Saturday 21 March 2020

Saturday

The promised blue sky has not materialised and the East Wind, straight off the North Sea, is a little stronger than promised.   Other than that it would be a perfectly normal Saturday except my car remains stationary on the drive and hardly anyone passes.   But I am not downhearted.

Rachel - and others - suggested I listen to my body and maybe take more rest if it told me that was what I needed.   She may well be correct because I went to bed around ten last evening and I didn't wake until ten minutes past nine this morning.   I yawned, stretched, got out of bed, pulled back the curtains to be confronted by the gardener - on his knees hand weeding the back rockery.  Hearing the curtains being pulled back he looked up - to be confronted with me in my nightie and between us a line of my knickers which I had been too lazy to take in last evening, thinking it would do no harm to leave them out overnight as no rain was forcast.  We acknowledge one another, I drew the curtains, got dressed and then opened the patio door to speak to him (not wishing to go any nearer as I am self isolating).   Shortly afterwards I paid him and off he went.   So far that has been the 'highlight' of my day.

A late breakfast means that now in the early afternoon I do not feel like eating a lunch.   So I shall go now and find something light and tasty and eat it while reading The Times and just see how long I can resist starting doing The Ladygram which also came this morning.   I may add to this later if anything earth-shattering happens.

Oh just remembered - in November I took delivery of two new Ercol settees for my sitting room - they are lovely and just what I wanted.   I resolved never again to eat and drink in there.   In January I took a cup of coffee in and jogged my arm as I sat down and threw most of the coffee over the arm of one settee.  Luckily I like my coffee black so I sponged it down with warm water and hoped for the best.  Next morning the stain had completely gone.   Last evening (yes, I do know I am stupid) I carried my Horlicks into the sitting room to drink.   I have Benign Essential Tremor, which means my hands shake all the time, and I shot some of the Horlicks on the same arm of the same settee!   I got a bowl of warm water and a microfibre cloth and sponged it well and lo and behold this morning there is no sign of a stain.   I presume the material was treated with something which is anti stain before I got it - but my goodness I shall definitely not do this again - I promise.

21 comments:

JayCee said...

Oh, sorry but I could not help but laugh at the image of your gardener looking back at you past a line of knickers. I bet you made his day.
Scotchguard is a wonderful thing for sofas.

Gwil said...

The opening scene of your post is wonderful. It’s like something straight out of the tv comedy Last of the Summer Wine.

the veg artist said...

Careful - you'll be getting a racey reputation! Glad you are feeling better today.

At Home In New Zealand said...

That mental picture of you and the gardener! Great to find something to laugh about, even if it is in hind-sight.
I am glad your sofa hasn't stained. Stay well, Mxx

Rachel Phillips said...

The hand shaking bit and the Horlicks is like something out of the Dick Emery Show and your knickers, AND looking out of the window in your nightie, your mother will be turning in her grave.

Maureen Reynolds said...

You gave me the best giggle this morning! The gardener and your knickers...oh my. Then the coffee and Horlicks incidents...I do get it as my dh and a friend have Essential Tremors. My dh's gets worse if he's angry (tho he denies that but seeing is believing!). My friend, however, in his former drinking days, used to work as a waiter and he will give us hysterical visions of having to try to serve with the tremors and a mind totally clouded with drink. Needless to say that career didn't last long!

Sue in Suffolk said...

What a shock to find a man in your garden!! Made me smile
Hope you get some sunshine

Jules said...

It's been a dry day here, but there has been a very cold wind. At least we are able to hang the washing out now. I love to see it blowing on the line. X

Margie from Toronto said...

You have given us all a good laugh - thank you.

Granny Sue said...

I laughed out loud, Weaver, reading of your meeting with the gardener! Thank you for that! Sounds like you chose well with your settee fabric. We bought a new sofa and I have put one of those dog covers on it AND a bath rug where my husband sits because he is just so messy. Seems silly to have to protect it like that but if I don't I know he would have it ruined in a few months.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Surely the highlight of the gardener's day too! Glad your sofa has survived its regular dousings, we once had a neighbour who kept her entire three-piece suite in the plastic bags it was delivered in for fear it might get dirty!

Heather said...

I think we sometimes forget how old we are, and are then surprised by how tired we become! I have to remind myself quite often to slow down and take things more easily.
What a relief to find that your little accidents have not left any marks on the sofa. I've had one or two near misses myself.
We are supposed to have fair weather this weekend so I must go for a walk. With self isolation I seem to have got out of the habit.

shadypinesqltr said...

Thanks for the chuckle! My daughter keeps a quilted, washable dog proof cover on her sofa. It has a flap that reaches over the arm. Easy to wash and saves her upholstery from her big, black dog. How about a china travel mug?

angryparsnip said...

Goodness you had a very exciting day !
Maybe of the arm you seem to to spilling on put a washable towel or one that has a rubber backing.
parsnip

Anonymous said...
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Kathy said...

HI Kathy from Chicago. We are under the governors order to shelter in place. We went to the store for our regular shopping and then did an extra one when we heard the SIP order was starting today. It is all very unnerving. But we are good for a couple of weeks and I am trying to get enthusiastic about doing a good spring cleaning of my house. No luck so far! Our son and his kids live very close and we have seen them everyday since this started practically so we will probably continue to see them and help out where we can since we are already in daily contact. They are only seeing us and we are only seeing them so I think we will be good unless one of us already has the virus. Sounds like you are coping very well. Only major disappointment has been cancelling my husbands 70th birthday party. All his 7 siblings were coming! Take care!

PS - Anonymous above appears to have a bee up his butt!

Cro Magnon said...

We bought two really beautiful pale cream coloured sofas for our Brighton home before we decided to live permanently in France. The last time my wife visited the house she said they were filthy. Looks like we may have to replace them.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Highlight of his day John??? He is thirty years younger than me so presume he has better things than the sight of me to highlight his day!


Thanks everyone. Note I have deleted Anonymous. I find it sad that someone has to do this -He/she doesn't really know us individually so doesn't know to what extent we try (or not) to do our best for modern society - or what we have done in the past. I despise some folk - young and old because they don't care enough about the planet - about the harm they are doing - just as I now despise those who are stripping the shelves in the Supermarkets so that people like the Health Care workers can't find food to feed their families when they come off shift.

Take care everyone - including Anonymous - we are all in this together. Love

Christine Hancock said...

I loved the line of knicks! We went for tea with my husbands brother in law and from their window was a line with 4 very large bras on.. I tried not to look at them but they were like a magnet! We still laugh about them today! Still if your gardener was busy he wouldn't have noticed??

Oklahoma Girl said...

People like Anonymous have sad lives and they just post things like that to get someone riled up. It's no fun for them if no one engages in their pathetic plea for attention.

I think you can report this person, even though they don't have the courage to post under their name.

I got a giggle out of your story about you and your gardener. lol

Have a great day!

the veg artist said...

Hope you don't mind, Weave, but I've just noticed, for anyone who follows them, that Dick and Angel are back with a new series tomorrow (Monday) - one of their 'helping others' programmes. In Wales, it's showing at 4pm on Channel 4, but I'm not sure about the rest of the country.
As someone else has said though, the people running these businesses are not going to have an easy time this year.