I'm sure I'm badly mis-quoting Bill Bryson in his book 'Notes from a Small Island', when he says something about the British being so easily pleased that a Saturday afternoon spent choosing wallpaper becomes a really exciting outing. If that's not exactly what he said, that is certainly the gist of it. Now, I'm not a massive fan of wallpaper so I can't say an afternoon spent choosing it would float my boat, but I am British, and I am easily pleased.
Yesterday afternoon we had a local handyman come to put in another post hole for our rotary washing line. A small job which only took him an hour or so (the post has to be cemented in to the earth) and which cost us a mere £20.00. I can't tell you how happy that new post hole makes me. This coming winter there will be no more sliding around on the muddy grass (with the result that come the spring our lawn looks more like the Battle of the Somme) when I hang out the washing as the new post hole means the rotary line is near enough for me to stand on the patio whilst pegging things out. And the winter sun actually makes it high enough in the sky to hit the patch of garden where the new post hole is, hopefully meaning the washing will dry better and there will be less steaming washing draped over the radiators.
As a totally unexpected and added bonus, the garden looks so much nicer from the living and dining rooms without the view of our smalls (or in my case, not-so-smalls) hanging out to dry.
Bill Bryson, you're right - the British really are very easily pleased, and I, for one, think that's a very good thing indeed.
Do you think this is why we also have the phrase "need to get out more?" !!
I was delighted this morning when I discovered I had a choice of 2 pairs of clean pants, since we're on the subject of pants. Now, that is easy pleased!
Posted by: Catherine | 09/29/2009 at 08:08 PM
That will be nice for you to be able to stand on the patio, less messy for your feet. I love my rotary dryer, and need to put in another one as it would save me a lot of time if I could hang two loads at once. It's nice that you can be easily pleased.
Posted by: Jennifer | 09/29/2009 at 08:13 PM
Dear Liz,
Just a short message which is totally unrelated to today's post which I thought you would find interesting and amusing. DN and I were walking home from football club tonight, when he suddenly delved into the gutter in Belton Road. He resurfaced with a very nice piece of bling! Yes, he'd spotted a paste diamond bracelet which he promptly put on. I must say it looks very nice and is very sparkly - you know how he loves his bling. He's very pleased with it and showed the babies straight away. So looking about the gutters for money etc must run in the family.
Lots of love from Sarah
Posted by: Sarah | 09/29/2009 at 09:33 PM
In 1974, when Dad was partly knocking down and rebuilding his mother's house for us all to live in, (doesn't that sound callous; poor granny; no, she'd died and left it to him!) he made a special little path that snaked into the lawn, with the rotary drier at the end. We were so impressed! But I have to say, I love my long line when it's propped up and everything's blowing dry. But what really prompted this comment was the smile you gave me about your "not so smalls"; a friend of mine calls them her "bigs"! (Still smaller smalls than mine though!)
Posted by: Attila | 09/29/2009 at 09:45 PM
Mrs. D, who was ancient when I knew her--she was born in the late 1800s, still the Victorian era--referred not to undergarments but to her "body clothes." Even into the early 1970s, when she died, she wore corsets. There was no give when you hugged her!
Posted by: jeanie | 09/30/2009 at 03:23 AM