Lenten Journal: Supplanted

So, I had this great idea: to paint my bedroom. Which transmogrified into "to have my bedroom painted." Catch the subtle difference? Those of you with really long memories (and, perhaps, not enough to care about in your own lives? OR who absolutely love me) may remember that Petra and I painted our dining room to rave reviews before the cooling of the earth about two years ago (see smashing photos here).

Before that we'd painted Petra's room, also a beautiful outcome. So, naturally, my room was next on the list.

Except, you see, time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future, and my damn bedroom wasn't painted.

So I got the name of this woman painter, and she came to my house on Saturday. In theory, I should have had my new paint job by Saturday night: celery green walls and a lavender ceiling, with glossy white trim. (I was so excited.)

My painter settled in to prime and patch, and I settled in to write my sermon.

An hour or so later, my painter came downstairs. Let's call her, Alex.

Mags (brightly): How's it going?

Alex (smiling, tightly): This is what, later, I'm going to call a disaster.

We went upstairs together. She showed me the places where big pieces of wall fell apart. She showed me the ceiling, which was, inexplicably, wallpapered at some point-- and then painted over-- and which she was beginning to scrape. She showed me the patching she had done, and the patching she had yet to do. And...

My bedroom was not painted by Saturday night. My bedroom will likely not be painted by this Saturday night, or the next. (Alex works for a living... as a caterer. The painting is a side job.) Which means... I'm not sleeping in my bed. My wonderful, perfect bed, which I love very, very much.

Night one: I slept on the pull-out couch in the playroom. (The guest room was not really accessible to me, shoved full of my bedroom furniture as it was.)

Not so bright-eyed the next morning.

Night two: plan B. I moved furniture. I am now ensconced in the guest room. For a while.

I don't like not being in my bed.

Not really great planning on my part for the last weeks of Lent.

Image: Quilted Postcard by PamelaQuilts, available here.