I swear to god this is the last painting post.

Until I start posting about refinishing the furniture. And won't that be a barrel of monkeys.

The flowers in Frances's room are finally painted.

I think they turned out rather well. They make her room look a little less boxy, I think.

("Rooms are supposed to be boxy, Andrea." I know, shut up.)

There are shelves hung for craft goodies over a desk in the eating area, and on it a perfect little craft goodie cabinet from a friend.

Propped up against the wall (and now hung on a hook with a bit of picture wire) is an in-progress cross-stitched dragon. It's been in progress now for about six years and I'm sure it will be a few decades before I manage to finish it. But in the meantime it is pretty and it seemed a shame to have it stuck in a closet somewhere until it's done.

"But how can you work on anything with that mess on your desk?"

The mess is actually a bit of treasure I excavated--a box of crocheted lace I inherited from a great-aunt when she passed away a year or so ago. I'm sure everyone thought it was junk, but crafty junk, so why not send it to Andrea? She's into that.

When I got around to going through it I was stunned. Lots of beautiful handmade crocheted lace--doilies, mostly, of course, but nice ones. And an embroidered silk handkerchief, and a linen handkerchief embroidered by hand with a large A monogram in a blue that just happens to match my new bedroom.

If that's not serendipity, what is?

Also two old, beaten wedding rings, his-and-hers, and no idea who they belonged to. My great-aunt? Her mother?

The front hall is organized, a mail-sorter and two sets of hooks (one at Frances height, one at Andrea height), and a table I got years ago that fits perfectly between the radiator and the wall. So far so good. Everything is staying neat. (All bets are off when I go back to work Tuesday.)

Another lovely old table that fits perfectly by the back door. LauraJ's beautiful quilt folded on the overstuffed armchair by the television, for emergency snuggling sessions (there have been several).

The other day I found, on a run, a large nearby park, with a river through it, and expanses of mature trees, small forests, wild patches. There were benches and rocky paths leading down to riverbanks, the air quieter and cool. Right now it is full of goldenrod, asters, snapdragons, and other late-summer local wildflowers; but I know in the spring it will be full of trilliums.

So far so good. I'll really find out on Tuesday, when real life starts again.

Posted by Andrea at September 10, 2007 6:07 AM under Decision 2007

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