Too much mulled wine?

Despite the forecast gale we had a wonderful evening entertaining our friends last night. Before we eventually sloped off to bed with the wind still howling around the house, we checked that the attic roof was still intact! Fortunately it was - but poor old George the dragon girouette weather vane was continually groaning under the pressure of the wind lashing across the marsh.

We woke earlier than normal and went downstairs for a coffee and to check for any damage. We had been lucky; everything was in place so we went back to bed!

That second sleep is the time when I always seem to have a dream - and today's was SO vivid and so bizarre!

I dreamt I had sold a piece of toile to a local person and went to deliver it myself. I arrived at the buyer's house,  a medieval building that had been converted into a busy restaurant which was filled with diners. I asked for the owner and when he appeared and went to take  my parcel I was sure I knew him  - but could not place where or why. He asked me to follow him and I kept staring at his face trying to remember who he was.

We made our way through the tables of diners until we came to a huge leather-covered studded doorway. He led me through the door into a large passageway lined with toile-covered walls illuminated from behind to make them glow. The Chinoiserie design was so vivid I can remember every detail!

The mystery man told me to follow him and we walked through rooms of Lyons silk, ticking and toiles. At one point I stopped to tell him that a certain toile was called "The return of the prodigal son",  but he waved me along saying he already knew that. More long passages and rooms all filled with chateau tassels, trims and roll upon roll of the most stunning old textiles I had ever seen.

At last we came to another leather studded door and as he opened it I realised he was Stephen the husband of my long time textile dealer friend Suzy! "She is in there" he said and pushed me into a huge Baronial hall so vast that it echoed.  The ceiling was so high you could hardly see it.

At the centre of the room was a large cherry picker type metal lift and standing on the platform high in the roof was Suzy!! She was wearing beautiful pink diamante Stilettos with red soles.  I thought to myself 'how can she be up there in Laboutins'

Suzy was pulling panels of silk brocade from the ceiling and throwing them to the ground. "We will restore them and then replace them" she shouted down from the heavens!

She then slowly lowered the cherry picker until she was on the ground and made me a coffee. The conversation we had is still so vivid right down to the last detail as we chatted about all those years ago when we stood antique fairs together.

We laughed about the times when our stands were bursting with the most amazing chateau textiles which at the time we could buy with ease.....[that is actually SO true, as I can remember 15 years ago or more when our stands were totally decadent, overloaded with silks and tapestries and Suzy`s amazing hand made cushions were made with textiles you'll never find and only dream of these days! ]

But back to the dream............ and Suzy began to make her way through another studded doorway. I followed her but she then simply disappeared and I was left standing in the busy restaurant again with all the diners staring at me. I handed my empty coffee cup to a waiter and made my way outside.

At which point I woke up, still convinced I was in the street in front of the old building!!

So.....analyse that one!! Where on earth did that come from?

Perhaps Mark`s secret recipe mulled wine was a little too strong this year!!

A la prochaine mes belles
xxx