I survived . . .

 I am so glad this procedure has been done and is behind me.  Unpleasant but not painful until I was driving home full of wind (which they pump you up with) and I felt like the Michelin Man and since I had over an hour's drive was really worried about making it before I exploded!  The Dr said that she could see nothing worrying.  Phew.

The motte (or where it was) and bailey of Builth castle, long gone.

The girls are on their way home and just stopped to stretch their legs and get coffee.  I will be glad when they are back here, and even more glad when Tam is back home in Aber.

I stopped at Oakchurch Farm Shop on the way there.  This is what good food costs.  The couple in front of me had bought carrots, parsnips, sachets of custard, bread, and a couple of other bits - came to over £43!!!  The sausage roll was my lunch, but I chose it on size (smaller) and didn't read what was in it and only had a couple of bites before leaving it.  Remember the 100s of ingredients on that other Garage sausage roll last year?  Well, I looked at the back of this one, out in the car, and dang me, if there weren't just as many!!!

Perhaps marginally healthier . . .  The Cornish pasty is to keep Tam going and the cheese is for Gabby, who is a proper cheese hound.

Stress is not a good companion

 I have my procedure tomorrow, so that is hanging over me like a ten ton weight, and as bad - possibly worse - is  waving my darling daughters goodbye this morning, on their journey to Essex for my b-in-law's funeral.  Their journey includes the M25, and I shan't rest until they are back home safe and sound (and Tam has an onward journey in the dark through the mountains to Aberystwyth tomorrow night).  My stomach is churning with nerves for them.

I have been keeping busy, making up a fresh guest bed, and bringing down the biggest Deed Box (I need to sell them), to check the contents.  Lots of Family History paperwork, 20 or so B/M/D certificates which need to go into my special paperwork box upstairs, the entire Bird Family History tree from Herne Bay in Kent and a few really good old photographs.  I discovered (again) that old George Bird, who went off to war aged 72 (he said he was 52!) was only 5ft 3/4 inch, but boy, full of fire and brimstone - you only had to look at him and his piercing blue eyes!

What came home with me yesterday?  Very little.  A pair of little tables for a conservatory, with Peacocks on.  Colourful if nothing else.

  

A combo set for removing eggs from boiling water and whisking them.  French I should think.  Different anyway.

A small French enamel lunch box for hot food.  The main purpose was a day out and hopefully something desirable coming my way, but no.

I got a dog painting too but that may be a gift, so I shan't share it.

I feel very tired today and think I will settle down with one of my books I found yesterday on the shelves of the Charity bookcase at the Garden Centre.

I had been looking at these on line and debating whether to buy them (I was hoping they would be on Audible, but no).  So for my donation, these came home with me.

I have had to do a return on Ebay for the hypoallergenic soft toy stuffing I bought.  It looked nothing like the clear and labelled plastic bag which was the illustration on Ebay, instead it came looking rather . . .

in fact, distinctly, pillow-shaped.  I contacted the buyer and they told me this was the ticking they used to keep the stuffing clean in transit.  Talk about misrepresenting!  Especially since they normally sell pillows and duvets . . .

Right, off to read, write or whatever whilst Escape to the Country is on.

3 pairs of Magpies = luck at Malvern?

 Well, perhaps, but not luck in the "you will find amazing things today"!  The forecast had been rain all day at Malvern, which must have put a lot of people off (plus Shepton Mallet was on).  As it turned out, the sun shone all the time Pam and I were at Malvern!  It didn't rain until we were almost home.

So, our St David's Day was spent out of Wales.  If you want to read a wonderful post about him, go to North Stoke on the sidebar, where Thelma has written about Wales' special saint.

Well, I have to say it is a long time since I have walked around the biggest load of junk in a field as today's offerings were.  Only the truly desperate and with the least attractive offerings - well, as far as I was concerned anyway.  Yet hundreds of people turned up, desperate to look round the first Fleamarket there this year.  They were still coming in when Pam and I left and people had to start parking all over the left hand side of the showground.  

One of the better outside stalls had this rocking horse, which had truly seen much better days . . .

These were the better outside stalls.  Some just had shed turnouts - think rusty tools, bits of machinery, rusting ironware.  Others had the detritis from poor house clearances, nothing wrapped just bunged in boxes for folk to sort through and discard.  There were the usual stands with jewellery, collectables in glass cases (I walk on by), discarded fabrics, old curtains, chairs you would not care to sit in, let alone take home et al.  Not much to interest me.  Someone had a huge Dalek, and lots of big animal type figures from the tv.  Bargain Hunt were filming, but think they didn't buy from outside.

This tapestry cushion looked good from a distance, almost three D.

Want, but don't need and can't afford!

The stands inside the sheds were much better.

On a friend's stand, a lovely old Welsh blanket and a small single quilt.

The triangular display stand was a great way to show off the little bits of stock.  I wish Keith was here to make one for me . . .

Some folk specialise in colourful china.

This was a lovely stall in the Avon Hall, with some interesting and unusual Middle Eastern and Asian pieces.

If I had had the money (and the room) this beautiful William Morris Sussex chair would have come home with me.

I really loved the paintings inside the lid of this trunk.  Someone had been out in India and painted scenes from their life there.

This lady always has very interesting things on her stall.  Photo below is her stock too.

However, my day was made when I found a chap selling plants, including these stunning Hellebores.  Both colours high on my wish list.  £10 each.

So very nearly black . . .

We stopped at the garden centre by Kings' Acre garage in Hereford as I needed potting compost, and I couldn't resist this pack of Anemones.  That colour!

So, all in all, perhaps the Magpies did bring some luck our way.  Pam wanted a small colander and found a lovely heavy white enamel one on my friend Ann's stall, and also found a lovely big tile picture for her kitchen at Ann's too.  I clocked up 13,500 steps.

I was tired when I got home (two poor night's sleep - I was awake 2 1/2 hours in the night and woke when I was married to Telly Savalas, thinking, I don't fancy you at all!)  I filled up my little velvet covered hot water bottle for my feet and had a Time Team nap.  I woke up with Pippi on my body and Lulu at my feet, and the boys in with me too.

Gabby is arriving in the next hour or so to stay overnight.  Tam will arrive tomorrow and they will both drive across to Essex to Keith's brother's funeral.  I won't rest until they are home as they will be on the M25.  They'll be back Tuesday evening and Tam will then drive straight home, over the mountains in the dark, so no rest again until she is back safely.