I survived

 I'll post properly in the morning, but just to let you know I got home safely, and am just cooking my meal.  J in Wilts - I have a medium glass of wine to celebrate. I didn't make a mint but covered my costs and got a weeks' shopping from it.  My antiques tribe were wonderful today - lots of hugs and kind words and support (no one went and hugged or even chatted to the cowbag!)  She can't NOT have noticed or me taking cake to Mike (beyond her) and other friends.  She clearly thought I was a stranger and didn't know I knew everyone.  Before I left I made sure I told her that perhaps in future if she had a problem with the dimensions of her stand, she should talk to the organizer.  She kept talking whilst I was talking to her, so probably missed the gist of "you can't cut my throat and put a sticking plaster on it" as I was being told off for pointing my finger at her!

I  will answer all your kind comments tomorrow.

One of the worst days in a long time

 I had barely got in the door at the Fair this morning, before I was set upon by the woman who had the stall next door who accused me of stealing half her stall!  She had taken both the chairs between our stalls and pushed her tables up to mine, so I had nowhere to sit (except out in the aisle, which was busy with customers of course).  I just told her that my name had been on those tables, I hadn't moved anything and I was  where I was designated to be.

It then got worse, as I told the organiser's husband I was sorry I was sat out in the aisle but next door had moved her tables so I had no choice.  He went off to tell his wife (I'd not mentioned it earlier as she was obviously very busy).  Anyway, then she came up to me and said she had told the Cowbag that she was where she was supposed to be and told me to move my quilts (on old clothes horses) out a bit and sit in the space.  I hadn't used all of the space between me and the other side as I thought it was theirs.  Then it all hit me and the nice next door stand folk noticed me cracking up and said to come round the corner with them.  Her mum got me tea and daughter went to tell Cowbag that she had upset me, as I was recently widowed and already finding the first Fair back there without Keith a real challenge.

Cowbag later came up and give her her due, apologised, but as Keith's mum used to say, you can't cut my throat and put a sticking plaster on it.

On top of all that, I sold just three items, and am not even half way to covering my pitch fee.  People were just out for the day, not to spend any money.  The Damnation Quilt was the first thing to go though, so at least I don't have that nagging me by its presence.

I will confess to having slugged down a glass of wine the moment the cats were fed, as I am just absolutely in pieces at the moment. I will be blardy glad when it is Monday.  Car started 2nd go this morning.  Hope it still obliges tomorrow . . .

A difficult day emotionally

 Well, I am back home waiting for Tam and Rosie to arrive.  I'm all set up at the Fair though I could have done with a little more room.  We used to have a triple pitch, and that gave us room for Keith's militaria (two tables, one behind the other) and my end had room for some chairs/small pieces of furniture.  Ah well, I have more stock in a box under the table and can replace anything I sell.

It was hard going into the big Glass House - this time last year Tam and I took Keith . . . It was pre-Covid when Keith and I last had our stand there.  It was nice to see old friends, and have hugs, but I did feel lost without Keith.  Fortunately Brita had laid on some young and willing helpers so I didn't have to carry anything heavy to my stand, and as a consequence, don't feel as shattered as I expected.  The drive home was OK too, as in bright sunshine, and not like a previous time when I came from Carms, when it was nearly dark when I left and I had to drive home being dazzled by car headlights till I was past Llandovery and heading up into the hills.

I'm a bit worried about whether the car will start tomorrow, as it didn't want to today.  It took 3 goes, and has started each time since (but the engine was still warm).  I went into the garage before coming home - they checked the battery (OK, replaced recently) and said it might be the starter motor.  It would need to come in for tests.  Meanwhile, park it on a slope and cross my fingers!

On the way home, I drove along the A40 and was suddenly hit SO hard by past memories when Dryslwyn Castle came into view and I was taken back to the first time we ever drove that stretch of road, back in March 1988, going to explore Llandeilo for the first time.  My eyes filled with tears and I let out a choking moan of loss.  

After feeling  that I just COULDN'T manage this weekend (tiredness etc) this morning, I am now feeling more confident again, and will try and keep up that positivity.  Meanwhile, Tam and Rosie have arrived so will go and keep them company.

Girding my loins

 . . . for the Fair.  The last sworn-over stitch has just been sewn in the Damnation Quilt.  It is as it is.  I doggedly repaired all the holes, but there are some bare cardboard patches.  Tough.  I can see all the repairs but hopefully they blend in enough to be overlooked by any potential buyer.  NEVER again will I take on a Parlour quilt like this - or if I do, NO repairs will be done.  After I'd changed the bed linen, I had a quick look through a big bag in the bedroom which had a 1980s Laura Ashley hand sewn hexagon quilt in it (been trying to sell this for years).  As it is a deep royal blue and white, it doesn't fit many decors these days. I will drop the price yet again.  I also found another 1970s unfinished hexagon quilt - rather brown but with some colourful "gardens" in it.  That is going too.  I'll price reasonably and hope to sell. So that's half a dozen quilts to make my stand look colourful.  I have a double wall stand so just hope I have room to display quilts AND paintings . ..

A corner of the stall from a Builth Fair last year.

I'm just having a rest (call it lunchtime) and then I will start loading.  At least it is dry and sunny out.  Tam and Rosie arrive again tomorrow and are here for the weekend, to hold the fort. I've got some Gammon Steaks out for tea on Saturday, and tomorrow I have a tasty mince and rice mix using up the tasty pasta topping I made this week.  I had some for tea last night. 

LATER: All sorted and loaded.  I am shattered - have done so little lifting of anything of any weight over the winter (since the last Fair in fact), and it has taken its toll today.  Ah well, will just have to get on with it, and hope there's a lot LESS to pack to come home with!

I have found another series to enjoy on Youtube, where a chap has bought a couple of stone cabins in the Italian Alps and is renovating them.  This follows on nicely from one Tam showed me, which is a Dutch woman who has bought an old cabin (and other smaller sheds) in the Swedish forest (looks remote but probably isn't) and she is a whizz at woodwork.  We can't bear to watch the Welsh/Irish ones where people come in to "restore" a cottage or house "sympathetically" and then rip every bit of character out of it. One Welsh one took every internal wall out too!

The other day we watched an entire series of Pioneer Quest, set in the 1850s, and the folks they had in to do it had a hard time of things at first.  The two BIG Percheron horses they had for pulling the wagon and ploughing, thought ploughing was meant to be done at a trot and the poor people behind the plough (one with the reins, the other steering the BIG plough) were nearly ploughed and buried in short order!  The film company had been done over too, and instead of a dozen hens or whatever, they had been given a high proportion of Cockerels!  They didn't teach them to make bread until month 7 (WINTER) when they also taught a basic patchwork technique.  I know, but it keeps my brain ticking over when it's chucking it down with rain outside and I am kept inside these 4 walls.

You will smile when I tell you that Rosie can now CLAP!  Obviously playing Patacake with me gave her this new skill. :)

There will probably be an on-line silence until the weekend is over.  Off to collapse in a heap now.

 

Nipping procrastination in the bud

I did a good morning's work before Tam and Rosie arrived.  I vacuumed the entire ground floor of the house (ok, well the bits I could reach in the Library!), mopped the kitchen floor, then listed the entire Militaria collection for the Probate.  That took a while, but is a job well done.  It came to more than I expected, but I had to use Keith's selling prices as some things were traded with/without money on top.  He tended to mark up so he could offer a good deal. To value each individual item on line would mean an awful lot of work.

I will need to start getting sorted for the Fair today.  What to take etc and I will start packing a few things in the car in readiness so I'm not doing it all tomorrow. Setting up day is on Friday.  I shall be very relieved when it's over, as there's a lot of driving. Tam is coming to hold the fort here.  

I am hoping that February won't be a "fill dyke" one with even more rain as I need to start tidying up in the garden. Especially on the Bank and you wouldn't believe I ever cleaned between the cobbles.  I have those 100 bulbs/corms to plant too!!  Bring on spring.

Rosie made me laugh last night, we were doing "Patacake" over and over (she is insistent) and she holds my hands in hers, and at the end wanted me to clap louder, so pulled my hands further apart :)  She's a smart one.

When mum's back is turned . . .

 

Young Rosie this morning, clearly thinking her breakfast was inadequate!  Tam left the room for a minute, came back and Rosie was chomping on a pork pie!  Swiftly removed, I might add. They are on their way here shortly, so I am having a big tidy up and vacuum.  I hope to list Keith's militaria for Probate once I've mopped the kitchen floor.

£5 spent - value for money!!

 After it had finished belting it down with rain first thing, I drove to Llandod to get my groceries for the week.  I had to go and buy some white embroidery floss from Bonne Marche, and across the road is a cheap as chips charity shop, so I thought I would at least look through the window.  It was busy (mainly as I think new stuff goes out for Monday).  I could see two ladies fossicking through a box of what appeared to be craft things.  One walked away from it, so I went in and took her place.  I am glad I did!  When I paid,they told me that the chap had literally only just bought that box of stuff in, so I did time it right!  Here is what £5 bought me:

42 x Anchor embroidery flosses;  7 Madeira ditto; a skein of green perle floss; 6 heavier cotton embroidery floss.  A fat quarter of pretty daisies on a black background.

Four quilting stencils.

An unusual set of rulers which I thought of for a Christmas tree skirt, rather than the very complex looking design at the top (there are 20 similar patterns with this).  Retails at £27.50!

2 metres Moda? patchwork fabric in cream and white.

Didn't I do well?

All the things I had ordered also arrived today.  My Fungi design metal drinking bottle; the wooden easel I need for Fairs, bringing me up to 3, plus my Cotton Trader parcels of slip on shoes and crop jeans, and thermals.

Danny and his mate came yesterday and took the big birch chest of drawers from the kitchen, so for the first time since we moved in, I don't have anything on the angle of the L-shape turn.  I can feel the energy flowing properly now, instead of being blocked.  I can just walk across and turn the light on without leaning over anything.  (I don't now who decided to put the light switch behind the upright beam).

I made some Banana Muffins yesterday.  They called for Buttermilk, which I never have in, so I used a small tub of set yoghurt (Vanilla) which needed using, combined with milk to make the right quantity, and they turned out really well, and rose amazingly.  I will put up photo and recipe tomorrow.

I know some of you do Family History.  I belong to a Genealogy group on Facebook, and enjoy reading about other people's research problems - and there's always lots of people happy to help.  There was a mention of someone's middle name she was struggling to read.  Turns out the child had been called Daisy Deepsea (then a surname after).  I bet that was a unique name!

I spoke to the Heating Engineer company this morning and they offered me £30 towards lost food.  Works out £36 with less VAT so I accepted that.  I've left the little freezer turned off for the moment so just got Scampi and frozen Smoked Haddock to go in the main one.

Oh, and it was a day for nice things, as the fruit trees are on offer at £7 each (2 for £12) at Tesco again, so I bought a Cox.  They also had 100 pink and purple bulbs for £10.  I thought that a good deal and they are so pretty.  The ones I bought last year (50 for £5) put on a great show in planters.

Back in the morning.