Pocket Rocket

Only a month or so ago I had a little dream of selling our house next Spring.  With Merv injuring himself and his HD creating further decline my little dream is now a nightmare with a sale six month earlier.  I have a plan.  I always have a plan.
Part of my tailored plan was to hire a painter to paint my neglected fascias (the metal under the gutters).  I can see Mr Painter perched cheerfully on his ladder wearing his old white stained overalls, cap on his head and rag hanging out of his back pocket.  He whistles as he slaps the classic cream paint on my nicely prepped fascias.   Hmm, a nice day dream.
Yesterday in the heat of the day I went outside and spent a minute or two checking out my slightly rusted, pink mottled fascias.  Yep, a trip to Bunnings, a half hour how to do instruction from a fresh faced sales assistant and my scruffy cheerful painter is replaced by, wait for it, yes, me.  I don't wear overalls but a baggy shirt and a pair of old trousers with my iPhone shoved in my pocket.  (always take my phone, if I trip I can ring someone, maybe).  I pretend I'm singing with butterflies flitting close by.  The truth is I'll be sloshing the old paint on while cursing the sun cooks me or the rain splutters upon me! 
Being a realist, at times, I figure I could do so many metres each day.  I know the preparation is the big job and the painting is just the icing on the top.  I will save at least 75% of the cost if not more.  I can do it.  I'm good with a ladder up to the roof line but I daren't go further.  My house, a relic of the 70's has two gablets.  Yes I looked that up on Google.  It's a baby sized gable.  The front gablet which is seen from the road was repainted once, probably fifteen years ago.  The other gablet hidden by a side fence has lived it's life without any maintenance.  It's a mess. 
My imagination does a double take.  I see myself on the top rung of my longest ladder with paint pot balancing gingerly.  Down comes the ladder with me next.  I hit the concrete laying very still. 
OK too much imagining.  I ring the professionals and happily they return my call and pay me a visit.  I shall live to see another day.
Newly painted fasicas - a DYI project, a goal and a dream to bring alive.

Side Gablet, needs an overhaul!

Front Gablet needs a paint job also

Loop de Loop

I have this damn list.  On Monday it was just fine.  I listed the housework.  I completed the list.  I do housework week in and week out, it's no big deal.  All done.  There wasn't much on the list to complete (in or around the house) on Tuesday through to Thursday but Friday through to Sunday is a whole different story.  It's only been two weeks since my amazing garden makeover with the help of my extended family.  Thank goodness for them.  Eight people all working together to transform my disastrous gardens to a magazine makeover. Thank you to my lovely family.
Back to the list; it included painting the gate (not done), spraying the weeds (yes, done this morning), preparing the shed and laundry doors for painting (began but no where near completion) and there were a few obscure things listed which I have chosen to forget.  Oh, one of them was to move the mulch from the front to the back but I'm waiting for the weeds to die first. 
I had hoped for an hour or more for a snooze this afternoon while watching a movie.  Its 37degrees Celsius today (98.6 F) in Perth.  After our cold start to Spring we have this super hot day followed by a week of cooler weather. 
I was up at 5am this morning.  After Merv's fall which injured his leg and curtailed his confidence I have found getting him up to go to the toilet at 5am is working well. No more wet beds.  I usually go back to bed in hope of further sleep but today I had this most crazy plan. 
A cup of tea followed by weed spraying while the day had just began.  There was no wind and spraying seemed a great idea.  Then I grabbed the super high ladder from the shed and armed with screwdriver, hammer and a box cutter I prised off the shade cloth remnants from the front pergola.  The shade cloth perished years ago leaving the hammered in staples, rusty nails and bits of annoying shade cloth scraps.  Hoping it's a good idea to replace the shade cloth this year to keep the house cooler I remove all the bits and scraps.  Will it keep down the quote to replace it? Probably not, but it looks so much better now.
As I'm only half awake I remind myself to remove the hammer from the top of the ladder and slide the blade back inside the box cutter before I move the ladder to the next spot.  I remember most of the time but I witnessed my flying hammer several times which fortunately missed both my head and my feet.  I even kept my balance on the ladder and didn't fall off while prising those rusty nails out of the pergola frame, ten feet above the ground.  As the sun grew hotter I had completed most of the prising and pulling with only a few metres left.  I convinced myself to give myself a much needed break. 
I watered my amazing garden and went to the shop for the paper and milk before getting Merv up for the day.  He's watching the cricket and I'm getting ready for Mel's birthday celebration tomorrow.
I check my house improvement list.  There's a whole heap of things which are partially finished and some which are put on hold.  I will roll them over for the next week.  They will still be there waiting!
Though I tried to have a snooze this afternoon I didn't even feel tired.  A knock on the door in the heat of the afternoon and there stood a young man wearing a Red Cross T-shirt.  Before offering a donation I offer him a large glass of cold water which he readily accepted.  He had no sunhat on and he said he had a rather large head.  I looked at his head and took the opportunity to offer him the sun cap I was wearing this morning.  It expands at the back.  He happily took it.  "Please keep it," I said.  I offered him $5 donation but he was after a commitment of $1 per day.  I shook my head, pity I couldn't just give him $5.
Oh. back to my library book.  It wasn't as compelling as the first novel.  I would go as far to say it edges on the side of a Barbara Cartland.  Oh dear but a little light reading is just what the doctor ordered!

Everyone helping to create a masterpiece

The front garden weeded, new plants added and mulched

The back garden received the same fabulous makeover

Petunia's added Spring colour