Wallpaper And Paste...

Hello all! Here I am at last, but only for a brief sojourn I'm afraid. My time is so used up lately that I'm in danger of meeting myself coming back! Trips back and forth to Kendal more than once a week are taking their toll on my time, if not my wellbeing. So I apologise in advance for not posting any contributions lately...and also for the ones I shall miss in the coming weeks.

However I did provide the theme for this week, so felt obliged to at least make an effort .

Upon his early retirement my husband and I moved into a large, semi derelict house in Scotland and thus began the adventures of "bidger and bodger" ( as we called ourselves). It was more like Laurel and Hardy, as we tried our hand at joinery, plastering, plumbing, electrics, decorating etc. We were without heating in this granite built house, where the window frames were rotten and ceilings down. So each day we dressed in double the amount of clothes and wore woollen dressing gowns (of an older style) over the top and put hot water bottles in the pockets! We roughly took two years to carry out the home improvements before we opened for business and even then we made other adjustments as we went along.

Upon wallpapering, it was my job to measure, match, cut, paste and fold ready to pass to my husband. He who hung the paper then required brush, rags, scissors, pencil....and any other implements. So it was my job to have these at hand. Furthermore I provided cups of tea at regular intervals.

We stayed in the house for 13 years before deciding to move south, once more, seeking a warmer climate (laugh out loud) and more amenities. That's how come I ended up in this neck of the woods. Yes, you've guessed it, we took on a house requiring upgrading, yet again. With furniture in storage we had two weeks to get this bungalow into a state fit to live in. Here we go again, wallpapering....

My short poem this week is entitled "Wallpaper".

             I cut and pasted.
             You hung.
             I handed you
             a brush,
             a clean rag,
             and I made
             copious cups of tea.
             You smoothed the creases,
              I matched the pieces
              and prepared the next sheet.
              It hangs there still
              over the fireplace.
              I won't change it,
              because your hands
              touched it.


Thanks for reading, Kath.