The world seems to be going mad. At this point I am operating in two alternate universes, side by side, hour by hour. On the one hand my vision is turned outward to the national crisis and global chaos unfolding thanks to our new, ahem. president. The stress, fear, and anxiety I am left with after even just an hour spent on facebook or the news is intense. Equally intense, though wonderful, is the daily activism, the connecting with other impassioned people and trying to fight the good fight. Add to this the regular, every day efforts of our other, 'normal' lives - the parenting, working, attending to our own health and physical needs - more than ever each day can leave us drained and exhausted. Some days it's hard to get to the store, or do the laundry, which were fairly herculean tasks at the best of times. Even cooking during these times is extra daunting - the shopping, the prep, the clean up afterwards, around here we have been opting for take out, or just eating the same thing every day. But I have found that it is at times like these when for me, these daily domestic activities take on a new significance, and can be a real tonic. Medicinal. Like aloe vera for my eyes.
I'm one of those weirdos who find true comfort in order, cleanliness, and artful design - it does something good to me. I guess it's all down to feng shui or something - the flow of a room, of a yard, of a collection of things - but it really works on me. Being in a clean, orderly, beautiful space is like a drug. It calms my spirit, gives me a place to draw energy from, not be drained by. So, even though it's hard and a pain in the um...neck, (and back!) I decided to overhaul my living areas, clean and freshen them and add some light - they seemed really dark for some reason, maybe just after all the xmas lights came down - to shut out the disturbing, frightening, surreal nature of the political situation, and give me a sanctuary from where to operate.
And this week was even a little more surreal because Greg was gone working a very difficult and dismally grim case in a small, dismally grim town nearby, but it meant that I didn't see him for five straight days. I could have gotten depressed, stayed glued to the news, and done nothing, but I wanted to make myself feel better and give poor Greg a place to come home to for good rest, and good food. Our little resistance, here at the nest. Base Camp.
So - I spent the next four days trying to channel my inner Genevieve, or Joanna Gaines and do some of the things I've been meaning to do for years. I framed family pictures, I sorted our dishes and got rid of all the mismatched containers with no lids, and lids with no containers. I took down old pictures and spackled the holes in the walls. I threw out stained lamp shades and washed all the soap dishes.
And THE FUN PART - looking for a new coffee table. Portland is pretty fun place to look for a coffee table, I must say. Along with the big box stores and modern, boutique furniture stores there are tons of vintage furniture shops and grimy thrift shops, hipster vintage collectives, and garage sales. I needed something the right length, made of real wood preferably, not the IKEA "wood" that bubbles up when it gets wet, but not too heavy because it's a very small, light living room - something cool, but not too cool, simple, but with a little edgy attitude - and something I can afford.
Turns out that is a LOT to ask from a coffee table. And, it turns out coffee tables are freaking expensive!!! When I last shopped for one I was a 30-something and $40 was a huge amount to spend on a coffee table. That was dining table budget, not an ACCENT piece. Sadly, those days are long gone, nowadays the rattiest, dirtiest little "vintage" coffee table is $125 at least, and I only saw one at that price. Most of them are over $200. Some are $500! Insane. I started to despair.
Then....I saw this one. Simple, clean, modern, real wood - oh boy is it ever real - with an actual history - it is reclaimed wood from an old barn in Oregon City! Which makes me so happy. I think of the trees it was made from, probably around the turn of the century, or early teens - and I think of the people who made the boards, and then the barn they built out of them and how long the boards were the side of a stall, or a hay mow or something - all the animals that passed by them, and then they were not destroyed, but saved, which is kind of a miracle in itself, and now they are in my home, where I look at them every day and appreciate them. Plus it's a super-cool table! I love the simple legs with their mid-century triangle. And it was on the low-end of the coffee table pricing scale at $135. I think Joanna Gaines would approve.
I found a great old jazz lp called "The Leis of Jazz" which looks pretty snazzy next to my new metallic lamp. It has just the right pinks in it to go with my decor, and the swingin' 60's theme matches those sleek lines of the coffee table. I also found two floor lamps so we could actually read in the chairs we have for that purpose, and I recreated a beautiful bouquet I saw in an ad for that fresh pop of living color that brings so much life to a room!
I love the way the house feels now. As new-empty-nesters we are still discovering what that means for our life, and still combing through the remnants of our old life and rearranging them to fit the new. It's cathartic framing my favorite family pics from life with the kids - honoring those special moments we had, but also feeling happy that it's just us two. We made it. :) And now my house is sweet, and quiet. It's not sad. It's grateful. And that makes me feel grounded, and able to take on the alternate universe just outside my door.
Peace, beauty, love, good feng shui, and the leis of jazz. A good Sunday to you all! xoxoxo Diane
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