A home in the country

As one who recently moved into town

after 15 years of living outside the city limits,

I find myself yearning for the country.

The list of things I miss is long,

and I feel these absences deep

in my bones.

I miss the lack of street lights

and the ability to allow the curtains

to be left open at night

while soft starlight creeps in

to bathe me during sleep.

I miss the sense of spaciousness,

breathing room,

and being surrounded by all that green.

The wooded hills here are lush,

and this time of year, the green is so thick

it seems to permeate my senses.

I miss mornings on the front porch,

sipping coffee in my pajamas.

And afternoons on the porch with a glass

of iced tea and a decorating book

(Pale and Interesting by Atlanta Bartlett

and Dave Coote is my new favorite).

And I also miss the evenings on the porch

with a glass of wine and the sound of

tree frogs courting one another.

I miss the cool, deep shade of deciduous

woods in the heat of summer.

I miss the solitude that comes

with being outside, all by myself,

with no accompaniment other than

birdsong.

And I miss my garden, which I had lovingly

tended and nurtured for so long.

I am looking to move back out

to my former neck of the woods,

to a house adjacent to the property I had

owned for so long.

Through this time of transition,

the past 8 months,

I have learned that living in town is just not for me.

I have learned the I am undeniably

a country girl.

Self-discovery leads us to places where our

spirits can soar and we can feel at home.

Where have your own discoveries led you?

Until next time...

Anne

All images were obtained via the google image library.

Melancholy

oh, ein Leuchtturm, originally uploaded by bianca_muc.

Despite the shining sun

and the warming of the earth,

I am a bit melancholy today.

Weather has a large impact on mood,

but is not the only factor.

When we think of spring, there is

a lightness of being that is ushered forth.

But for me, today, that grayness remains.

After work, I hope to get out for a bit and

let the waning afternoon sun permeate my being,

and perhaps take a stroll

through the emerging garden.

I am hoping this will help.

What do you do when the "blah's" strike?

What things lift your spirits

and banish the dull heaviness?

Sometimes just saying it aloud

(or in this case putting it into writing)

can make an immense difference.

Until next time...

Anne

Shades of Grey

The French have a real flair

with the color grey.

They wear it so well.

Perhaps it is the skies in winter,

or the stone building facades

that line the streets of Paris,

or the chic women

lining the boulevards

that serve as inspiration.




This stylish home from French Elle Decor

reflects that sensibility just beautifully.

Some of the greys here are warm and soft,

others, bold and heavy.

Still others are earthy

and ethereal.

The sun has shown brightly

the past couple of days,

hinting at the coming of spring.

These greys remind me

to appreciate the beauty

in each and every day

and not to overlook

what has become commonplace.

Even in the austere days of winter,

there lay a wealth of nuance and variation,

if only one will take

the time to really see.

Wishing you clarity.

Until next time...

Anne

Thoughts of spring

Deep in the heart of winter, there lay within me an invincible spring.

~Camus






I have just returned from the southern US,
land of sunshine, live oaks, and palm trees.
My own part of the world is being held still
in winter's grasp.
There is no snow here...
only bitter cold.

And I am craving spring.




These gorgeous rooms from Pottery Barn will just
have to get me by,
with heaps of warm cream,
nature-inspired pillows,
potted plants,
and lots of light to help brighten my spirits.





Hoping your Sunday is filled with warmth and brightness,
despite the chill in the air.





Until next time...
Anne

Bonaventure Cemetery

Broken, though, this wing may be,
the spirit soars,
high above the earthly plain
into castles of air,
bathed in light,
and propelled toward love.





If the cemeteries of New Orleans are the "cities of the dead,"

Bonaventure Cemetery just outside Savannah, Georgia,

must surely be one garden of the dead.






Some say that life began in a garden.

Here in Bonaventure, it ends in one as well.

Live oaks draped in Spanish moss stand like sentinels,

watching over the carefully tended plots.

Holly bushes, ornamental grasses, southern magnolias,

and a variety of succulents take root in the sandy soil

to provide additional structure and screening.

This is a place of remembrance and reverence for life

that has gone before.

I have long been a visitor of cemeteries,

always liking the serenity the proffered

and the sense that, despite the passing of life and time,

there remains a continuity in these unstoppable events.

Just as change is the one constant,

there is a continuous flow

of life after life, of time marching forward.

Wandering through a cemetery, I sense that

I play a part in this eternal movement forward,

if only for a brief flash in the earth's history.

And rather than feeling fear of the inevitable,

I find peace.

Wishing you peace in those moments of paradox.

Until next time...
Anne

Romancing the rental

There is no sweeter place than home,

where we rise to greet each day,

where we warm our selves from winter's cold,

where we nourish body and spirit,

where we return when we are weary and afraid.

Home is the only place Dorothy wished to be,

despite all the adventures and wonder that lay before her.

Indeed there is no place like it.







Welcome to a new home I can call my own.

It is a rental in town, quite a departure from

the country house that I occupied for 15 years.

It sits on a brick street lined with a variety

of old houses.

The oldest part of the house dates from 1853---

yes, there is wavy glass in those windows!

An enclosed porch extends a warm greeting

to all who enter.





Just inside the door lies the living room.

You may recognize some items from my

previous home. In fact, nothing here is new,

although the rooms dictate different arrangements.





Of course I am constantly playing with the placement of things.

The living room has changed several times since I first moved in.






This doorway leads to the second floor,

a walk-up attic bedroom.

I like the way the stairs have a European feel

to them, with the door being positioned part way up them.

Three cats share this home with me.






The kitchen is one huge, open room.

There is nothing fancy here, just a plain old

farmhouse style kitchen.

It does not suit my taste or aesthetic,

but it is functional and the colors are now

neutral, so I am able to live with that.

More images will follow after I return from

a trip to the southland.

This morning I am in beautiful Savannah, Georgia

for another day of taking in art, architecture, great food,

and warm weather.

Happy new year to all!

May 2011 bring you a wealth of possibilites.

Until next time...
Anne

Inspiration

Do I love you because you're beautiful,
Or are you beautiful because I love you?
~Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella






Love inspires me to see beauty
and beauty inspires me to love.

This quiet living room from Country Living
has become the inspiration for my own living
space in my new cottage.
I appreciate its subtle plays with texture
and its whispering elegance.

Stay tuned for posts about the new cottage.
I have been settling in,
and it is starting to look like home to me.
Losing my computer during the separation
has made it extraordinarily difficult to put up
new posts. Luckily, I have a dear friend who
allows me access now and again.

I hope you are all well and happy,
dear friends.
Remember to find moments of stillness
to savor
this holiday season.
There is peace, even among the chaos
of preparation for celebrations.
I challenge you to find some.

Until next time...
Anne

November in New Orleans

Earlier in the month of November,
I journeyed to New Orleans.
This trip was a birthday gift from a
very special friend.
Growing up in the midwest, New Orleans
always seemed like a foreign country to me.
I pictured it as a place where different cultures,
races, customs, languages all merged into one
delicious stew of humanity.
From the age of 7,
I wanted to go there;
at the age of 41, I finally made it!

The French Quarter


Jackson Square

Our visit included a day spent wandering
through the narrow, crowded streets of the
French Quarter.




St. Louis Cathedral


This, and all older sections of the city, remained
undamaged by Hurricaine Katrina. We were told
these areas are actually several feet above sea level,
and their altitude, if you will, is what spared them.



Louisiana State Museum



Another side of Jackson Square

Colorful streee scene, to match the colorful personalities

we encountered on our journey.

Naploeon House, one of the oldest buildings in the Quarter.

Garden District Highlights

The Garden District is where we stayed.

This is a gorgeous part of the city,

several blocks away from

the hustle and bustle of the Quarter.

It is where the rich and famous have come to live

and play for decades.

Enormous crape myrtles and live oaks line the streets.

Wrought and cast iron fences, balustrades, and bannisters

lend the area a sense of identity.

Pride of place is most apparent.

Every home there is an architectural gem.

Plaque on the fence on Anne Rice's former house

The house itself, encompassing a mere 15,000 square feet!

A Victorian beauty around the corner from the Bed and Breakfast

where we stayed on Magazine Street.

That is me, pausing while our tour guide discussed

the notable and the noteworthy.

This lovely is owned by Sandra Bullock.

Iron, brickwork, and lush greenery define the Garden District.

This was built as a spec house. Can you imagine?

Lafayette Cemetery

Our walking tour of the Garden District included a trek

through Layfayette Cemetery, one of New Orleans'

famous "cities of the Dead."

The cemetery is surrounded by a large concrete wall

and gated openings, only one of which was open.

There is one way in and one way out.

A friendly feline sunning himself and garnering pets from tourists

like myself. I can't help but wonder if this is merely a guise for him,

if he sometimes occupies other shapes or forms.

A silk rose tucked into the backside of a family crypt

seemed a sweet momento to me.

This is the only metal vault in the entire

cemetery. It has appeared in several movies,

including Interview with a Vampire.

A streetscape

Overhanging oaks

City streets

Another shot of me

A view from an "alley way" behind a street of vaults.

The one aspcet of the trip I didn't represent here,

but was nevertheless integral to our enjoyment,

was the cuisine we enjoyed.

We ate wonderful food, ranging from Mediterranean fare to

traditional creole cuisine. It was divine.

New Orleans is fun, vibrant, and romantic.

It is a place where the present

is inextricably infused with the past.

It is a place where acceptance and resilience are

fostered, where the spirit of survival is palpable.

It is a place where all are welcomed with open arms.

I cannot wait to go back!

Until next time...

Anne

P.S. I am settling nicely into my new abode, my new routines

and my newly reclaimed life. Thanks to all for your supportive

words and many kindnesses!

Major life changes

In this world of change, nothing which comes stays, nothing which goes is lost.

~Anne Sophie Swetchine

In the time since my last post, my life has taken quite a turn.

Things have been bubbling beneath the surface for a long, long time;

and now those bubbles are like air, floating all around me.

Two days from now I will receive the keys to my new house.

This weekend I will move in.

I will awaken that first morning in my new house

on the day I turn 41.

This house is mine, and this will be the first time

I have lived alone, a prospect I find thrilling.

My marriage is ending due to my own initiative,

but we are parting as friends.

In the coming weeks, posts here may be few

and far between, but I will be back in the swing

as soon as I get settled.

At that point, I will have a whole new place to reveal to you.

Hope this finds you peaceful and happy.

Until next time...

Anne

Broken...

"The difficulties in life are intended to make us better not bitter."

~ Unknown

It happened unexpectedly.

One day everything was

normal and in working order.

The next time I went to get what I needed,

I discovered things had gone badly astray.

My camera, any blogger's beloved appendage,

is broken. I cannot fathom how

it met its demise, but the fact remains

that is is most certainly unusable.

So I thought I'd share some of the favorite

images it has taken for me the past few years.

Peony, 2009.

An Invitation, 2009

Summer Snowflake, 2009

Igby at Rest, 2009

I have been grateful for my camera;

it has served me well.

Farewell, old friend.

Guess what I will be asking for when my birthday

rolls around next month?

Until next time...

Anne