Beautifying

How I delight in small pleasures: came home yesterday early, in the sunshine, with a shiny car (the roads weren't muddy for once!) and enjoyed the sights (those cute baby cows and sun-shiny mountains) and sounds (birds chirping to beat the band) of the Bitterroot. Rejuvenated I walked into my living room deciding what to do next. As I stood by my sofa I came to the conclusion I would....move the living room furniture around. Yep! Time for a change. As much as I adore the look of a fireplace, we have not used ours all season and I love change so very much when it comes to rooms. So the sofa is now in front of the fireplace. (Mind you, my fireplace does not have a grand, huge mantel that would look silly. My fireplace is very quaint and simple and thus now just makes an interesting backdrop to my couch. Brought out an area rug, moved around the bookcases, tables, vignettes. Stocked new tables with plants and decorative objects. And vacuumed everything. Voile! Looks great. It looks big too. (And all the cats are confused!) You can now watch the TV without straining your neck, and, more importantly, from any seat in the house you can see out the living room picture window. Wahoo! Next on the list to do? Need a new curtain rod for that window (I have never liked how my tab curtains look) and then some creativity in the kitchen. Some touch up painting is required, and it needs to look cuter. Once it warms up again I'll be working on the outside trim, painting. I must, certainly must!, replace the front porch light. It is old, and aged, and hard to change the bulb. Ugly! So I will find a pretty one that shines just the right amount of light. And then new house numbers too. It will be devine! Keep in mind, my property is a rental. So why all the work? Because, for one, it's fun (and not at my expense). And secondly, because of an old line from a book that I always held tight to. The idea is that most people, knowing that they will not be permanently at a residence don't paint trim, don't settle in, and never plant trees. And then many years later, they realize, to their chagrin, that if they had planted trees, they would now have shade. Ya never know how long you'll be where you're at, and you should never wait till every thing's "perfect" to plant your trees. (Both literally, and quite figurateively.) I am making my home beautiful right now, because that's where I am, right now. And it doesn't matter for how long. Life is short, and I will beautify this chapter of my life as best I can. I will never regret "not planting trees."