Last Sunday I was face-painting, for Animal SOS Sri Lanka, to raise much needed funds for the street dogs and cats who suffer the most awful abuse and cruelty. This is the second year that a local charity has held a fun day and it’s now an annual event that hopefully will get bigger each year..
Now, as you know I’ve been decorating, and as I’ve gone from room to room I’ve been collecting all sorts of bits and pieces and books that I no longer need for the charity shops. Well, I suddenly had a brainwave and decided to ask daughter to sell them at the fun day and make an absolute fortune for the Sri Lankan animals.
Soooooooooo…..on the day, we piled the car high with all our goodies and set off. After what I suspect may have been an illegal drive across the park, finally we were ready to set up shop and make a killing.
But…..nobody had reserved our table, so I went dashing around the HUGE park and eventually borrowed a dodgy wall-papering table that had a broken leg. We had no cloth but nevertheless, we set up stall! To my amazement the table remained upright when all the books were piled on…but daughter insisted on me moving my face paints, which, according to her, were ruining the look of her arty stall….SERIOUSLY!!!! Not seeing arty there myself, but hey, what do I know!
Now….hubs had set his heart on having a nice quiet Sunday and had said that he wouldn’t be bringing the dogs along…..so when I rang him asking if he could bring me a small table and a chair for my face painting kit , he was naturally disgruntled, but eventually agreed….albeit grumpily.
So, back to business. I excitedly arranged my wares beautifully on the grass and was rather peeved to hear daughter referring to them as a load of old tat….and then we waited for our first customers.
But none came….but the rain sure did!!! So daughter and I frantically threw all the books and wares under the dodgy table which set the broken leg wobbling precariously.
It absolutely hammered down for an hour, and we had no cover to shelter under. As we huddled together totally bedraggled, hubs turned up with raincoats for us, grumbling about it being his second visit and all, even though we hadn’t asked him to come.
Then the sun came out and I began to get a few customers. Then it rained, and we hurriedly threw the even wetter books and wares under the table and waited it out. I lost count of the times we moved those wretched books, and bunch of old tat!
Suddenly, I looked up, and there was hubs with the dogs, who went absolutely wild when they spotted me, so let’s just say I was rather wetter and muddier when they’d finished bouncing up and down on me.
I think hubs had given up on the idea of a peaceful afternoon. To my amazement though, he actually bought the dogs a doggy ice cream each which is not at all like him. I did ask him if he would he get me a cup of tea, but that had very little mileage sadly….sighs…
Then the rain hammered down again, so hubs and the dogs took to sheltering in my car, whilst daughter and I battled on.
By this time, most people were heading home so daughter and I decided to call it a day. We counted our money….and….daughter had raised the grand sum of…………£5, yes a measly fiver, and I had made a dismal £55.
I couldn’t believe it. All my soggy books and old tat were still sitting on the wobbly wet table and soaked grass. At one point in the day a lady had admired a lamp in the old tat range. It had cost me £45 a few years ago. She asked how much it was and I said whatever she thought it was worth, she said…£3! Cheek! And…..she didn’t even buy it at that price in the end.
Daughter complained that my wares were truly appalling….and given that she’s a born sales person, with the right product she would of course, have cleaned up!!! Yeah….right!!!
So….we piled the car high with our sodden wares and sent hubs home with it while we helped people to take tents down. Now, as the final tent was coming down, the rain water bellied to one side and poured over me like Niagara falls…..chilling and soul destroying it was, I kid you not! I can’t remember ever being so wet in my life.
Then I finally headed home and fed the cat…in torrential rain, mucked out the hog….in torrential rain….and walked the dogs ….in torrential rain.
Hubs then told me he’d thrown all my junk in the garage, unfortunately under the leaky bit, so I’d best move what was left of them. So I did….in torrential rain.
Then finally, I changed into dry clothes and looked for the hairdryer, only to find that daughter had taken it back with her to the house were she was cat sitting, so I sat with wet hair all night….some days you win, some days you lose eh? But you’ve got to laugh haven’t you, afterwards of course!!!
Alas I am all too familiar with your weather from my childhood.a shame after the hot summer:)
Yes….rain rarely stays too far away Kath. Thanks. xxxx
Sorry about the lack of face-painting pics, I’d put my camera away as it was raining so much which was a shame really as I painted my first ever zebra faces, and I have to say that they did look rather good!
Yes….I sure do need a tent, the thing is I never know where I’m going to be put, sometimes I’m given a tent but mostly I’m not so buying my own would solve the problem. We can never predict our weather and the forecast is so often wrong….
Lol…..hubs will be thrilled to hear that someone is standing up for him! And as SOON as you find the SOS for soggy old books please let me know!!!!!! Thanks Shimon. xxxx
I do love those pictures of your famous literary daughter, but I was hoping to see a few faces painted… and perhaps lipstick on a dogs sexy lips, but I realize there are limits to what one is willing to do… even for the suffering animals of Sri Lanka. And this business of uninvited rain in England could get tiresome for me. You should have brought a tent to protect the books! I will have to join an SOS book club for saving the old books of face painters. Poor Hubby; I can see where charity work can really be a wearing experience. xxx
It’s always lovely to meet the dogs in different places, they are so surprised and happy to see me. Thanks Hannah.xxxx
The weather was certainly not with you! Your dogs look lovely though, it must have been nice to see them despite the slightly dismal day.
Lol…thanks Arose. Yes, it’s funny how the little things finish you off isn’t it.
Once I was settled [finally] for the night, to have to sit with drippy wet hair was ‘orrible. I have really thick hair which takes an absolute AGE to dry, and our fire is off as we had a gas leak and I’ve never tried drying my hair on a radiator….it was still wet when I went to bed!!!
Hubs likes to appear grumpy but he has a heart of gold…..he just makes his little stands of rebellion now and then, which in this case was the refusal to get me a cuppa lol. xxxx
You poor beast! I think you did incredibly well to stick it out for the whole day and brilliant that you made £55 on the face painting in spite of the weather! – well done!
That must have felt the last straw when there was no hairdryer after all your drenchings and water sloshing off tents over you and all….
Your hub must be a real soft hearted chap to have kept you in his thoughts bringing you stuff… shame he did stump up a cup of tea but hey….
The stormy sky photo says it all…. can really imagine it! xxx
Lol….yes I do need to take an umbrella at least Claudine.
If I could have given everything away I would have done, it was a nightmare piling all that wet stuff back in the car. I haven’t looked at it since, but I suspect it’s now too far gone to give to a charity shop….ah well…. Thanks, you have a lovely Sunday too.xxxx
Auch, pity ’cause of the rain… next time think about a parasol or gazebo 🙂 I had the same bad experience quite few year ago and after this, I just gave aways for free the books 😉
Looks anyhow very lovely, we don’t use to have often this kind of “party” here around, it’s pity…
Have a lovely sunday :-)claudine
Our weather is so unpredictable isn’t it, there’s no way anyone can second guess it!
Curly cat is becoming fussy too, when I say fussy, I mean it loosely. Obviously she has known hard days so always eats whatever I give her, but she does like a change so a change she gets! Cats eh?
The rescue always needs towels and blankets and all sorts of things which people donate, so I’m sure the vet is well pleased with you!
Ahhhh, Mandarijn aka Fuggit….your little darling as well we all know!!!! Thanks Mick.xxxx
Rain spoils everything. It’s annoying when you plan all year and it rains. Thanks for doing this for our animals. My little bit for our furry friends is to take towels and blankets to the vets and giving tins or biscuits our little git turns her nose up at. Yes Mandarijn aka Fuggit, the fussy little ratbag..
Ha, ha. Sometimes some days just don’t go the way we planned do they?
I had to laugh, but it must have been miserable out there getting soaked again and again. Pity the charity didn’t make as much money because of the weather. You win some, you lose some ;D
Lol….y’know, it reels from one extreme to another. Sometimes I can make a fortune, and other times it’s a complete washout….but when you do make a fortune you kind of expect you always will….sighs…it’s a shame when it pours down…
Yeah, I kind of lost that one. Thanks Kegs. xxxx
Oh dear, all that effort for such a good cause and it ends up like that 🙁 well at least you were willing and that’s the main thing.
Is that an Eagle owl in the photo? My hubby has two Eagle owls and while I know diddly squat about them I know they look like the one in the photo lol.
The donkeys look adorable – so cute, despite the weather.
Well done to you and your daughter for being troopers for a good cause 🙂
Spot on Linda….an eagle owl it is….it was there on the day with the owl rescue. How lucky you are to have two to look at….wow….I’m jealous! Are yours rescue ones?
Today it’s actually stopped raining….wonders never cease eh? Thanks Linda.xxxx
Typical isn’t it – just when you want nice weather it does just the opposite. It did make me laugh though – sorry.
Lol….you laugh away…. I did, AFTERWARDS of course.xxxx
Ooooooooh! Toasty room with a roaring fire you say???? And towels, blankets and a HAIR DRYER????? What joy!!!! That cheers me up no end, I can almost hear the crackling logs…..
I think we’re having a monsoon or something, the rain has hammered down for a week and I seem to be permanently wet!
Lol….I do agree about daughter, she looks positively sheepish, yes she must have seen her ….erm……total failure coming!!!!
Each time I do these sort of things I kind of get more organised [believe it or not!] but a pop up tent seems the way to go for sure. Thanks Nikki. xxxx
Oh, Oh, Oh! Just hearing about all that drenching rain and squelching grass and sogging wares makes me want to bundle the lot of you to a toasty room with a roaring fire. And maybe a blow dryer and not a few towels and blankets. I’m so sorry about the day! You’re right that some days that nothing seems to go right. But, there. It’s over and hoepfully you are headed for righter days!
Maybe you need one of those pop-up-tents to accompany your sales kit for next time. Expression on your daughter is priceless. She knows she ought to smile for the camera, but she also foresees a mere £5 for her efforts (and your wares!).
Bless you both for your work for Sri Lanka. I used to have a co-worker from there (now a good friend, but lives across the country from me).
Here’s to a cozier weekend for all of you.
What a day, well done for sticking it out. I’m sorry you didn’t make more money but every little helps, as they say. It’s such a shame that the weather was so bad, especially after the gorgeous summer we’ve had, though it’s a risk to organise outdoor events at any time of year in this country. You’ve won my little giveaway. Please let me have your address and I’ll get the cucumber seeds in the post.
That’s very true about the money Jo, even though it was only a small amount it’s still £60 more than they had before and it goes such a long way in Sri Lanka, so even if only one dog or cat gets medical treatment it’s better than none at all.
How wonderful to hear I’ve won the seeds! Ahh…every cloud has a silver lining eh…..thanks Jo.xxxx
What a shame about the weather! You’re such good sports, especially as you were there to raise money for a cause dear to your heart. We always live in hope that outdoor events won’t be rained off at this time of the year. Hope you and your daughter haven’t got chilled from the drenching.
Thanks Linda. Y’know, no matter how much sun we get, the odds are always in favour of it raining on any organized event outdoors….
Daughter and I were fine, but you wouldn’t believe how soaked we were. My jeans were absolutely stuck to me!!!xxxx
Oh dear what a damp and dismal day you had!
I’m surprised that you stayed all day as I think I would have gone home early, not that things improved much once you got there did they.
Reading this certainly bought back a few memories of similar days ‘enjoying’ a day out in our typical summer weather.
That’s life! xx
Lol….I think the problem with me is I’m a born optimist and really believed the weather would get better, especially after such torrential downpours….going home was the icing on the cake I suppose. I was o.k with everything except the lack of a hair dyer!!!
Yes….that’s certainly life in Britain. Thanks Flighty.xxxx
What an ‘interesting’ day. Some people just want you to give stuff away don’t they?
How very true Sue, some people certainly do like to keep their hands in their pockets.xxxx
And to think I was complaining about getting just a little damp on Sunday… good on ya.
Lol….thanks Rusty duck. xxxx
Goodness; what a day! I’d say you gave it way beyond the old college try…sure wish we’d get some of that rain, Dina. 🙂 I love the way your husband “converted,” of his own accord, from someone nesting into his cozy Sunday-of-solitude into the man who brought raincoats, dogs, and then ice cream treats. He must adore you. (Although tea would have been a nice touch.)
The cheeky woman’s comments about your lamp made me laugh. There’s always one in the crowd, isn’t there?!
What a crazy adventure you and your dear daughter shared; you’ll probably remember this better than a sunny day with average fundraising. Thank you for the giggles and lovely photos.
Here’s sending all our rain to you Kitty, you certainly need it. Fingers crossed you get some soon.
Lol….hubs always comes around in the end, however reluctantly…..shame about the lack of a cuppa though!
I was SHOCKED when the woman walked away without the lamp…..she must have taken 30 minutes to decide she didn’t want the darned thing…..sighs…and you are right, daughter and I won’t forget this day in a hurry. I was amazed at how cheerful daughter managed to remain! Thanks Kiity.xxxx
My goodness SB, what a day – and what commitment to hang in there GRIMLY by the skin of your teeth, getting wetter and wetter and dodging in and out of the rain … and although the rain was such a pain, that is an amazing picture of dark skies – I love it! And your daughter is rather gorgeous, despite her rude remarks 😉
Ah! You have it one wonderful word there Gilly….GRIMLY….yes……that sums how I dealt with the fiasco perfectly!!!!
The pic still daunts me somewhat as it reminds me what the sky looked like most of the day…..lol
As for daughter….what can I say, a minx if ever there was one!!! Thanks Gilly.xxxx
This made me laugh out loud….I love it, and the photographs, and the dogs, and the people…and everything else:):)xxxx
Lol…..thanks Janet. I laughed myself, the best laid plans of mice and men eh? xxxx
Oh Dear…..English Weather……True to form. Perhaps the funfair/stalls should have been held in August…..Heatwave… 🙄
Never mind…all’s well, that ends well! Home and Dry….;) Hugs!
I know….to think of all those weeks were the sun shone non stop!!! Thanks Bushka.
P.s…..I see your name is still spelt wrong, how on earth does that happen?xxxx
Oh dear ….. It chilled me just reading that!!!!
I must get Aimee and Louis along to see your sanctuary one of these days ……
Lol….I can’t recall ever feeling so cold or being that wet!
Yes, you’ll have to bring them when I’m there. They’ll enjoy it. xxxx
Hahahahaha….our stall? Our stall? Your stall!!!! xxxx
Errrrm I think I remember saying our stall looked dismal, not artsy! The doggie ice cream was a highlight though x