Where were they when I needed them? I had extra brushes ready too…. Turned out I had to paint the deck railing and spindles all by myself.
But for next time, I’ll be better prepared. I’ve refreshed my memory on how to get help with painting by reading part of chapter two of Tom Sawyer, by Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain. He published this in 1876 and I’m sure Tom’s method would still work today.
Here is a short excerpt (there is much more that is interesting in the rest of the chapter, but I had to make the cut somewhere):
“Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?”
Tom wheeled suddenly and said:
“Why, it’s you, Ben! I warn’t noticing.”
“Say – I’m going in a-swimming, I am. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d druther work – wouldn’t you? Course you would!”
Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:
“What do you call work?”
“Why, ain’t that work?”
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered carelessly:
“Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain’t. All I know, is, it suits Tom Sawyer.”
“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?”
The brush continued to move.
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth – stepped back to note the effect – added a touch here and there – criticised the effect again – Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:
“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:
“No – no – I reckon it wouldn’t hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly’s awful particular about this fence – right here on the street, you know – but if it was the back fence I wouldn’t mind and she wouldn’t. Yes, she’s awful particular about this fence; it’s got to be done very careful; I reckon there ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it’s got to be done.”
“No – is that so? Oh come, now – lemme, just try. Only just a little – I’d let you, if you was me, Tom.”
“Ben, I’d like to, but Aunt Polly – well, Jim wanted to do it, but she wouldn’t let him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldn’t let Sid. Now don’t you see how I’m fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything was to happen to it – ”
“Oh, shucks, I’ll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say – I’ll give you the core of my apple.”
“Well, here – No, Ben, now don’t. I’m afeard – ”
“I’ll give you all of it!”
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart.
*****
And so it began, and before long, Tom had a string of boys begging him to let them have a turn. Wish I’d been as wily as Tom. Well … next time the deck railing needs work, I’ll invite my friends over while I’m painting.
July 19, 2017 at 12:02 pm
LOL good luck with that.
P.S. The railing looks great!
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July 19, 2017 at 12:07 pm
Maybe if I offer gin and tonics for those who paint for half an hour??? But then we’d end up with splotches of paint on the deck floor.
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July 19, 2017 at 12:13 pm
You don’t need any help, Anneli. You did a great job!
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July 19, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Thanks, Jill. It was a huge job. The deck goes all around to the back of the house. Now that it’s done, I don’t need help, but I wish I’d had Tom’s friends around earlier.
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July 19, 2017 at 12:51 pm
Your spindles look fantastic! Much nicer than the plexi-glass inserts. Good job!
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July 19, 2017 at 2:26 pm
I wish we had gone for all spindles right from the start. I had this misguided idea that the glass would improve the view, but all it did was kill birds. It’s no problem seeing past the spindles.
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July 19, 2017 at 1:08 pm
One of my favorite books since I was a kid. Not sure how many times I’ve read it. You really should have a rail painting party. The gin and tonics could be the reward for completion. 🙂
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July 19, 2017 at 2:25 pm
Now you’re talking!!! Next time I’ll do that.
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July 19, 2017 at 2:27 pm
It’s all a matter of how you look at it, Anneli. Ha. Thanks for sharing that excerpt. The railing looks great, btw. 🙂
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July 19, 2017 at 2:28 pm
Thanks, Lori. I had fun reading that excerpt over again too. Imagine Clemens writing that in the 1800s! People hated painting even then!!
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July 19, 2017 at 2:30 pm
Clemens was a pretty cool and humorous dude. Would’ve loved to meet him.
I forgot to mention that I love the view from your deck, too.
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July 19, 2017 at 3:39 pm
Thanks, Lori. Did you notice how yellow the grass is? It’s very dry here. Too much grass to water. It would be a real waste. Funny how the weeds keep growing when the grass doesn’t.
And yes, wouldn’t it have been great to talk writing with Clemens!?
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July 19, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Dry there, huh? We’re having flooding here. Nature surely is a wonder. Too bad those weeds aren’t snuffed out long before the grass. 😛
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July 19, 2017 at 2:31 pm
Now that you’ve practiced, I have one just about like that…
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July 19, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Haha. I’m not for hire! I’m a wreck after doing this one. Up on the toes, bend at the waist, hang over the top of the railing, reach underneath to do the top of the railing cap as if painting my own chin (which I did once or twice when I slipped. It was either that or stand on the ladder – not my favourite thing to do. But you should try it. It’s so much fun. Just disregard what I said before.
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July 19, 2017 at 3:46 pm
Not my favorite thing either; I’ve done it 4 times already.
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July 19, 2017 at 6:51 pm
Great paint-job, superb view, extraordinary novel 🙂
I read “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ” in Germany, in German, when I was 8 years old.
60 years later, it is still, in my mind, the best adventure story of all times!
Cheers !
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July 19, 2017 at 7:08 pm
It’s a classic, all right. Imagine! It was translated all those years ago! Have a nice evening, Hans.
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July 20, 2017 at 7:13 am
The railing looks great, Anneli! Bet you’re glad it’s done…. That passage from Tom Sawyer is the one I remember best; it must have made an impression on me all those decades ago!
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July 20, 2017 at 9:48 am
It’s probably the one most people identified with because we’ve all been in that work situation and thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else do this for me?” and how smart of Tom to exploit his buddies and come out smelling like a rose.
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July 20, 2017 at 11:57 am
I also remember this passage still today, I smiled then and I still have to smile while reading it. Great book! And I love your railing, you did a professional job. And I know how hard painting fences etc. can be, most of us homeowners went through this several times. But next time you know how to get someone else to do the job!
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July 20, 2017 at 12:15 pm
Yes! Next time the Captain can do it!
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July 20, 2017 at 11:23 pm
That’s a beautiful railing! Tom Sawyer is one of my favorite books!! I need to read it again. 🙂
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July 21, 2017 at 6:45 am
Thanks. A lot of hard work (the railing), if this Tom Sawyer would ever admit it. That book is one of the old classics, isn’t it?
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July 21, 2017 at 7:07 am
Believe me, I know how much work can go into doing something like that! I stripped and refinished an old desk many years ago; a lot of sanding for me (by hand!) Your hard work has paid off in the beauty of the railing, though! Yes, Tom Sawyer is wonderful. However, I could never get into Huckleberry Finn! 😉
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July 21, 2017 at 8:09 am
That’s okay (about Huck Finn). The main thing is we know how to con people into painting for us (if we wanted to). 😉
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July 21, 2017 at 8:10 am
Yeah! That’s for sure! I love your sense of humor already! 🙂
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July 21, 2017 at 8:15 am
We’ve got our priorities straight, eh?
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July 21, 2017 at 8:31 am
Yep, I would say so! 🙂
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July 23, 2017 at 10:51 am
A lovely colored stain and I am admiring your hard work, Anneli. This was a wonderful idea to share one of the most interesting men in American history: Mark Twain or Samuel Clemens. This was a fun chapter in Tom Sawyer’s many acts of trickery. I always liked his affection for Becky Thatcher and the cave chapter. Of course, the most meaningful scenes are with Huck and Jim. 📖
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July 23, 2017 at 11:33 am
It was/is definitely a classic.
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August 5, 2017 at 8:03 pm
It is a truly memorable book and a classic for so many! xo
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July 23, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Your deck railings look great, Anneli! Hope to see them soon! gina
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July 23, 2017 at 10:39 pm
I hope so too! They are ready for inspection.
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