Sedgefield | Nice piece of work

I met Abigail last week. She’s 4 and lives in Sedgefield, where Rob and I were holidaying. She and her dad joined us for a braai one evening and, while the guys were tending the meat and making sure the beers were the right temperature of cold, Abi and I took a short drive into the village.

She found a pack of fruity chewing gum in the cubby hole, with four left inside. Can I have one, please? she asked. Sure, I said, have two if you like. So she had three, then closed the little envelope. Then she immediately opened it again and said Oh there’s only one left now. I think I’ll have to give it to me.

She came to visit me at the market on Saturday morning, and I said she could pick whichever hat she liked best. Seems she’s a Hello Kitty girl.

I’m starting to feel very grown up. Not me Jill but me Jam Tarts:

The big order for the preschool went off well and full payment has been received (they were also going to put in an order for winter hats so I’m still hoping on that one)
I’ve been accepted for the Durbanville Plaasfees (thanks for all your finger-crossings)
I’ve been invited to trade at the annual Community Carnival in February (now in it’s 63rd year and with 80,000 feet expected over 4 days)
I have customers who can’t get to my markets trying to organise coffee dates with me so that I can show them new hats
I have engaged a lovely lady called Berenice who will be knitting hats for me (like Eunice who still crochets for me), and…………………….
I am now the proud owner of a tagging gun. How retail is that!?

There are going to be a lot of late nights and early mornings spent sewing, but I have to say I’m really happy about all this. I won’t be competing with Kangol any time soon, but I never wanted to be big anyway, I just want to be busy and generate income and not have to work in a corporate environment until honourable retirement age.

And speaking of markets, Rob and I are off to Sedgefield for a few days soon (it’s near Knysna on the Garden Route, for those of you who aren’t local). One of the main attractions for us always taking our holidays there are the two really amazing markets on the Saturday morning called Wild Oats (the food part) and the Scarab (arts and crafts). We usually spend all our money there, in one extravagant frenzy. So Rob says, Why don’t you see if you can trade at Scarab when we’re there? I say, Oh sure like they’re waiting for an out-of-towner to just pitch up and grab a spot? Rob says, No harm in trying. I say, No man, it’s supposed to be a holiday, remember? Rob says, Just try. So I do. And they say, Lovely products, love to have you. See you on the 14th. So there we are then, in for a penny in for a pound….