So Much Depends

May 21, 2007 | This Life

so much depends
upon

a solitary entry
door

glazed with coral
paint

beside the tangy
porch.*

It turns out, that photographing the front door is going to be next to impossible with the screen door still in place. As doors often make it onto the “to do” list around these parts, but seldom make it off that list, it could take awhile to actually see the front entry door due to the screen. Unfortunately, it’s not a simple as taking the screen off (despite the spate of dreams I’ve had to the contrary!) as the former owner was, uh, creative in his approach to installation. Like so much in our home, the screen door makes me a little nutty just looking at it. Because, I know what that man did to put it in, and it isn’t pretty. Taking it out will do serious damage to the house and will require restoration work on our part. No easy fix.

So, in the mean time, what to do about my tangy porch? IZ has decided he likes the color. I’m not enchanted, because as one of the comments suggested, the color is too warm for these cools and neutrals in play on the house. However, we’re not going to repaint it just yet. The steps are already beginning to flake (welcome to the rain storm yesterday!) and it seems to me that this porch painting business is going to be an annual event. That leaves me a year to find the color I was shooting for and clearly missed. Who doesn’t need a quest of some kind?

But, waiting a year to paint the porch and waiting who knows how long to remove the screen equals a lot of waiting! That will never do! Instead, I’ve painted our big star the color of the entry door. The Coral Star is loquacious; she and the Porch door have hit it off splendidly and are chatting like old friends. Their chatter will have to suffice for now.

As quickly as it began it is over. We are painted, at least on the exterior. I can’t recommend Jeff Hale and his crew more highly! We are now looking at our next project. Whatever shall we do? IZ is desperately attempting to get our floors redone in the kitchen and bathrooms. However, contractors are proving to be impossible to raise. (I’m beginning to suspect they all might have been raptured!) So, I keep whispering in his ear while he sleeps: Honey, the yard! Let’s do the yard.

*with great apologies to William Carlos Williams.

Bold Gestures

May 18, 2007 | This Life

It’s been an amazing week. Such transformation! For those of you who chimed in with your suggestions and ideas and much needed support for our painting adventure: thank you! I’ve truly enjoyed all your input and it’s made this roller-coaster ride memorable.

It’s Friday and I’m finding so much beauty in my world. We’ve had a week of sunshine with very few clouds; even though the weather forecast is saying rain today, the sun is still shining as I write this. After all the precipitation we’ve had this year, a week of sunlight feels magical. Timely, too. I know a painting crew who did amazing work in record time and the results feel magical as well.

These peonies belong to a neighbor a few blocks away. Sophie and I pass them when we go out for walks. They are the size of your head and photographs cannot do them justice. Every time I walk by them, I’m stunned by their beauty and reminded of what an amazing world we live in. The Universe likes bold gestures.

So for timely sunlight and gigantic peonies, amazing painters and tangy porches, and you: I am extremely grateful. These are the things of beauty in my life this week. It’s Friday, what’s beautiful in your world?

I’m Ok. You’re Ok. The Porch is Tangy.

May 17, 2007 | This Life

So, the painters left today. I was sad to see them go, really. I’ve grown accustomed to double checking windows before I rush off to the bathroom and the general buzz of activity just beyond my doors. Someone will be by tomorrow morning to put another coat of color on the front entry door—but otherwise, we’re done. Or, sort of.

Now when your painter, a gifted and talented human being, suggests to you that the color you’ve picked out for your porch floor is, uh, “tangy”—well, it’s probably a good idea to listen to him. Laughing at your color choice is a completely different matter. Laughter is not the same as descriptive language. Laughter ain’t got nothing on words like “tangy” and “zesty”. Oh, no, no, no, “tangy” and “zesty” probably aren’t what you’re shooting for unless you live in Miami. We don’t.

So, the everything was going swimmingly until the porch was rollered. And then, it was a redux of Saturday. Except, unlike Saturday, this isn’t an issue of a color being too dark. It’s an issue of being “tangy”! Furthermore, it’s just not right. Not exactly wrong, but not the right shade to set off and ground the house.

Now, part of the problem is that the front entry door isn’t finished. And we picked the porch floor and entry colors to coordinate. You know, to chat, to mingle, to otherwise broadcast to the world that they affirm one another. Porch says to Door, “You’re OK!” and Door replies, “And you’re OK, too!” Everybody is happy, it’s all warm fuzzies from here on out.

But, right now, Door’s not talking and I don’t like the language coming out of Porch. Porch is decidedly NOT OK. So, we’re going to sleep on it the decision, because we don’t have a choice. And then we’ll sleep on it some more because we have to wait for the porch to cure before we can take off the screen door. Then, then we’ll make a decision about repainting the porch floor.

Of course, it’s possible that Porch is just “tangy” and belongs in Miami.

I can hear y’all screaming from here: what about the door! Well, it’s wet, and tacky, and cracked open so it’s letting cold air into the house which makes me cold and cranky. I was accused in the comments of being a tease; I’m willing to live into that description. But in truth, I wasn’t able to get a decent photo of the door yet and as it’s still being painted that has to be OK. Right? Because I can’t handle too much more being mouthy and decidedly NOT OK at this particular moment.

I did, however, snap this shot:

Sherwin Williams calls it Coral Bells. I like to call it Happiness in a Can. I’m hoping it makes everything decidedly OK.

Blessed

May 16, 2007 | This Life

All the locals will be wistfully looking at this bag, pining for a Trader Joe’s. It’s a temptation to carry this tote around town and when asked where I got it, to say, “The Trader Joe’s on 5th and Duane,” knowing full well the nearest store is in Portland. That would be bad, wouldn’t it? In truth, this sweetie came from one of my favorite blogs (oh shush, you’re ALL my favorite!) The Fanciful Twist. Vanessa had a drawing and ended up giving away one to every person who entered. The only catch, though not really a catch because it’s so much fun, was that you needed to send her a wee bit of something you think she should have! Sounds like a deal, eh?

Right on the heels of the TJ’s bag was this lovely rose made by the very talented Calamity Kim. Oh, My. It’s absolutely perfect and will look ever so lovely in my studio space. I’d take a photo of it there, but, uh. . . it’s kinda over-run with Thrifty Goodness merchandise. And by over-run, I mean a Thrift store exploded in my studio space. Serious cleaning is necessary, because rumor has it that we’re actually going to tackle the paint job and get the space organized. It’s just a rumor, but I like to fan the flames, you know? So, tomorrow, somewhere between a morning mocha and afternoon tea, I will wade in and attempt to get a handle. Or at least find the floor!

I’m a firm believer in returning the love! These sweeties are now in the mail to Vanessa and Kim. I won’t tell you what’s inside, because why spoil the fun? However, I’m sure in a few days you’ll be able to wander over to their blogs and have a look see. I highly recommend the visit. Both of these women are extremely talented and generous with their ideas!

It’s give-away madness at the moment in the blog-o-sphere. It seems like everyone is celebrating some blog-o-anniversary. I will admit, it’s a bit overwhelming for me to think about my blogging in those terms. I’ve been blogging now, as of the end of April, for 5 years. (You’ll note most of 2003 is missing in the archives, but it does exist. It just wasn’t easily imported into WordPress.) And I will reach 1000 posts sometime in November of this year. In all the years I’ve been doing this, I’ve not done any kind of recognition for the big milestones. In part, because in the early years I don’t think anyone beyond spam was reading my blog—but also, because it’s just not been on my radar.

It’s hard to fathom how much of my life I have blogged. In the early years, it was mostly silly little entries full of quizzes and memes. Somewhere a long the line, I made a decision to get serious about what I write.(One reason I no longer do memes.) Of course, it took another year after that decision to act on it. Even today, I don’t know that I succeed all that often at writing what I really want to be writing—but I can say I’ve been blessed in the attempt. Somehow, in the process of being deliberate about my writing this blogging became a practice of finding beauty. Which is a post unto itself that I promise to write. Just not today.

As the 5 year mark has passed, it seems that I should probably focus on that 1000 post mark. Coming up with something to give away that my very diverse readership would all like to have isn’t easy. However, 1000 posts seems like a worthy milestone and since that’s not until November or so, I have some time to work on it! I guess, you’ll just have to keep reading.

It’s Wednesday. I hope you’re feeling blessed. I know I am.

Progress

May 15, 2007 | This Life

Pictures now:

Words later. A few words now: I had intended to update this post last night, but our internet wouldn’t comply. I squeezed in a few comments on some of your blogs before I threw my hands up in frustration. This morning is better, but not by much. Cross your fingers that this will post.

Presently, I’m listening to a very rowdy crowd laughing outside my windows. I sent IZ out to give the painter the news about the front door color choice. A choice, that is far, far from traditional. I’m hoping it will all work. However, I’m guessing the painter will hate it so last night looking at the paint wheel I said, “Uh, you tell him, m’kay?” From the sound of the laughter, I guessed right.

However, here’s my theory about doors (having painted many, many in my lifetime!): they’re easily repainted. If your original color doesn’t work, it’s elbow grease to fix it. So, yeah, I would like to try something different on one lousy door on a house that is so completely traditional it betrays my sense of self I have to say, it’s a bit disheartening to hear the laughter, despite knowing it was coming. It’s not like I suggested Pepto Pink for the exteriors with lime green accents. Right? I haven’t been wrong (read: flamboyant!) about the color choices YET and still. . .

Anyhow, a significant post with more words later, or at least one not related to painting.

Here We Go

May 12, 2007 | This Life

The door bell rang in the middle of writing the post below. To my surprise, because I wasn’t expecting them until Monday, the painting crew had arrived and was wasting no time getting down to the business of transforming my house. My shock registered on my face. It’s not a problem that they started work on Friday. Uh, yeah, I’m tired of feeling like my knickers are showing to the whole neighborhood—I’m ready for this house to have a new dress! But, I wasn’t ready to be ready.

Being ready means knowing what color you really want on your house. And while you might have chatted with your spousal unit for hours on end, and in the haze of too much red wine in the wee hours of the morning, you might have actually consented to make a decision, you certainly aren’t ready to actually commit to those colors! I mean, that was the wine talking, not you! And you had no idea that in turn, your spousal would immediately email the painter and let him know your choices! I mean, that would be ridiculous. What kind of fool would do that, take you at your word, however intoxicated? The nerve of that man.

An aside: this very man took a phone call from me in November that went a little like this:

Me: I’m in Portland and I miss you, the conference was great but I’m tired and I have a HUGE migraine. I’ve been thinking, maybe we should talk about having your family out to Astoria for Thanksgiving?

Him: Oh, sweetie, I miss you too. Drive safely and we’ll talk when you get home.

What he really meant was: Oh sweetie, I miss you too. Drive safely and I’m going to call my sister the minute you hang up.

Yeah, we hosted Thanksgiving dinner alright. And it was fine. Just like the paint will be fine. But, not before I’ve had my requisite melt-down.

Being ready also means having picked a few paint options and having slapped them willy nilly on your house, you’ve come to a definitive choice about color. That is not what you see in the picture above. Oh no, no, no. No, we did not heed your advice. Ok, I did! But I heeded it in a “Sweetie, I think this would be a good idea” kind of way and he heeded it in a “Do I look like I have time to do this right now?” kind of way. It didn’t get done.

In my defense and his, we’d planned to do this today. But, yeah, then we weren’t expecting the painting crew on Friday. And, don’t be hatin’ on the painter, because he’s not exactly to blame for this wee crisis as we emailed him our choices! (and he’s the brother of a reader and a very cool guy who’s been nothing but fair and helpful and did I mention the brother of a reader???) He gave us advance warning and every time, he wasn’t committing to specific times but “weather willing.” In Astoria, he has every reason to hedge his bets and manage our expectations. However, my expectations were for later rather than sooner, and Mother Nature refuses to be managed! On both fronts I wasn’t making an entirely uneducated guess, work crews in general and the weather specifically, it is Astoria after all! I just thought I had more time to be ready.

So, Friday came with a jolt, and became today; a lovely man offered to slap up the color combination before he took off (they’ve been mostly prepping) so I could get an idea of what my drunken stupor had produced. That was when Wende had a little fit.

Little fit is a Southern euphemism for OH HELL NO, YOU DID NOT TELL THE PAINTER THAT COLOR. Except there were a few, ok a lot, of swear words tossed in. And at one point I held his new Wii hostage and elicited reinforcements from the mailman—who, by the way, was completely non-committal. Handed me my mail and ran, that man did! It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll skip all that because it makes me look bad and this is my blog.

Here’s the thing, I don’t like making decisions. I’m the epitome of indecisive and I am genetically predisposed to buyer’s remorse. It wouldn’t have mattered what color went up, I’d be freaking out right about now because I made a decision. I wanted chocolate not strawberry. I wanted red wine not white. I wanted French toast not waffles. You see the issue, right? Not only does it take me forever to make up my mind, when I do, it’s usually wrong. (You should have been around for the pregnancy talks!) But, if I stay true to pattern, then it’s only a matter of time before I am convinced of my decision and settle down into a sense of wellbeing. Wellbeing just doesn’t arrive without a little fit throwing.

Anyhow, all is well. After a frantic phone call to the painter (promptly returned, my God, does that ever happen??) we’ve been told to think about it. And the more we think about it, the more we’re convinced that we just need to take the plunge and dive into this color. So, here we go.

Color Note:
For those of you who can’t walk by the house— Sherwin Williams: Cyberspace, Online, Snowbound, and Open Air.