Is 8.30pm too early for a grown woman to go to bed?

It is 21 years since I worked full time.  Ok, I'll revise that.  It is 21 years since I worked in full time paid employment.  I am now three weeks into the new job and last night I had to go to bed at 8.30 because I was so exhausted.  I know that eventually things will settle down and I won't feel as 'one who, picking daisies on the railway, has just caught the Down Express in the small of the back' (Wodehouse).  Once the sprogs leave this weekend things will be much easier:  my kitchen will look the same in the morning as it did after I tidied the night before, the fridge will not be empty one day after I go to Sainsburys, the washing basket will not overflow every by Friday night.  I have always admired women who have children and work full time but now I believe that they must have some super-human gene which passed me by.

Anyway, that is why my blog has been neglected but I really want to show you the things I bought last weekend.  Redroofs at Oldfield has been a B&B for the last fifteen years.  It is a beautiful Edwardian house on the banks of the Thames;  steep, sloping, red-tiled roofs, deep bay leaded windows, a central two story hall bigger than many new houses with a galleried landing, oak stair case, garden sloping down to the river, and many more wonders.  Sandy furnished and ornamented the house and garden with lovingly chosen antique and vintage items with each room having a flower theme - roses, forget-me-not, lily, bluebell and so on.   I have, over the years, painted many signs for her;  room names, 'private', 'dining room', 'car park' and various wedding party signs are just some of the ones I remember.  She and Colin are leaving Redroofs and moving to a smaller, but no doubt just as lovely, house so last Saturday they had the house sale from Heaven.  I bought a two violet jugs, a splendid vintage painted papier mache tray, a chocolate box and a set of brushes. I would have bought much more but my arms were full and my hands were not quick enough.

The bag handles I bought ages ago at Shepton Flea but I had forgotten them.  I believe I've complained about my memory before - last week I made a pot of tea thinking 'I'll take a cup upstairs, do my face and then go to work'.  Half way up the stairs I looked down at my cup of tea to discover that it contained only the milk.

Having been inspired by the violet jugs I decided to paint the very plain bag handles with violets and then I added some to the brushes as well.

Hope you've enjoyed this post because I don't know when I'll be back.  I need to sleep too much!