Getting on With That Dolls' House - A Magnificent Obsession

Last week my son and his two daughters, 9 and 3, visited. For some people it is Kidrobot bit of a puzzle to know what to do to occupy your family. I knew precisely. I showed them my latest project, a big, somewhat ugly, hand-made dolls' house in need of care and attention.

In no time at all it was up on a table and we were taking its wheels off and removing the batten which 'finished' the roof. Then it was sleeves rolled up, scraping implements issued and time to get all the paper off the outside and inside of the house. I do own proper scrapers, but the 3 year old couldn't really handle one so I gave her a knife. (No, a plastic knife Iron Man movie which she enjoyed using lots!). I expected it to be a very short-term project but they complained when it was time to stop and eat. The mess was horrific, but the house was soon stripped of all the old materials and ready for rubbing down. There were two very exhausted girls at the end of the day.

They went home the next afternoon having had a great time behaving like normal children at the local activity centre. But both really enjoyed their work on the house and are threatening to come back and do some more. This could be a little more stressful, since I just know that the little one will want to wield a paintbrush along with her sister - who is actually rather messy herself still, despite the fact that she has been helping me with 1973 Topps baseball cards stuff for several years. Accuracy doesn't always accompany enthusiasm.

So, in the meantime, I am getting on with the task, knowing that, now it is term time, they won't be up for a little while, and they know I must finish the house myself. I have promised to find something for them to do next time, and there will be - there's always something doll house related going on here. I've re-papered half the rooms and emulsioned the others. The curtains have been taken down and thrown away and the new ones will be done one evening this week. I've got some nice wood for simple architraves for all the rooms, and some self-stick carpet for the bedrooms and paper that looks like floor tiles and wood flooring for downstairs.

What was a fairly disastrous-looking house is really taking shape, and I am having a ball. I have to stop myself from going on to the next task before things are dry, One way for me is to prepare the furniture I am putting into the house. This one is modern, with great big picture windows, and need modern furniture, so I am making some white chairs,tablesand cupboards which will look better than stained stuff which always looks so old-fashioned. I have made a couple of beds and will do the bedcovers when I have finished the curtains. I'm not going for anything fancy - just plain coloured duvets and pillows. That looks more up to date, and I am fighting the desire to make a 1/12 scale patchwork for the double bed. (I really love doing it but it's terribly fiddly and I haven't time)

I bought myself some gold paint and have done a few gold nobs on furniture for this house, because it looks good and seems to go - but it's probably also because I fancied a few gold nobs. When this is done I will start another new house, but I guess it may well be at least two weeks as I cannot simply work on this all the time. I am too busy with all the other things that enliven my retirement: writing, directing an amateur show, practising the piano, blogging, starting to learn Spanish, oh, and a bit of examination invigilation and drama teaching to raise some money outside the house.

The person who wondered how they ever found time to go out to work before they retired was right. I have never been so busy, nor have I ever felt so fulfilled. I leap from activity to activity with real joy. Tomorrow I am going to London to look after my little grand-daughter during the day, and visit the theatre in the evening. This Saturday I am also in London, helping out with the grand-daughters. Sunday is rehearsal day.

No, I haven't time to be bored, and if I want to have a good moan about something it has to fit in between two other equally important activities. By the time I fall into bed at around Space 1999 I am delightfully tired and I sleep really well for about six hours. I wake cheerful and ready to start again. This is the life.

I am Dianna Moylan, in my mid-sixties, an ex-teacher who has been involved for many years in local amateur dramatics, I have directed, designed and made costumes, taught the songs and performed in many musicals and plays. I live in a small house which is rapidly becoming swamped with doll house stuff which I build, renovate, sell and hoard. My site, http://www.diannadollhouses.co.uk is newly launched. I also sell on eBay. In addition to loving making dolls' houses I enjoy writing a lot and welcome this opportunity to have a say.