hackney chateau

'Painting the floors' weekend is never my favourite. Lugging all the furniture from one room to another. Tiptoeing along the narrow margin that Brian has clearly defined with a couple of old trainers and a screw driver. He has to hoover, mop, paint and roller the two huge rooms and my job is to make sure no creature sets foot on the sticky, glossy paint until it's completely dry - at least 24 hours. Whippets do not understand the importance of strategically positioned trainers and there's a flurry of little paw-prints near the kitchen. Shit. I'm in for it.
Never mind. The weekend hasn't been all bad. There was Mimi's 9 week-old chihuahua, Baby, to play with on Friday evening. And Phoebe's new fringe is lovely!

Today my mood has been lifted by a lemon: 

not just any old lemon: a huge lemon with it's perfect, waxy leaf still firmly in place. I chose him from a whole box full of leafy Italian lemons at the fantastic new fruit and veg shop on Church Street. I have placed him on the shelf, at eye-level, where I can admire him and converse with him while making dinner. He has arrived from the Amalfi coast where he tells me it is warm and sunny and the trees are laden with fruit. Sigh...

Okay, I know you're only interested in the Chihuahua. Here you go...