Control

Did I tell any of you that I am a bit of a control freak?
Oh yes..... I am!
I am certainly the " cock of the walk" when it come to home life
I control furniture arranging duties within the cottage,
I choose the decor,
I do the gardening and the DIY
I even have sole responsibility for naming the pets.
It's all me, me , me, me me!

Well I have just taken the first baby steps in relinquishing control over something at home!
It was tough!
And I have had to bite the old tongue several times ,
But I have done it!
Today I have let the Professor start work ALONE on the cottage garden.


I almost wavered somewhat, when I thought he was about to pull up a particularly favourite aquilegia  of mine.... But I kept my trap shut.....
It's difficult to keep stumm when you are a natural gob shite

55 comments:

  1. Tell the truth - you only let him work on that ONE planter pot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was using that as a bloody wheelbarrow

      Delete
    2. Weeeeeeell, he is a beginner.

      Delete
  2. Oh, dear! Do not watch out the window!!!!

    The Professor will do a fine job.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope he doesn't make too much of a good job - I'd hate your pride to take a knock. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a similar role. The only thing I'm not responsible for is wood chopping and where the coal bags go. When I relinquish control over something, it feels like an unscratchable itch and I have to take myself well away from the situation. Does it really take an hour and a half to make half a jar of cranberry sauce and three saucepans? I think not.

    I have visions of an aquilegia related rugby tackle ensuing by the end of the day. Deep breaths and count to 100.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I disappeared and clean the kitchen

      Delete
  5. Its good that you are having faith in him. Keep it up :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Not a specific comment on this post, but rather a general one concerning all I've read thus far: You, sir, are a funny man! Sorry about your chicken, and the woman who wanted to paint the eggs needs treatment of some sort. As for Mrs. Slocombe's pussy, the more the merrier.

    (That is to say, I loved those jokes. The whole corny campy show, actually. Great stuff.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny ( laugh) or funny (haha).?
      Thank you for that

      Delete
  7. Anonymous3:40 pm

    It is hard to give up control and it's something I've had to fight with my whole life it seems. Make yourself a nice cup of something John and bite into a Scotch Egg. Try not to think about the garden...maybe take the dogs for a walk.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have a permanant ongoing struggle with myself to let anyone do anything around the place and not have a whinge because I think/I know I could have done it better.

    Even when there are jobs I know I wouldn't be able to do I have to stand there like a supervisor saying 'shouldn't you do this, shouldn't you do that' etc etc.

    Sometimes I think I'm lucky not to have had my head chopped off :-)

    I bet you sneak out to the garden when he goes out and rearrange some planting.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sensing a theme here sue...with all of us

      Delete
  9. Well you know nobody else does anything as well as you. If they'd follow your instructions properly you wouldn't HAVE to be a control freak. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This can be the start of something good!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have a similar issue....it is tricky because your partner can easily get their feelings hurt if they take it that you think they can do nothing right. Good on yeh for giving Chris a go in the garden.....he looks so handsome out there!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I want an update...I bet you're out there right now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Is Chris holding a whip?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Take deep breaths and let go... I share a similar problem.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm not a control freak. I'm not. No way. It's just that I *know* the world will spin off it's axis if someone insists on stacking the dishwasher *their* way, rather than *my* way....

    ReplyDelete
  16. Eee ecky thump... Is it a woman thing I wonder? There's only my way or the highway...
    sad innit?

    LLX

    ReplyDelete
  17. I thought Chris was about to have a wee in that rather large plant pot...definitely need glasses.
    Jo xx

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hahaha - Im glad I'm not a control freak - I just do the things I want myself, because then I am sure they are done exactly (and accurately) the way I wished them to be done - if others do them it takes so much time to explain how I want it - and to look after them to see if they did it right (which of course they seldom do :-) - though 'they only meant well'... :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another tick of the control box
      Tee hee

      Delete
  19. same here..i dictate everything.

    ReplyDelete
  20. That's why I was a ward sister

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is a fun read. I was a control freak. I quit. I went the other way; I let other people do stuff and if they screw it up, Oh Well. Interestingly, they don't even know they screwed up, so there was no point in feeling controlish to start. Maybe it's a seventies thing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think there is a bit of a control freak in all of us. Some of us keep it under wraps better than others that's all.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Deep breaths, a scotch egg [other food treats are available] and a stiff drink or two and you might be able to cope with a loved one doing soemthing a different [not your way which is obviously best] way.

    It sortof works for me...I have now mastered the urge not redo whatever has been done.

    Control freak moi? jamais ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. what's Chris pointing at?

    ReplyDelete
  25. You can always change things around when he goes to work...

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh no! Not the aquilegia!!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think keep the garden work and have someone muck out the pens, haul the feed and feed the ungrateful critters Yes, Eric I'm talking about you !

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
  28. Chris looks like he's wearing hand cuffs, I guess that's one way of restraining his gardening urge.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I could use a control freak around here.

    "I control furniture arranging duties within the cottage.." The heck you do. What if it's "occasional" furniture. Does that mean sometimes it aint furniture?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh my man can BUY the plants and that's where it ends ... no messing in my petunias, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I'm the same way, but it's because I'm obsessive compulsive about a lot of things and I so can totally relate to how you are, it is hard to decide what to let go of, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  32. Lady Magnon recently threatened to sow some salads. I showed her where the garden was; and that was the last I heard of it. I presume your tactics are somewhat similar.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love the garden. Every so often he comes out and 'helps'. He likes things planted in rows. I emphatically do not. Sooooo, I let him plant in his stinking rows and come along behind planting things in front, behind, and between where he has put things in. The rows are still there - I just can't see them.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Control freak? Hate that expression. As you and I know, we are not control freaks we just KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND NEED TO DO IT RIGHT OK?...breathe.
    We have a dining room table and chairs that really are not my type of thing at all, but my mister saw them on ebay, loved them, bought them and takes such pleasure in using them that I bite my tongue and inwardly tell myself 'it is a gift I give to him - see how happy he is' each time we use it....perhaps we have to try to let go a bit more John....how did the cottage garden turn out?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh John, how I know that feeling. I have several little favourite plants in the garden. The farmer goes out and does the hard work and I go out and find that one or two have disappeared. His excuse is that you can't make an omelette withour breaking eggs. Mind you, I have to say that that garden looks as though it needs a bit of hard work, so do bite your tongue and let him get on with it for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Sorry - I would be very firmly saying

    "Step.Away.From.The.Plant.Now."

    I ask Compostman to do things for me in the garden. I control the things that get done.

    DIY, tree felling, cars, groundworks we discuss, but gardening, no.

    And yes, I guess I am a control freak!

    ReplyDelete
  37. You could try leaving little signs round the garden like DO NOT PULL UP THIS AQUILEGIA.

    On second thoughts don't.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I'm the same. It makes me laugh when people ask if it bothers me that my wife isn't that interested in the garden and outside space. Nope! That way I can have it like I want it!
    Good luck on not interfering... Bet you can't!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love his bemused tilt of the head, like he's honestly confused about why you are peering so intently at his every movement. He and Miss Chef could have a merry time exchanging notes.

    The last sentence of this post reads like an example from a Welsh (British?) Colloquialisms Primer.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am absolutely loving this post - Chris looks a little out of his element, but the way he's looking at you is like "look! Im in the garden! This is FUN!!! I want to do this again!"

    AND I know what you are thinking...its the same thing when Mr. Foresterman starts working with MY horse...

    ah control - a hard thing to let go of... ;p

    ReplyDelete
  41. Witnessed once: young apprentice gardener pulling up a garden violet and taking it to his boss asking 'is this a weed?'.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oh, John. *hugs* ♥

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous7:23 pm

    good for you John :D

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes