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Archive for June 29th, 2008

I Can be Bought, I Guess

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Sometimes I think I live a simple life. In some ways I do, but I’m an American and I need to admit that “simple” has many definitions. I do tend to keep things a long time once purchased (my last car I had for 14 years and 250,000 miles, for example).

Also, sometimes I buy new things… and even with advance research I don’t necessarily like them when they arrive. In the last several years this has been true for a camera, a cell phone, a PDA (palm device), and a laptop.

Yet I have loved an earlier laptop, a dishwasher (yes, really), a cell phone (actually two), an earlier PDA, even cars. I have done consistently well with cars, anyway.

And this month? Brian and I got a new refrigerator and a new stove. I am smitten. I will never be fully domestic, but I don’t mind being in the kitchen as much, now that I have these gizmos. (Before/After:)

kitchenbefore2.jpg

kitchenafter2.jpg

Our food-prep kitchen area was a bedroom until about 1980. At that time the people living here expanded their existing kitchen from one small cooking area, perhaps with a tiny table, into an eating space. A bedroom across from that area became the cooking space. I’m not wild about the whole setup but it was not my house at that time (notice that there is a window behind the stove, something that befuddles my aesthetic-focused mind). This is where I have to practice saying “I’m not in charge.”

Honestly, given that it was a square space I think they made it work as well as they could. It’s what we have to work with and I am *NOT* one who thinks of construction as a positive option. We’re living with the layout. Let’s face it, any house as old as this (front 3 rooms are turn of the century, back 3 are 1920’s) will just look cobbled in a few places.

In the early 1980’s, appliances were usually almond color (light beige) and sometimes the doors were black glass. Now, I’m one of those people for whom there are never enough lights turned on in the house. Every room is too dark even if it contains a floodlight or ten. This means that almond is too dark for me, it soaks up some of my precious light… and a black door? Never mind keeping it free of fingerprints and drips, it ate light for breakfast.

Without going into details, let us say that both stove and refrigerator were functional but tired, and both were almond colored. I rubbed up against their shortcomings often, but they were not actually broken past repair.

In spite of their “working” status, we decided to make our lives function better and get new appliances. We started thinking that we’d just get a refrigerator. Then when we went to the appliance store, there was one stove that just won my heart. Crazy, but I was smitten (that is the only word which really fits).

stove.jpg

Yes, I love how this stove looks. It is adorable. It’s rounded on the edges and a bit retro or something, a little womanly/curvy perhaps, and I adore it. I am finding out that I love how it works, as well. (When it was delivered, we discovered it even has a convection oven feature/option, so I will have to explore that during roasted-root-vegetable season).

Take a look at the before and after photos. Maybe you can see what I mean. Wow. Happy me.

I see some paint in my future. Pure white walls for light, with turquoise(?) trim. Yup, definitely some paint…

Hullo?

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Hi! I guess I’m slipping a bit, my goal is 28 posts a month and usually I do it, but what a month this has been. It has been good but I’ve kept it all to myself I guess.

Perhaps the most ColorJoy-full activity in a few weeks was the wedding of one of the Habibi Dancers. It was out maybe a half hour beyond the city in a farming area, and the ceremony was held around the front entrance to the farmhouse. Flowers were blooming and it was as beautiful as anything could be.

wedding.jpg

The bride has a sense of style and a sense of humor. The wedding was very much like the couple, full of fun and a bit irreverent, but with class.

The men wore black pants, and white tropical dress shirts such as we saw worn in Mexico (cooler than a suit but more formal than just any shirt). And their feet? Chuck’s: Converse All-Stars in black and white. Sweet.

weddingfeet.jpg

The women wore dresses (one each in rainbow colors) which suited their coloring, shape and personalities. They were barefoot. The little girls wore rainbow-tie-dyed dresses.

weddingwomen.jpg

And the tables? Decorated with cupcakes, flower petals, and at each seat there was a seedling in a pot to take home and plant. It smells a lot like lemon when I rub the leaves, so whatever it is I think I will enjoy it when it’s big enough to harvest and use as an herb.

weddingcupcakes.jpg

Don’t these photos just make you smile? And is this not the most lovely front porch ever, for a wedding ceremony??? It was worth the drive (and I often resist leaving the city). Totally worth it.