Making every clock face and mirror in the house shine seemed a good way to start the new year. Hello time! Hello light!
It’s easy to get carried away and soon I found myself shoving a bookcase aside to remove many seasons’ worth of dust from a cold air exchange. And then I folded all my scarves. Lots of vacuuming.
K. has been repairing cracks in the ceiling downstairs on either side of decorative arch that separates the dining and living areas. Many cracks are to be expected in a 200+ year old structure, but his close attention made him realize that it’s probably not great to have five hefty bookcases sitting on the line of that arch upstairs, plus a super-heavy mirror from the twenties or thirties.
So in addition to removing dust, shining glass, and vacuuming, I transferred many books to the bedroom. There will be a culling soon, but not today. The bookcase above has one-third fewer books now.
In the meantime, we canceled our trip out west to see the boys. The case numbers are just too crazy. Fortunately, we saw both of them quite a few times in 2021.
Oh I so love this family pic of you 4! Congrats on your cleaning, clearing, culling ambitions! I noticed the pomegranate picture among the books 🙂
I had to get some Target things today…I wore 3 masks and gloves! Overkill ya think?! lol Thankfully it was very empty there.
Stay safe, be well
Not overkill at all! Hope you covered your hair too.
That’s definitely a print and frame photo. With copies for both boys.
I’ve been shoving piles from one corner to the other, culling as I go. Bags for Goodwill piling up in the hallway. It seems to be breeding.
You’re too funny. But clutter does breed, I think, and party when we’re not looking.
haha no 🙂
Sounds similar to our last 2 days, minus any plastering or plaster-cracking analysis. A lot of vacuuming, list making and jettisoning stuff here. Feels good. Plus “The Matrix” (original last night because tho’ we saw it when it first came out, neither of us could tell other what it was about!). We’ll watch the new one tonight and skip the “betweens”. That is such a great family portrait! xx
We’ve been watching Station Eleven. A little too on point.
love the photograph of family
Looks like we coordinated our outfits.
Me too, me too on the handsome family. What a great picture. Good luck with the clean-out. I have similar intentions but haven’t yet summoned the energy. Happy New Year!
Ushering in a new year, cleaning, rearranging, organizing, instinctive ways of facing the passage of time. Each time I dismantle our Solstice/Christmas decorations, there is that tug at the heart. For many years, we have not had a tree, I would either just decorate my Solstice wreath or create a tree out of the free branch scrap box at Home Depot. This year, in honor of seeing my daughter and her love for Christmas, (had not seen them in 3 years) we purchased a small live tree. Dee, you will love this because the tree we chose is a baby blue Colorado spruce that right now is standing our in our front yard, next to one of the pillars. My intent is to keep it alive so it can be used year after year. For now, I love that it iis acting as our sentinel to the new year; it’s size is charming, its bluish green needles strong and full of promise. You cannot help but see it as you come up the walkway to our front door.
We all have rituals to honor the passing of the old year, the coming of the new. For me, it is all about placing family photos around our home, keeping some treasured ones, adding new ones. The photos continue to tell our story and bring a closeness, even when miles separate all of us. To see the wonderful photo of you, K and your boys, just added to my joy in this new year.
A ritual that my Mom always used to do was to open the front and back door and “sweep”away the old year and make ready for the new year. Here in this place, we only have a front door so I found myself doing the same and practically became an instant Popsicle…18 degrees out, no snow but bitter cold. Bracing, invigorating, well yes but my homage to my Mom’s way of celebrating the new year lasted all of about 5 seconds!
I just love the image of that Colorado spruce near your doorway. We all need emblems of promise these days.
the picture … so full of ease and happy-ness … smiles that fill your faces and shine from your eyes
i want to clean everything, my mind even
Big ditto on that.