I'm quite partial to a couple of nights in a hotel, no housework, gardening or cooking and plenty of time for leisurely baths and lounging. Our hotel was nice enough though we didn't enjoy a sea view from our room just from the dining table. 
When we first started attending this event it was usual for the men to do manly things on the Saturday, either play golf or visit some feat of engineering while more gentile entertainment was provided for the ladies, nowadays things are a bit more equal. However, we never join in the daytime activities as we prefer a good walk to discover the area. 
So we took ourselves off with a couple of friends to walk along the beautiful Fife coastal path, sunshine, a bracing breeze and salty air, lovely.
We finished in the much photographed fishing village of Crail, you may have seen it before on jigsaw puzzles and the like. Each morning big cooked breakfasts featuring kippers and smoked haddock were followed by a lot of chat, some fascinating conversations about a trip to Bolivia and some really boring ones about the finer details of railway bridges or children's forthcoming examinations. It is the duty of the corporate wife to listen attentively to people who consider conversation a one sided event but luckily this wife had her sock knitting to keep her occupied during the duller moments.
On the way home we stopped off at the lovely Hill of Tarvit, a National Trust property that is now open only on certain dates and run almost totally by volunteers. A beautiful family home in gorgeous gardens and parkland, full of interesting items and complete with a tearoom that served quality tea in a china pot with delicious home baking. This is the kind of property I pay my subscription for the Trust to maintain and I can feel another Mrs Angry letter coming on complaining that they prefer to spend millions on swanky new visitor centres (that provide a teabag in a mug and bought in confectionery) while these little gems, often left as this was to the care of the Trust by the family, are neglected or closed. 
On the way home we stopped off at the lovely Hill of Tarvit, a National Trust property that is now open only on certain dates and run almost totally by volunteers. A beautiful family home in gorgeous gardens and parkland, full of interesting items and complete with a tearoom that served quality tea in a china pot with delicious home baking. This is the kind of property I pay my subscription for the Trust to maintain and I can feel another Mrs Angry letter coming on complaining that they prefer to spend millions on swanky new visitor centres (that provide a teabag in a mug and bought in confectionery) while these little gems, often left as this was to the care of the Trust by the family, are neglected or closed. 
The large beads are pink turquoise the small ones onyx 
Her parents and godparents made their promises and all marked Amelia's forehead with the sign of the cross before she was christened
I got an order for a pair if I had more of the yarn, which checking at home I did and also an enquiry for a pair spotted on the blog, so in total I sold over £100 worth, not that it was ever about profit more the confirmation that people actually wanted my stuff and would pay a reasonable sum towards my time. I had some discussion with an artist who might be interested in incorporating pieces of knitting into some of her work, she had a good stash of hand spun yarn from the Scottish islands and a separate request to run a knitting workshop later in the year for about 12 people. It may all come to nothing but it made me feel so positive and helped dispel the desire to say to people bring them back if you don't like them, if they drop to pieces etc though why I should think any of this I don't know as I've been giving my socks as presents over the years and had nothing but praise.
I've made a little montage of items in action, printed out a sock size chart and packed a tape measure to clarify sizes, I have some float money for change, not much more I can do except keep knitting. I'm wondering how I'll feel if I don't sell anything but as some one said to me you aren't selling now so you'll be no worse off, well £5 for the stall but I can stand that.
Meantime I didn't show you the little cardy I made for my great niece Amelia, here she is now 6 months old and modelling her 4 ply cotton top from the Patons Sugar and Spice book. Her mum is delighted with the cardy and thinks it will get lots of wear. Pity my family is so far away they could come along on Saturday and make my stall look busy, I'd especially appreciate the support from Amelia my happy little satisfied customer.
When she came down to feed I crept up the garden and saw 13 eggs in the nest, though she wasn't too pleased about me being around and followed me back down the garden almost as if she was chasing me away. On Saturday morning I walked up the garden, she wasn't on the nest and when I looked there were only 2 cold eggs left, Sunday it was empty. I had been worried about her sitting on the nest for the next 28 days or so and concerned that when the eggs hatched the chicks would be in a lot of danger. Additionally I wasn't looking forward to having so many large birds scratching around in my garden but what could I do. I really didn't want the nest to be devastated like this, but looking on the net it seems that less than 50% of pheasant eggs hatch, crows and foxes are the most likely predators.