Knotty Pine, How I Love Thee: Ruminations on Friends, Rest and Relaxation

24. Aug, 2008 0 Comments

Is there anything better than knotty pine? The look is positively retro, and while living with it might drive me . . . knutty, I am so very nostalgiac for the rustic look after spending my weekend with friends whose family owns a home on Lake Michigan in Michigan.

For those of you who haven’t been to Chicago or seen the Great Lake, it truly does feel like an ocean, an endless expanse of blue that’s just as fantastic (and perilous) as an ocean; it’s even influenced by the tides.

Continued . . .

I knew I needed a break, but I didn’t think I had the time. What could two days really accomplish? As it turns out, quite a bit; after two days of:

Lying in the sun
Eating extra crunchy potato chips and ice cream
Finally catching up on the past month’s Economists
Laughing and loving
Taking naps and sleeping late
Feeling the sand between my toes and the sun on my face
Talking about everything but work
Falling asleep listening to waves crashing on the shore*
OK, a little antiquing

I’m completely recharged. Weekends. Rest. How novel.

And speaking of knotty pine, at one point the conversation turned to how fantastic the home, which was built for the family in 1938, would look if we painted the wood paneling, darkened the stain on the floor, painted the kitchen cabinets, etc., etc. (does it ever end?)

But then we realized that there’s no reason to tamper with perfection. My thanks to wonderful friends for a wonderful weekend.

These sandy sandals belong to the greatest and smartest three year old in the world. Don’t believe me? She says things like, “Opposite Bunny is ruining my whole project by being upside down in this container,” and “Well, yes, I am going to school, but not until the fall.” I pray she can find a way to communicate with the other children.

* I have this great idea for a sort of . . . sound machine to help people sleep.

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