The Princess and the Hooker

Just in case you thought we all descend on the Silverwoods at the weekend for a chance of a rest and relax after all the builder-ing, here's the truth. Evil Landlady Mrs Silverwood makes us slave for our dry bread and water with a bit of painting and decorating. Here are, in no particular order

1) a nice coat of cream paint and a big "R" in princess style for a 4 year old R who is mad keen on all things Princess. On the opposite wall will go one of those fancy new 8' x 6' wall-paper murals, in her case containing an underwater scene of mermaid x princesses (Mermesses? Princaids?) as well as dolphins, shark and fishes.
2) Some fancy pink-roses on black wall paper, sealer/varnish on the new tongue and groove panelling and pink paint on the walls for the two older Silverwood girls, Em-J who is a bit 'goth' and wanted BLACK, and J-M who is girlie-pink and wanted PINK. Nice compromise. Went on well too till the very last minute of the first coat of pink when, holding a roller-tray and reaching for the open tin, Dad did a pink paint version of that cliche mistake where you spill your mug of tea because you rotate your wrist to look at your watch. Bubble gum pink paint all down his front and on his (old, fortunately) suede shoes. Gah! Excuse the mess, by the way. This is a teenager room and the builders are in (and the painters).
3) Also here, the Silverwoods keep 2 big rabbits (Ginny and Padfoot named after Harry Potter characters) in a hutch for the amusement of visiting Deefers. The two local dogs are bored with them at this stage, or scared of them. They got out onto the decking once and Max and Lily had to be rescued from a high vantage point, the kids' trampoline. Haggis has even been for a look in when toddler R left the door open and just stood there, nose to nose, confused as if asking them "What are you? Birds? Dogs? Big Mice?" I, though, an still convinced I should like to play with them, so here's me and Lily chatting them up through the hutch front. There are those who say I should know better because I have already fallen foul of local cat Thomas, taking a swipe across the nose when I got too close, which bled! He don't take no prisoners, that boy.
4)The beer? Dad says it's a nice local one, brewed in an artisan brewery in Roscommon. A place of pilgrimage, I would think.

Deefs