The little taste of summer we had last week, got many of us thinking about holidays. I’m not as quick as the rest of my team, many of  who grabbed the opportunity and left me on my own this week, dreaming of what it might be like to take off, forget everything, throw caution to the wind, get a manicure and slip on a pair of flip flops.

Some of you (not John) will be surprised to hear this, but I’m a secret control freak!

I may give the impression that I skip into work every morning with no plans or expectations, ready to go with the flow, letting others lead the way, BUT in truth I start everyday with a very clear idea on what is going to happen and when things don’t go the way I intend, then only I can save the day and pull things round.

SO, what would happen if I took off on holiday? Surely the world would end!!!

...but that doesn't stop me dreaming.

I haven’t been on holiday since opening the The Flower Shop, I rarely take a day off and when I do I’m never far away, close enough to race back in, if I’m needed…I like to be needed, even if my team are more than capable of coping without me. 

However, I think John would like a holiday, so this week I’ve been seriously considering booking somewhere. John and I had previously planned to escape to… Leeds, a sort of cultural British city-break, but now I’m feeling a little more adventurous.

John’s a keen sailor and we used to have a yacht, so we could hire a boat and sail off into the Sunderland sunset. That might sound adventurous, but I don’t like being cold and wet and  the sea needs to be still enough as not to spill a G&T, so I’m not sure that would work in practice. We could sail across the Aegean or Mediterranean, but what if I was needed back in the shop?

After a week of deliberation, I’m thinking a narrow boat cruise, somewhere along the Thames, might be just the thing. Mike the dog could come along too (I’ve checked and most narrow boat companies are OK with dogs, but not too keen on taking chickens), canals tend to be perfectly positioned next to pubs and restaurants and the pointy end of a narrow boat is the perfect place to sit, reading a book and sipping Gin.

In the world of flowers, this English weather is causing some confusion. Last week I was busy filling hanging baskets, window boxes and planters ready for a roasting hot start to summer. Luckily I made sure there was plenty of drainage, but I didn’t think to add a note warning customers to take indoors if there was a risk of frost!

Sailing across the Aegean is suddenly looking more attractive.