Magic!

This morning as I was getting into my car to head out to work, I noticed that my car was covered in crystals. And the sun was shining on those crystals giving loveliness at every turn.

AND

Yesterday, I was steaming wallpaper off the walls at the Nichol house. I came through two layers of wallpaper and discovered this wonderful embossed paper from the ages. It looks victorian but I don't think the house is that old. So maybe in the 40's or 50's someone wanted a victorian look and went with this embossed pattern. The thing is as I was peeling away the layers and this appeared, I felt like an explorer discovering ancient cave drawings.

A day in taffeta

Last night was Oscar night. Now, those who know me, know that I am not obsessed with celebrity. I grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and my Mama taught me that "pretty is as pretty does" so "Who are you wearing?" carries very little weight with me. This comes from a person who as a kid pretty much wore my sister's (and some cousin's) hand-me-downs. And I feel like I came through that unscarred. I had better things to think about than the clothes on my back. And of course my Mama also taught me "You are no better than anyone else but no one else is any better than you!" So I guess that I can still consider myself a patriotic American if I decide to not watch the Oscar awards. I am saying all of this because my husband was giving me a teasing last night because I didn't watch the award show. He watched it in the living room while I sat in bed watching a PBS special on wolves. He accused me of being "Too good!" or "above it" to be watching an awards show. I'm sure that he was just being funny (in the reverse universe) but it just bugged me a bit. I find award shows boring. Why? Well, 2 cute and adorable stars walk out and go down the list of their catergory then hand out an award. There is a speech and then it starts all over again with 2 more cute and adorable stars walking out to present the next award. I find it a bit unendurable. And I will say that I have a lot of respect for the creative process that comes with the various aspects of making a motion picture. I have always loved stories being told. Like I said, I am from the Blue Ridge Mountains. I've heard many yarns in my day.
Last Friday I left work early and went home sick with a cold. My body ached, my head felt like I was wearing a headache skull cap and even my eyeballs had a head ache. I got in bed and basically spent the weekend in my pajamas. As I lay face down in bed on Friday afternoon, I thought to myself "Am I dying?" And after 3 days of recuperation, the same thought came back to me last night (Sunday night) around 12:30. "I feel better but still feel yucky, am I dying?" And then I thought about all the things left undone. Like there was a pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen. And what about all my unfulfilled dreams. Though I have been published in newspapers and one magazine, I haven't published a book! And all the things that I have collected and find beautiful in this world, sit packed away in boxes. When my mother in law passed away, not only was her house immaculate but she had a weeks worth of food sitting at the ready in her freezer.
Alas and alack, it is Monday morning and the world is made new again. I continue my work on the house make over. There is more spackling and sanding looming in my future. I am making head way. "An elephant must be eaten a bite at a time." I will perservere.
So for some strange reason when I woke up this morning, I began to think about clothes. And I found myself thinking about those beautiful works of art that the women wore to the award show last night. What would it be like to get up and pick out some wonderful formal dress to wear somewhere important today? To have silk or satin touching my skin with maybe some bead work to add texture to touch. As I thought of the various fabrics, I thought of the sounds a wonderful "star" dress must make as one moves about in it. And for some reason, I felt like I would have to have perfume. (Though I usually never wear perfume because it makes me sick.) Of course there must be a fabulous necklace and earrings. Then what to do with my hair? Forgive me friends, I am missing the world of the feminine.

Real versus Imagined

Hello dear ones, it is me again. I am checking in with the story of the remodel job. I have removed the layers of wallpaper and am moving on to spackling and sanding ....... dreadful stuff. I just wanted to let you know that I am still in the world and working toward freedom - freedom from "yes, I can." I get myself into trouble with that attitude. Why can't I just fake ignorance and let God fill in the details?

Speaking of remodelling, I am pondering the remodelling or at least the redecorating of my own home and have made a discovery about myself. I have a split personality when it comes to my life. I love the warmth and comfort of country decor and ultimately turn in that direction, yet I am totally intrigued with modern style. Chrome, metal, steel, glass call to me. Something about the austerity of that look, invites me in. I do not believe that my husband could ever be happy in that environment. And I am not sure that I could either but still it intrigues me.

It is the same story when it comes to my own perception of my talents. I love to write, though these blog entries might beg to differ, and yet I cannot stop thinking about art. Sure they are close cousins. The other night Phil and I watched a movie entitled The Science of Sleep. The title makes it sound like a documentary but it is not a documentary. It has a lot of art and special effects. After the movie I began to think about my life and talents. I saw myself travelling down two roads - the path of art and the path of words. And I came away pondering what it would be like to combine the two.