Housework versus Decorating

Now I hate both.

But as an option I'll paint a wall rather than wash it down.

Why is that?

I hate the mess that decorating leaves behind yet when it comes to the big housework stuff like cleaning down the walls and dusting I hate that even more, and lets not even mention cleaning windows. Bleurgh.

For the last few summers, I have repainted the walls in the hallway rather than clean them down. Bearing in mind I painted them in gloss paint to make it easier to wash them, I still prefer to repaint than to get scrubbing.

I have tried to teach the dog not lean against walls when he sits down but to no avail, I have had similar lack of success with trying to teach Brendan not to lean on the walls in his dirty coat or with oil smeared hands.

But now I have run out of paint - so I must scrub.

Panelled doors are the same, silly idea, all those little nooks and crannies for the dust to gather in. Much easier to 'clean' them with a paint laden brush.

We are currently trying to finish the insulation of the landing ceiling - the last ceiling to be done, but the trickiest involving as it does the careful balancing of stepladders over the stairs, then juggling large pieces of plaster board with a drill and some screws to fix it in place.

Obviously Brendan is doing all the on the stepladders juggling because I have a much greater probability of plunging to broken bones than he has. Not sure why this is, but perhaps it has something to do with my ability to trip over fresh air?

Anyway -once he has done the MAN thing (I am man hear me roar as I beat my chest and wave battery operated drills around) - I get to do the WOMAN thing - clean up behind him (I am woman hear me mutter under my breath).

Slowly but surely the plaster is extending across the ceiling, inch by laborious inch.

But then there is the filling in to be done. What a joy that is - more gunk on the floor than in the gaps - and guess who gets the job of levering those dried on bits of plaster off. No prizes for that one.

Bless his little cotton socks Brendan does have a big plastic sheet that he spreads out on the floor while he is working. It is such a shame that he can't determine which side is dirty side up, because mostly what seems to happen is he spreads the plastic out, all the dried bits of plaster and paint fall off it, they in turn get trampled into the floor boards, new wet bits of plaster and paint get thrown on the plastic, which is then ceremoniously dragged down the stairs and the hallway leaving new trails of plaster and paint everywhere. Guess who gets to clean that lot up......

Any hoo - when the ceiling is finished that is it - no more DIY.

We have solar powered lighting on the landing, stairs and in the hallway, one panel powering a selection of these little 12V LED lights.  They get turned on in the evening and off in the morning.  The light is a little reminiscent of the strange blue glow that eminates from the corridors of alien spaceships (what, you don't watch Star Trek?  - shame on you), but certainly adequate to prevent you from falling down the stairs - one day we may finally get round to replacing the banisters around the top of the stairs.

When all the plaster is finally in place, I have every intention of claiming the long low horizontal beam that you can see running across the top photo, and using it as additional storage space.  Another bookshelf perhaps.

Until then I shall continue scrubbing accumulations of dust and plaster debris from the floorboards - muttering under my breath all the way.

Here is the solar panel under threat from the grape vines.