Saturday 7 May 2016

Is it me?

Is it me......am I the only one who finds that painting with a paint roller to be the messiest business going.  Everything gets rained on by little splats of paint as I roll up and down the surface of the wall, so that it looks as if a mini snow storm has just visited.
And those little paint splatters find the tiniest bit of floor which is not covered by the dust sheet, the tiniest bit of skin which is not covered by the old clothes I am wearing for painting,
and I shall not mention the state of my hair.
 
So, with reluctance, it is time that I started painting the downstairs lounge / bedroom / therapy room, the reluctance made more so because it has been lovely weather and the urge to get outside and do outside things is flying through my veins, fuelled by the desire to warm my bones up.
 
How did last Sunday go?
Not going to say too much other than that we were parked up by the side of a road, so that a lot of the time the band felt like it was playing to passing traffic,
but the people in the cars did wave to us,
which was nice.
The sun shone a little bit, but was useless in its warmth because a chilly wind robbed it of its heat,
and so I slowly got chilled. Everyone else was alright because they moved about as they played, but I have to stay sitting down because the accordion is a heavy beast and if I stand up I am likely to topple over, especially if the ground is on an incline, and it was, not much of one, but enough to send me over backwards should a gust of wind decide to blow.
So I had to sit in one position.
The wind took much delight in sending its cold drafts of air into my bones.
And then there was the effort of keeping the music on the stand.
At one point Lester, with mandolin strapped across his chest and playing the violin meanwhile, also had one booted foot up on the music stand to stop it from blowing over.
All in all, it was a good day though,
and it was good to be out and about with our fellow musicians.
It was not the best we have played,
but it was a good exercise in being able to fit together as a team.
The band is going through changing times at the moment and needs such outings.
 
So although it was a good day, it gave me an inner chill which lasted for several days, which is why I had several irritable moments as I rollered those walls, breathing in the paint fumes, getting splashed with paint, hearing the chickens cooing outside the window. Their 'Oh this is lovely sun, and we are really warming up' chuckles between themselves not lending anything positive to my mood.
Of course I could have stopped the painting, but I had to start the job sometime, and I had promised myself to make the effort to get started......
 
This is the room....
 
 
This the wall I am working on today....
 
 
.... and I have temporarily retired the paint roller, and have found a serenity in using a paint brush.
I still get paint splots, but not many, and definitely do not get paint snow anymore.
 
 
So it takes longer to use the brush, but the payoff is my calmness of mind,
and that, for all of us living here, is a good thing.
Using the roller might be faster but my goodness me it puts me in a horrid mood,
when flashes of temper will suddenly shoot out from me,
which is not a good thing.
 
I do not think I am, by nature, a DIY person,
although DIY food is something which I enjoy doing,
and I love DIY crafts like sewing and knitting,
but anything related to DIY building stuff  is definitely not for me.
However, I shall continue on.....
With paint loaded into an old baked bean tin and paint brush in hand,
I shall be up the ladder again in a moment,
onwards, Vera, onwards.....!!!!
 
Bye for now,
Vx
 
One of the band members posted up some photos of last Sunday on FB:
 
The shearing of the sheep:
This is the man who also shears our sheep, but with electric clippers, not the hand ones he is using here.
 
 
The spinning of the wool:
.... and looking the exact opposite of how I look when I spin.
First of all, I do not wear a long blue frock and a blue hat,
and neither is the fleece I spin as clean as this lady's was.
 

 
The band:
 
Herve and Jacques wandering along the road playing bagpipes and drum.
The red building on the right is the bull ring.
Most villages have one.
 
 
And the rest of us:
 

Nellie, Jackie, me, and Lester.
 (and  a thankyou to Jackie for 'borrowing' her photos)
PS. Please excuse me not smiling in this photo, only I was busy concentrating on the music, hoping that the wind would not tip the music stand over, and thus forgot to smile!

x
 
 
 
 

19 comments:

John Going Gently said...

And on e dried the splatters are bloody impossible to remove!

DUTA said...

It goes without saying that before you start painting walls you need to cover the entire floor, furniture, and yourself (make sure you wear old clothes and protect your eyes).
Painting with a roller is for me the easiest and neatest way to do the job. I also like the paint pad; it gives a smooth, even finish.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

I'm sure the end result of the painting will make it all worth it!

Vera said...

JOHN, the one thing I am good at is clearing up the splatters on the tiles, it's any that land on me which tend to get overlooked!

DUTA, no need to cover anything in the room because it is empty! I think the trouble with using a roller on our walls is because they have never been painted before so use a lot of paint up on the first layer so I am having to reload the roller frequently, which is tiring. Using a brush is easier on my hands and arms!

LISA, it will be worth it, of that I am sure! It was getting started that was the problem, but now I have then I am enjoying (almost) getting those walls done.

Kirsty said...

Have you tried a paint pad? they don't make as much mess as a roller but makes a nicer job than a brush.

Kerry said...

I love roller painting and how quickly using one transforms a room. I'm sure yours will look lovely when it's finished.

Dawn said...

I hate decorating and I hate painting even more, its tedious and boring,
the event you were playing at looked great :-)

Cro Magnon said...

I've always wanted to try the Mr Bean method (tin of paint and explosives), but always opt for brush rather than roller. I know what you mean about that cold wind, I was mowing our orchard and it got right inside me. I thought I'd be ill for months.

Vera said...

KIRSTY, first of all thank you for nominating me, and I shall respond when I have a few minutes spare. As for paint pads, they would not stand up to the roughness of our walls, which are not plaster boarded and smooth, but have a chaux mix of lime and cement, which makes for a rough texture which is full of little holes and nobbly bits which would tear a paint pad to pieces! It is also why I probably have difficulty with rollers as well.

KERRY, I used to roller paint our previous homes in the UK, and I would agree about how quickly a room can get done. But these walls have not been painted at all so sop up the paint, which is why rollering is tedious. Not to worry, once the wall have had a couple of coats of paint it should get easier!

DAWN, oh a like minded soul in regards to painting! I never used to mind doing it in the UK but here I simply have too many other interesting things to do, as indeed you do too, especially now you have milk coming into the kitchen.

CRO MAGNON, another like minded soul in regards to using a paint brush and getting chilled by that cold wind. Hope your insides have now unthawed. I had to go to bed with the electric blanket on for a couple of hours!

Coco said...

Glad the gig went well. I envy you being able to make your own music!

And I understand about these indoor projects. Once you´ve started one you really have to finish whether you want to or not. It can be a struggle. But I´m sure it will be lovely once it´s done.

What a lovely armoir!

Ally said...

Just think of the painting as a good lesson in patience and tolerance. I spot the ubiquitous armoire. We inherited one when we bought our Shackeau. I painted it with an Annie Sloan blue and pale green panels. Looks lovely! X

Vera said...

COCO, making music is fun, and I am sure I shall find the energy to get that room painted, maybe not today, (well it is Sunday after all)but perhaps tomorrow! The armoir came from a local brocante (second hand shop), and will be used for storage because it has loads of shelves in it, which I am sure I will manage to fill up eventually!

ALLY, you are right about needing patience and tolerance to cope with painting, but you left out the need to find some energy to do the job! I don't think I shall paint the armoire, but might put do something with the mirrors, as in perhaps painting flowers on them. I also bought another armoire, but that had wire instead of solid doors so I purchased some French style country fabric to put behind the wire to hide what was in the cupboard. It looks lovely!

Coppa's girl said...

Definitely recommend a large paint pad for the second coat, Vera - it's much easier and far less messy. They are good on woodwork too - give a nice smooth finish.
The first coat on unpainted walls is better done with a roller and paint watered down, so that it flows smoothly. It also depends on what thickness the covering of your roller has, if it's too dense it will make painting difficult.

Rhodesia said...

I have to agree that roller painting is messy!! I use a brush when ever I can as I do a better job in the end. Roller painting me be quicker but......
There were celebrations all over here this weekend but not so much fun as watching shearing and spinning. We did have a great glass blower at work though. Have a good week Diane

Vera said...

COPPA'S GIRL, thanks for the info, and I might have a go at using a paint pad when I have got the first coat of paint on the walls, although I think the textured roughness of our walls will shorten the life of the paint pad!

DIANE, I am so glad that you agree with me about roller painting being messy, and that we both are going to continue using a paint brush!
Glass blowing sounds very interesting, something which I could watch for hours. Shearing and spinning.....well, we do them here on the smallholding so they are not such a novelty to watch as glass blowing would be. Hope you have a good week too. Vx

rusty duck said...

No, it's not you. I hate painting. I love stripping out an old room, uncovering secrets and discovering what's there. And I love the end product after the restoration. The bit in the middle is awful!

Ohiofarmgirl said...

loved the band pix! great work! and yeah... i get paint everywhere. i find it tedious and annoying. ha!

Vera said...

JESSICA, totally agree with you in regards to renovation....nice to discover hidden gems in the 'before' room, nice to have it finished, not so good is the work in between!

OHIOFARMGIRL, me too! When I am painting tomorrow I shall take great comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who does not like doing it!

Ohiofarmgirl said...

Tag! ha! ok Vera you are "it!" my friend Liz gave me one of those blog awards. now it's your turn... but i think someone already nominated you. i think they are kind of fun but not everyone likes them. here you go!
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2016/05/liebster-blog-awards-2016and-10-fun.html