When things become peculiar, frustrating and strange, I think it’s a good time to start painting. ~James Rosenquist
I know. I know. He’s talking about a different kind of painting. But that wasn’t the kind of painting I was doing. I’m painting my bathroom. Not exactly the most artistic thing. Truth is, about the only artistic painting I ever did was paint by numbers pictures when I was a kid. I had one of cats that I was very proud of. Maybe because that was the only one I ever finished. Do you remember those paint-by-number kits? All those little lines with numbers. Some of the spaces were very small. Too small for me to navigate with my brush.
That’s sort of the way I felt today as the bathroom I was painting is small. As one of my Facebook friends said, time for some contortionist moves. I never was very limber, even as a kid. I’m not a kid any longer and even less limber. But I got the primer on the walls. Well, some of it on the walls and some more of it on me. Still have some of it on me. I scrubbed and scrubbed, but decided white spotted skin was to be desired over no skin at all!
Do you think Frankie is wishing he could help here? More likely he’s wondering why we’re not outside walking. Luckily, he stayed in the doorway and didn’t flap his tail or ears in the paint. He did get a little bored with the whole process and decided to take a nap. I was sort of bored with the whole process too, but soldiered on. Now, if I can still move in the morning, I’ll put the color on the walls.
One thing I discovered is that I’m not as young as I used to be. That should be pretty obvious, right? We get older with each passing day and each birthday that zooms past. Still, it can come as a surprise that it’s not as easy to do things as it used to be. Today I sort of felt the way I did after I had my first baby back when I was young. I was really young then. But I remember trying to do a sit up after a week or so and oops, I couldn’t. That felt very weird. My stomach muscles did rebound from being stretched out of shape and I could do sit ups again. No, I haven’t tried any lately. Seem to have trouble fitting sit-ups into my schedule. Maybe I should have so that I wouldn’t have been surprised today when I was having trouble getting down into those narrow places.
The getting down wasn’t so bad. It was the getting up that was surprising. My knees didn’t want to bounce me right up the way I expected them too. I think they went out on strike without telling me. Maybe one of those sit-in strikes where they sit down and don’t plan to get up. That’s the trouble with painting rooms instead of canvases. You have to reach high and then you have to reach low all the while doing your best not to spatter paint all over the floor. I suppose some canvases can be huge where the artist needs a ladder, but others sit right there on an easel at the perfect level to splash a bit of paint here and there. I wouldn’t know how to splash it in the right places, so maybe I’d better stick to painting walls and my hands. And my arms. And my knees. Maybe that’s why they went on strike. But do you know how easy it is to bump into the wall you just painted when you’re not so hot at those contortionist movements? If you don’t, trust me. It is.
Have you done any home improvement projects this year? If you’re good come on over and I’ll give you a paintbrush. Then because it would really be crowded with two people in that little bathroom, I’ll go get us some sweet iced tea. I’d even fetch a chair and settle down by Frankie in the doorway. If you want, I’ll read to you in between sips of tea. I’m guessing you are ready to pass on that offer. 🙂
As always thanks for reading. Have you ever gotten paint in your hair?
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Thank you so much Ann.We loved seeing you.It was fun hearing you speak! Thank you for always being so kind and checking on my health!
P.S. I love the picture too!
I love reading your stories; I would have painted with (or for!) you. A glass of tea and you reading to me would be amazing!
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I’m gathering names for my crew next time I have a bathroom to paint, Kathy. 🙂
Last time I painted a room I helped my 4th grade daughter paint her room a lovely shade of yellow. That was back in 1975 and I WAS young-in my 30’s. Oh, yes, I did help same daughter paint her home after she came back from Okinawa four years age, but I did the easy rolling of the walls. Neither my husband nor I enjoy painting so we leave it up to the professionals. 😊
Lot cheaper if one does it themselves but both of us are in our late 70’s and there’s no way we could get down and paint. I loved reading about your experience painting your small bathroom. 😊 Felt like I was actually watching you.
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I’ve painted a lot of rooms, Karen, through the years. But it’s easier to let those professionals do it. My husband doesn’t like painting and never picks up a paintbrush. My sons though have painted many a room. My daughter too. She and her husband have an old house they’ve remodeled with those tall ceilings. But they are always painting something. Once they painted their dining room, didn’t like the color and painted it again right away. I couldn’t imagine doing that. I would have decided I liked the color. LOL.
Reminded me when you said they repainted their dining room—-back in the early 70’s when we were MUCH younger, we painted our long hallway in our newly purchased house, didn’t like the color and repainted it! Those days are long gone! 😊
The painting sounds fun but, as you know I’m a little crazy and spontanious.My mind just keeps going back to set ups a week after giving birth…you must have been young to tackle that.
My daughter-in-law is expecting their first baby( another grandson!), in a few days but I won’t reccomend that to her.😉
Have a good day Ann!
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Well, I was very, very young, Lisa. Didn’t have much sense either, I suppose. 🙂 It was so fun seeing you and April and Emma the other night. I love the picture too that you put on your FB. I’ll get Emma’s book in the mail as soon as I recover from all this painting. 🙂
Oh, and congratulations on a new grandbaby on the way. I do hope and pray your next checkup goes well too.
Haha If I was closer I would help. We went and painted my daddy’s bedroom a few weeks ago. We are now putting field stone on our foundation. Enjoy your project.
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Sounds as though you’re the girl I need, Lucy. A busy do-it-yourselfer. But even without your help, I got the painting done today. Now I just have to put everything back. The field stone foundation sound pretty.
Good morning, Ann! It’s good to hear you joke about your painting project. I can relate. I bet your knees are still fussing at you this morning.
I decided my kitchen needed a face lift, so I spent my spring break painting the cabinets and walls. But first I had to remove some old wallpaper trim. Not fun…not fun at all! I stretched muscles I’d forgotten I had. But luckily my 12 year old grandson is always ready to help with projects. He stood on countertops to reach the high spots and kneeled to paint the baseboards. But even with his help, I felt my age and more. And I had yellow paint in my hair and under my nails…and on my old painters clothes…just about everywhere. My bathroom is next, but I think I’ll wait til Logan can help again!
Happy painting today. I hope you don’t end up with a colorful Frankie. 😉
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Good that you had help, Lavon. That’s so good of your grandson to be willing to get the high and low spots. I definitely have on my painter’s clothes and they’ve got a few new colors on them. After my mother died four years ago, my sisters and I painted her whole house, every room. That was a project, but by then we had cleared out all the furniture and ripped up the carpets. It always makes painting easier if you don’t have to worry about getting it on the floor or furnishings. My problem is you can’t move the furnishings out of the bathroom. LOL.
Oh, I loved your post, Ann, and could so relate. I dislike to paint immensely. I can never keep the paint out of my hair, off my clothes, or off my hands.
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I’m the world’s messiest painter, Melanie, but the end job on the walls usually looks okay. Then, after several shampoos and showers, I lose the paint decorations. But this time I can’t get the smell of the paint out of my head. I need to open the window today.
That made me laugh! I could just picture you in those situations. I don’t paint and the most recent painting I had done I hired someone! The iced tea and you reading a book sounds nice, but I will pass on the rest !😊
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Oh, come on, Darlene. Don’t you want to dip a paintbrush in? LOL. I didn’t figure I’d get any takers. Although sitting around reading aloud would be fun. Maybe I should make some kind of sweet bread to go with the iced tea.
I can certainly relate to knees not working like they are supposed to. I need to get back to excercises. Doctor said I can’t do situp though. Lucky me! You gave me a few chuckles with this post, Ann. Hope your color coat goes on smoothly! Blessings!
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I do too, Paula. I’m getting ready to make myself go prise open that can of paint and get to work. Getting done is my goal. I guess I need some knee and back exercises. Some that don’t involve paint!
I would love to come and paint for you! Just to hear one of your books in your own voice…how awesome would that be! I’m more of a splattered than a painter…but everything is better with a tall glass of cold sweet tea! And Frankie in the mix…count me in!
Very fun post! I can relate to the knees and can’t even get up from a squatting position and as for situps, what are those???!!!, I have never painted But (except for ceramics years ago. Good for you! I am definitely not a DIYer! The only “house” thing I do is plant flowers and tend them and share them. Hardly the same as a big project like painting a room- any room at all. Thanks for sharing. When you get all finished, you should post a pic of your finished bathroom.
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Jeanne, I don’t have a fancy bathroom, so it wouldn’t be much to see. But I do hope the walls will be a pretty shade of very light green before the day is through. And hey, painting ceramics sounds more artistic than painting walls. And flowers dress up the world and your house and yard.
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Finally a taker, Mary. Now wouldn’t that be fun. 🙂 But you do know that Frankie goes nuts for about ten minutes whenever anybody comes visiting. He gets very excited and though I’m trying to teach him calm, he hasn’t learned it yet. So get ready for a very enthusiastic welcome. Which book sounds good? LOL