening all,

Last time I wrote about the stresses of having a small business...the sleepless nights...the worry about cash flow. I told you then that the monthly invoice for one of my biggest clients, which is usually paid within days of receipt by the totally reliable D. was met with an "out of office until 26th August" reply was to be paid by the finance director......twice he told me last week it was being "paid today"...yet by Friday the money still hadn't reached our account...disaster....

I called Mr Big to see if he could make an early payment, but he wasn't in Dublin to sign a cheque but told me he'd sort it on Monday...and I have to say the man never ceases to surprise me...I know by tomorrow I'll have a cheque....that plus D being back from holidays, with another 10 days catering to be paid for, should mean that this week I may have a full nights sleep....( not to mention a fetching little number from the BT2 Autumn/Winter collection that I have my eye on...)

Last week a pitch I have been working on for a university campus paid off, and we are in there as the new salad supplier..this is our third big serious account win since May.....The Delicious Food Co is now in a different zone....

Buoyed on with this news I tentatively  rang the bank to see about extending our overdraft to facilitate the cash flow problems when they arise...somebody from the credit Dept would call m within a few days...they're very busy..blah, blah, blah...

Guess what..within an hour Trish called, she listened...she told me she could see the problems...there is a good flow of cash through the account...we've been in credit a few times during the year...(we were eh?)
she's popping the forms in the post...just fill 'em out & get them back to them....

Suddenly the questions about" how many dependents do you have?" on the application forms, no longer seems personal...this time I will fill out the forms with confidence.....I have a major quality audit this week..and although my horoscope in Sunday Times Style told me I am in for a a major shock this week...I am calm....it will take more than a dodgy horoscope to dampen my spirits at the moment...

So wish us luck ...and bring it on !

Shirley x



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Friday, August 16, 2013

Sleep....in my dreams

Evening All,

If ever there was a week that reflects what it is like to be a small business owner, then this has been it.
July was our best months sales ever,  yet somehow the cash still ain't flowing
as it should be & the pressure is as hard as ever. When cash flow gets tight, I stop sleeping. I'll wake up at 2.30 & churn figures over in my head, til Mr Delicious gets up at 5.00. On paper it looks good, we are owed more than we owe, we are l busy, the KPI's are looking good & I know there's oodles more business out there for us, if we want it.

To take on more business we need more staff, when cash flow is tight, fear creeps in & holds me back,
fear of not being able to pay the staff, pay suppliers, fear of not paying ourselves....

Then suddenly, things change, the client who hasn't paid me for May (never mind June/July), coughs up after an emotional call from me, pleading for payment, telling them that my kids need new shoes for school....I pick up the post to discover a client who never pays on time has sent in two cheques without me having to harass Pat in accounts...the invoices I sent on Monday to the totally reliable D, which was met with an automatic "out of office reply"...away til 26th August...noooooo...will be paid today.

Yesterday, to celebrate we did a supermarket shop, in Superquinn, no less...the cupboards at home are now full of food bought for us & not whats left over from the kitchen, school books can be purchased, new shoes  for for the kids will be bought ...

I've started actively looking for a new chef to bring our business forward...I've booked a date for my annual Compass audit for two weeks time...I will get my website up & running...I have about 14 days to to achieve all this...before the cash starts drying up again...the fear & sleepless nights, take over....

Then it will be the month end...cash will start coming in again....

Ground Hog day...here I come...

Shirley x

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Opus Dei..the secret lives of bloggers

Evening all,

Just home & what a fun night it was...I told you before I love blogging, such a totally wonderful narcissist endeavour...it's all about me ...kinda. But seriously if you think about it ...it's not really...it's about my life as a food producer at The Delicious Food Co, as if I am some sort of third person singular ...(remember your English grammar ).

Tonight I went to the launch of the blog awards in the pop up Glenisk shop on Dawson St. I went on my own as I left it too late to pick up a date.Three floors of like minded narcissists, all of us with our own personal accounts of what floats our boats, putting it out there for all the world to see...

As I walked through the doors alone, I felt as though I was entering some kind of fetish club on Abbey St, I've posted the blogs on line & now I want to take it further.....take it into the real world...what is out there when I open my mind....explain my thoughts to others bloggers.It seems many people know each from "the scene"...it's a mad & wonderful world...

Tonight  I met Steven who's been blogging for years,as Digital Times.ie (a tech blog), then there was Connor from a Social Media.ie who will write your blog for you, there was the teacher who writes "What's in my Brain" but doesn't know how to use Twitter & then there were my favs Ciana & Aoife March the most non identical twins I've ever met. Ciana blog is The Concrete Collar, a fashion & architecture blog, Aoife seems mad as the proverbial March hare...., I'm sure there is a blogger in her...

So tonight I learnt.that ...."I blog....therefore I am"...."we are all consenting adults"..the choice to indulge or not to indulge is a personal choice" bloggers like clients come in all shapes & sizes".............and if it ever becomes too much there's always ...Bloggers Anonymous

"Hi my name is Shirley & I'm a serial blogger"

Bon soir.

Shirley x

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Clients ...who needs them...Moi !

Evening all,

Clients are the life blood of all businesses. No clients...no business. You can have the best idea/product or service in the world but without clients to buy it ...you have nothing.

Clients are a real mixed bag of all life.They come in all shapes & sizes and I don't just mean physically.... There are serious clients, strict clients, fun clients....there are clients who can spot if a salad is an olive short without opening the packaging... and there are clients who don't care how many olives there are as long as the product is selling. Some clients love to stop & chat ....some look in horror as I approach to have my delivery book signed.....in case I want to chat.

There are clients who, when their number appears on my mobile...a cold shiver goes down my spine...(what's gone wrong....) & there's the clients whose numbers always make me smile....

There are clients you can call when cash flow is tight & the money will be in my account in an hour...then there are clients who will hold back payment because they are missing a docket from 4 months ago that has never previously queried.

There are clients who I will always be grateful to for their help & encouragement in the last year  and no matter how far I go will always feature in The Delicious Food Co story.

To all my clients.. .without whom there would be no van, no salad pots, no gorgeous sandwiches, no sleepless nights, no The Delicious Food Co....I salute you

Cheers !

Shirley

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Inferiority Complex, yes mine...really!

Evening All,

This week I am catering for a gig on the UCD Campus. I went to college there quite a few years ago & recently decided on the back of my Mr Big deal, that the best way forward for The Delicious Food Co,
is to find a few more Mr Big's.

Students, now.... they're a hungry lot & I think my brand is perfect for them.

So I parked the van & tottered into the Newman building in search of my first sale.What a treat lay before my eyes.The Newman building was simply " the arts block" when I was there, it housed lecture theatres L,M, N,O & P. These were the lecture theatres where I revelled in the wonder of the Irish language, it's history, it's poetry, & was dismayed at how difficult & boring I found French.

What I remember most about UCD was a awful shyness or lack of confidence that overshadowed everything I did....or didn't do, to be more precise...
I so wanted to try debating with The L&H, I wanted to run for election for the student union, I wanted to chat up the guys I fancied, or at least say hi without turning crimson red.Today as I stood in those hallowed halls, I wished above all else that I had the confidence then that I have now, I could have been invincible.

I don't know when I stopped caring what people thought of me, when the belief in myself kicked in, but it's there. I hope my brand The Delicious Food Co, is a good representation of me; it's core values are, its wholesomeness, its honesty, its sense of fun, not taking itself too seriously...if it were a celebrity it would be Kylie Minogue......it's a good egg

You can't be in business & hold that fear...you need to believe in your business & yourself.

So if you ever see me, rolling up in my little van, delivering my box of beautifully prepared & packaged produce, wearing a pair of gold lame hot pants.... don't laugh, just celebrate how far this shy 18 year old me has come, since then...
"Step back in time"...





Thursday, July 25, 2013

And the award for the best ....

Evening all,

Tonight on Twitter I came across an account called @BlogAwardsIreland, apparently just like the Oscars, The Brits, The Golden Globes, there are Awards (with some serious sponsors), for the top blogs in Ireland.There are 31 categories in total.....excited (yes we've covered off my vanity a few blogs ago..), I logged in to the website to find out more.. could I be nominated.....

With great joy I discovered that there is indeed a Category for Food & Drink, yet the crushing reality is that I don't fit the brief...To qualify for the Food & Drink blog category my love & passion needs to be laid bare for all to see in a series of beautiful pictures, fantastic recipes...you would need to drool at my descriptions of lemon drizzle cakes...slow roasted whatever's in season, I'd need to be a contender for Master Chef...but honestly.... I don't think they'd even let me on "Come Dine with Me...".

I guess I'm an old fashioned foodie...I love simple food, well cooked, with great ingredients......my death row meal would be two soft poached eggs on brown bread, with black pepper & salt....oh yes,yes, yes

Could I fake it I wonder, I have a good eye for pictures, my house & kitchen are bursting with recipe books.."200 One Pot Dinners volumes 1 - 60" "Cooking for 2/3/20/" "The Moosewood Collective" "The Clatter of Forks & Spoons.....".we have them all. Every year there is a new Christmas Cookbook... really by now you'd think Mr Delicious would know how to stuff a turkey, but oh no, it seems ways to stuff a turkey are updated quicker a Twitter feed.

Gutted I know that, unlike Meg Ryan I couldn't fake the erotic passion that a true modern day foodie has with food.

But all is not lost...I've found a category ..it's the best SME blog...because that is really what my blog is about ..it's about my life as a small food producer..., it's about my brand, it's about believing in myself, it's about keeping going when the going gets tough, celebrating the highs, telling you all about it..sharing..

Wish me luck !

Shirley x



Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Spare Ribs.....BBQ Ribs.....Broken Ribs.... Whatever

Evening all,


So Mr Delicious has broken not just one rib....but two ribs. He didn't break them yesterday, or the day before..or even the day before that...he broke them over two weeks ago, when he stabbed himself with the leg of a catering chair he was carrying...don't ask......

Mr Delicious is a humble kind of guy...he hates any kind of fuss, particularly when directed at him....
we've been urging him to go to the doctor for the past few weeks...but oh no "I'll be fine"... he mumbled as he struggled to grasp a breath....Eventually we stopped urging him to go...stopped asking how he is...if I'm honest I think we kinda forgot about it......

That's when he started to talk about it...on Monday I noticed him try & steady himself with one hand on a stainless steel table, whilst putting his other hand on his chest, trying to draw a breath ,whilst declaring....(big intake of breath here...) "I'm okay".... Clearly the message wasn't reaching me....so yesterday he quietly told me he thought it might be time to see the doctor...he's been having difficulty breathing....the pain is excruciating...it's getting worse......

OMG ! ...I'm such a bad partner....I should have been more attentive....should have been more caring....I've just called & offered to collect him from the kitchen but he declined....it's a beautiful evening....."the walk will do me good"....

I just hope that he picked up something for dinner on his way home.....


Shirley xxx

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Adele.....Someone like You......Someone like Me


Evening All,

Friday was a great news day for us @ The Delicious Food Co.

....Of late, I've been doing a bit of "courting".. of an Ex lover of sorts..A client who jilted me in favour of another.....breaking my Delicious heart into a 1,000 pieces a few years ago.....

It was a big serious affair..my biggest ever and suddenly we were over...no real reason...just somebody else had come along. .....& took my place.....it really, really hurt as I looked at the 1,000's of salad pots that were never going to be filled... the 1,000's of labels never to be applied to the packaging for this Godlike client...the gaping hole in the work load...

I resorted to playing Adele over & over in my van, wallowing in the rejection.... devouring her words of loss......wondering where I had gone wrong. My ex had moved on with a new food partner .....who I guess gave them things I couldn't give to them...(although...they could have asked....right ?)

                                                      "I heard that you're settled down

That you found a girl and you're married now I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"

I often pondered Adele's words about turning up uninvited...I couldn't  stay way...I couldn't   fight it ...you see cos for ME...it wasn't over...


The dilemma...should I just keep chasing pavements...maybe it will lead no where....Mr Delicious thinks when it's over it's over....let it be .....move on...he also think I've got balls of steel...

So guess what...I made the call & I was greeted with tones of joy...it seems that when it comes to relationships, I'm luckier than Adele...

....my ex wants me back....we had a meeting............this time we'll take it slowly...there will be a pre nupt which the client calls "the commercials" to be signed....
I'll be more careful with my heart & my business....with the Mr Big story up & running...The Delicious Food Co is ready for it's next big challenge

And this is it....from this week me & my ex will be rolling in the deep....making sweet salads together.......

Yum!

Shirley  x









Monday, July 8, 2013

Wardrobe Dilemma's in The Food Lane

Evening All,

What will I wear...

I swear to God when I was moving out of my office, I thought the big dilemma of wondering what to wear everyday would be over......Now,I have no doubt that anybody who sees me every morning as I wind my way around the city on my deliveries...would think...what the hell is she on about.....
yes I have a uniform of sorts...Converses, jeans, T shirts...I got some logo T's & aprons printed a while back, but to be honest after three washes the T's looked like rags...the long printed aprons, still look great....but there ain't no way I'm adding an apron into my daily wardrobe....I'm the boss for Gods sake.

The problem for me is that I have so many persona's during the day.

Take tomorrow for example...up early, deliveries...to shops...must try & look casual with a slight edge, something that reflects The Delicious Food Co, At noon I'm dishing up a lunch for 30 people at a stiff corporate do that will require a whole different look.... a look that will make me look like someone else...My waiting staff will wear black waistcoats & shirts...but hey I need the clients to know that I'm in charge...that I'm the boss as they tell me how wonderful the food is...I want them to know I made it...

Today in BT2 I bought a gorgeous black taffeta pinafore, that I convinced myself would be ideal for tomorrows lunch, it would look fab with a pair of wedges, but I can't wear fashion wedges to a lunch I'm catering for, just as I can't roll up in my delivery van & start delivering in a taffeta pinafore.....Mr Mmmmm would wonder what's going on....ya see where I'm going with this......In the afternoon there is big a meeting with a potentially lucrative client....and the taffeta pinafore is too much, jeans are a bit too casual...Suddenly a burca seems like a jolly good idea...

I once pulled up at my house to make the quick 5 minute change from jeans to a black waitress's uniform before legging it to a lunch I was catering for...., only to discover I had no key...I spent the next few minutes frantically knocking on doors of my female neighbours, to see if anybody could lend me something to wear, when I eventually found Susie at home (she's about two sizes smaller than me), we settled on a smock dress...a pair of tights that I swear only went up to my knees and her size 4 ballet pumps for my size 6 feet......

I think I still have the blisters...

You see, there is a reason why this blog is called Life in The Food Lane....the drama of it all ....

Shirley

x







Friday, June 28, 2013

As the actress says about a nude scene......Reach for the Stars..

Phew,

What a week......

This week (although not yet over..still Sat & Sunday  to go.....another thousand items to be delivered between Saturday & Sunday).....has been beyond busy....I am aching from head to toe with the blissful pain of it all.
I'm so  tired that when a client called today to see if I would meet him tomorrow re a gig on 12th of July, I suggested 8.30am, otherwise I don't think I could pull myself out of bed in the morning. June has been a bumper month for us.....lots of retail sales, catering gigs and sandwich platters....July is looking quieter, but then again...June wasn't meant to be so busy......

Next week, with the madness out of the way the priority is, getting the office finally up & running at home....planning time....catching up with clients, accounts, putting my  my business & domestic house in order....Next week I lose a child who's off to a festival in Poland, before he heads to Berlin...but I also have another one  returning to me from the Gaeltacht....My youngest finished national school this week and I have to admit I sobbed the whole way through 6th class rendition of "Reach for the Stars" at the end of term performance on Wednesday as I pondered how much time I have missed with the kids (time I can never get back). Mr Delicious graciously pointed out that I am a working mom and that over the 14 years of having kids in national school, I have never missed a single performance or parent teacher meeting.

When I started my blog I promised that I'd only mention  my kids, if,  like the actress says about a nude scene in a movie..."I'll only do it if the story requires it...." So tonight as I come to the end of an era...as the youngest heads for  secondary school & the eldest heads for Poland & Berlin Inter railing, as I start seriously working from home, I feel the moment has come to do as the actress does & reveal all.....

Our four kids are amazing..., they have learnt through us how hard  it is to earn money...the rewards of hard work when they come.....

What they haven't grasped is.....the benefits of being children of caterers (leftovers )

Child                    "What's for dinner?"
Mr Delicious         "Thai Chicken Curry or Italian Meatballs & Tomato Sauce or Normandy Pork"
Child                    "Oh ..for Gods Sake....there is never anything to eat in this house....can we order in pizza

Still ....we love them...,they make everything  worthwhile.

Shirley x



            

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Fifty Shades of Vanity

Evening All,

I have to share this latest bit of vanity with you....

When I post my blogs, I can go into my account & check & see how many hits it has got...in the last day, week or month. Up to this evening I've had over 2,200 hits in the last three months....that's a lot of people who have read my ramblings....& I won't lie....I'm proud as punch...... If you have been following from the beginning you will know, this food production gig is a tough one and if there is one thing that has propped me up this year it's those increasing hits...the graph going up & down like resuscitation  machine, pumping a feel good blast into my tired soul......

It makes me laugh  that from my earlier blogs the ones that keep appearing in the weekly count are
"Fifty Shades of Delicious"& "The Bridal Suite without Mr Delicious", Perhaps not all my readers are interested in food...and I hope I didn't disappoint too much with the content..cos I swear, .I never meant to lead you on ....

Shirley x

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Shelf Wars....

Evening all,

Monday morning our van broke down and has been tucked up in a garage for the past two days, whilst they figure out what's wrong...

The net effect of this is that I have been late delivering to all my shops....and by the time I get there, my shelf space has been filled by competitors....

I swear to God they'd rob my grave if they could...

Whilst it's a war zone out  there in the fight for chilled fridge space, there is a certain etiquette that  must be respected...if you are the first in store...you are entitled to stock 'em high & let the merchandising staff worry about how to make it look nice...but you must leave space for your fridge partners.

Yesterday, in one store the Sushi guys had taken over the asylum....today was even worse....They had removed my products completely & stuck them on the bottom shelf....I was so annoyed...

Then I went into Fresh in Camden St...where the manager pulled me to one side....it seems Mr Delicious has been playing the same game....with the competitors sandwiches....he's been putting their sandwiches BEHIND ours....

I have to say, it's out of character...he's normally a nice,  respectful guy....but he did have the decency to blush when I pulled him up on it....his card has been marked by both me & the manager

it's not how we do business in The Delicious Food Co.....

......not at least whilst anybody is looking...


Shirley

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

London's Calling....

Evening all,

Being a small business owner can be incredibly rewarding but can also be incredibly stressful...(now there's a word that keeps reappearing in my blogs). When things start really mounting up & I know I am hitting a wall I book a flight to London, where my vbf , Jeremy, puts me up, looks after me, takes me to the hippest joints in London, listens to my woes (in very small doses) dishes out some no nonsense advice, runs me lovely smelly bubbly baths, takes me for breakfast in places where Bucks Fizz is part of the full English....

Tomorrow I'm off & it couldn't come at a better time.

Yesterday was one of those days which was a true mix of great news & not so great news. I got a call from a client most people would kill to have on their client portfolio.We had worked together before, but a  decision from the top two years ago, meant I was replaced with a new kid on the block..."nothing personal...client likes to mix things up...no problem using you again....etc..", yet it didn't seem like it was ever going to happen and now it seems like it will. I've been keeping in contact, letting them know I'm still here, still hungry for business & still the best small producer in the fresh food market. The client called me yesterday, beaming down the phone... I am back in the mix....I'll tell you more when it happens for real...meeting next Thursday, with orders to start immediately.

I got that great news on my way to my "Going for Growth" monthly meeting...it was when I left that the not so good news came, something I had worked tirelessly on for for months was being canned. Everybody around me was relieved, they could see how much I'd put into it & felt I had given too much already & that the expectation from the other side was never going to be met. I'm upset, but I will get over it and I've learnt a valuable lesson...about written contracts...managing expectations.....

Yes, I can be available 24/7, you can have my ideas, access to my talents ...

....but it will cost ya....

I am really excited about this London trip, tomorrow evening I'm meeting a gang I used to work with in The Independent, for the reunion of a colleague, who is coming home from Australia. Jeremy & I worked there together, whereby all accounts ....whilst talented, I was totally unmanageable (he was my boss). On Thursday I'm meeting my beloved friend M. who I met on day one at UCD where we studied Irish, many years ago...  she now...works for a top bank  where she is a serious player... I'm meeting her at the bank, which we will follow with drinks & a catch up in Gordon's Wine Bar.

 A few years ago she  found God in a way that I find both admirable & amusing in equal measures....last night she called....wanted to run something by me...on Thursday night there is dinner for the women from her church in Fulham......she was just wondering...and feel free to say no....but...em....would I like to attend with her......

I would LOVE to....I told her...

So on Thursday night, this hippie food producing chick, will be forgoing the nightlife of Soho, for dinner in Fulham, with the gorgeous M. & her bible worshipping friends (all 25 of them), who mean so much to her....I am honoured that she asked me...

I just hope to my God they serve alcohol...


Bon Soir,

Shirley

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

I'm Home !

Evening all,


The big move is complete...I've surrendered my bolt hole....my little private oasis in Smithfield & I'm back in the 'hood in Dublin 8.....Actually, I've left 8 stuffed archive boxes & a broken chair behind...but I will pick them up ....real soon..My office in the utility room is far from ready, so HQ is in the living room....a beautiful Victorian high ceiling room with a big sash window.....destroyed by the presence of multiple cables & wire, two printers & another 8 archive boxes ..my OCD is in overdrive.....

I've mentioned labels before in my blog & swore that the labelling machine wasn't coming with me. Who was I kidding...a control freak like me....I'm the label queen after all.....but, just one day after setting up the printing machine guess what ....Mr Delicious who doesn't know how to send an attachment with an email, never mind print a label, is upstairs in HQ printing out tomorrows sandwich labels.

Life is about to change even more radically than I had previously thought was possible.....& I can't wait...


Shirley

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Choices, choices, choices

Evening all,

Yes it's blogging time...let me see what I have to tell you..

 Actually have loads of news. But the thing is when you are blogging about your  business, you can't just tell all...you have to.try to balance the bad stuff whilst keeping it real and if I do nothing else in this blog I want to keep it real...

The Mr Big story has been a distraction...( and we are still free falling...if his parachute doesn't open, it wasn't me ...I swear...not this time anyway.......), but the other side of things has been tough..We have been so busy, but the cash flow has simply not matched the effort. It's hard to stay positive when you are working 60 hour weeks...yet a haircut & colour with Olive in Style Club  just isn't in the budget.

This week I am finally moving out of my office. On Tuesday I threw caution to the wind & went to see my 12 year old Rosie,jump hurdles in the national schools athletics finals in Santry.....to hell with work. She is the youngest of four & I've never been to Santry School Finals..I've even coached under tens athletics for two years, but never saw my teams run...one work commitment after another.

On Wednesday I threw caution to the wind again & went to see a motivational speaker, Declan Coyle at 7.30am...he may well have changed my working  life. He was inspirational. His message was simple..you have a choice..there are two platforms in life...a red one & green one  The red is negative & the green is positive....we decide ourselves which one we are going to be on. My natural place is on the green one, but I sometimes slip on to the red one...& that's a hard one to move off. He went around the room asking everybody about the challenges they face in their business/life. When it came to me I said fear was my biggest challenge...making that leap from where I am to where I need to be...the fear of not getting paid in time to pay my suppliers, of over extending myself & my business...more sleepless nights of worry....

Believe.... he said & it will happen. I know he's right. I have three kids in private school & I never doubt that I will cover the fees....but a haircut & colour with Olive for me...well that is always always challenge....Without making a choice I've made a choice.....I'm no longer on the red platform...I'm on the green....it's so much easier to leap from one place to another when you know where you are leaping to...


And so,  before I sign off ...I want you to know, that, tomorrow at 11am, I'll be sitting in Style Club, tin foil in my  hair, whilst Olive updates me on the latest shenanigans in her truly eventful life whilst applying my American tailoring signature look...

Shirley
xx