Saturday, June 30, 2007

sweet peony: when two wrongs become a right...

The dining room is done. Well, at least paint-wise. The color speaks silken texture, old fashioned warmth...and has the glow of new birth. The way too intense red-pink bought a year ago, mixed with the way too pale pink bought this year, in a 30:70 ratio (a stroke of brilliance by JR the wonder-painter) is perfect. I've named it Sweet Peony - giving what seems like an appropriate nod to both 'sweet peas' and 'peonies'. Only 587 more projects to go.

It's clear why I love blogging: Things stand still. You can document an 'ah ha' moment and revisit it ad infinitum and it never gets dusty, never decays. And in writing, the extraordinary presents itself gilded and untarnished:

For sale: 100 year-old, Craftsman style 3BR, 2.5BA home with bonus 3rd floor room-with-a-view, on double lot one block north of Annunciation Cathedral. Wrap around porch; beautiful floors; every closet a walk-in; 2nd floor enclosed porch laundry room; double staircase; full basement. New 50-year roof, recent paint job, newer furnace/AC. $475K.

Cool. Sign me up. Oops...I live here. And I know its faults all too well!

But for now, I'm in the pink. And the obvious metaphor here is how I struggled & worked twice to get the color right...and it was wrong. And the thought of letting go and allowing 'free mixing' was terrifyingly unsure to me...and it was right. Hmmmmm........

Lately, taking pictures, downloading pictures, dealing with blogspot's ass-backwards (uh oh, there goes my PG blog rating) approach to inserting them has been 100% overwhelming. But now, here, in the cool of the late night I've found revivification.

A floating dancer hangs from the piano room light while hummingbirds circle above


A reflection in the piano lid


The piano room


Yet another curtain to view life through, this time in the spare bedroom


Same curtain with a hint of a view of the neighbor's house


Tigger reigns on the guest room bed,
perhaps disapproving of the amount of fabric and patterns I'm packing,
even though I haven't sewn in quite a while.
I think of my daughters as I give myself permission to bring beauty for them to fondle.
I conveniently left the utter chaos of the rest of the room
out of the camera lens' view.

Bixby: in touch with his inner Tigger
and contemplating that special kind of torture only he can provide
on the long drive from Stockton to Warsaw.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

we are mourning this house- just so you know- and I have only had the chance to be in it for a combined total of 3 weeks! BUT- I know well the light coming through the trees from the guest room window and it's ethereal curtains, and your tiny dancer in the piano room- all things light and ephemeral- touches of Brenda!! Things that flutter and fly- light, hummingbirds, dancers, damselflies. . . I do look forward to seeing and getting to know a new space where you so effortlessly make the place soar with your incredible (not unbearable!) lightness of being.

Anonymous said...

feel free to unload all of those patterns and fabric on me!

Anonymous said...

the dining room looks great, by the way.

Anonymous said...

thinking a lot about you these days, knowing you're on the count-down, less than 30 days left.

cleaning and preparing a house for sale is a great thing, especially if it sells fast and well, haha.

holding my fingers crossed that the next few weeks will be more exhilarating than exhausting for you.

Anonymous said...

is that a stage photo of Bixby in Fr. C's lap? That's not his usual habitat is it?

A Square Peg said...

My jaw dropped too! Fr C has threatened to leave Bixby behind and yet he was willing to have him in his lap for a picture!

He must have a Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde personality....Fr C that is....

Scout said...

Is Bixby going to be drugged for this long drive to Indiana? He has a nicely shaped head.

DearestDragonfly said...

Yes, Bixby's somewhat majestic, and I think his jaw hearkens back to his wild roots -- he looks lion-ish.

He's Bixby-centric. So if he decides an available lap will do for a nap, he takes it over. Thus, Fr C had no choice in the matter!

DearestDragonfly said...

Angela, for the incredible lightness of being and Marlyse, for the good thoughts (send more...!): thank you. Must remember to float...

Sarah, dear -- I have a large box of familiar fabrics, and I put all the Vogue and other designer patterns in it. And a mag pic of something grand.