D-Day: came, happened and is gone until the next time...
Yesterday's Winter Fair | Makietie went off without a hitch. Really. Even after the litany of things that had gone, and still went, wrong. There was an on-the-day cancellation of one of the village acts which did have an impact. However, lessons learned.
The weather gods had us on tenterhooks to the eleventh minute. Literally.
I had a bad night's sleep, worrying - at 5.30pm on Friday evening (when I'd been on my feet since 7am, the second day in a row) I'd got a voice note confirming that the second tent was NOT up. It would NEVER go up. For this Saturday. I was one of the stall holders left out in the cold. Also literally. Notwithstanding:
Don't worry, we can squeeze you in under the stretch tent.
Said the person who did not have any idea. I had booked a double stall.
My response was very polite but it did include a very unprofessional:
Right now, I am so tired, I don't care....
After a quick stop at the local and almost one too many (out of anger), not only did I lie and worry, the wind howled and the rain thundered down. How would I explain to those who should have been under cover, that they would not be? How I would manage out to cook with gas in the wind and the cold?
It was still raining when I eventually turned the light on at 5am and began sorting out my brain until I had to turn the oven on at 6 to bake the bread. I couldn't get up and thunder about any earlier: we had guests in the Little Room.
It was still raining as we started loading the bakkie (aka pickup aka ute) two hours later. The Husband really struggled - he's got a dose of a flu something (not the big C). No, he wouldn't not help and had to be bullied to accept help at pack up time.
I digress.
The rain did stop. While we were loading, leaving less dust but cold, damp under foot. There was, for a minute, more than a little sunshine and the odd bluster of icy wind as you can see from my stall.
I wasn't entirely out in the cold: the kind folk from Lord's Wines lent me their gazebo and another stall holder lent me a side sheet which protected me from the worst of it.
My stall was laden. Sales were relatively good, but because of a last minute cancellation from the local steel band, which should have played over lunch, folk left, and I am left with lots of jambalaya and soup.
Oh, and for those interested, I actually got to photograph one of servings of French onion soup. In original pottery by local potter, Oona. Find her at the market every week.
Oh, and my day was punctuated by the odd snort. Not from either me or The Husband, but from the ponies that were just the other side of my gazebo.
Notwithstanding The Husband's not feeling well (he's on the mend, I think, but yesterday did set him back), the feedback has been enthusiastically fabulous. Will I do it again? In a hearbeat Yes, but, only on condition that some of the serious lessons we learned are actually applied.
Hopefully normal programming resumes next week.
Until next time, be well
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
Post script
If this post might seem familiar, it's because I'm doing two things:
- re-vamping old recipes. As I do this, I am adding them in a file format that you can download and print. If you download recipes, buy me a coffee. Or better yet, a glass of wine....?
- and "re-capturing" nearly two years' worth of posts.
- From Wordpress, I use the Exxp Wordpress plugin. If this rocks your socks, click here or on on the image below to sign up.
- Join Hive using this link and then join us in the Silver Bloggers' community by clicking on the logo.
Original artwork: @artywink
- lastly, graphics are created using partly my own photographs, images available freely available on @hive.blog and Canva.
Okay, I’ll buy the soup. I’ll send you an email, how must I pay? Hive or Rands. I’m so sorry, I’ve done markets for most of my life, the famous Bruma Lake included. I know what a bad day means. Just let me know how much you have left over. My heart and my love, so sorry 🤗❤️💕❤️🤗💕💕❤️🥰🥰
Oh, bless you! I do remember that market - both its iterations! I have orders from other folk for some of the leftovers and the jambalaya's sparing me from cooking supper. Thank you for your kind words: I needed to vent. All, though, is definitely not lost. My frustration is more at the stuff around the organising than the day, itself. One never knows, does one? There is really no pattern to markets, is there?
Have a good week!🤗
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hi Fiona, sorry you had a troublesome day at the market - always at the behest of the weather and the crowds, hey🙄😥 At least you managed to shift a fair bit of it... and you found some wonderful people willing to help out in a pinch! I will be wishing and praying for sunnier calmer skies for your next big outing 🙏🤗 Much love xx !LUV !ALIVE
@fionasfavourites, @samsmith1971(2/5) sent you LUV.
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Big hugs Fiona, what a bummer the steel band cancelling, that must have hit the numbers, especially over lunch. Well I hope you don't have too much now in the way of leftovers. The second tent, uff what a a pain that was. Thankfully you were helped out, otherwise you would have been having a stall in Scottish weather!
I hope the lessons become lessons learned after all!
Well, I potentially have an order or two, and both freeze well. And we shall eat it all. I am a little too Scottish to have not planned for this possibility. It's happened before!
From your lips to God's ears!
Oh trust me, I know you were prepared !
🤣👌
No way! Oh, Fiona! @fionasfavourites Talk about the luck? Could it have gotten any more challenging? And then the steel band. Boo! I am surprised you didn't call in sick! Can you do that?
What kind neighbors you have, giving you a side sheet plus.! I am glad you had some sales and I hope that your hubby didn't get sicker (or more setback) from being out in the rain and cold and heavens! What a great guy.
I have to admit, you are a trooper! Great pictures, BTW!
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Take pictures! Be creative!
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Well, I have learned a lot, including that I have a certain amount of resilience and, perhaps how to set boundaries. I allowed myself to have a rant in that post. Perhaps I should do a follow-up with the positives and lessons learned. I think that might be good for me.
Your gift - thank you! - gets you a cup of soup, jambalaya and a koeksisters on the house! 🤗
Bless you! You are too good to me!!❤️
A follow-up!! On Friday! :))
I'm so glad the rain actually stopped AND that you had a roof over your head at the market. What a pity about the steel band because that definitely would have made a huge difference!
Funnily reminds me of my wedding day; as I wanted to look my best, I didn't wear my glasses (I'm short-sighted, still am, take them off to read) so, as we walked into the reception hall, the music did not sound anything like the duo we had booked & paid for! We both were not happy at all as they were not up to scratch, and we were not even told! Everyone really enjoyed the reception though; it was 4 days before Christmas so the Cape family all took leave & drove up to Durban, & it ended up in a jolly makietie with our friends and family mingling.
The original duo was a piano player cum singer & her brother; she later made quite a name for herself, playing in stage shows & grand affairs! They obviously were offered a more lucrative booking that night. Chantal S, I will never forget!
Sorry for digressing, but the steel band letting you down somehow triggered that memory.
It looks like the locals really enjoyed themselves, blissfully unaware of all the drama behind the scenes!
Oh, my, and for your wedding! I would have been livid. No apology necessary! Glad it turned out well in the end. As did this, actually, even though it could have been better. It certainly was not the disaster that, at one point, I thought it might have been!
And: Thank you for being part of the listening support behind the scenes as I ranted!