Well… everyone run!!  

Because if you’re reading this, it means the newsletter keyboard has been handed back to me this month — and that also means Mike’s questionable one-liners and dad jokes have officially made a comeback. If I can’t make it as a stand-up comedian, I’ve decided the next best option is keyboard comedy, so consider yourselves my slightly captive audience.

Peter kicked off the last newsletter edition, so I figured it was only fair that I jump back in this month and share a few thoughts from the café floor — and apparently from the gym floor too these days.
 

March has arrived, and with it comes what is apparently called “March Madness” The holidays are well and truly over, schools and universities are back, work routines have returned, and Auckland traffic is once again reminding us all that patience is a virtue. You know that slow crawling thing where you spend more time staring at brake lights than actually moving? Yes… that one. Summer, meanwhile, seems to have packed its bags and left the building rather abruptly. One minute we were enjoying sunshine and long evenings, and the next minute the temperature dropped so suddenly I actually considered wearing pants and long sleeves. Now anyone who knows me will understand how serious that statement is. I am traditionally a shorts and T-shirt all year kind of person, so I’m currently holding out as long as possible before admitting defeat to autumn. If you see me stubbornly refusing to wear a jacket, just know I’m fighting a personal battle with the seasons.
 

Along with the sudden weather shift has come the other seasonal classic — the flu doing its annual tour around Auckland. The past couple of weeks have been a bit rough with sickness doing the rounds, and unfortunately our team hasn’t escaped it either. Between the runny noses, coughs and full body aches, it’s been a reminder for all of us to slow down a little and take care of ourselves. Sometimes the best thing we can do is rest, drink plenty of water, get some sunshine when we can, and give our bodies the space they need to recover. Life moves fast, but our health always deserves a little attention.

On a much more exciting note, we’ve been working on some really fun things behind the scenes for the community. I’m especially excited about some Easter activities we’re planning at Farm House. Leilana will be sharing more details further down in the newsletter, so keep reading because it’s shaping up to be something really fun.
 

We’re also starting to think ahead to Mother’s Day High Tea, which is always such a special event in the cafés. These occasions are a chance for us to create something beautiful, celebrate the amazing mums and mother figures in our lives, and give people a lovely reason to slow down and spend time together over some delicious treats.