Today didn’t pan out quite how expected and I only have myself to blame. Today I was due to travel to Marwood Hill Gardens to interview and photograph for an upcoming article in Devon Life magazine. Today I was to have wandered the gardens, free from the detritus of the public, to savour the beauty of these wonderful gardens free and unfettered. I told people where I was going; my neighbour, Hero, my mum, anyone who cared or dared to listen. I may have been a little smug. That was, I believe, my downfall.
As yet innocent of my impending doom, I got up early and combed my hair whilst looking in the mirror at the same time. I wore clean clothes, including my lucky knickers, and put a watch on for the first time in many weeks. Off I set on my big adventure.
Then my car broke. It didn’t strictly break down, it just made an alarming “boing, boing, boing” noise as I drove the 1/4 mile necessary before the nice recovery men would agree to help me. I don’t know an awful lot about cars but it sounded like trouble to me. It was as if I had run over Zebedee and he was trapped beneath. I did check, just in case. Which is how I yet again came to be loitering in my rescue place of choice, Tesco’s car park, waiting for a recovery vehicle. Instead of wandering, possibly skipping, around the majesty of Marwood, I was eating a sun-aged winter mixture and wishing I hadn’t had that last cup of coffee, waiting for a knight in shining boiler suit to tow my car away. In between Rescue Me and Being Resuced I had time to cherish a different kind of planting. Please see above.
After the prognosis I decided, rather than take my rescuer’s offer of a lift home, to do a bit of shopping, so it wasn’t a totally wasted trip. Little did I know that my normal calm demeanour was to be tested to the limit by the woman in front of me at the till. She packed her groceries with all the urgency of a sloth, and twice asked a staff member to get her something she had forgotten, once for “you know, those little things you sprinkle on top of cappuccinos”. All the while she catapulted sickly smiles at me whilst mouthing “I’m sorry” with a little giggle. She then had a spillage in one of her bags, unseen by me and quite possibly imaginary, which had to be wiped up with all the drama of a wannabe soap opera diva. I stood quietly, some might say too quietly, and I watched as others sped through adjacent tills. And I was close. Very close.
Then home with a loaded rucksack and two full carrier bags, not a cappuccino sprinkle in sight, to tell OH the wonderful news and impending doom bill.
My lucky knickers have been sacked.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Sorry to hear about these misadventures Gill. I admire the way you behaved at the grocery 🙂 really. I am trying to use the self checkout now as much as possible, just to avoid a scenery like the one you described. Afraid that I may snap out and end up on the news headlines… :0
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And we wouldn’t want that! Who would look after all the babies?
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That has been a dreadful day when you had so much to look forward to. I am impressed at your calmness considering it all. Don’t think me weird (or even more weird than usual) but I am trying to imagine what lucky knickers might look like, I have never seen a pair.
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Well, they don’t look like I thought they looked like! Let me down big time. 😀
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Knickers = undergarments?
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Correct ☺
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. . . and they are . . . lucky?
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No
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Hence the aforementioned ordeal and subsequent moaning?
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Exactly 🙂
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Oh, Marwood Hill Gardens are fabulous. Shame you didn’t get there but hopefully they can rearrange the visit? I am so missing visiting gardens. My own is sweet, but boring when you know every plant in it. Well almost every plant. There are a couple I shall be showing on tomorrow’s SoS – I think I am cultivating weeds…
And please forgive me for smiling. Not at your misfortune, but the way you tell it 😂
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I’ve rearranged for next week. I felt such a clot! Luckily I know them (except haven’t met the new head gardener yet) and they knew I wasn’t pulling a “the dog ate my homework”. I was so looking forward to it. 😦 But you are free to laugh. My blog is a godsend to me as when something bad happens I always think “that will make a good story”. Not that I want any more bad things to happen! My mum said to me today. Your blogs either make me laugh or cry. 😀
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Your mum is right!
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What a rubbish day. I hope your trip next week goes ok. I agree that blogs are good for these days 🙂
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I must learn not to build myself up for a fall, then it wouldn’t be so bad. Still, no one hurt, and as you say, a good story. 🙂
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