Let's roll...

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Son number two was rather miffed on Friday night, having listened to me reading out a couple of blogs which involved him and the house painting job.  

'You have to tell your readers how brilliant a job I've done', he whinged.  'I bet you couldn't have done it any better'.

Now I have been painting walls since I was fourteen.  I started with my grandad ('never overload your brush' was his favourite advice), moving on to my first flat and subsequent homes.  I have even painted other people's rooms, including the Mother and Mrs S.

He has been painting since last Tuesday.  And yet, in the way of all young adult males, he thinks he knows everything, and won't take any snippets of advice that I throw him.

It all came to a head on Saturday afternoon.  'Mum, Can I use the roller to gloss the wood?'...

Well, I tried to explain that glossing is not a 'slap it all over' kind of painting.  It takes time, patience and a gracefully wielded brush to get a smooth gloss finish.  But would he have it?  No he wouldn't.  Instead, he opted for a second opinion, going to the Husband who hates painting as much as I hate Marmite, and asked him.  I am very pleased to say that the Husband backed me up on the brush/roller front.  I have decided that next time son number two comes to me for any advice, I shall just get him to ask the Husband, who obviously can be taken far more seriously just because he has a masculine bent.

While the two of them were muttering under their breath while running up and down various ladders yesterday, I finished planting out my borders.  Another trip to the local Fleecing Centre had cost me a weeks money in green things which will flower in July and August.  This all done under the watchful eye of the Mother who has a green finger or two.  As the sweat ran down my face, mingling with the dirt and what was left of the morning's make up, I seemed to lose any trace of my femininity, and looks wise, there wasn't much between me and the two would-be decorators.

All I was lacking was a careful smattering of white emulsion across one arm, two thighs, a left cheek. both hands, one eye and a trainer...

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