Sunburn and serenity

The relentlessly sunny and warm weather continues. It could be described as pleasant beachgoing weather and the front veranda has been getting a proper workout. The chink of champagne flutes was heard.  The term 'clement' springs to mind. Ah, the serenity.

Yesterday, on one of our extended scavenges, I managed to get my nose sunburned - I was focussed on the 100 year old glazed oregon windows we'd found, apparently, and not on staying out of the sun. It was one of those cases where you had to sit on the things to stop other people grabbing them, even after they were paid for.

Luckily, I have hoarded some of the best anti-burn ointment ever, and by today, no remnant of red.  What is this magic cream, you ask?  I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you.  It's been removed from sale for a couple of years now, but I made sure I kept a small stash.  When my son fell against the pot-belly stove at 3, I put it on his hand, no scar remains.  When my friend's son accidentally walked on some hot coals as a toddler, she put it on his feet, no trace of scarring.  When a teenager was badly sunburned - (Don't forget your sunblock - yes, Mum - riiiight )  I used it to almost instantaneously take away pain and redness and it worked. (I should point out that this was not just one tube of the stuff but many over many years, and that I did let them suffer with the sunburn for a wee while first, to remind them that I'm always right.)  

I don't know why it was removed from sale but I do know I don't have very much left and it's carefully stashed, because the stuff on sale now simply doesn't work nearly as well.  Perhaps it's like some glue I saw, which says on the pack that 'residents of California are warned that this product may cause cancer'.  Luckily, I don't live in California. And my nose won't peel.

And the Oregon windows?  We're thinking cabinet doors and picture frames.  In case you were wondering.

I suppose I should thank those who gave and were given electronic readers for Christmas, as there has been a solid flow of good secondhand books to gather.  I've tried to intersperse the shallower but gripping crime fiction with some mind-improving fare and have ranged from Krakatoa to LA to London just this week.  All grist for the front veranda and I've enjoyed my Christmas gift of the New Artisans.

The Christmas tree has been demolished and stashed in a suitcase.  Market wares have been reduced greatly in number and stashed away.  A bit of spring cleaning (better late than never) is in progress.
I've put away the winter clothes and installed the summer wardrobe within easy reach. I left some jumpers out because - well, I live here.  I'm an optimist but not a fool.

I've commenced experimenting with some new things and today's was a birdbath, made using a white glass platter, part of a light fitting, a metal bird and some metal rod.  It looks nice in the garden and so far seems to be doing the job.  Work on the trunk from Fremantle is scheduled, although not too much is really needed.  I have new Christmas gift drawing books to fill, projects to work on, fish to draw, charts to draw them on and jewellery to experiment with.

I have to go back to work on Wednesday.  Damn.  I don't have time for that.

Power tools, glue, paint and soil and a girl's night out in Toyland.

Ouch, my hands hurt.  I've been up to my wrists in paint and glue and soil and sawdust for 3 happy days and even managed to do some housework.  My fingers are dehydrated from being immersed in chemical cocktails of paint and turpentine, poked into garden beds and pots, splintered, cut, sandpapered, and sawdusted. 

They feel like dehydrated chicken claws.  Now was NOT the time for my several tubes of ultra-soaking hand creams to have run out.

I found this little item yesterday.  It was sad, sad, sad but I replaced the legs with a set I picked up from the Denmark Tip Shop a couple of weeks ago.  I made the weird pointy things and some very ugly varnish touchups go away. Thanks to Gilly Stephenson's Dark Wood Scratch Remover, it's now looking smoooth.  I need some sort of teeny tiny knob for the door but I'm sure it will show up. 

I introduced my new friend to the other tools, and they seem happy to co-exist.  As drills go, this is a Drill.  I can make new, bigger things. It's orange.  My other new but slightly older friend is a multi-tool, it sands, cuts, slices.  It too is pretty cool.

I found these little girls on my rambles last week, they're really lovely.  When I arranged them on an old Scrabble board for photographs, I thought they looked a bit like a Toyland jailhouse lineup, perhaps after a big night out.  They certainly look as though they had a good time.  The clothes are hand-sewn  and  sweet vintage fabric.  The hair can be reglued and I love that the ones on the left and right have eyes that open and close in that very intense 'my eyes are open now' way.  

I'm watching Stephen Fry's Planet Word while I write this.  I love Stephen Fry, he's truly wonderful on every level.  The program is brilliant,  but I keep having flashbacks to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I have to remind myself that the voiceover is not going to mention Slartibartfast and the fjords. 

Probably. 

My new word du jour is omnishambles, by the way.

Not sunny here

The weekend has drizzled into greyness, luckily the rain thinned out the crowds on Saturday's treasure trail. We took an apprentice with us, it's always good to see a new convert.

This is really just an update on the weekend's acquisitions - although there was some treasure left behind - some fantastic chairs, an ornate wooden inlay box, for example - but sometimes you just have to prioritise space and money. There are only so many chairs you can sit on and I am deficient in the shed area.

This won my heart when I opened it - so cute!! Like I really neeed another suitcase. The inside is fantastic, maybe a little tidying on the outside.

Another hatbox - note to self - probably enough suitcases, hatcases, collar boxes and trunks now.

Seriously.

Someone had decided to cover it (quite well) but had missed the important step of not closing it till AFTER the glue dried. Time, patience and a chisel will generally open most things. Eventually.

There were also quite a lot of nice picture frames, another interesting jigsaw puzzle, and this:
Strangely compelling.