a room of one’s own

When one becomes 11, one feels very grown up. The last term of primary school is ahead; mentally, one is beginning to move on.

It’s not suitable to live like this any more.

Years of yearning may come to pass- a bedroom apart, no longer shared with a younger sister. In the world of semi urban, semi detached households, that means moving to the spare room to displace the laundry and the clutter.

The room has a built in wardrobe, and a bed that only fits one way, so one might think there wouldn’t be much change. There is a need for measuring, and wondering and negotiating.

Then, shopping. Also, assembling.

Eventually, the discovery that the tiny room can take a table, a swivel chair, a bedside table, a bookcase, a bin, some pictures, a hangy thing for pens and pencils and, most importantly, a noticeboard. Where else is a girl to hang the gift vouchers she forgets to bring with her?

 

Of course, it should be remembered that the girl with a birthday wasn’t the only one to get her own space this week. As a direct result, all the soft toys got the bottom bunk all to themselves…

visitors

Part 1:

Good friends from England are coming to visit next week. We haven’t seen them for over a year. They have the sense to be staying in a hotel in the city centre, but they’ll be here. This gives us the motivation to finish painting the plaster in the living room and to find the dining room table under the papers, boxes of leaflets and display boards that I’ve inherited from the former PSP Association member of staff.

Happily, the pink chaos got sorted out. If all else fails, we can just send all the children there. I’m sure the teenage boy won’t mind.

Part 2:

I’ve been writing this blog since March. You’ve had to put up with frustration, attempts to be funny, illness and death, chaos of the mind and the house. I’ve been exhausted and exhilerated, bored and broken hearted, fat and furious.

I post most days, but not every day. Yesterday I was cognitively challenged, and posted nothing. Yesterday, my blog had its busiest ever day.

Is there something you’re trying to tell me?

faces

There are lots of faces dotted about the place. Some are framed and tidy; many are printed off and stuck up with blutack in a mess  collage. There’s a bundle waiting patiently for their space on a wall. They’re all visions of family; of us as we were, as we may be. Memories and stories. Laughter and love.

Semi formal, very happy grown ups. Brothers and sisters together.

A self portrait.

Pictures of younger selves.

Celebrating achievements; loving the elders …

and, secretly, everyone’s favourite.

For contrasting views of how the theme ‘faces’ should be done, head over to Tinman for entertaining match commentary, and to Patti for poignant words and no pictures.

WordPress weekly photochallenge: faces