Mess? What mess?

YP's comment on my last post set me thinking. I have been a tidy person since the age of eight. I can remember exactly when I came to the conclusion that chaos was not the way to go when I couldn't close the lid on the desk in my bedroom and suddenly decided that I was going to 'TIDY UP.' So I did. The trouble was, that although I was a convert, those around me were yet to be convinced. My sister made untidiness an art form and probably still does.
Then the children came along. I have vivid memories of coming home from work and having to climb over the mountains of schoolbags, lunch-boxes, PE kits, trumpet cases, discarded shoes, blazers etc in the hall - the detritus of the children's school-day.
Bedrooms were another source of contention. Unlike me, my children were always hoarders, and that included empty boxes, carrier bags (Younger Daughter had a serious collection of 'designer' carrier bags) and of course, the ubiquitous dirty coffee cups, crisp packets and chocolate wrappers. There were times, I confess, when I would wait for the boys to be out in order to do a grand clear-out of their rooms in order to avoid the protests about how that dirty plate had been under the bed for six weeks and wasn't doing any harm to anyone.
I dreamed of interior designer chic, minimalism - OK I would have settled for just plain tidiness!
When I first met Keith, there were three full black bin bags on his kitchen floor, so I certainly can't claim that I didn't know what I was letting myself in for. In fact, he can be tidy when he wants to be, it's just getting him to want to be that's the problem.
Maybe the new shed, being delivered next week, could be the answer. NASA would fit nicely in there...
No, you're right, I couldn't be so cruel... could I? Maybe I need counselling.

The floor, the floor!

Last Thursday was the big day - the new floor-covering day. I got quite excited about it. (How sad is that!) Instead of the beige carpet, sadly and indelibly spotted and stained, we were about to move back into the 21st century and have floors to be proud of. There was some animated discussion about what we were going to have - carpet (Keith) or laminate (me) so in the end, we compromised, as in I decided that we would have carpet in the living room and laminate in the dining room and I got to choose both. You can see the results in the photos.

A woman of lesser strength of character than yours truly would have decided to keep the status quo when she gazed on the myriad piles of cables coiled behind NASA and the TV cabinet like giant worm casts. As it was, I did momentarily quail at the sight but by then floorcoverings and fitters were booked, so we set to and dismantled most of it the night before. In the morning, Keith pulled out a few more cables before airily informing me that it was all ready and departing hastily for work.

Putting it all back together again, of course, took a little longer and was slightly more challenging but I got there in the end. I say 'I' because, of course, Keith made sure he stayed out of the way until all was back to normal.

Well, what did you expect?

A short break

I am down in Bristol for a few days visiting Dad and catching up with some of his housework. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Keith is looking after things, including the lovely new carpet and laminate (I hope!). This evening we were on Instant Messenger and I asked him if there was any food he desperately needed me to shop for on my way home tomorrow. The answer was predictable...
"CAKE!!!"
And yes, it was in red capitals.

Welsh lessons

These photos are specially to help Dale with his Welsh lessons!

Day out

The weather was beautiful today and all the better because Keith and I managed a day out in the wilds of North Wales, for the first time in ages. We took in Moel Famau, Black Rock and Criccieth. Here are some photos.

New carpet

If all goes well, the new carpet for the living room will be arriving and being laid, but of course, that is dependent on the furniture being out of the way. Most of it is easy enough, except...and regular readers will be able to pre-empt me here...except for NASA, with its ton of cables nestling underneath like a mini mount Snowden.
"Would you like to start clearing the shelf?" I enquired, very reasonably, I thought.
"Not likely! You must be joking! What??? No way, Jose!!!" was the gist of the reply.
"The problem is," I continued, still being reasonable, logical even, "the carpet can't be laid unless that corner of the room is cleared."
"I can do it tomorrow," he said plaintively.
Watch this space...

Weekend shopping

Jobs done this weekend:

Bought a new shed for the garden
Bought new carpet for the living room and laminate for the dining room
Broke up old fence panels
Cut up sawn off branches from trees at bottom of garden
Mowed the lawn
Bought bedding plants for the pots on the patio and planted them.

Keith is worried about the new carpet. He is afraid of what I will do to him if he gets it dirty as he has done with the old one.
He is right to be afraid....!
However, the new shed is big enough to take NASA and him if necessary. Well, it's the new thing, isn't it - working from your garden shed? :)