visual companions, part 2 of 2

post #315
        Back again, with several more views of my recently reassembled visual support companions in this sweet new home place. I ended last time with the B&W photo of the stairs at Wells Cathedral, in England, saying that this week I would show the placement of the piece as part of the stairwell where it now hangs. I call the next two photos "information images", i.e. not necessarily fine art, though any camera time for me is part of the whole effort.

going upstairs (I left the step ladder up for space awareness.)

headed downstairs

     Then, in what I am calling "the book room/guest room" are two artworks by friends. The poster is from an early exhibit John Flavell had here in Morehead.  The second, an oil painting by John Folinsbee (whom we called Jack), was a wedding present to my parents by the father of one of my mother's college roommates. He happens to be a well known member of a group of impressionist artists working in the Bucks County area of Pennsylvania in the early and mid 1900s.

in the book room, on the west wall

view from the book room, looking west

Living art -- looking south through the fern I fuss over every summer so that it can last through the winter in time to go back outside.... The orginal plant was passed on to me when a neighbor moved, years ago, and it amazes me that I still have the pleasure of its loveliness -- and its memories of Ronnia and her family!

       Another friend -- this one an Appalachian icon -- is author and poet James Still, whom many of us revere and miss. I have had the photo of his house for a long time; the signed poem was a kindness from Clara Potter Keyes, who is also greatly missed. It is the first time I have had a place to hang the two pieces side by side:

James Still's poem: Those I Want in Heaven with Me / Should There be Such a Place

a shelf of journals, mostly spiral bound, my sanity self....

a beautiful Vietnamese present to my mother from Tuyet, a long time extended family member

      I will probably be the only one who finds this last photo beautiful! These are EMPTY boxes, some of them having been filled more than once as the transfer from "the farm" to "the Gallery" continues.  (By Christmas the box part of moving will be completely OVER and DONE.) Anybody need some boxes??? Lovely as they are, their potential as scupture is, I suspect, fairly limited. However, if I continue to leave them in my Gallery section, maybe they will take on a life of their own.... (Just kidding!!)

        Again, I hope everyone has a few visual companions which can add a precious and grounding dimension to daily life. I am grateful for a warm, dry place to live, but also I am honored by what is on my walls and by what I see through my windows.

in honor of this home I'm leaving next week, part 2 of 2

post #308
       Today is my last full day on my own in this house, after 42 years of lots of our comings and goings and our company coming and coming back and goats and chickens and seasons and changes in the house and hard work by both my ex-husband and myself.  There are stories galore. And this tradition will continue now that my daughter and her husband and their kids will begin living here. These 90 acres of land are healthier for our having lived so fully until now, and it makes a difference to me that this stewardship is being passed on and that I will be able to live nearby. 
        I continue to be in awe that I or any human being can own trees -- we are so dependent on them for the very air we breathe and for their beauty and strength. They should not to be taken for granted in any way.  This hilly farm is not "worth" a lot, but in my mind and heart it has been a treasure to know and always will be.

       Anyway, enough sentiment for now, here are the other dozen photos I'm sharing at this point in time, for fun, and in honor of these many years together:

two upstairs file cabinets and a mirror, and books (dear friends). The grey one is staying, the brown file drawer is going with me.

photo by John Flavell, French translation of a picture book by George Ella Lyon. A former window behind the book now connects the kitchen and the living room.

the shelf of books ABOUT - trees, flowers, the stars, etc., They not being moved at this time.

I have no idea if this cactus is going to be moved!  I hear it's worth about $100 by now, but it seems so happy there, surrounded by toys from cousin camp. Plus it's very hard to move.  Stay tuned.  Anyone nearby want a healthy cactus, to pick up yourself?

Granddaughter artwork graces world issues of personal concern.

Other honored work. The law reviews are from the year when E was the editor.

a door frame from the kitchen to the living room addition, with a warning: low door frame, tall (!) family members

the downstairs file cabinet, to be moved out of T's room on the day a week from now when 9 pieces of furniture, etc., will all be moved from this house to my new dwelling (which is currently my Gallery.)

friends of T's, waiting eagerly for her return from their extended road trip

another view from My Chair in the corner of the kitchen - (see earlier post) - way across to the front door, opened "reflectively" on this warm day

grand-dog wanting to come in, and I can't hide because I am sitting close to this other door

 next to My Chair.

Actually, I am strongly of the opinion that blue is hot, and red totally out to lunch.... but these markers have been adhered to this bathtub since the Nixon presidency went down the drain....

Just in case we'd forget the truth of Mother Jones from over 100 years ago!... The wall this hangs on shows the original inside wall of this house, built during WWII.  There are no interior spaces behind the wall, so the pipes we added when we hooked up to indoor plumbing became part of what is seen. I guess it could be called pioneer design. However, we wanted to show a bit of how the house had originally been built.

waiting for the laundry mavens to return

Believe it or not, this bookshelf shows progress! Mostly cookbooks are left, and the bird books, and the growing a garden ones.  Honest!  We have still to decide which ones stay with the house.

One last bit -- the desk I used as a child, currently in the room T. is using until I actually move out, which is going with me.  I guess I wanted to be sure my younger sisters didn't mess with my desk, so I decided to add my name?  I don't remember doing it, BUT I remember why I might have wanted to do it.  Ironically, due to timing, I ended up in Kentucky with two similar desks! The other one will be staying here in the house for T. to use in whatever room she ends up in once I have moved out.  (I have been house sitting my own house and dog sitting while my daughter and family have been on a long drive around the USA before starting their new life here.) The drawers on both desks work well for being so old..... just like me!  Go figure!

        In honor of my move, I am going to take next week off from this weekly blog, to concentrate instead on keeping my sense of humor in good working order, which between the move and the election will need all the TLC it can get.  This is the least I can do to show my deep appreciation for the help of friends and family at this time.  
       So I'll be back on Hallowe'en, MOVED. 

grateful for how art makes a transition feel more real

post #307
        My reality this month is that I am moving out of a house where I have lived for 42 years.  My daughter and her family will be taking over the place, so I am not having to leave it entirely! I am moving to my Gallery, nearby. But I do have to downsize, always good but also always tricky.
       Since this task does include some life review, in addition to my journal I am trying to make time to take some photos as I tackle various tasks. Though I don't have time to do my best work, I thought I would just share some of what I am seeing while I make this effort.
 

This is where I am sitting while putting this blog post together.  The next photo shows what this corner will look like once my daughter and her family make this place their home the end of the month. The couch is theirs; it moved here in July. They have been busy exploring the USA before taking up new jobs and such. I do get to have their dog during their trip (photo to come.)

chuckle! chuckle!

Here's another chuckle! This New Yorker cartoon has always been a favorite of mine.

 

upstairs window, looking south

same room, looking west through the black walnut tree -- this week

current display on the bulletin board halfway down the stairs

view looking southeast from my desk, through a window downstairs

looking east from the desk

a favorite view out the north door, of our hay field (which long ago was a tobacco field)

things found while sorting drawers and boxes.... from kindergarten (E)

      I am having all together too much fun doing this post, when I might be better served doing some actual moving preparation, so I am going to stop here for today.  I will try to wait until next Sunday to add some more. I sure hope I will also be able to report progress.