When my alarm went off this morning at 5am for Ford Market, I didn’t even have to look out of the window to know that it was blowing a gale and absolutely chucking it down! I sleep with the window open and the curtain was billowing like a ship sale out through the window … and my bed covers were wet!
Ever the optimist I decided not to snooze the alarm and turned on the TV in the bedroom, switched my laptop on and climbed back into bed to figure it out. Car was loaded last night so I was ready to go …. I was a veritable “in bed” weather station! No matter which website I checked, or which channel’s weather report I was looking at … it said the same thing. Crappy shitty weather until mid afternoon – and as Ford market closes down at 3pm … well …. decision made (after 45 minutes of indecisiveness!)
Soooo I did this instead … LOL yeah I know – hair looks BAD and I look WORSE (puffy bleary eyes) but it was about 5.45am by then in my defence!! I was pretty awake after I’d made the decision, so I made myself a cup of coffee, took it back to bed and watched some early morning TV while I checked my email sitting in bed. Had to get a photo for posterity because it’s only ever on market days that you will see me up that early!! I finally got out of bed around 9am 
I don’t want to be a “fair weather trader” and only turn up when the sun is out because if that were the case I’d NEVER be out there! LOL! I’m happy to be out there from early till late working hard, carting all the stock back & forth and putting in the effort come rain or shine. Unfortunately my stock isn’t so happy (the labels all get damaged) and I am not prepared for trading outside in bad weather and the wind … yet!
I did make a productive use of the day and I went up to the market at Ford anyway as a visitor. I introduced myself to the market manager, got all the info I need about trading there and spent a couple of hours chatting with some of the traders. It was definitely worth looking around because I had a much better idea of what I need for next week (tarpaulins, clamps and weights for starters!) to get up and running. At Worthing they at least provide the EZ up canopy for you which has at least a hope of staying put in the wind!! I only have a gazebo which isn’t as strong and weather proof as one of the purpose built ez-up tents or market stalls… so I am going to have to look at investing in one of those. I’ve done some research and they aren’t as expensive as I first thought – and certainly to do Ford Market – will be well worth it!! Fingers crossed I can organise something ready for next Sunday
After I’d got back home after my “rekkie” round the market, I started blitzing my wardrobe! What a difference! I took everything out, sorted it all, threw away anything that doesn’t fit me anymore (plus discovered I’m back into my “skinny jeans” – yeah!!) and had a major enormous shoe cull. I didn’t take a picture of the shoes I chucked out because it’s too depressing! Why I hung onto some of them I don’t know! Some of them were falling to pieces so much, others entirely impractical and I never wear anymore, and others I looked at and thought WHY? LOL
The top shelf has now got my boots, bags and accessories (doesn’t show in the second pic) – ohh and that empty shoe rack in the RHS pic? Err it isn’t empty anymore – I have a downstairs shoe cupboard that I’ll be re-organising a bit later on … but now ALL my shoes are exactly where they belong in my wardrobe!
THEN I tackled the ironing! My house – which yesterday was spotless – now looks like a laundry service with clothes hanging up everywhere! My iron actually BROKE part way through and I had to phone Mother for an emergency “can I borrow your iron?” visit! I’ve finished for tonight and am chilling out now so I’ll put it all away in the morning!!
It was WEIRD waking up to an empty house this morning! Normally on market day – which is normally a Wednesday and a school day for kids & work day for Hub … I have to creep around like a mouse to try not to wake anybody up but this morning the whole place was mine! I didn’t have to worry about the volume control on the TV (I always have the news & weather on when I am up for market!) or making too much noise tripping over the dog … or the cat whinging outside to come in because it’s been raining! LOL It was all such a novelty! I struggled with the decision NOT to go to market today, but I’ll secretly admit it was really nice to climb back into my warm (albeit slightly damp!) bed with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning all by my lonesome!
