Pig Pen


I haven’t had a shower since Saturday 
A strip wash in the kitchen sink hasn’t helped that much 
I forgot the soap which is hidden under tons of detritus in the spare bedroom, so had to use fairy liquid.
I now have a citrus burst kinda smell coupled with an odd slightly slimy feeling skin
Once on, fairy liquid feels like swarfega to get off

When I was growing up in the late 60s it was normal just to have one Bath a week
Nowadays you are considered sub human if you even contemplated such a feat.
The CBM had just arrived singing Whitney Houston’s I Just Wanna Dance with Somebody 
He’s tiling today


I’ve made the most of my covid lockdown by cleaning windows, gardening and scrubbing the patio .
The old linen fabric of koi carp that I ordered online was delivered and I framed two pieces of it as the basis of the artwork for the bathroom.
Thoughts? Too much fish? Too muted ? 



 

125 comments:

  1. Nowt wrong with a whiff of citrus burst. :-) That new bathroom is going tol ook gorgeous once you get your creative hands on it.

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    1. It’s looking crisp and smart already ….my grandmother had a mirror which I’ve never really used . It will be incorporated into the design

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  2. veg artist7:59 am

    Be patient. When he says 'give the grout 24 hrs to dry' do NOT be tempted to have a shower before then!

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    1. I know, I’ve already stood on the shower dish when I shouldn’t of

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    2. veg artist11:27 am

      Well, if there was any sealant on, and it leaks in the future, you will only have yourself to blame. Resist!

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    3. Anonymous8:01 am

      " I’ve already stood on the shower dish when I shouldn’t of" = Idiocy confirmed :)

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  3. I want to say you must feel better after a wash but I'm not sure about the Fairy liquid!

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  4. Sunday was .my bath day-In fact recently John I am proud to say I have reduced my shower to once every 2 days to save on electric -Needs must x


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  5. It is a shame you have COVID. Otherwise, CBM Could have danced with you.

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  6. Apparently one does not need a daily shower unless getting very grubby daily... something to do with one's personal biome!
    I'm not sure about the fairy liquid either!!

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    1. My biome will be an aquifer taste GZ X

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  7. Soon you will be showering in elegance

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    1. David, I’ve never done anything elegantly

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    2. You can John-Stand upright as though you have a small ribbon attached to the top of your head and threaded to the sky-Relaxed pleasant expression crossed with chewing a wasp x

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    3. Niceness? Clumsiness? A pretty new place? I like the fish, and I like the idea of adding a little subtle color that can be changed out.

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  8. Jean Shrimpton, who was considered one of the great beauties of the 60's, told me that she used Fairy Liquid to wash her hair. You're in good company.

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  9. Well, if CBM took one whiff of you close up, he’d probably change his tune. I’ve read repeatedly that showering every day is not necessary. It just doesn’t work for me. (And it was a requirement when I was a kid.)

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    1. I adore standing under a hot shower

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    2. So do I. Sometimes I lose myself there... and then I feel guilty for wasting water.

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  10. I am encouraged
    He says
    Surrounded by flys

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  11. What ever happened to courtesy?

    Well, John, it could have been worse. You did not scour with a brillo pad and dry yourself on a tea towel, did you?

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    1. While remodeling our house in AR hubby and i bathed with a COLD waterhose and a bar of soap outside under the pine trees.. We lived very secluded.. Its a fond memory..

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    2. Lol sounds rather lovely ( in summer)

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  12. Being without a bathroom is one of the reason I don't remodel mine. Also I am lazy when it comes to working on the house.

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    1. Me too that’s why the CBM is bashing away

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  13. I like the muted palette of the fish. In fact it looks like you could hang them horizontally OR vertically, depending on the needs of your decor!

    I often think about how people didn't bathe as much years ago. Even when I was growing up we didn't shower daily. (More than once a week, though!)

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    1. It was never a necessity , now it’s a luxury we take for granted.

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  14. PS: to the fish? Black and white are two pretty bold defining colors. I think a less busy picture of a couple koi in brighter colors would work. But it is your bathroom. I did see something that made me think of you right away though. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FKoi-Fish-Shower-Curtain-Illustration-Two-Japanese-Carps-Symbol-Love-Friendship-Prosperity-Fabric-Bathroom-Set-Hooks-69W-X-70L-Inches-Black-White-Ambe%2F996082352&psig=AOvVaw1AWZeEimgPYuEtpRBX1ib5&ust=1652272597179000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAgQjRxqFwoTCPDNhJ351PcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

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    1. It’s rather lovely , but I’m having a cubicle rather than a shower with curtain.
      Rachel suggested stringer colours, and I’m drawn to that

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  15. Oh, I remember the once-per-week bath in the early 1960s. In a galvanized washtub in the middle of the kitchen floor. With water heated on the stove. Our family had no running water or indoor plumbing then. Glad those days are gone!

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    1. veg artist1:23 pm

      Does one cold water tap count as indoor plumbing? Our hot water came out of a small tank that was part of the range, which had to be filled by hand.
      I was born in the bouse my father had been born in in 1913. How on earth did they manage?

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  16. I adore those pictures...the muted colors are nice, and may be welcomed in such a place of contemplation.

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  17. I love the framed Koi pictures. The muted colours are relaxing and beautiful. I can't wait for the bathroom reveal.

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  19. I think changing the color of the mat board, perhaps only the inner one, would cause the colors of the fish to be more active. I like the faded appearance of the koi; it provides a textural contrast to the starkness of your black/white scheme.

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    1. Good idea you are the second person to suggest this, I would never have thought this

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    2. I can’t believe I forgot to comment on the koi. I love them framed and I agree a bit of color on one level of mats would really make things pop.

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  20. One can never have too many fish.

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    1. And you should know……lol glad you are still alive x

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  21. A kitchen sink wash-up with fairy soap seems to have worked just fine. I like the Koi framed in black. In the future, if you want a new look, you can swap things out. I do this all the time.

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    1. Yes….I fell in love with a carp tattoo on a man in Halfords bike store…it was on his whole arm and I was stunned by its beauty

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  22. I like the fish and think they will look great in your new bath. I don't shower every day to save water (and $$)! I have read that it isn't good for my old skin!

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    1. A shower a day will be a much welcomed new experience for me

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  23. I like it, it looks like the fish are actually set back in the glass and are swimming alive.

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    1. I’ve just reversed the frames to give two perspectives

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  24. Anonymous2:34 pm

    Better a whiff of citrus that other less fragrant odors!
    Wait and see how the koi look in the finished bathroom. I think they will be perfect.
    Friday is just a few days away!

    Hugs - Barbar Anne

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    1. I can’t wait, I’m like a schoolboy at Christmas ….

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  25. I far prefer a whiff of citrus over a heavy floral, on anyone. I *like* that fabric. Something about the mat in the frame hits me wrong though. The white seems too harsh or bright, at least where it's in full light. The parts in shadow seem OK though. It might be just fine when hung up. If not, I'd be rooting through my stash of craft paints and change it to a softer color.

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    1. Yes, I know what you mean , it’s going into a very bright room too

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  26. For me probably would be too muted... love the idea of the koi though..

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    1. Yes it’s my worry too, but I bought two bits of fabric one a little “ louder”

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  27. Not too muted for me. It is an attractive print- you can always liven it up with something else if you feel the need.

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  28. Your bathing episode made me laugh. I really like the pictures. x

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  29. Oh, yes, bath night! Being the youngest of 3, I was the one who got in the bath last (same water). Then Mum cutting our nails afterwards - ouch! Love the muted colours. You can always change the mounts later if you decide they're not right. Maybe one inner mount blue, the other orange to pick up the colours of the koi. xx

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    1. I actually like that suggestion quite a lot.

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    2. I like that idea too

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  30. I like the fishy linen! Personally I don't think the pictures need a mount board as they cover up the fabric. I would just go with the outer frame. How big are the frames? I would have gone for one big frame to show of more fish to give a bigger impact. If you are handy with a thread and needle you could embroider some of the fish with metallic thread! Whatever you decide I am sure they will make a lovely addition to your new bathroom. :)

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    1. I see your point and dang you may be right.
      I’ve cut my cloth now !

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  31. Show 'off' not 'of'. :)

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  32. I do hope so John-I didn't know where he be x

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  33. I love the pictures. I think the are perfect and love the addition of soft colour that will sit with the black and white.

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  34. Replies
    1. Thank you , the wall they are going on will be painted white , I hope they won’t be too muted

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  35. I like the pictures as they are. Enjoy the bath on Friday :)

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    1. I’ve not got a Bath ! Not anymore lol

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  36. Well my dad and his coal mining mates always used Fairy household soap or Fairy washing up liquid. Apparently the bubbles reached all the nooks and crannies. Who am I to argue with that.

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  37. If he can carry a tune, send that man over to my place. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," indeed! That takes nerve; I love it. Now I have to go look up "fairy liquid" and "swarfega" and see what they are. -Kate

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    1. Swarfega is lovely , thick green jelly used by workmen to clean oil from hands, all very butch

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  38. I love the koi. Once the bathroom is done and you hang them you will know if it fits the room.

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    1. Good idea bonnie….I have a lovely print of an orange kimono which may fit the bill too

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  39. You did great with the pictures. You see the Koi and not some color accented liner....

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  40. Anonymous7:10 pm

    My dad too like ShellyC' s also used Fairy washing up liquid to rid himself of the manly grime-At times after a particularly difficult time under his car would emerge oil black face,hands and arms-Fairy to the rescue and a splash of turps (cigarette on the go)and then a bit of Oil of Ulay!(he did like the ladies) x

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    1. That was me please x

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    2. I still am getting a whiff of it

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  41. Lesley7:22 pm

    I'm going to assume you are one of the lucky ones that doesnt feel too bad with COVID and fingers crossed for you that it continues as Hubby, me and all four of our kids got it a few months ago and it wasnt nice at all. When I look back to growing up in the 70's we only had one bath a week and that was Sunday night before School on Monday. Rest of the week it was a strip wash and you washed your hair in the sink. We are having our Bathroom refitted next month and I honestly think I will leave home if I have to live without a bathroom for two weeks as my girls will moan constantly, the boys wont mind much as they have a different attitude to cleanliness than the girls lol. I quite like the fish but maybe the frame is a bit formal for the material. Have you considered covering a blank canvas in the material so you could hang it frameless?

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    1. The only symptom I think was covid was and is excessive tiredness . On my last night at work , I fell asleep into my tea

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  42. Anonymous8:25 pm

    What are you thoughts about “ pillow gate” blog entry John ? In retrospect

    Kath

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    1. My thoughts?.hummmmm I’m not sure if you are a troublemaker or an interested observer …I’m sorry for thinking the worst if you are a normal person …
      Rachel is a blogger I respect and like . It’s unfortunate we have fallen out .
      As for other commentators involved , I reserve judgement
      I hope things will eventually settle down

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  43. Love your koi, would brighten the inner matting perhaps. To match the color o the fish.
    I used to live and work in St Augustine FL, the office was in the Lightener Museum.. I came to work early most every day just to feed the koi. An extremely friendly fish..or maybe it was just because I had the food..

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  44. The fish are beautiful, the muted colours are lovely and the plain black frame works well, definitely need different mat boards but something that enhances the colours not takes over. Probably a good idea to get the wrinkles out of the fabric.
    3 of anything always looks better than 2, so the orange kimono print would look stunning between your 2 Koi pictures or below or above...have a play and see what you think.

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    1. I like the wrinkles it reminds me that’s it’s old linen

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    2. Anonymous12:04 am

      No it just looks like you were too lazy to iron it.

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    3. Anonymous12:06 am

      Ps I hope you feel better soon & I don’t know why I came up as anonymous. Xx Ivy

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  45. The two koi pieces are quite nice.

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  46. I had a 'triggering flashback' at the remembrance of only being allowed one bath a week while I lived at home with the parents in the 60s and 70s. After a week of sweating, playing in the dirt, just generally being filthy, one bath a week definitely did not cut it and I often think back on the lack of basic hygiene while I enjoy my daily showers here in Los Angeles. And they wondered why I was stinky!!!! >:<
    I really like the koi pics!

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    1. I am soooooo looking forward to my first shower

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    2. You will prefer it to bathing in a tub! or (quote) "sitting in a tepid puddle of your own filth" LMAO
      The bathwater when I got out of it on any given Sunday in 1975 was akin to ditch water.

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  47. My mother recalled days growing up on the farm in snow country in the early nineteen hundreds. She said they wore wool all winter but there were no dry cleaners in those days or deodorants used. She observed surely we must have smelled terrible but nobody seemed to notice.

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  48. Love the fish. The colours are very muted but in an almost all white bathroom they will add subtle colour. You could use black frames?? Just a thought.

    Jo in Auckland

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  49. I meant black mats not frames!

    Jo in Auckland

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    1. I have bought Matt black accessories

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  50. I think the framed fish are perfect and will look stunning in your new bath!

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  51. I love the koi and think they will pop against the black and white. A suggestion, instead of a new mat, what about getting some paper picking up one of the colours, even a wallpaper sample, and cutting it to sit over the mat. It will look like a decorative mat and you can swap It out to bring out different hues. Sorry to hear you have the covid, DO rest up please apparently it is important to getting well <3

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  52. Forgot to say the Koi are beautiful and will look great in your new bathroom. You don't need a disco in there, do you?

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  53. Anonymous2:21 pm

    You need to think carefully about finishing touches on a black and white bathroom otherwise ity can look like a public lavatory.

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  54. Anonymous2:25 pm

    The fabric is lovely but those white mounts are much too big, the fabric should draw the eye not the mounts.

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  55. Oh no John-You don't want a lavvy-My little Grandma had one of those x

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  56. I love the koi images. Neither too muted, nor too much.

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  57. Anonymous7:21 am

    Wait till you get them up, then decide. I agree that light colours on the mats to match fish would be good, but wait and see. It's surprising how oftem these types of plans made while the reno is in progress do work. Also, Covid is an arse. I hope you feel all better soon, John. Tina from west oz here.

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