When is an ironing board not an ironing board

Yes I'm still here, apologies for my absence yesterday, but housework and holiday preps kept me busy. Curtains in two kitchen windows taken down and washed, windows cleaned inside and out, garden was tidied, again, it's a never ending job, and a visit to the morning Craft Club. Curtains are now back up and all looks clean in the kitchen. Now I'm starting to gather the bits and pieces together for the rucksack. This task takes a couple of days as it involves making a list and walking all around the house picking up what I need. 

Here's an idea that works for me. There isn't much space in my bedroom for a bedside cabinet. If I put one next to the bed it would be sticking out into the room. This is where my ironing board can be utilized for two jobs. I hardly do any ironing at all, don't iron clothes, but just ironed the curtains, and sometimes I iron sewing bits that I am working on. To save getting it out of the cupboard under the stairs, or have it cluttering the spare room up, it sits very nicely in the space next to the bed behind the door. 

The top is looking a bit faded, and stained with burn marks, so it needs a spruce up. A piece of cotton fabric that I got out of the last skip I raided is the exact size. It took a few minutes to hem the edges all the way round, and bingo, a nice cover for my bedside table.

 It is the exact right height, a couple of inches higher than the bed, so it's easy to reach for my bits and bobs. A library book, a wind up torch, wind up clock, a table lamp which I bought for my mother nearly 40 years ago, still going strong, and a tub of aqueous cream. There are a pile of magazines at the other end should I wish to browse those before I go to the land of nod.

Just lately I've been taking a mug of hot chocolate to bed and sipping that while I read. I'm going to have to stop that because it's a nuisance having to get up and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth.The torch by the way is for checking my watch for the time if I should wake up during the night. In the summer months I always leave a chink of curtain open so the light comes into the bedroom at dawn, then I can decide whether to get up early or roll over and have another hour. Getting up at a time that suits me is my little bit of luxury, ha ha.
  

So, my ironing board has two functions. I could actually iron on it, the iron is kept in a cupboard nearby, and it makes a jolly useful bedside table. I like finding alternative uses for things. Toodle pip
Catch you tomorrow.