I've never tried stenciling before, and had some serious reservations. But when I finished this project (all around my New Mexico kitchen ceiling), I was ready to start on the bedroom. Not exactly easy for somebody as impatient as I am, but fun and satisfying. I love the way it looks--good Southwestern colors, perfect with the log rafters and pine ceiling. For a log house (notoriously dark inside), this one has plenty of strong western light, especially in the afternoon. Sometimes too strong, which is why I invested in wooden blinds for all the windows. Turned out to be the right choice.
I promised to tell you about my new writing project: a journal of my sixty-ninth year (just begun), titled An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days. It won't be like this blog, but I'm sure that some of the themes will overlap. I have long been an admirer of May Sarton's journals, and those of Anais Nin and Ann Morrow Lindbergh--so I'm eager to try my hand at the form. I've been making entries for January, thinking of topics I want to explore, all of that pre-book kind of stuff, which I dearly love. It's sort of like cleaning off your desk and stacking all the papers in order before you tackle something new. I'll be working on this project alongside the two others lined up for the year: another Beatrix (The Tale of Applebeck Orchard, which I hope to finish by the end of summer) and China #18 (not titled yet). It feels good to be working on another personal writing project.
Got some challenging news a couple of days ago. Zach, our 14-year-old Lab, has Cushing's disease. More tests next week to determine the cause/treatment, and in the meantime, he needs to go out to pee every couple of hours, nights included. When this first began (in NM, right after Christmas), I was first annoyed at the bed-wetting. Now that I understand, it's easier to overlook the minor damage and inconvenience. Still, it's a challenge. This morning at two a.m. it was 24 degrees. A lesson in patience.
Reading note. Any idea, person, or object can be a mirror.--Hyemeyohsts Storm