sigh...

I’m tired tonight. Seems like I’ve been that way for about two weeks. The trip home took a lot out of me. Yesterday and today, though, I think I have a good reason. My chair broke! Tuesday night I had to move to the den to sleep in the recliner there, so my night was disturbed. Wednesday I spent most of the day sitting in there. Last night Rachael and Michael moved the recliner to my room so things were better, but it still isn’t ‘my’ chair. I thought we might have to trash it, but Michael says he believes he can fix it. He really is a miracle worker in a lot of things.

I’m constantly impressed by the things he can make out of steel. Fortin Ironworks is known throughout the Midwest for their stylistic furniture and Michael has learned his job well. He made customized light shades for the chandeliers in our house and visitors notice them as soon as the walk in the door. He made my curtain rod for the window. The finials are shaped like a tree branch with small leaves. We have beautiful little half circle table at our front entrance. It has a marble top and twisted iron legs. Michael built it! It is the second thing visitors notice. He even built our dining room table!! Bronze legs and center braces support a chocolate granite table top. It sits under a custom chandelier with shades that match the ones hanging along the balcony and stair way. It’s beautiful. I'm proud of him.

When you combine his know-how with Rachael’s eye for color and decorating, it is a winning combination. While I was gone they re-did my room. It was already very pleasant, but when we moved in the airducts were filled with soot or smoke residue. It made the nice paint job in my room all black shaded along the corners and above the registers. It bothered them much more than it did me—read this ‘not at all’

While I was gone they re-painted in my favorite colors—gold and orange. Three walls are dusty desert gold and the other is a deep burnt orange! I love it. Michael installed my drapery rod and hung deep chocolate velvet curtains from it. The old blinds were dyed to match the orange wall. A new set of drawer pulls on my old dresser and bureau completely changed their look to something Mediterranean and exotic. The dresser sits against the burnt orange wall that has a collection of family photos grouped on it. Either end of the dresser has a beautiful lamp with candelabra bulbs shining through the metal stencil shades. They make a wrought iron flower design on the wall. It is such a cozy room. They did a great job on it.

It almost but not quite compensates for the early morning view from the window facing east in my bedroom at Notah’s house. Almost. But nothing can replace the cool tangy desert breeze the swept through the open door. Or the warm morning sunlight on the floor.

But in the night time, with the blinds closed, the dogs curled on the pillows or their beds, and the warm glow of the candelabra patterns shining on the warm orange wall my newly decoated room has to be the coziest room in the world.

My desert room is a morning room. My Ohio room is a nighttime room. My desert room is open spaces and sweeping wind and wide sky. My Ohio room is close and comforting and cozy. My desert room opens into the fragrance of juniper and sage sweeping down from the mountains. My Ohio room opens to the deep green fragrance of grass and summer flowers wafting across the lake before the house. My desert house holds my grandkids and Notah and Kerra. My Ohio house has my cats and my books and Rachael and Michael. I only wish there weren’t 2000 miles in between. Teleportation is looking better and better.