Jimmy is watching something horrible on the telly – and having watched Sense and Sensibility with me earlier – it’s his choice - so I have opted for bed - to read my book/write blogg.
It is Sunday nights and I have been a whirling painting dervish all day/weekend – have now stripped, prepared, papered and bought paint and bits etc for both toilets – emulsion day tomorrow and both will be complete.
I recall doing something similar in my other life – but with Chris as ground crew and back up. Had a classic ‘out of my depth’ moment with tiles today – 4 tiny ones on a window sill in the upstairs toilet – needing replacement because they had broken – sorted in the end with slightly too large tiles from the shed – because they didn’t need cutting – a task just beyond Jim and I - though we did have a go – Jim was up for it but starting with old tiles was just too difficult – and I wasn’t prepared to buy new tiles – because I didn’t know how to cut them – and I knew we had some already. Anyway final result is idiosyncratic but OK - but as Jim said – it’s only a toilet!
It is only a toilet but it will also probably not get re-painted for several/many years and they needed doing. So I have nearly done them and am so far pleased with my efforts – the easy bit - the laminated post cards look great (they were the easy bit) though I have still not decided how to put them back on the walls. I’m toying with the glue gun - it’s these kind of small decisions – which tool – glue gun choice - that I really miss Chris. I have also been searching through the tools in the cupboard today as part of this process - and feel I should get rid of all of those that I don’t now what their purpose is. Chris was a man for first principal DIY – I was the labourer – together we made a great team! But I have done it with a somewhat bemused labourer Jim – so that’s good.
The process – which seemed to involve a lot of painting pipes – inaccessibly located behind toilets has given me time to think – and in many ways I wish I had started this blogg two or more years before Chris died because then I could make more realistic comparisons of my life pre and post Chris. I have painted the same inaccessible pipes before - but what was I thinking then?
So pleased that the toilets will be painted and hopefully look OK – they are only toilets after all – but also recognise that I take sole responsibility for them. Do feel a bit on my own through the whole process and that’s because I am.
Anyway my reflections whilst doing it was – what was I thinking before in similar times and I don’t think I know the answer to that! I do feel that I am a different person now – more thoughtful – though after all painting toilet is just that - painting a toilet – but sometimes it does involve more reflection!
