Have you ever been invisible?

The clue is in the word 'elderly'. She assumes such work is what my niece calls a 'blue job' and cannot get her mind to accept what her eyes saw.

I have always been invisible when walking through shops and wanting attention from the sales persons!

She fancies him!

who said that? ....

Very strange behaviour, I would say Vampirequeen.Is she usually a bit odd with you?

No. She just can't bring herself to discuss such stuff with a woman. After all everyone knows that DIY is man's work ....you only have to ask my mum

But - she is a woman Vampire and is discussing DIY! .
Well done anyway taking over - that was very kind of you.

Mum would always be full of praise for any woman tackling DIY or car maintenance etc., but her highest compliment would be, 'She's a lad!'

Oh dear, how would she have coped with DD laying her own drive, which included shifting over 10 tons of materials from turf and earth, to hardcore, gravel and brick, before going indoors and relaxing in front of the television with her needlework.

The worst job I had to ever help with was assisting to push wet concrete around a large outbuilding floor! We had a building here which had been used to house farm animals at one time and still had a dirt floor. We had a couple of friends and my cousin staying at the time. We were all up for it and it was obvious that OH would need help - so this ready mix was ordered and we all had wellies on and some sort of spreading implement at the ready and the man emptied the wet mass through the door starting with dropping his load as far back as he could. Walking through inches of wet concrete in wellies has to be experienced to be believed! However the job was completed in a tidy fashion and it has been the floor of OHs workshop for a number of years.

My downstairs neighbour will ask my hubby to change a light bulb for her but will insist that I go with him in case the other neighbours get the wrong impression and think she is having an affair with him !! she tells us this quite openly without the slightest embarrassment.

I love DIY esp decorating. I had to learn to do things when I was with ex because he wouldn't do anything. DH moved in with tools I didn't know existed. Such fun when he lets me play with them

The only problem is that he won't let me sort them out. Why doesn't he keep all the screwdrivers together or all the allen keys? He seems to spread them through the boxes (yes boxes ...there are so many tools) although I have to admit he can put his hand anything but there doesn't seem to be any order.

I was once told (by another man) that a man's toolbox is sacrosanct and I should keep my tidying hands to myself

My OH has many boxes, baskets, bags and shelves full of tools plus a couple of chests of drawers. His workshop is 9M x 3M the walls are lined with shelves floor to ceiling and all are full. He also has things in the garage and the area he built on the side to be his workshop! He has a huge workbench in the centre of the main workshop and this has his pillar drill and various saws on it plus he has other things such as planer thicknessers packed back in their boxes in the other place - called the 'snug'. And he tells me I need to get rid of things as we have too many plates - but they mainly fit in one cupboard!! I ignore him!

bez my OH is one of those ... my stock response when he starts rooting through my "kitchen toolbox" for stuff that needs throwing out is to stroll into the garage and touch his tools!

A friend rang me up to discuss a common project and then asked to speak to DH about whether we had solved an ant problem in our French house and what had we done to do so. DH promptly said he was giving the phone call back to me as I was the vermin exterminator in our household and could best advise him.

His work shop used to be tad of a mess grannykn but one day he was searching for something when I suggested as he had all these spare shelves he lined the workshop and put stuff all together. Much to my amazement he went out and started it straight away and then admitted it was great being able to find things most of the time and acted as if it was his idea to do the sorting! He even started showing his friends when they came!!! When he starts complaining I usually start saying things like - pot, kettle, black - go and have a sort out - soon stops!

My MIL needed a new phone and as we were visiting at the time DH and I took her out to pick one. DH then decided to visit another shop and left me and MIL to it. She chose the one she wanted and I bought it for her. When the rest of the family called she showed them the phone saying "look at the new phone our Bri bought me" I think I am often invisible to her!!!

Ooh DH dreams of a workshop. I dream of a garden shed and a potting shed....maybe even a greenhouse lol.

Glamma is your neighbour an attractive woman, or is your DH gorgeous?
otherwise, why would anyone think they were having an affair?

My DH kept all his tools in the garage - and it was (is) a total mess yet when his brother called asking to borrow something he was able to tell him exactly where it was, so I assume most men do have some sort of method to their madness!

Funny thing is that since he died I haven't had the heart to tidy the garage so to my eyes it still looks a complete mess, now if anyone wants to borrow anything I give them the key and send them down there to try to find it for themselves!

VampireQ you keep on playing with your DH's tools after all what's his is yours etc.

My mother always talks to the men, or asks the women if they are OK when we are in a family group. We find it quite amusing and I have always assumed it is partly her upbringing and also the joy of being in mixed company. Even at 94 that is probably a nice change.

However, I seem, occasionally, to be invisible to automatic doors, even when I walk right up to them. I do find that worrying and do hope I am not, now, a figment of my own imagination

I've had that disconcerting experience too Gracesgran!

Once I actually had to wait until someone approached the door from the other side to get out of the shop...got strange looks