interior decorating

I'm not an acquisitive person; acquiring things, collecting things - just not my thing. No judgement on those who truly enjoy the thrill of shopping and are happy with things; we're all unique and fine just as we are, shoppers or not.

As I was cleaning my living room the other day, though, I took a good look at the things that I have in there, gifts given to me by people in my life. Things like:

... an angel pillow made by my friend, Connie (who I've never met in person); she is a treasured gift to my life

... a pair of Ballets Russes prints from my friend, Lisa. I love these because they're from her, because I love ballet (and studied it for about 10 yrs), and because my brother and I saw the wonderful Ballets Russes film a few years ago, which told the story of the companies through the stories of the dancers; a memorable afternoon spent with my bro, sharing in one of my passions

... a stunning blown glass vase created by my good buddy, Chris; it's been awesome to be his friend for over 30 years

... a few turtles. my power animal - stone, ceramic, wood - one gifted to me by Allison from her trip to Mexico, another, by my daughter from her honeymoon in Hawaii

... a Diego-Rivera-style seated figurine from Nan, who's known me forever

... a thought-provoking print about living with intention from Vicki, who knows my spirit

... a pewter fairy figurine from my goddaughter, Tina, who I sponsored during her adult catechumenate journey to be baptized as a Catholic

... and on and on it goes, a small room with lovely gifts given by the lovely people in my life. Each with meaning, each one decorating my interior.
The room - actually the entire downstairs is one large open space - also has photos of family: Dad in his Navy uniform; Mom's portrait as a young girl, posed 3/4 view in a black sweater and pearl necklace, matched by a portrait of my daughter in nearly the same pose and wearing a similar pearl necklace, just an uncanny coincidence that the photos are so similar - or maybe not; photos of my brother and his wife; of our youngest brother sitting in front of a church in Mexico; of my daughter when she was a cute little blonde 2-year-old at Disneyland, the delight of my heart; of her daughters - my utterly charming granddaughters.

The room is filled with bits of this and that. There's no "theme." Not French Country, or Cottage, or Old World or Modern; it doesn't look like anything a designer would do. It doesn't look like a catalog or a museum or one of those perfect, photo-quality, designed rooms where the accessories coordinate and match well. There is no magazine photo shoot in my future.

Do the things in the room match? My room wouldn't win any stars on Rate My Space; it's not "decorated" and wouldn't be included on any home tour. But friends call and tell me "I need to come over. I need the peace of your home, the sound of the fountain, the calm of your space." My piano tuner was here yesterday and once again told me how much he loves the feeling of my home, the experience of it. It's nice to hear that others get the same sense from my space that I do.

Does it match? Doesn't love always match? My heart + your heart = a beautifully decorated home, one that's decorated on the interior, in the hearts and the souls of the amazing and wonderful people who have been and are part of my life's journey.

Who am I to be so blessed? And yet, I am so grateful ... as I look at this turtle or that photo, smiling as I think of the people in my life who mold me, teach me, share with me, support me, come to me for comfort ... or for a laugh. I really love the way my interior is decorated through all of them.

Oh, yeah, it all matches. And it's beautiful.

and another ...

I'd started to write a different entry - and I will post it in a few days, hopefully - but today was just so great, I had to write it down so I can come back and remember how golden today was.

My daughter dropped off my granddaughters last night to spend the night so I could take them to church in the morning. J (11) and B (7) go to my church every other weekend. After they were dropped off, we headed over to Souplantation for dinner. Great big salads and tasty soups. It's our favorite place to go! Fresh food, casual atmosphere - we always have such fun together there. The weather had been beautiful all day and the night was still warm when we finished our meals.

This morning, we got up early and went to church. B went to her Faith Formation class and learned about the Good Shepherd; J went with me to mass. It was pretty warm afterward even though it was just 9am, so we decided to head down to the beach for breakfast on the pier.

What a great idea! There is a Ruby's Diner at the end of the pier, and it takes several minutes to walk the length of the pier to the diner, a walk that always puts me in a great mood. The sun was shining brightly, the air was a very warm mid-80s, even at the ocean where it seldom gets really hot. As we walked, we stopped several times to lean against the metal pier railing to watch the surfers. There were a lot out today, even though the waves weren't very big or well-shaped. I think everyone just wanted to be out in this gorgeous weather! Every few minutes, a surfer would paddle to catch a wave as it started to rise and form. Pelicans were flying overhead or skimming the surface of the water, diving periodically and coming up with a fish. Such a golden day! Every minute seemed to linger longer than it usually does, extending time and extending our enjoyment. People were walking up and down the pier, couples strolling along, babies in strollers, teens in summer shorts and tanks. No one wanted to be indoors when this wonderful weather was out to be enjoyed!

When we were seated inside the diner, I happened to be seated facing the ocean out the big bank of picture windows. Looking out, I could clearly see Catalina Island out the windows! It's only 26 miles across the ocean, but there's usually just enough haze to slightly obscure the view. Not today, though! The island was so clear, you could almost make out the boats in the harbor 26 miles away. Fabulous! (You can see the island in the photo at right.)

We lingered over breakfast, just enjoying the day together, laughing and having fun. Afterward, we walked back down the pier, taking our time to stop and watch the people playing volleyball on the beach, or watching a dad take his toddler into the water. At the end of the pier, we stopped in at Pierside Art Gallery. My daughter grew up here in Huntington Beach and loves it (and misses it) so much. At the Gallery, I bought a photo of the pier at sunset after a rain, a beautifully moody photo in various blues. I wanted it as a gift for my daughter so she'd have a bit of her beloved Huntington with her.

Still taking our time with the day, we came back home where the girls changed into swimsuits and off to the pool we went! The girls swam and played in the cool water. They practiced handstands and held contests to hold their breath. The did laps from end to end. Other neighbors came out to sit by the pool, too. It was just too magical a day to stay inside!

Later when my daughter and son-in-law picked them up, it was with smiles all around that I bid my little girls goodbye. We'd had a very, very good day!

a very God day ...

Exuberance I - Greetje Feenstra

Today is one of those days where I find myself pausing from time to time - stilling myself in order to be fully present to the moment.

The day has a shimmer on it, a joyful, energetic vibration permeating deeply into every sense - sight, sound, taste, touch, smell.

The birdsong seems especially joyful today, happy little chirps dancing in the air as I came out of yoga this morning.

The hot mocha I had afterward was delicious, not too thick nor sweet, a light, refreshing taste that had to be savored slowly.

The soft rumbly whirr of a small airplane passing overhead brings my eyes up to the soft gray clouds that are starting to gather.

Lightly kissing my skin, the ocean breeze makes me sigh with pleasure.

I feel like throwing arms wide - ha!ha! - and doing a happy, utterly carefree dance. And I will; as soon as I finish this, I'll put on some music and happily dance in my living room. And then I plan to play piano for awhile, fingering the keys, stretching my hands, enjoying the ease of interpreting the music as my mood suits me.

(One of the pure and simple joys of living alone is that I can do what I want, when I want - totally unrestrained and without a thought about what anyone else might think. No judgement or criticism lives here! Joyful unrestraint is cheerfully accepted and expected!)

I should be working on my taxes, cleaning house and running errands, but I simply cannot scurry through this day, missing out on the magical glow filling each moment, not valuing each breath I take, each beat of my heart, each sound, smell, taste, touch, sight. How can I squander this day? That would seem to be an affront to God and His gift.

The day seems to be filled with the essence of God, making me pause and humbly give thanks. At times, I wonder why I was born into these pleasurable circumstances and wonderful opportunities, rather than in a less-joyful time and place. But I am exactly where God wants me to be and I am filled with gratitude.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad."

Oh, thank you, God!

Alleluia!

Alleluia! He is risen!

My Lord and my God ... Hosanna!

Easter Vigil - the church filled with light from just our candles as Mass begins ... faces lit with the flame's glow ... Old Testament readings ... the Creation story ... ancient prayers and glorious song ... the ceremony and celebration - and the privilege - of witnessing the baptisms of several children, teens and adults ... the smell of the chrism oil ... the smoky incense ...

The rituals, sounds and smells of Easter Vigil touch some ancient memory that lives within me. My Lord and my God ...

~~~

The photo above is from Jesus Christ Superstar, one of my favorites. The story is grittier than many Easter movies. It is filled with metaphor. It explores the context of the times and the places of the historical Jesus. It reflects both natures of Jesus - human and Divine - and gives us a pained perspective and understanding of one interpretation of Judas. It is a movie that I find powerfully compelling and drives me to prayer and reflection.

The photo above shows only part of the Resurrection scene from the movie. In the movie, as the sun's light blazes into the viewer's eyes, one can discern the faint image in the foreground of a shepherd as he lovingly herds a flock of sheep down the hill. Tears fill my eyes as my heart fills with love. Allelluia! He is Risen!

As you watch the Hosanna clip, listen carefully to the words the people ask of Jesus ...

my happy little courtyard

I know there are gardeners who adore cactus gardens and others who carefully cultivate various foliage plants, mixing in different leaf colors and textures to create lush, green landscapes. But for me, flowers make me happy. Happy in that stupid-grin kind of way. Dumb happy. Doing a little spin happy.

My soul starts to stir with happiness as soon as I see the Indian Hawthorne starting to blossom, forming masses of pink clouds along the side of the streets or in garden plantings.

And who can resist a smile when spying the
sweetness of a pretty yellow ranunculus?

My little courtyard* garden had gotten pretty neglected and the grewia and jasmine were too high for me to trim, so I hired the local nursery to come and trim, clean up and add some color. Happy shots of Easter color. Neon-bright ranunculus ... sweetpeas ready to climb up on their supports ... velvety pansies.

The orchids I already had are truly showing off, with their long stalks filled with flowers the entire length - one a thick-flowered crimson/white, another a delicate, creamy green, a third unknown until the buds open up and proudly show themselves. Freesias in bright golds, red/oranges and purples are scattered throughout the courtyard, many of them volunteers that decided to sign up for this year's show.

It's such a perfect little courtyard for me, a great place to bloom where I am planted, to sit and watch the hummingbirds flit among the grewia's purple blooms or the salvias' cups of nectar.

I'll be having the guys over (my best friends for over 25 years) in a few weeks, and once again, as we have year after year, we'll sit out in the courtyard, laughing and sharing stories together, easily lost in the carefree joy that comes with spring and the delight in living that seems to accompany bursts of colorful flowers.

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

*I used to call this my patio garden until my friend - sweet, caring Kat - referred to it as a courtyard, a much more romantic and happy term than "patio" and so, it's been a courtyard ever since. Thank you, Kat!

steamed veggies ...

I love vegetables. I recently found these vegetables in a bag that you just pop in the micro and – voila! – steamed vegetables. I love ‘em. Little baby carrots all sweet and slightly crunchy … broccoli florets crisp, not wilted, deliciously bright-tasting … cauliflower florets – oh, I may love you the most, with your yummy texture and fresh taste. *sigh* Absolutely delicious for lunch and one of my faves during the week.

One of my co-workers mentioned one day that he could smell the cauliflower after I’d nuked a bag of veggies. “Do you like cauliflower?” I asked him. “Not that much,” he smiled. Whenever I bring my veggies to work for lunch now, I wait until he’s left the office for lunch (along with most of the staff) before I steam them. You see, he showed respect by letting me know that he didn’t care for the smell, so I show him respect by trying not to subject him to a smell he finds unpleasant. (Personally, I don’t smell it much, and I also happen to like the way real food smells.)

There are those wouldn’t have said anything to me, who wouldn’t have wanted to offend me by telling me my food stinks. He or she would just endure the unpleasantness in silence, but would also likely harbor some small annoyance at me any time I cooked my lunch or, at the least, wish that I wouldn’t bring them in anymore.

I’m so glad my co-worker brought it up. I’d much rather have someone tell me something and give me the opportunity to make an attempt to fix it, than to not let me know and then just be annoyed at me or think I’m selfish or worse. Tell me something and let me try to fix it. That’s how people should work with one another. Communicate with respect for others’ feelings. Communication avoids a lot of misunderstandings and bad feelings people build up toward one another for no good reason.

I get to enjoy my steamed veggies, knowing that my co-worker doesn’t have to smell them. We both win.

the first kisses of spring ...

I've lived my entire life in Southern California, specifically, Orange County, where we moved to when I was 5. SoCal weather is all that I've ever really experienced and all that I really know. When folks from snowier climes say we don't have seasons out here, I look out my window in the fall and see the sun lower on the horizon than usual, the sun on my courtyard patio fading away with the summer's rays. In our winter, we have rain from time to time and overcast, gloomy skies that make me long for bright, warming sunshine and days on the beach.

And then in late February, I start to see the first kisses of spring: buds on the barren liquidamber tree in front of my bedroom window starting to leaf out ... tender, green sprouts poking their gentle heads through the ground. And in my courtyard, freesias blooming in happy, bright golds and deep pinks along with orchid stalks arcing out like a fishing pole, tempting me with the bait of their beautiful flowers. I sometimes think that I should research the orchids, find out their names ... pero no es importa. It doesn't matter what their names are, only that I enjoy them and praise God's name for the incredible beauty of His creation. Knowing their names wouldn't alter my delight and pleasure in their amazing blooms.

These photos are especially for anyone in colder climes, a gift of early spring from Mother Nature and me. Enjoy each day, no matter the weather, no matter the season. The gifts of happiness and delight - and the kisses of spring - come from within.