Inspired by Susannah’s post, this is the view from my bedroom window.
Many people yearn for the countryside, for rolling hills or woods. For some the sound of distant waves and seagulls lulls them to sleep. And me? I take comfort in bricks and chimneys. In paved streets, urban cats and wheelie bins lining back entries. The town is in my bones.
We went for a walk this afternoon. It’s surprising the things you see when you look a little harder. These beautiful patterned tiles are at the entrance of Levenshulme Antiques Village. This was the site of the old council offices.
Next door is the old Lancashire Constabulary – now offices.
Happy August Break!
This August will be all about images.
Starting Sunday 1st August I’ll be guest blogging at Levenshulme Daily Photo for a week. I’m standing in for Sue-Ann while she’s away. Keep up with my Levy pics at www.levenshulmedailyphotograph.blogspot.com.
I’m also involved in The August Break which is managed by Susannah Conway. The idea is that you let your pictures do the talking for a whole month. i.e. you blog in photographs rather than words. I’ll be improvising on this little and providing some words but they will be led by the images. If you’re interested in getting involved you can join via Susannah’s blog at www.susannahconway.com. There is also a Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/the-august-break-2010.
Two days to go.
Tonight I am performing an unnatural act. Ironing. As I’m smoothing the sleeve of my husband’s shirt I think about how people don’t iron anymore. Not in the way that they used to anyway. Well, apart from my mother-in-law who irons sheets, socks and even underwear. My sister doesn’t even own an iron. God it’s hard to iron shirt sleeves. I’m already bored of the idea of being a model wife and surprising my husband when he comes home.
I wonder who invented the ironing board? It’s a ridiculous shape. It should be much wider. By the time I’ve ironed one bit it’s hanging over the edge getting creased again.
When I was younger and lived with my mum, she had an ironing basket which lived under the kitchen counter. All of the clean washing went into the ironing basket (along with the cat when he wanted somewhere quiet to sleep) and once a week my mum would stand in our front room, working her way through the basket, ironing creases and putting everything on hangers. And then there were those things that ‘lived’ in the basket. A cotton blouse and other ridiculously hard to iron items. I have similar items that live in my washing basket – hand wash only garments. Some of them have been there for years.
Yes, the art of ironing has definitely passed. Next time I’ll be super organised, take them to a professional ironing company and then pass them off as all my own work.
After a few weeks of calm in a spotlessly clean house the wheels have come off and we’ve gone over to the dark side. I did next to nothing this weekend. While this is a bit of a luxury- weekends are usually spent working – things have descended into chaos.
Saturday was spent with a sore head and nausea from the previous evening’s shenanigans. I wouldn’t mind but we didn’t even go out. Just a ‘few’ drinks while watching old Friends episodes. And yesterday we had all sorts of plans. I had a written list which said:- clean the house and sort out the back room. But instead we sat around all day watching DVDs and eating sweets.
The upshot is that today I’m now back on a diet and have given up alcohol. Again. I also had to get up at 4.50 to give me time to do my hair and still make it to work by 7.00. I was only slightly hindered by Tori who sprayed the settee twice. I then sprayed him (with water, I should add) and poor old Blossom got caught in the crossfire. Valuable minutes were spent consoling her and apologising profusely.
And just to put the top hat on it we started the day with a bit of a row, where I ended up slamming out of the house and coming to work on my own. If I get up at 4.50 in the morning I refuse to be late for work. Lord Levy, however, does not share this philosophy and spent 12 minutes (I timed him) on the toilet whilst playing cards on his mobile phone.
So, there you have it. Not a great start to the week.
We arrived home the other night to be greeted by the smell of gas. Fortunately, having watched ‘Cracker’ a few years earlier, I remembered not to switch the light on. We made our way inside to find that one of the cats had jumped on top of the cooker and accidentally knocked one of the knobs. Luckily neither of them were harmed and they enjoyed the next 40 minutes sitting in the car while we all waited for the gas to disperse. However, since then they have been less than pleased, being unceremoniously shunted out of the kitchen each time we go out. The youngest takes his displeasure out on the curtains.
It gave us a bit of a shock, I can tell you. Ten minutes later and who knows . . . .
And speaking of cats, my sister found this the other day. Something that all cat owners can relate to.
This week I’ve had a bit of dilemma. We’ve been working overly long hours and as a result the house has started to resemble the set from ‘Shameless’. I mean it’s so bad that I’m constantly on edge in case someone makes an impromptu visit. We’ve been debating this subject for a good few months, more heatedly on occasions when, armed with Mr Muscle Multi Purpose spray and a barrow load of J cloths, we have to negotiate our way from one room to the next, striding over the debris of our lazy domestic lives and the odd cat poo.
Last week the subject came up again and as a result we now have a cleaner. You’d think I’d be overjoyed about this but I’ve spent half of the week feeling guilty and the other half ‘pre-cleaning’. Well, I couldn’t let anyone see it in it’s current state, least of all a cleaner who will have a front row seat to all our slovenly habits.
And the guilt? My grandmother was a war widow, with four children and a full time job. Despite this her house was always spotless and she even polished her front step. My mother raised two children alone, had a full time job, an evening job and our house was always clean, tidy and full of visitors. How on earth did they do it?
So tonight after a week of late nights, guilt and early morning pre-cleaning we will be kicking back with a take-away from the New Himalaya. Well, there’s no way I’m cooking. The cleaner came today and the kitchen is absolutely spotless.
I love the garden when it’s like this. Bushes and plants heavy with leaves spilling out over the path and lawn. Sprawling fuscia dripping rain take over the steps and back door. Little dots of colour poking through the greenery.
You are currently browsing the archives for the Home category.
Latest Comments