Grazing in the sunshine

The sun shone in a cloudless sky until about 10 minutes ago and although it was blowing a gale at the back of the house, my bench at the front was the perfect place to catch a few rays. Sunshine is not the enemy that we've been brought up to believe; indeed science is now showing that Vitamin D is a defence from many ailments, including cancer!

Being seated there at that time of day is a good place to catch not only the sun, but the postman. And hooray! Today he brought my Graze box. I discovered Graze a few months ago and for the life of me I can't remember if I told you all about it then. If I have I apologise and if not, here goes.

Graze is a very expensive way of buying nuts and dried fruit as well as other nibbles. The reason I want to mention it is that as an example of marketing brilliance, it ticks all the boxes and I'm fascinated by the way they do things.

It's incredibly viral because every Graze box recipient gets tokens or a web link which if used by a friend to order a freee Graze box, gives tokens to the existing member. Its presentation is immaculate. A lovely cardboard box in recycled materials contains four little containers of mixtures of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, even chocolate drops, or olives or savoury snacks. When mine arrives it feels as if I've received a wonderfully presented gift - even though I've paid for it and ordered it; it gladdens my heart.

Once your box has arrived you receive an email asking you to rate the contents. So, for instance, I can say what mixtures I like or want occasionally, or hate. That way I don't receive things I don't like or want (I abstain for instance from anything containing glucose) while receiving more of what I do want. It's just terribly clever and I so much admire the people who dreamed it up.

So today I got quite excited when the postman arrived with my Graze box because it meant I could nibble through a portion while soaking up the sun. Inside this box was a lovely little pop out and construct - though I haven't done it yet - snowman. Just made from one sheet of (no doubt recycled) thin card; but such a nice thing to pop in the box. Graze boxes are ideal for people at work. I think that's the real concept they had in mind. And I can imagine that their will be loads of little card snowmen on desks all over the country, all bearing their little Graze boxes; so the marketing continues. Here I shall place my snowman on the window cill where the sun's rays will catch it every day.

P.S. I braved the GP's surgery today; told him I'd reduced my beta blockers by half for the past ten days and that I was quitting altogether from today. I have my pre-assessment for surgery this afternoon.