I was shattered yesterday, I must confess. I forgot to take my water and had to rely on a couple of cans so I think I got a bit dehydrated. I packed up quickly at 4, but by the time I had gone out to the car a few times with light things (the porters do the heavier ones) up and down the stairs, my body was telling me rest! I felt sorry for my upstairs friend J, who had the bug I had after NZ, and she was in week 3 with a bit of a temperature, cough and cold part still there, and should have been home in bed yesterday, bless her.
Talking of stools, one of my dealer friends said the pudding basin stool was stunning (and clearly wished she had found it!). Then later a somewhat ignorant woman said "Oh my dad bought back one just like that from Africa" - clearly implying mine was from there too. I told her it was Welsh but she knew she was right! What a shame when someone has no knowledge of antiques but still thinks they are expert! Same with the bronze Rowlocks I was selling. A woman picked them up and loudly said, "These are galvanized" . . . I nearly said, I think you need specs . . .
Around the Fair now:
Now that little fairy is cast iron and her face seen better days as it's rusted away. I know I saw my friend Les selling this one I am pretty sure, but not painted, back in the days when Mr Pugh ran Carm. Fleamarket (10 yrs or so back). I can't remember if we bought it and sold it on or whether he was just trying to persuade me to buy it. Anyway, someone has done a good job on painting it up and it will sell on again.This stallholder had also bought the swan taxidermy I took a photo of at Malvern. Another not-easy-to-pack thing!Hand-quilted Welsh quilt.
Lovely old Log Cabin quilt on this stall. Wish I'd found that one!
Beth always goes to a lot of trouble to dress her stall. Look at these lovely Foxgloves.
A good selection on this stall.Up on the stage, Beth's stand. Wish I'd found this quilt too.
I loved these little Moroccan ink holders, on another friend's stand.
I had a good day, but got home bone weary. I bought a cheat's tea in Co-op - a Welsh brand Butter Curry (my guts can't face their Firey Dragon one these days). I barely made 8.30 before I had to fall into bed, and took the hotty botty up with me as I was feeling chilled. A bomb going off wouldn't have woken me for the first few hours. I have to unpack the car today (leaving heavier things, one box especially, for Gabby or Danny to help me with). I have to do some baking too, as all my family will be here for the afternoon. However, since I was awake for 4.30 and up at 5 a.m. as couldn't sleep again, I shall probably need a sofa nap at some point this morning.
It is only 11 deg here outside (and 16 inside). I have put the central heating on for an hour now. In JUNE! It isn't 6 a.m. yet, in my defence.
Now I have a break for a month before my next Fair here, and the next Malvern isn't till 21st June, so I have time to re-establish my body clock.
I need to get in the greenhouse today to pot on tomatoes, and other well-grown seedlings. Rosie will be in there, devouring my strawberry crop, bless her.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Back again - I've just slept deeply for 2 hours on the sofa. I forgot to mention THE podcast of the week which I listened to in the car yesterday. From The Three Ravens (which I really recommend if you like folklore/history), it was Magus, NO. 11 - Merlin. W.O.W. The history of the Merlin wizard figure from the year dot, and absolutely enthralling, although at times I was yelling at them and saying what about this link when they were talking about the Triple Death (the triple deaths linked to the Celtic Gods Teutates, Esus and Taranus - think Bog Bodies here, as this was often used for them) and that the battle in Carlisle with the king of Strathclyde (mention it was the Strathclyde British, a kingdom which stretched right down and included North Wales) etc. They took it back to the legendary Irish God The Dagda who was the chief god of the Tuathe De Dannan and owned a cauldron which never emptied (shades of the Gundestrop Cauldron which has itself, a symbol of a man being held over/put into a cauldron and being reborn, which then makes you think (especially as there were other pagan/Christian crossovers) whether Christ rising from the dead was linked by the Christians to this being reborn myth. This was via the "Lord of Ecstacy", a deific entity which has links with mythologies worldwide. I need to finish listening to it today, and then listen to it again and try and sort out esoteric links to the wild man of the woods (Lailoken in Scotland and Northern Britain) and Merlin's "brothers"!! Hah - and then Disney got hold of him!!!
Well, small world! I bought the beautiful applique wall hanging from your stall yesterday. Please trust it will be hung and cherished for many years. I didn't realise it was yourself and would gladly have found water/tea if I had known you were in need. Hopefully sleep patterns will resolve themselves soon, it makes so much difference to the day. I am starting from scratch in learning Welsh history, traditions and stories but if Disney get hold of anything it's a goner. Take care T
ReplyDeleteOh wow T! LOVELY to meet you and I really enjoyed our chat. I am so pleased that the applique wall hanging has gone to such a lovely appreciative home. I could have gotten a cup of tea for myself really - but it was quite busy until mid-afternoon. I will have another nap before my family arrive. Just mixing a 2nd cake for them though, Lemon Drizzle. Chocolate Blackberry Brownies out of the oven and cooling on the rack. See you next month I hope!
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting that podcast. The stories wind round each other repeated again and again. Lots of lovely things at the sale, it must be difficult not to buy certain things.
ReplyDeleteI am thoroughly enjoying The Three Ravens. They started off quietly reporting stories from various counties, but have upped the anti in the years since and it isquite intellectual in places. As I said, I could even pick up on a few missed out links, but I've had to resort to blowing the dust off Romilly Allen's Early Christian Monuments of Scotland to find one I knew was on a Pictish stone. I was convinced it was Sutherland but there is one of men being held over/put into a cauldron along with other designs, centaurs included, on the Glamis Manse stone.
DeleteThere were some nice things at the Fair, but nothing I couldn't resist on the grounds of No Room or not wanting to spend money!
Those foxgloves were glorious, mine unfortunately have flopped over with all the rain we had yesterday. More garden tidying up done, just some edges to strim. Also the bed has been changed, I do love getting into a fresh bed. We watched the Epsom races yesterday, the Derby was particularly good, but I felt for all the spectators as it was lashing down there. Hope the cake was good. Take care. Xx
ReplyDeleteOh what a shame the rain flattened your Foxgloves. The one I have in a pot, I have given a Bamboo support to.
DeleteI could do with changing my bed today. May just do the duvet cover tonight and the rest tomorrow, when I have more energy.
Pity I missed the Derby. Perhaps I will go to see if it recorded on the racing on Channel 4.
This latest blog isn't in my 'feed' yet, I had to come looking. Blogger has these erratic spells!
ReplyDeleteI was interested--as always--in the quilts, and rather surprised to see a Log Cabin as those are so traditionally American. https://www.quiltingdaily.com/log-cabin-quilts-the-building-of-an-american-classic/
Do you have a small insulated 'cooler' that you could pack with extra bottled water or energy drinks? We keep 'ice packs' in the freezer to pop into a zippered small carrier when J. is working on any small job that takes him away from home for a few hours. The better quality insulated and covered mugs would give you at least one serving of hot tea. The slump that comes on when one needs a drink of something and a fortifying snack is very real and takes time for recovery . [I dare say I'm sounding preachy!]
Although you speak of being exhausted--not surprising--you are continuing with a remarkable schedule of early starts for the fairs and then strenuous work in the gardens at home.
I hope the Sunday visit of family is restorative even if it requires a marathon of baking.
I'm glad you came looking. We do get the occasional authentic old Log Cabin, but that one with the black was really catching and I loved the use of different colour scraps in a couple of the "logs" to make up the length. Proper old-fashioned using up what you had.
ReplyDeleteI did have a cool (fizzy) drink in my cool drink flask, but forgot to take Gabby's thermos of cold water, and/or a smaller one of boiling for tea. I still use the little tea-bag holder you kindly made me, and take it to Malvern in cold weather, but having gotten up at 5 a.m. yesterday (and woken every morning this past week or more at 4 - 5 a.m.) my poor brain was frazzled. I ate the chocolate bar designed to give me a boost, at lunchtime. Smack wrists! I had the lunchtime roll at breakfast time too, so no wonder I had power failure!
Not too much strenuous goings on in the garden lately, but I have had a steady move around the beds cutting down spent Aquilegias before they set seed, dead-heading roses, weeding etc.
I baked Chocolate Blackberry Brownies, and a lovely Lemon Drizzle (my signature cake that is). I had already slept for 2 hrs on the sofa, and had to have another nap when the drizzle cake was done, being woken when Danny and "I" arrived. The others arrived not long after and we had a lovely chat, and the girls played nicely together - Rosie likes having an older child to play with ("I" is now 6 1/2).
It cheered me up no end having them here, although it was tiring when the girls were getting excited, and the cats retreated outside/under the bed. Danny pushed the plug down on the sink and it then got stuck. It finally got removed but needs replacing (I'd rather have one on a chain, tbh!) and I need to put drain cleaner down the plughole tonight.
Now I am just cooking a chicken risotto for my meal tonight and tomorrow night.