Changing Colour

In my previous post, I mentioned a little beetle with a super power: the ability to change colour. I didn't include a photo, as this was my best photographic attempt*; crisp, clear grass, blurred beetle. And I only have a photo of it being red... so it's not the best illustration of my scoop!

My camera is still managing some rather pretty photos of the evening skies.

I've been using this tool** again to sand down the mustard-painted, black-sooted, greasy doors. I'm becoming more adept at controlling it, but it is, apparently, desperate to tear out chunks of wood.

I had to resort to using paint stripper and a chisel for the insert bits. There is evidence here of chisel-driven mutilation, however. Kevin told me to keep it at a 90 degree angle to the wood when scraping, but sometimes it just skitters off, ploughing a groove through the wood. I know, I know... I'm a woman who's not mastering her tools, but remember, this is all new to me. The uneven surface effect is hot right now in the world of home design. Yep.

We're lucky to be able to keep all of these original doors, although they're all going back in different locations, with different handles. They're good solid bits of wood. (Now I sound like my Dad!)

The upstairs, dormer-windowed bathroom is coming along. We experienced a delay while waiting for the shower screen, as the tiling couldn't be started until we knew the precise measurements. Kevin's up there now tiling the walls. I've heard some choice swear words, mainly his new one, 'Clattenburg', while he's been trying to drill holes for the shower knobs through the centre of a tile. We've inadvertently become mini-celebrities at Mr Bricolage. The staff greet us with a handshake; and I mean, they actually seek us out to shake our hands. We were given a Bon D'Achat coupon for 56 Euros yesterday. We don't know why. We'd previously been the first customers in history to be given a Bon Avoir for a fairly large amount after Strimmergate.The two Bons are similar, but the Bon D'Achat must be spent in one transaction, whereas, the Bon Avoir can be spent over time, bit by bit. Kevin popped in there today and was given another Bon D'Achat for 8 Euros. 

Today, I taped and jointed the rest of the bathroom. I suffered a clash of joints, where the scraper had to be handled with great skill and care. Yes, it's a bit of a mess. Kevin said it could be rubbed down... That basin you see is one our friends let us have. They told us a story of a vast chateau being stripped of its original features by new owners, and how they managed to save around twenty or so antique bathroom basins from skipdom. I did say it was a vast chateau! Twenty bathrooms! 

Chair-blacking continues. I've actually finished them all today. I also blacked the guttering we've bought for the back of cottage #1. 

My final observation on the subject of changing colour is that I am changing colour. Yes, the sun has tanned me a little, but the biggest change is the rainbow of bruises all over me. It's common for people to say that they can't remember how they received a bruise, and for me, that is entirely true; they just appear each morning. A record-breaker of a bruise was sustained today, however, and I know exactly what caused it. Today, I decided to venture into the top barn to find the following items:

• towels
• bedding 
• toys 
• large cafetiere 
• book about Mary Queen of Scots

Not only did I have to clamber in the semi darkness over piles of forgotten furniture, but I had to be an adult as far as spiders are concerned. One of the small-bodied, long-legged types actually ran across my face! On my escape route, while balancing boxes of loot, I was forced to squeeze past the hall-stand, and a pokey-out hat-hook has ground a groove in my shoulder. It didn't break the skin, but I have a 3 inch long raised bruise line. It's going to be a whopper! And now it is clear to me: I've lost my glamour.***


*My camera's on its way out. It's off to Shutter Island for a very long time. It's unable to identify which way up it is any more, and it has three remarkable scratches right across the lens... I can't imagine how that happened! It has also given up the ghost on accurate close-ups/zooms. 

** It's an angle grinder, if you didn't know... You're not supposed to sand with it, but the job is a tough one!

*** I'm not a girly girl at the best of times, but this adventure is moving me closer and closer to blokitude. In an attempt to avert this unplanned move, I applied nail polish to my fingernails. I own a lot of nail polish. I opened the nail polish drawer (told you) and decided to put in my hand and wear whatever colour my hand alighted on first. First out was black. No. Next out was matt grey. No. Next was blue. Yes. How long did it last? Three hours. I now have a gorgeous coral on my toes. It's been there all day. My toes don't come into contact with as much white spirit, brick dust and sandpaper as my fingers. The colour coral, silly!

Sub-note to *** Dear Brother, You see, I can hyphen!