10 on the 10th: Can I upholster a chair?

& Wow on Wednesday link-up

Dear friends. I am away for a few days and was thinking there would be no post today, but serendipity came along in the form of Marsha's monthly challenge, 10 on the 10th. This month it asks if we can recall certain things or perform certain things. Let's see.....

#WowOnWednesday takes place as normal.

Here are the questions. You might like to play along if you're a blogger!

1. Can I whistle? No, unfortunately. I've never been able to whistle. I don't know if there's an anatomical reason for this. My dad used to blame my "thick lips" as a kid, but I don't have those now. I wonder if Angelina Jolie can whistle?

2. Can I touch my toes flat to the ground? Yes - all the years of yoga and Pilates have paid off!

3. Can I remember all of my teachers from kindergarten (reception) to graduation? I sure can, and I can add a line to those privileged teachers who were mean to me in some respect. Like an elephant, I never forget! Here is the roll of honour:

Mrs Edwards (reception) - slapped my legs because I inadvertently threw away someone's Humpty Dumpty picture
Miss Griffiths (I was 7) accused me of having stolen someone's purse when in fact I had found it on top of the blackboard (I'm still smarting from that one)
Mrs Thompson (I was 9) held up my sewing and said sneeringly that the boys could have done better (and they probably could)
Miss Colman (I was 13) asked if I had a turnip on my shoulders rather than a head, because I couldn't thread the sewing machine
Mrs John (I was 16) was mean to me at all times. She was in charge of our school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and cast me as the Queen of the Amazons. She then proceeded to imitate me in a very unflattering way after the dress rehearsal.

4. Can I ride a motorcycle? Regrettably no, and I did try. When I was 19 and a trainee journalist, I needed my own wheels so I bought a brand new Vespa scooter. My friend Margery had one and I thought it looked very cool. When it was delivered, I had no idea how to ride it. Fortunately one of our neighbours (we knew him as Alan The Fireman) had had a scooter in his youth, and gave me a few lessons. But when I went out on my own, I couldn't control it and had barely left the communal parking area when I was thrown off. For many years there was a Gail-shaped indentation in someone's garage door. The bike was returned to the dealer but I lost a lot of money. That was a lesson.

5. Can I groom a dog? I've never had a mutt so the answer is No. I have groomed a cat on a few occasions: washing them, brushing them. I only ever washed a cat if it was essential because they don't like it.

6. Can I remember the first vacation I ever went on? It was in 1971 and we went to Goodrington near Torquay and stayed in a caravan for a week. It must have been a tight squash because there were 5 of us and my elder brother was 6ft 2. The caravan didn't have a bathroom so we had to use the communal block. It rained most of the time. I bought a couple of animal ornaments in the site's gift shop.

7. Can I create things from scratch? (knit, paint, weld etc). I can't knit, crochet or sew. I've painted rooms but in a slapdash way. Never tried welding.

I did master "French knitting," which is when you make a long string using a cotton reel with nails in and wool. My mum and gran were both skilled knitters so it was all the more galling that I was like "a cow handling a musket," according to my gran. I can't think of much I can do from scratch except that I used to make cards, and learnt a lot of creative techniques for this including using stamping, using a wide range of media including alcohol inks, glass paints; decoupage. Here are a few examples.

Hand made cards by blogger Gail Hanlon from Is This Mutton

I suppose I could claim gardening too because I totally redesigned our garden back in 2012. I'll talk more about this in a "Tell Us About" post on May 18.

8. Can I wire an outlet? I have done in the past, when I lived on my own, and could probably do so now but I'd need to consult Google first.

9. Can I remember my first job? My first paid job was a Saturday job, when I was 16. I worked in British Home Stores, a chain similar to M&S which no longer exists. It was a dreadful place. I was in children's wear but occasionally a supervisor would pounce if they were busy and move me somewhere else for an hour or two. The lowest point was being punished for ringing up the wrong price on the till. I had a girl assisting me, reading out the prices and bagging, so I felt this was very unfair. As soon as I could, I got another Saturday job at Dingle's, even though the pay was a pound less.

10. Can I upholster a chair? Marsha, are you having a laugh?! No I can't.

How would you do with the questions? Anyone upholstered a chair? Intrigued to know if any of you had a motorbike? Let us know in the comments.

Last week's favourites (most clicked)

Barney the Cat from Cats and Dogs Blog . This handsome boy from a newcomer to the link-up certainly piqued your interest!

London walks and sore knees from Veronica of Vronni's Style Meanderings. Photo by Sandra of North Beds Ramblers

Is This Mutton Fashion Pick

7 Ways to Wear a Double Breasted Black Blazer by Cheryl of Cheryl Shops

3 comments

Anonymous10 May 2023 at 05:10
You gave a lot of great answers.
https://www.bauchlefashion.com/2023/05/when-copying-is-not-form-of-flattery.html?ssp_iabi=1683691741459&m=1
Nancy 's Fashion Style10 May 2023 at 07:22
Lovely to read. That Mrs.John sounds awful. How can a teacher do something like that?
Girlwelltravelled10 May 2023 at 10:13
Such an enjoyable post. Questions 3, 6 and 9 would send me tripping down memory lane.