Definitely Not According to Plan ...

... so, 2 days to go before I take over Dairy House Antiques and I might, just might, get dressed for the 2nd time in 7 days!

Shepton was as bitterly cold as anticipated - nay, more so - and on the Saturday, despite being indoors, I got chilled to the marrow as they say. On Saturday night I was in bed by 6.15 with 2 hot water bottles, a wheat heat thingy and 2 eiderdowns on top of the normal bedding. I staggered off on Sunday, wearing Pauley's longjohns and plenty of other warm clothing and got through the day. I had something to eat when I got home on Sunday evening and that was that. As I told the doc on Wednesday, I had got up especially to see him and would quite like to go back to bed now please, but would he mind giving me a miracle cure as I was taking over an antiques centre in less than a week and needed to be fit. So I got antibiotics (which he didn't think would work) and extra strong cough medicine (which he hoped would help), and was told to keep taking Paracetomol.

So here I am, 7 days on from 'taking to my bed', contemplating whether I have enough energy to shower and dress, and whether I'll then be so exhausted I need to go back to bed. This is far worse than the 4 weeks of 'flu' that knocked me for six for most of February. Speak and I cough. Breathe and I cough. Move and I cough. Not a lot else to do, really, so I've slept a lot and read 3 books ... and tried not to think of all the things I was going to do last week. Such as ... take 2 display cabinets from home to Dairy House; buy and fit locks for said cabinets; paint one of the areas at DH that is going to become the new main entrance and my new space; empty everything from my old space into piles of re-display, box up to bring out later, box up to go to auction, box up for the charity shop (been there too long to ever sell); make new 'entrance' sign; purchase invoice books and daybook; create various dealer forms on the computer; write a letter to all dealers confirming terms, payment, coding on labels, etc. And I've done absolutely nothing except cough my way through a few phone calls, squeakily pacifying the odd dealer, and agreeing rent for a new one - all conversations taking about 20 minutes instead of 5 while they waited for me to take in enough breath to expel a few words, cough/breathe/speak/cough/breathe/speak and so on. What it did for their eardrums I dread to think.

I don't mean to sound pathetic, although I probably do, and this virus has once again addled my brain!

I reminded Pauley on Wednesday that it was our WA the next day so he dutifully hot-footed it to the gift shop/stationers to get a card, bless him. There is was waiting for me the next morning when I went downstairs to sit upright for half an hour before deciding that bed was better. I didn't open it immediately and apologised for not having written his. I asked him to pay my Shepton money in to the bank and filled out the paying-in book. Fine ... until I got to the date ... and realised that it couldn't be our anniversary because that is on 31st March and I would be taking over DH the following day and I definitely wasn't taking it over last Friday. Doh! So the card disappeared, and I now need to make sure I write Pauley's today in readiness for a re-run tomorrow!!! I won't repeat the conversation we had but I'm sure you can imagine the general theme! Gillie just laughed!!!!

So, as time and tide waits for no man, and April Fool's Day will arrive the day after tomorrow regardless of whether I'm fighting fit or flat on my back, Dairy House Antiques will get a new owner on Tuesday. She may be pathetic, and only working on 2 cylinders, but somehow she'll be in charge, probably reciting the mantra "It's good to delegate!"

Not a particularly good photo, but this was part of our pitch at Shepton.

Liz's weekend was so disastrous that she's not doing it again. Several other dealers had a bad weekend, although I believe some were quite pleased with their takings. Mine were OK, but certainly not sufficient to call it a good Fair. I did sell the child's dresser though, and one or two other rather nice bits and pieces. But I've decided I shall do the May 3-day as it's always been the best one for me, and will then probably admit that I can't keep all the balls juggling in the air the whole time and stop doing the 3-day Fairs, so that I can concentrate on making a success of running Dairy House. I'll keep doing the Giant Flea because that's quite painless in comparison, and doesn't run the similar risk of my ending up prostrate and poorly.

I think I'll go back to bed for an hour, and then hopefully feel like re-entering the world. Have a jolly Sunday. It's a lovely to think we have now altered the clocks and that by the law of averages we should soon have some lovely sunny weather.