Working on a room of my own here at the house'o'the'burbs. Cleaning and boxing-up the remnants of my step-son's childhood/teen-years, he who has lived in Boston for the past four years. Every year when he comes home for Christmas I kindly ask him to clean the room out, and last year he made a small stack of books and board games with a note: "Please send these to B." Well. Didn't even make a dent.
So last weekend I armored-up against dust and teen-boy-detritus and went at it Full Court Press. He said he didn't want anything, and I conceivably could've just swept through with garbage bags or Goodwill boxes and have been done with it, but it just didn't seem right. Instead I put on my Good Mother badge and went through everything. Everything.
Sorted, rescued, plucked. Photos of him and his mom. Signed baseball cards. Childhood books which showed the signs of obvious affection and many-reads. Saved and packed-up for storage. I figure, he may open his eyes some morning at age 53 and wonder where that Nolan Ryan baseball card ever ended up, and then he'll remember that box of stuff. Maybe. Maybe not. But it just didn't seem right to get rid of everything. So.
Now the fun part begins. Or, that is, after I paint the walls, and I loathe painting walls. (Hmm...maybe there are some manuscripts I have to work on....hmmm....) But then I get to make it mine. I can spread out my papers and pastels and dictionaries and scissors and glue and postcards and photos and fabric and have at it. Not sure yet what it is, but I intend to find out.
It's high time.
Every house should have a HUGE loft. As our requirements change, the loft fills. Simple!
ReplyDeleteyes!
ReplyDeleteNever had a room of my own. Seriously. Even I think that's weird.
ReplyDeleteYou go, girl. VW would be delighted or you, and so am I.
ReplyDeletewhen you find out, let me know.
ReplyDeletevery kind of you to pick through things and save some. He will appreciate this very much at age 53!! The things my mother saved for me are now my treasures. You have done right by him.
ReplyDeleteNow you get to do right by yourself. I have a 'room of my own' that I have not properly inhabited....it's my office and it's mostly set up but I rarely enter. I figure when it's time, I will.
Good luck on yours! What color(s) are you going to paint it?!?!? How about a big Ireland landscape a la pastel on one wall?
Oh, T, I'm so excited for you! When you get into your snuggery, in a room you made, with your colors, your music, all your art stuff and manuscripts, you will think you died and went to Heaven! You'll wonder how you ever lived and worked and wrote and painted before this. You will have such wings!
ReplyDeleteAnd it may even be that, occasionally, you turn into Cerberus to guard your precious door!
Have a blast!
Melissa
Hi T - a great big excited 'yes' to you and your own room. Another 'yes' to the care you took with your step son's treasures.
ReplyDeleteI remember gasping at the size of a prospective studio when looking at it with an olden-day landlord and him turning to me and saying 'What? You must know you'll make work to fill this space?' He wast right. I did. And you will, too. First one needs the space. All else comes to meet us there.
I agree with Melissa and her suggestion that you may occasionally turn into Cerberus. He was tough but look how we still stand in awe of him?!
Happy Birthday, too, T.
Love, Claire x
Keep your eye on the prize and you'll have that room done in no time at all! And Happy Birthday and wishes for a wonderful year ahead!! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteGetting rid of things is a joy in itself, but it's good to go through carefully for the treasures in there. Happy Birthday! sp
ReplyDeleteYou are awarded the Good StepMom Prize of the Year.
ReplyDeleteHe may have a child of his own, sometime, with whom he'd like to share at least some of these things.
He's going to bless you for a thousand years at some point. Of course, he should do it NOW, but, well, we know how these things go.
Also, sweetie, K sez it waz ur birthday, so happy birthday!
Love, C.
Cro, I'm thinking perhaps you need to hire me to clean out that loft??!!
ReplyDeleteJacqueline: it's time.
ReplyDeleteLillyanne, I like to think she would be!
ReplyDeleteBlase, will do. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteTara, the Ireland landscape isn't a bad idea, except that I work in very small postcard-sized formats. But now you've got me thinking....I'll let you know what turns up.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I'm guarding that door already! Ha! Mine mine mine!
ReplyDeleteClaire, from what I've seen on your blog, your studio looks pretty darn fabulous...
ReplyDelete"All else comes to meet us there."
I might just have to make a sign with these words on it to hang in there.
Thank-you, dear!
Marguerite, thank you for the birthday wishes. Going out tomorrow with my son for French/Southern- (American) food.
ReplyDeletesussah, yes, there is something so freeing in clearing spaces, letting things go. Easier, perhaps, if they're not ones own things!
ReplyDeleteDear Foxessa, you are making me cry and it's my birthday! (All good stuff, all in all.)
ReplyDeleteYay for you! A room of your own and you went through everything...
ReplyDelete(I'm still putting some of those projects off.)
Cheers to you on your birthday, and I thought of you when I was peeling apples.