Progress

It has been a restful but productive weekend.

Hubby and I, once upon a lifetime ago, would visit thrift stores and the such. Yesterday, after looking around the house (again) and seeing the lack, I said, "let's go!" We went to our favorite local secondhand shop. I was looking for a sofa, chests for our clothing and a kitchen table. We did find a nice blond finish cabinet, which we purchased and I saw a wonderful metal night stand on wheels with a glass top and two drawers. Very medicinal, modern. Didn't purchase it, but plan to go back for it. Didn't find a sofa. On to the Habitat ReStore. It's 20 minutes before they close until next Saturday. I saw a cluster of sofas as soon as I walked in. There were 3 possibilities. I tried them out. One was on hold. One had just been purchased, I was advised as I sat on it and the third was...O.K. I was really drawn to the one on hold. (Why do we so badly want what we can't have?) It was sage, (not crazy about that, but I can recover it)it had three separate pillows for the back, nice high rolled arms, good for leaning against to read a book. I laid on it and could stretch out full length. Good for napping. I asked to find out how long they hold items before selling it to someone else and was told if they weren't back in 5 minutes, I could have the sofa. Bonus: it's a sleeper sofa! Oh joy! (Cue the Jeopardy theme music.) At 2 minutes till, I was given the go ahead. I asked how much it was. I held my breath...$60.00!! I scribbled out a check while lamenting the fact that I would have to wait until next Saturday to get my sofa since they didn't deliver and we were in our car. My hubby was making noises about putting in on top of the car. We were advised against it (to my relief) with descriptions of a smushed car. Then they endeared me forever to them by volunteering to stay until hubby went to get the truck. May I just say, that I was so grateful to read my newspaper and drink my coffee this morning while snuggled on the (new) couch!!! Thank you to the man of my dreams who used considerable muscle and sweat equity to get the sofa in the house for me!!

As if that weren't enough, I got up this morning and decided, Today... Today is the day I paint the hall. The hall that has been much discussed but not touched with paint since we moved in 9 years ago. Other rooms have been painted, some, a couple of times. The hall is now cerulean blue. Look at the sky on a cloudless day. That clear brilliant blue is now in the hall. Gorgeous.
Of course, now I'm thinking, "is it too blue, is it too dark?"
Painter's remorse.
It'll be fine.
Or I'll paint over it.
It's a welcome addition to my technicolor house. Sunny yellow kitchen, tangerine orange living room, apple green bedroom, bubblegum pink and lime for my girl's room. Happy, happy. All subject to change according to my passing color fancy.

Oh, I feel I've come out of a slump. I've been sooo...inert. It's nice to finally get some motivation to DO something! Now. If there were only more hours in a day when that motivation takes off!

Ahhhh.....

For the first time in I don't know when, I feel like I had a day off yesterday. I still had to go in and do the bookwork for the salon, but I was finished by 10:30, ran to the bank, dropped off something to someone, and made it to my massage appointment by 11. I had to cool my heels a bit (unusual) while we waited for a room to become available. Heaven. I read a magazine. My mind wandered during my massage. Floated might be a better word. After that, I went straight home having no other errands to run. The home front was relaxed. My girl was watching a video, hubby was on the computer. I went and soaked in a hot bath scented with lavender and lime and read a book. I was in there so long, hubby came in to make sure I hadn't fallen asleep! Nope, just reading and reading. Later, we took our girl to the park. It is lovely weather for the park! She had such a good time, she didn't want to go and loudly let it be known as we were leaving. Then we stopped by a Japanese restaurant for a bite, I had sushi and edamame, YUM. Then, off to the grocery for a few "necessities". Like chubby hubby ice cream. Yeah.

I'm reading a book by Joan Anderson called A Year by the Sea. I can identify with some of the things she talks about. Essentially, she left her husband to go live by the sea for awhile to find her true self. The one that got buried under loving wife and supportive mother. He was going to a new job in another state and they had sold the house, the kids were grown and it seem to be a good time for her to take the plunge. Not sure I would do something so drastic, but I can understand her motives. It is interesting reading her diary of sorts that recount that year.

One passage in the book speaks of remembering an interchange with a friend who trained monks in ritualization. "'When they started Communion,' she explained, 'they would pick up the chalice without giving it any thought, purely an object to be used, not treated as holy. What they needed to learn was the importance of developing a relationship with liturgical things and become involved with them. Only then would the ceremony have meaning.' (side note-interesting to me, I have a relationship with the Saviour those liturgical things stand for and therefore they have meaning to me. The ceremony of communion means a great deal to me. Interesting that they would have to teach that...now back to quoting the book)"Listening to her, I couldn't help but imagine what my world might be like if I looked at the human beings I was closest to as holy and treated them with that same sense of respect."
Treat those you are closest to as holy...I was just asking a newly married client this week why it is that we so badly treat the ones we say we love the most ? We would never speak as unkindly to clients, friends, or neighbors as we speak to our husbands, wives or children! We always keep our kind, mannerly face on in public but at home, we feel safe to voice our bad mood even if no one really did anything to induce our ire. How many times have you said, "I'm sorry, I'm just in a bad mood." As if that gives us license to drop all manner of kindness and consideration. Something to ponder.

You Name It...

I couldn't think of a catchy title this morning, so...you name it! I just did a cooking experiment for breakfast. I have a recipe for making granola which involves the oven, cookie sheets and stirring every 10 min or so. I just can't gear it up for that, but I really wanted to do something to the muesli I put in my yogurt. (Flashbulb Over the Head) I put some muesli in a small saute pan with a little brown sugar and heated it stirring occasionally. I must say that I feel it worked beautifully BUT I highly reccomend non-stick spray because when the brown sugar melted and then cooled in the pan...it stuck but good. I topped fat free plain yogurt, sweetened with honey with my granola concoction. It is really good and much faster than the oven. Perfect for small, personal batches.
BTW, did you know that a pinch of salt removes bitterness in coffee? Just throw a pinch on the grounds right before you brew.

Well, the sun is pushing the moon out of the sky, firing it up for the day.
And so am I.

Extraordinary Interiors

I really tried to give you a link for this book, but I haven't figured it out yet. Anyway, check out "Extraordinary Interiors" by Brian D. Coleman

A Slice of Heaven

I was given the gift of time today. I found myself with a 2 hr.(!) lunch today. I gave a quick call to the hubby to see if I was needed at home. He told me too use my time just for me, that I needed it because I've been really busy lately and taking care of things for him too... so "go to the library and rest yourself". Whee!! May I just say I find nothing more thrilling than to be able to visit the library with no time constraints. O.K., if it's raining and I'm at the library....Bliss. Couple this with the fact that the library has been closed several days and you've got one grateful girl!

I found a fantastic book right of the bat about salvaged interiors. I don't have it handy right now, so actual title will come later. It is GORGEOUS!! Stunning interiors, very inspirational. I also checked out Joan Anderson's A Year at Sea. It's about a woman who took a sabbatical and spent some time at the ocean to sort out who she is. I completely understand and it's interesting to read about her journey. I've read a portion of another one of her books, so I'm familiar with her story. Found a Rosamunde Pilcher novel that I don't own. Let's see if I actually have time to read it.

I ordered lunch from the red headed girl with pigtails. I was so proud of myself--I usually drive up giving myself a pep talk about getting a salad and am horrified to find the words "I'll have a number 1 combo" coming out of my mouth. Well, today, I had a SALAD! Hurrah for me!! I went to a local park and ate while looking at a book. It was all so leisurely, I can't tell you when I've had an afternoon like that.

I was feeling so renewed and in such a better state of mind that returning to work and finding several gaps in my appointment book didn't even disappoint me.

I can't believe the week is half over... how's your week going?

Detached

Do you ever go through life feeling more like a spectator than a participant? I do. Sometimes, I think it's because I don't feel like I have much in common with those around me. I'm in the beauty industry and I love what I do, but really, it is not the end all, be all that some people seem to think it is. They slavishly follow fashion mags (hey, I do too sometimes) looking for someone to tell them what to wear this week. It seems everyone is looking for a new way to be accepted and/or accept themselves. Sometimes, I step back and see the futility of that. Sometimes, I'm right in the middle of it myself. I tend to hate following trends. If everyone is doing it, I want nothing to do with it. For instance, when Crocs first came out, I was drawn to them because they were different and colorful. Then I noticed EVERYONE had a pair. Nevermind.

I hear people talking around me about the latest greatest show on t.v., and I don't get it. Maybe it's because I hear talking, commotion and drama all day long, I don't need to be "entertained" by someone elses. I will tell you one thing: I miss HGTV, DIY and the Food Channel to death.

I work in a traditional southern town with mostly traditional southern mindsets. On the whole, that's not a bad thing. I feel safe, it's a great place to raise a child. But if you always do what is "safe" or do things because "that's just what we've always done", you won't accomplish much. Life becomes stale and static.

I long to walk "slightly left of center". I do it in my own "safe" way, I suppose. My new phrase is Fight Normalcy. Why do I care at this stage of the game? Maybe it's because I was raised "safe". Maybe it's because I'm trying to "feel" out myself. Maybe it's my belated teenage "rebellion". I'm looking for my deeper identity. Not just the dutiful daughter, not just the capable wife, not just the calm, patient mother. I'm looking for the person buried under all those things. The artist, the designer, the decorator. The one who thinks outside the box. Who uses her imagination. The quiet, reflective, thoughtful person. The one with the dream of a sweet house in the country with a wild mass of flowers, chickens running in the yard, and a studio in the barn. I want to be unafraid. I'm afraid of the stupidest things. Like doing truly what I want to with the house because I think how it might affect the resale value. That seriously cramps the artistic expression!

I guess I feel detached, because most of the people that surround me on a regular basis give me a blank stare whenever I voice some of these thoughts. As if I'm speaking a foreign language. Which, I guess I am --to them. Fortunately, I have a couple of artist friends I commiserate with occasionally. And we encourage each other artistically. I'm meeting more of them along the way. That's a comfort.

Well! This may have been a little more of me than you bargained for today. Welcome to my stream of consciousness.

It's Official

It's official. I'm having a complete Rosamunde Pilcher fest. I get on kicks like this occasionally. Actually, it's the local library's fault. Their roof is being repaired, or trying between rainstorms. I think the rain is undoing anything they are doing at this point. Anyway, the library is closed and I'm having withdrawals. Hence the Pilcherfest. It's wonderful, lazy, dreamy reading. Just right for a weekend.
This weekend has been nice. Basically restful. Pity is, about the time I feel rested and ready to take on something around here, it's time to gear up for work again. Wah.
I did BP this afternoon. I felt less than social. The class was larger than I remember and I felt a little too close to my neighbor. By the end of class, I was in a more pleasant mood. I felt I breezed through the class today. It was a sub, maybe her routine was easier. (Except for triceps...ow.) After, my girl and I went to the local drive in for a "gallon" sized drink and she requested we go to a nearby park. It was perfect park weather!
I've been ruminating over some things that at some point I may have time and remember to elaborate on here.
I'll leave you with a thought...if people didn't watch t.v. , what would they talk about?
P.S. Yes, that's my photo of Lantana in a small vase. I took it after my girl gave me a baby bouqet.