Touching up.

Avid readers might remember our kitchen light fitting. It replaced a browning fluorescent tube. We got some proper men in to put it up. They did the electrics and said that I would need to do "the decs". In spite of my nodding agreement, they realised I didn't understand what they were talking about, and explained that they meant "decorative work" - meaning polyfilla and painting over and "making good". I said, yeah, fine, of course. And then I didn't do it for, like, 9 months.

 In my defense, I did start it. I did polyfilla the big hole maybe 6 months ago. And then let it dry really really well.

So then I just dabbed paint around the crap looking bits. 

 Whilst up there, getting paint in my armpit, I also painted the little bits exposed after removing the trim from the kitchen units.

And then they looked like that. It's amazing. You can't even tell that that's not the original light fitting.

Gratuitous flower post

I can't help myself. I have to show you all the pretty flowers blooming in the garden.

And the rhubarb because it is going to be so tasty!

Stephen's new business

I have to admit this post is rather delayed. Non-virtual visitors to our house will know that we've had this standard lamp for ages. But I've not quite been satisfied with the arrangement until now, so I've held off posting about it. But now here is it, our new standard lamp.

It's actually the result of Stephen's new business venture, post dentistry. At the suggestion of Charlotte (my sister-in-law) Stephen is running a finding service. This is how it works

1. You instruct Stephen to find you something and give him a budget - you have to give him the money at this point
2. Stephen trawls the car-boot sales and charity shops of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire
3. Stephen gives you what he's found for you and keeps any change (that's how he makes some profit)

Unfortunately, the business hasn't been so successful so far. He's got happy customers: Charlotte and James got a new teapot (complete with cups, sugar bowl and milk jug) for £5 and we got this lamp for £10. But Stephen only made 1p from the teapot project and he gave that back to Charlotte. I think Jenny needs to take over the management side of the business and free Stephen up for more boot-sale visiting.

Raspberries.

We put out some cane and string supports because our raspberries are going to be so laden, they're going to need a little help.

Look at them raspberries! (You can imagine, anyway, right?).

Special knot.

Actual real-time video!

What it look like!

Gardening (in the rain).

Recently, in London (UK), there's been a lot of rain. Whilst this is indubitably "good for the garden", those poor seedlings in the mini-greenhouse just weren't getting any. And they needed it, because plants need water, for these reasons.

Whilst I too need water, I'm able to regulate it myself. I do not need to go out in the rain.

But this blog doesn't take photos itself, so I had to go out there for a bit.

Here's all Hannah's growing stuff. Most of it is green and edible. She can fill you in on the technical details.

Here is where there will be a yellow courgette! They make good salads and you can eat the flowers and that. 

Some inedible flowers.

 Ploof!

Rainy day painting.

It was well rainy and I had a day off work. I didn't want to leave the house and I'd wanted (been told) to finish painting Hannah's cupboard doors.

 It doesn't look that rainy, but I'm telling you, OK?

That was one coat. I left it to dry and did another coat a couple of days later.

 I opted for wet-look on the handles. Can you see the drip I captured on the left-handle? It gives the cupboard a sense of kinetic energy.

 And then it looked like this. Much better, OK?