The Fair Place - written two weeks ago

 On Friday night I drove over the Cairn o Mount in darkness and driving rain.

I parked the car, put on my wellies, picked up a bag with milk, bread and butter, put a lead on my dog and walked through darkness and wet grass, armed with a torch the size of a phone, to my caravan. 

I opened the door, lit a candle and switched on a solar lantern that had been gathering sunlight over the past week. I took off my wellies and jacket and instantly felt a wave of happiness and relief. I sat down and suddenly realised my mouth was stretched in a smile as broad as if I had a little coat hanger forcing it into as broad a grin as I could manage.

I am home, in a 14 ft caravan in one of the loveliest places in the world and I wouldn't change places with a soul. 

When I first fell heir to the caravan, every time I stayed in it, I felt as if I was standing in a shower of happiness, or as if buckets of happiness were being thrown at me.

One day, this year I looked across the fields in the early evening sun and felt blessed, and since then, I realise how blessed I am. Now, the shower of happiness has become buckets of blessings.

I see God going about like a cross between Father Time and an old farmer - finding a bucket of blessings and throwing them over me. He always seems to be rushing, which I suppose is why he works the buckets rather than scattering sprinkles. I got a bucketful tonight.

I thank God for his blessings. I thank my grandma who brought her young family to this beautiful place, which was called in Gaelic 'the fair place', the family who made space for my grandma and the families who have made spaces for her children and grandchildren in this lovely place over the past 80 odd years and my auntie who gave me her caravan. 

I went outside and the sky was full of stars, many, many more than in any astronomical diagram and I realised I was standing right under the milky way and I thought, "another bucketful."

Are you Scottish or British? - Right now I'm Rushin'

A very quick post to say I have three posts in my head that I really want to write up but I am rushing now to get to the World Sheepdog trial at Fearn, near Tain in Rossshire. 

You can follow my reports in the P&J and Courier and when I'm back I'll update the blog with (some) of the news of my past few weeks and the dates of forthcoming fairs, including a brand new, regular Winter Market planned for Arbroath.  

The pictures above are from my stall at the Little Birds Market in St Andrews.

 I am looking forward to being in Aberdeenshire again for my next market, Knitty Kitty Bang Bang at Culter.