May Day

Whenever I think of May Day two things come to mind: for some reason (probably because I read his books when living in Oxford) Thomas Love Peacock quotation, I can't remember which book from, about lobster being 'a matter for a May morning'; and May Day at Oxford, with my first husband, watching the Morris dancers early in the morning, drinking champagne and feeling young, bright and optimistic about the forthcoming summer, the future, everything. All these years later, I tend to feel a little happy on May Day.

My nasty neighbours are avoiding me thank goodness. My lace curtains are in place too.
Decided my dining table was too wide and not long enough.What I need is one which will take a chair at either end and two chairs each side along the middle, i.e. about 3'by 4'. Was about to purchase another on Ebay and Romy told me she has one at home which is even better, in that the narrow side is 2'5", so I can place it along the wall with a chair either end and two small chairs pushed into the long side. The idea is that I can seat six by bringing two more chairs in. Romy and her husband are kindly bringing this over. Since my existing table is quite decent we will swap. I shall paint Romy's table either cream, putty or white to go with all my other stuff. Removed the blind from Nibby's room and need to put the other curtain up there. And buy a new pillow and some Wonderweb to shorten all the curtains.

The more I do, the more I realise needs to be done. Apart from painting the fire surround, table, and gramophone casing, I may possibly paint my metal and my wooden trunks and a floorstanding mirror. The kitchen is rather a nightmare with every surface covered in rubbish and cupboards absolutely full of stuff - tins, herbs etc. I shall have to turn these all out and stick to essentials. My hall cupboard and airing cupboard also need a seeing to. I am also agonising about repotting Nibby's gardenia which has never done well in the bathroom. I suspect it is not in ericaceous compost and maybe it needs to go back outside, at least for the summer, in a larger container with ericaceous compost. Pete has apparently found some pond liner and will return to put this in later. The fireplace hole is still under discussion, though saw a super electric stove in cream on ITV's 60 minute makeover. Looked this up and it is a Villager Gem, which is rather pricy but would look 'the part', as my friend Chlamydia would say.