Snapshot of What I See Right Now

I have moved about two hours from the farm, and am now helping a woman in an awesome old house located in a big city; more info and pictures to come later. For now, I'll paint a word picture so you can join me where I am at this very moment:

I'm in a wide, short, comfy, wooden bed that is piled high with three colorful hand-made quilts. On the floor is a red velvet lamp, shaped like a tall pyramid. A shelf to my right is covered in geodes and holds a white wood sculpture of the word "Peace". To the left of the shelf hangs a print of my host's placenta from her son's birth. A bookshelf built into the wall hold trinkets, blankets, children's books, and emergency items (Fire extinguisher, ladder, shoes, etc.). Next to the shelves is an end table full of interesting books I have chosen from my host's collection. Hanging above it is a gold and blue metal lamp, carved with shapes that remind me of Indian buildings. Nearby is a painting of clouds and a face held by ropes as it floats through the sky. I think I have seen that style of painting somewhere, but can't quite place it.

On the wall above the bed is a long poster of seven gracefully illustrated alliterations, in an old-fashioned style attractive to all ages. "Lazy Lions Lounging in the Local Library", "Nine Nautical Newts Navigating Near Norway", "One Outrageous Old Ostrich Ordering an Onion Omelet." A colorful little poster titled "The Art of Love and Compassion" shows a kaleidoscope of shapes and patterns.

Across from the bed, a small door opens out to the second part of the attic room. The attic ceiling slopes to the left and right, with shelves of books lining the short walls. A desk and a chair that is draped in lambskin invites reading or painting later today. The floor is a deep-red wood, the walls a light plum shade of paint.

I hear the quiet hum of cars driving by on the street, a sound I haven't heard from a house in at least two years. Occasionally the sound of a crow's call breaks through the hush. It's warm under the covers, though I know the floor will be cold on my bare feet when get up to get some breakfast downstairs. I make a mental note to get slippers and a thicker around-the-house sweatshirt at the thrift store I noticed down the street.


Photo by Lia Robertson, in photo: painting by Juli Adams.