Photo 29

The decorator is booked in for next week. He's doing the dining room on Tuesday and Thomas' bedroom on Wednesday. 

I didn't think Thomas would mind what colour I chose for his room so when I asked him what he wanted I was expecting him to say he wasn't bothered. I was pretty shocked when he said purple. 

He's colour blind with red and green and I know a few colours look different shades to him, so I thought he might mean more of a bluey purple, but when I showed him the chart he pointed to the brightest purple on there, making my knees buckle ever so slightly.

It is definitely not something I would have chosen but it's his room so I'm happy-ish for him to have it - on one wall. Batman and The Joker have a lot to answer for.

The name of the colour made me smile. It's called Crown Jewels. While for some it might conjure up regal images of robes, crowns and amethysts, it brings something completely different to my mind and seems very appropriate for a boy's room don't you think :)

Brace yourselves friends, there's a bright colour coming up!

xxx

Photo 28

I posted the ponchos and dresses today to Little Dresses For Africa UK - a new charity I stumbled across.  

I was only going to send the ponchos to them and the dresses to Dress A Girl Around the World but the lady who co-ordinates DAGAW is away for 2 months and has asked people to leave posting anything until September.

I don't like things hanging around so I sent everything off to the one charity. 

I really enjoy making the ponchos and it's a good way to use up bits of wool. I like them all but my favourite is the lemon and lime. 

Time to put the hook down now and pick up the needles again for another round of angels. 

xxx

Photo 27

I've been stripping wallpaper off today in the dining room. It wasn't that hard to do, there's only one wall and it came off really easy. We don't have a steam stripper so I just did it the way Dad used to. Hot soapy water, a paintbrush, splash it on, leave it for 5 mins then scrape it off. 

The only problem is behind the radiator. When the decorator papered for us last time he dropped a full length behind there and I'm struggling to get to it. It's a long radiator and there are 3 widths of wallpaper I need to remove. It should come off easily enough, but I need something long to get down the back.

I was muttering about this to Mark and he went to the shed and appeared with a 1960's fish slice that belonged to his Mum and Dad. I have no idea why it's ended up down here or why Mark would know straightaway where it was - it's hardly heirloom material. In true Tom & Joan style it's been used until it's tissue paper thin.  Unfortunately, it was neither use nor ornament for the job in hand but Mark had done his bit and went back to the laptop pretty quickly.

I'm afraid my new paper is very similar to what I've removed. Yes, I've veered towards red again - I just can't help myself. I bought 3 rolls of lovely wallpaper that was white with a shiny flower embossed on it, but when I taped my tester piece up I hated it. It was too insipid, I need to be hit with a dose of colour. So I took it back,  swapped it and feel much happier with my second choice. 

I think we might be nipping to B&Q in a while for some paint for Thomas' room so I'm going to have a look and see if I can find something that will scrape behind the radiator, unless somebody reads this in the next half hour and can give me a brilliant tip on what to use :)

          

xxx

Photo 26

This is about as exciting as it got at Number 38 today. A bit of baking. I made blueberry and chocolate cakes. Blueberry are Amy's favourite, I buy her one from Lidl every week, and Thomas loves chocolate. 

We were supposed to go strawberry picking but rain scuppered those plans. Actually it stopped mid afternoon but by then I was in the middle of cooking a roast chicken dinner and it was too late to set off. 

I know from visiting blogs some of you have also been baking this weekend. How about everybody else; have you made anything? 

           

xxx

Photo 25

Amy is out in Manchester this evening. She's going for cocktails to celebrate her friend's birthday. I don't mind her having a drink, she's sensible, she doesn't really like it and I'm sure one will probably be enough for her, she may even opt for non-alcoholic.  I'm not worried about her being in Manchester, it's probably a lot safer than Middleton. Here you get all the local plonkers out looking for trouble.  

It reminds me of when I was 16 and with nothing much to do in Cirencester, meeting my mates in the local for a lager or pernod & black was normal. Back then of course there were no ID checks and a bit of extra eye shadow, rouge and lippy seemed to do the trick. 

If you went into town it was the same. As long as you looked old enough they served you. I can clearly remember a new pub opening and they put 2 bouncers on the door - I have no idea why - but that suddenly became the in place to be and if we got past those beefcakes we thought we were the cat's whiskers.

If you put your drink down on the bar the only worry you had was somebody drinking it, not spiking it and I would happily walk the mile or so home on my own never giving a thought that somebody might harm me. If I ever felt scared, it was because I'd watched a horror movie, (they really aren't my thing) and I'd go over the roundabout rather than under the subway.

I can't imagine how parents coped back then not being able to phone or facetime their offspring at the drop of a hat but they seemed a lot more laid back than they do today. I do remember the pub phones would sometimes ring and the landlord would yell out somebody's name who was wanted.

Ah, good times indeed and the pub was definitely a step up from passing cider around in a car park! 

xxx

Photo 24

I'm sorry but this is a moaning post, so if you don't fancy me wittering on about school, click off now. 

We received a letter from Thomas' High School yesterday saying that a Team Building Induction day has been organised during the last week of September at a cost of £35.

As usual, and this is really beginning to annoy me because whenever money is concerned it's always the same, if you are a pupil who meets the criteria you don't have to pay. I'm sorry, but I'm getting mightily fed up of this. The odd bit of money here and there is OK and I try not to think too much about who isn't having to cough up again, but asking for £35 to do a bit of building and archery when a good percentage of children won't be paying is taking the mickey.  

It's so the pupils can get to know each other. What a load of tosh. Many of them are going with friends from primary and those they don't know on the first day they probably will do by 25th September when this is taking place. 

So I've sent an e-mail to the school asking why they can't all just walk down to the local park where there's a big field and at a cost of £0.00 for everybody concerned do a bit of team building there.

For goodness sake, they're 11 years old. Who thinks up this c**p that costs some parents money. And it's not about not being able to afford it, it's about always having to pay. 

As yet I've not received a reply and because I don't want a photo of my angry face on here today's photo is a random one of Thomas blowing bubbles.

xxx

Photo 23

It's rained today, the fine drizzle kind. It doesn't seem to have cleared the air though and it's what I call jungle weather. Not that I've ever been in a jungle but I imagine this is what it feels like. 

There have still been bright spots though -  weather wise and during the day in general. 

Little Miss Sienna, grown up enough now to sit in the trolley while we shop. She's probably been able to do this for weeks, but Granny and Grandpa only had the lightbulb moment today. 

My Rose! I am ridiculously happy that this has flowered and the colour is gorgeous. 

And a rather bright poncho has been finished. I just need to add a tassel.  

Hope you've all had a bright and cheerful day. 

xxx