I had meant to finish the greenhouse work today, but it's cold. The seedlings will be all right in the propagator, but it won't do them any good to be taken out, potted up, watered - I fill the watering cans and leave them in the greenhouse overnight so that the water isn't so cold, but it would still chill them - and generally bothered. It can wait. The forecast is good for the next few days and it'll all catch up.
Next week will be busy though. Our next china auction sale is coming up at the beginning of May and the Sage has been gathering all the lots together. Some are delivered, but he is a good-natured soul and goes to fetch them from all over Norfolk and Suffolk at no extra charge. It's a rather impressive bunch of china this time - this year is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the factory and he has been encouraging clients to make it a particularly good sale. We want to get the catalogue out by early next month, so next week we will be lotting up (that just means deciding on the order items are to be sold and putting on the lot numbers), writing the catalogue, taking photographs and getting the printing done. And then getting the catalogues filled and posted, quite a job in itself.
Years ago, this was a full-time job, when he had monthly auctions (all sorts of antiques, not our present specialist ones) and then, of course, he had full time staff. Now he has me.
I've also promised to spend some time in the shop. Jean, who has worked there for years - Al took over the staff when he bought the business - has retired today. Tim is taking over her hours, except that he's working Wednesday morning instead of every other Saturday - he has young children. So I'm doing a few afternoons next week to help out, plus Saturdays when I'm wanted, until Al decides what he's going to do in the long term.
Oh, and the electric blanket has stopped working. The Sage was obliged to breathe heavily at me to warm me up last night. Which was very sweet of him, as he didn't complain at all. I wonder if he will be so kind again tonight, or if I had better search out a hot-water-bottle.
7 comments:
I must say the auction sounds great fun, hard work but fun. As to the problem of the electric blanket, poor Sage having to blow on you two nights running,
I think some red wine, and a hot water bottle. He has a busy week next week.
Excuse me, martin, who has a busy week next week? The Sage decides in what order to sell the china. The rest is my job.
I've started with the red wine already :-)
Who is in charge of the gavel ?. Pressure mortals can only imagine, he needs sound sleep.
But...but...the sale isn't until May.
However, I do agree with you that he is something rather more wonderful than merely mortal.
I've got a gavel too, you know. I just don't use it for auctioneering.
O May.... he has plenty of time for training then, he still has to study the stock and have the patter sorted. I don't know the Sage but feel he has something of the super hero about him. What do you use your gavel for ?. And a gentle reminder for the biscuits and milk for tomorrow.......... the weeks just roll by don't they ?.
They do indeed, Martin, and how kind of you to remind me.
Boringly, I bear my gavel to meetings. I don't often need to use it though, very often the Power of my Eye suffices. As you can see.
Thank you for the katkins. It's a joy when people bring the outside in for me :-)
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