Having a Moment...

There I am, sitting on my porch recliner-breezes blowing a rather autumnal coolness all around me. It's late-afternoon-going-into-evening. The sky is BLUE and the clouds are marching quickly overhead. I hear a chickadee, rare here this month, and think, Man, I have to do those damn dishes!

I can't do a big kitchen full of dishes without music, so I turn on the local heavy rock station. Sh** Yeah! It's 1983--Red Rocks with Paul and Jeannie--Santana playing on the stage, early evening breezes scenting the air with sage and Denver spread out below us....

Google images

I fiddle with the equalizer and turn it up LOUD. I'm there! 30 years gone in an instant! Could that Kahlua Sombrero have done this to me?* Not quite the toot I had that night, but fine, nevertheless!

Dirty dishes disappear around me, that kitchen is nothing! I'm humming along, when I think to look out in the driveway. Jim's car is there, which means he's next door watching the Simpsons quietly, so as not to disturb me.

The Simpsons watching Jim watching The Simpsons

By now Van Halen is annoying me, and the spell is over. I grab the remote, turn the volume way down, switch the equalizer to soft. Do the rest of the dishes, listening to car ads, commercials for drag racing, etc., say why bother and switch it off.

Yes, I had A MOMENT. The Moody Blues urge me on--Thinking is the Best Way to Travel.  I can do it every so often.

I remember another late afternoon-going-into-evening maybe 15 years back, on the porch across the street where I lived before. I was playing Otmar Liebert's, Nuevo Flamenco. The wind chimes were tinkling, my pinon pine incense was smoking, and BAM, I'm in Taos, NM! The desert breezes are stirring the wind chimes, the music on the plaza is mesmerizing! As the sun goes down, the stucco buildings glow a bronzy gold, stained glass windows sparkle in jewelled delight! And pinon smoke perfumes the air. I'm so THERE!

Doesn't do it justice!

I'm so There!

Pinon pine tree

I haven't lived out west since 1994, but I have these sensory memories now and then. I can place myself there for a moment. Bow Valley Parkway, a beautiful pine-forested road between Lake Louise and Banff-same time, late-afternoon-into-evening. I was there for a few seconds just last week. A particular part of the Mohawk trail can place me in Clear Creek Canyon, going toward Central City. Route 9 in West Cummington sends me somewhere west of Vail, Colorado, late '70s, where we camped by a river right next to I-70 the weekend that the Big Thompson River flooded. We had been swimming in the Big Thompson the weekend before at a bluegrass festival...

Bow Valley Parkway

Somewhere near Banff

*(Need I mention the Sombrero was made with almond milk? This is the 21st century after all.)

I say to heck with short term memory. If I can still zoom backward in time like this, maybe getting old won't be so bad! After all, who really cares what I had for breakfast?

Dream on, Y'all!

Summer Whizzes By...

Wow, how did it become August already?

Pretty porch edging

I have been busy with pet sitting jobs, a couple of art shows, and work. That's been my summer so far!
No, really...I have enjoyed my daily meditations in the garden. I have tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and swiss chard coming, plus as many herbs as I can eat while they are fresh!

 

Don't you just love fresh basil, parsley, rosemary, sage? Or cilantro-people either love or hate it.

I'm also working on the garden behind our Senior Center, (where I work in the office part-time). I am trying to recruit seniors to help, but that's not going too well, even with the offer of free tomatoes!

We are enjoying a wonderful interlude between HOT and HUMID weather patterns. This last week has been Heaven in New England-in the 70's and 80's and relatively dry and breezy with a shower now and then.
 

Not Highand Lake--Lake Louise, Banff, Canada

Paul and I took off for a paddle in Highland Lake last week, very relaxing and peaceful on the lake. I dream of owning one of those sweet lake cottages. ~ I get up with the sun, put on my terry robe (!) take my coffee and grapenuts out on the deck and sing, "Morning is your time.....!" ~ (Mind you, I'm not a morning person and I don't eat grapenuts or wear a terry robe, but, what the heck, I can dream!)

I'm dreaming!

My brother Richard and I have begun cleaning out Dad's workshop at Mom's house so I can get myself moved in in the next 6 months or so. There is SO MUCH STUFF! Tools and tools and more tools, paints, mystery liquids, glues, NAILS AND SCREWS (a whole tubful) and wood and tools, did I say tools???  And if you've ever been in a carpentry shop, you know how dirty and dusty they are! We have so much more to do, but I think it's becoming possible, at least. Before spending that day with Richard, I would go in there and just cry. Too much stuff, and no-one wants to step on anyone's toes and take any of it. Dad's been gone 9 years, it is time.

Not this big, thankfully!

Once I get moved in there, it will become an art studio with a kitchenette, I'll also have a living room and a bath on that level and a bedroom upstairs by Mom's. We will have privacy and togetherness at the same time. It should work out well for both of us. Meanwhile, does anyone want to buy an old hardware-lumber-store-converted into 2 rather rough apartments? (I didn't think so...)

Stained concrete

The possibilities of a new place always keep me awake at night for months before, over-dreaming, thinking about all the possibilities--what do I want to bring, what to get rid of? Paint or stain the concrete? Drywall or beadboard or both? Where to put my craft space? How much kitchen do I need?

Large,

Medium or

Small Island?

Effiient storage

Craft storage

Shelves for kitchen and craft space...

How much bribe money will I need to get my brothers to do the work? Will Richard ever get that grand piano out of there? Will I have to part with my cat?

My dreams always come to, "What colors do I want to use?" How about SEAGLASS colors! Fresh restful pretty colors! With lots of natural touches.....retro, mid-century modern, or just plain pretty?

Seaglass colors

Just Plain Pretty

Natural touches

Now you know why I can't sleep at night. How about you? Do you over-dream??? Are your dreams keeping you awake at night?  I'll let you know how mine are going along in upcoming months.

Surely, I'll see you in my dreams!

Hugs,

Sherry

BTW, I didn't take one of these pictures, they all came from Pinterest. You can find them or follow me on Pinterest in the right hand column.