Rich

A good day, and now that the dark is falling, I am weary. Today, its a good weary – having been busy from morning til night and now this body says, time to sleep, rest, and renew for tomorrow.

I’ll admit, I started out a little grumpy – I had made a commitment to visit a church this morning, and I wanted to sleep in a little more, take a little more of my time. As I walked over to the cafe for some coffee, I passed by two of our special needs guys … one going uphill with his groceries, the other going downhill for a swift walk. They greeted me, and that put a smile on my face – but oh, to hear them greet one another – the conversation was entirely nonsensical to my logical mind – but they were joyfully saying hello and sharing their experiences with one another. How could I remain grumpy under those circumstances?!

After the church service, which was both thought-provoking and affirming, I headed over to my drum class with Michael and that was SO fabulous. I really have to find myself a drum. We play for an hour and the time flies so quickly – I love the way that I’m picking it up so quickly and that there’s a more advanced student in the class so I can see where I’ll be headed. We’re going to practice together when Michael is away visiting his family in Virginia.

As soon as I got home, the phone rang, and my friend Bryan had a few minutes to deliver the prayer box sculpture that we’re bartering for. I want to watch it for a few days before taking a photo – its an extraordinary piece of work. It might be seven feet tall, simple, elegant, highly evocative. It sits perfectly where I had planned to put it and its like having company – I’ve not had a piece of artwork that had its own presence in quite a few years, and this one, I think, will be less aggressive. Long story – I might tell it one day.

I spent the rest of the day running around, doing errands, chatting with friends over at the cafe, (sneaking a Taco Bell treat… shhhhh), and sweeping and mopping MoFAB. Rose asked me this evening while we IM’d a bit before my dinner if I ‘liked’ doing it. I do. I like creating order out of mess. I love the building. And – its about two hours on Sat and Sun where I get a pretty good workout. I get sweaty and dirty, and walk out having accomplished something more than just leaving perspiration on a workout bench.

So here I am – sharing a few thoughts at the end of a deeply satisfying day. I’ve been remembering how I used to visit Jan and David’s home in South Egremont and how I loved all the artwork they had exhibited all through the house. I loved the stories that they could share about each piece. And I wished that I could have a home like that. And here I am, in my tiny and spacious apartment – with a few select pieces of art – a watercolor by Jan, a print from Nancy Earle, a sand painting from a cross country trip with Rose’s dad back in 1985, a delicate vase from my mother’s trip to Israel, a wooden box from Sandy, and now – this rich and evocative piece of work from Bryan.

I love seeing the way that so much of what I’ve wished for over the years has been coming true for me in the past six months. I love sitting here looking at – not just the art itself – but into and through the art into the back story of what each particular piece means to me. My very favorite piece of art, though, sits on the window sill looking out onto the East Ridge. Its a tiny little pot that has a sad face with a tear drop – Rose made it for me when she was in elementary school and it also is a rich and evocative little piece in itself, and has a beautiful back story for me.