BUTTERFINGERS

I really could have used a hover charm yesterday but who can think of wingardium leviosa when a precious 30 year old Italian porcelain vase of roses is heading towards the concrete driveway.

It was my sister's fault, she of the 'throw everything out' school of housekeeping who didn't have a box to put it in.

I put it in a bag and surrounded the roses with the balls of wool I had but that didn't stop it from slipping straight through my fingers. Delicate roses make a kind of fragile clinking sound even from inside a cocoon of wool.

The damage is restricted to the back of the ornament where the original break was and which I was supposed to repair. The damn thing is top heavy and inclined to fall over if it's breathed on.
So it's now sitting on a tray, on a table, in a room with the door shut until I start the glueing.

Before that I had to clean dirt, dust and cigarette smoke from each petal and leaf. I couldn't use soap and water, too soaking or meths, too fast drying so I used a kitchen cleaner on one leaf at a time. Take a tip ladies and never throw away make-up brushes. The brush to put on the cleaner and cotton buds to take it off.

I went as pale as the first petal until I realized that that was its original colour and it was supposed to shine in the light. Now to clean the broken (50 at least) pieces, re-assemble them on the tray first then glue them to the main flowers. I should have it finished in about three weeks if the nerves hold out that long.