Friday, September 26, 2008

Pink, pink, pink..oh, just get on with it..

Sitting on my balcony this evening with a glass of pink wine, looking at pink clouds in the sky and watching an unbelievably pink jet-trail making its way across the sky, like a jewelled feather. It has been the most perfect day today, and if the old-fashioned weather forecasting methods are to be believed, it will be lovely again tomorrow. I do hope so, because I have spent most of today indoors, painting. Not the artistic sort of painting, but the domestic sort - with a brush, a damp cloth and a pot of Regency White acrylic eggshell. It all started on Monday this week, when the long-awaited makeover of my two double bedrooms began. It has meant completely emptying each bedroom in turn so that the manky old carpet could be lifted, cut up and taken to the Tip.
Daughter, the Boyfriend (and Grandson) helped me move the furniture on Sunday, so that I was ready for Monday morning. Promptly at 9am, the lovely Guy arrived to cut up and dispose of the said carpet. He then proceeded to sand, repair and fill gaps in the floorboards, and finally painted them with special floor paint. A lovely off-white colour. It looks gorgeous - a sort of cross between a beach hut and a New England house. The only problem was that as soon as we started putting furniture back, everything else looked tatty. Hence the reason why I have spent today painting. I have done the chest of drawers, the base of the Rocking Horse, and all the skirtings. And I have washed and re-hung the blue and white striped curtains. And rehung the pictures, which I've decided can only be sea-themes. So we have sea horses, painted beach huts, a collection of shells and miniature boats and a lovely beach scene. My hands are a total mess, but it all looks great. Well worth doing.

It took 3 days to do the first room, including an impromptu decision give the walls a fresh coat of white emulsion because they looked so awful when the floor had been done. And now we are at Friday, with me sleeping in the spare room, and the floorboards in my bedroom undergoing the same treatment. All well and good, but I have a Student arriving on Sunday, so all the stuff which was dumped in the single room has to be moved in with me tomorrow. Never mind, it will be wonderful when it's finished.

I have also decided to buy a new mattress for my bed, which is long overdue. When I was talking to the lovely girl at Mattressman (where else?) she asked how old my current mattress was. I was reluctant to admit to it, but did say that Son was 29 and my mattress was about the same age (actually I'm ashamed to admit that it's even older). She laughed and said that any mattress I buy now will be manufactured quite differently from the old one, and that I should go and try some mattresses before deciding on anything. She was very nice, and that does seem reasonable, but I'm reluctant to go into a bed shop and lie down, as she suggested. I have to decide soon, as I know that if I wait until my room is finished and the bed reassembled, I just won't do it. I have a lovely old oak bed, and when the floor is painted (and everything else I expect) the room will look wonderful. I know what you're thinking, photos are needed, and I promise to get my act together.

One of the reasons why I have been such a dilatory Blogger of late (beside the aforementioned activity) is that I decided, a month ago, to enter a Short Story Competition. I didn't want to talk about it beforehand, as I often find that if I talk about things I just don't do them. This time I was determined to actually get on with it, and I have been writing, editing, re-writing and generally agonising over it for the last four weeks. I gave myself a deadline (in fact the actual competition deadline is 30th September), and I stuck to it. I have been structuring my day so that I walk, shower, breakfast and then write. And it did work - I've posted my entry, and somehow it doesn't matter in the least what the result is - or isn't. The fact is that I've done it, and I'm going to do it again. Next month I'm going to find another competition to enter. It's all very well me calling myself a writer, but actually it's time to JFDI.

Last weekend with Grandson was just lovely, and we were very lucky with the weather. On Saturday we walked along by the sea to the playground, and spent a lively few hours there with a picnic. Then on Sunday morning we met up with Daughter and the Boyfriend at the Car Boot Sale, where I found a new copy of "The Tiger who Came to Tea" for Grandson. We came back here and moved furniture, and then went off to the Jack and Jill Windmills for the last time this year. It was the perfect afternoon, with a blue sky and a brisk breeze. I'm perfectly happy just sitting there in the sunshine with a cup of tea, watching the sails go round - it's quite magical.

12 comments:

Donna said...

YES, we want pictures!!Hahaa...Get it together Girlfriend!!!
SO Proud of you for turning in an entry!!! I'll pray you win!! Happy Restful weekend sweetie!!hughugs

Maggie May said...

Definitely want pictures!
That was a lovely post from start to finish. A kind of serenity that runs through it.
Good luck with the competitions. I need a little push in that direction too. I keep saying, "When I get the time, I will write!" Still waiting for the time.

Stinking Billy said...

Nice one, Margot. However, you know fine well that you can't just buy a mattress without testing it, you nympho! ;-)

Mean Mom said...

I've been decorating, too. It's hard work, isn't it? I still hadn't finished the hall, stairs and landing (which I started weeks ago) and then eldest son moved out, so we seized the opportunity of stripping down and decorating his room, too. I hadn't even been able to get in there for years.

Best of luck with the short story entry. It is quite an achievement just to have entered, so you are right to be proud of that alone!

Working Mum said...

Bedrooms sound lovely. Yes, we need pictures.

Anonymous said...

Another busy blogger! My mum's mattress was desperately old too but she didn't want to part with it because it was my dad's too. However, we talked her into it and she eventually changed it. Now the new one, she doesn't like. Typical!

Good luck with the story.

CJ xx

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Hi Donna, and thanks so much - I will get the pictures done when the rooms are back together. It doesn't matter to me what the result is, re the story, I'm just so pleased to have done it. M :-)

Hi Maggie, well we're obviously two of a kind - I knew I'd have to give myself that extra push! Thanks, as always, for your lovely comments - and I will do the photos, I promise. M xx

Oh Billy, you are awful! Perhaps Mrs Billy could spare you to come down and help me to choose it? Or perhaps not! M :-)

Hi Mean Mom, well you have been busy too - I dread to think how many bin bags you filled from that bedroom. And yes, I've only just got the paint off my hands - and I'll be doing some more tomorrow!
Thanks for your comments, I'm just happy to have done it. M xx

Hi Working Mum, yes it's going to be perfect when it's finished. As soon as everything's back, I'll take photos. M :-)

Oh Crystal, now you've made me wonder if I should change it! Typical of me too isn't it? Thanks for your good wishes, and will keep you posted. M xx

auntiegwen said...

Ooh I love a glass of the pink stuff too.

New decor sounds lovely.

Good luck with the comp entry xxx

Expat mum said...

What a lovely picure you paint (pardon the pun). I feel all tranquil now. That should, of course, last about 5 minutes. Defintely need photos.

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Hi auntie Gwen, and lovely to have you visiting. Pink is just my favourite! Will keep you all posted if any nice news. M ;-)

Thanks Expatmum, glad to have given you a moment of tranquility.
Photos in the pipeline, just waiting for last coat of floor paint tomorrow and then finishing up. M xx

tea and cake said...

Well done you! I have to be very strict with myself re deadlines, too. I am hopeless and always leave things until the last minute, panic and put in a less than perfect submission. Good luck with it. Love karen x

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Thank T and C, have had the acknowledgment and will let you all know if I hear any more! M :-)