Those aches I had yesterday have aches on them today. Oh and my skin has several layers of paint…..and so has my hair, my camera, my very expensive macro lens, the floor, the dogs and DM. BUT so have the walls and ceiling of our sitting room. I sit here typing cack-handedly because the vice-like grip I have exerted over my paint brush and roller all day (from 11am until 6.30pm…..bang goes that four hour rule) has given me a bird-like claw instead of a hand tonight.

As I type though, I feel extremely smug. Although both the ceiling and the walls need another coat tomorrow, the transformation of the room is absolutely wonderful. We are both being struck down by the ‘wow’ bug – every so often one of us stands still and says ‘wow – look at that – it’s fabulous’. It is too.

What’s most incredible is the light in the room has totally changed – instead of black beams and dark red walls absorbing the light, the creamy ceiling and beams, coupled with the pale buttery yellow of the walls bounces the light around in such a warm, inviting manner. The whole effect is really cosy. I know this is something of a gush but I am (for once) unable to find a way of articulating my happiness without resorting to the vernacular of the estate agent!

It’s by no means the end of this slog, the kitchen will be started in earnest tomorrow, when we can move the meagre furniture we have from the kitchen area to the sitting area so I can slosh paint around without damaging stuff. (I don’t count getting paint on me, DM, the floor or the dogs as damaging stuff – we’ll all polish up no bother.)

So now we’re off for a night on the tiles to ease our aches. A rather nice-looking new restaurant has just opened in the town nearby and we’re meeting our friends there for dinner. Carriages are booked via our neighbour who just happens to run a small taxi company…..keeping our money in the street again gives me pleasure. Hopefully it’ll be a night to match the day – well, I mean the excitement of the day rather than the hard graft and grubbiness.

I’m so hungry I could eat a horse…..hang on a minute, I’m a vegetarian…….maybe a horse-sized pile of veggies then!

a year ago, I was getting my wires crossed and attributing Pale Blue Eyes to Edwyn Collins, when his version was, in fact, a cover of the original Velvet Underground song....nonetheless wonderful though....Edwyn, we are still sending you good vibes to help get you through your illness, which we now see is complicated by MRSA. Two years ago, my baby Rosie was catching a few rays!