The interior remodel of the cottage is nearly complete. Appliances are in. Lights are hung. The paper protecting the floors is gone. There are a few i’s to dot and t’s to cross, but we’re about done. It’s so very exciting! Seeing as we’re so darn close, I’m going to hold off on the pictures […]
I am sad to admit I don’t know much about the history of the Azores, even though I do have a couple books (in English) about them. I have been fascinated, in general, about the influence of the Moors in mainland Portugal. You can see it in the architecture, for sure, but also in the
As I look toward the completion of the interior of the house, I am starting to think about how to handle the exterior—both the hardscaping and the landscaping. There are certain things I really need to do that fall into the “repair” category. These include repair of stucco around the house and re-painting, replacing a
For the last few weeks I’ve been in that uncomfortable limbo—the space between my mom’s home of 40+ years and my weekend getaway. For the last few weeks, the house has stood empty, mostly a construction zone. The garage is packed with everything I haven’t yet given away. In my mind’s eye I can see
Napa Cottage Update Read More »
We moved the last of the furniture and “stuff” out of the house over the weekend, and into the garage. Amazing how much mom could squeeze into a tiny cottage! I finally found a recipient of a majority of the furniture—Habitat for Humanity. I think my mom would be pleased that her furniture will find
Progress…and emptiness Read More »
It’s very trendy now to go minimal. There are blogs and self-help books dedicated to the Church of Minimal Living–just the essentials. It’s aspirational…less clutter in your physical environment can lead to less clutter in your emotional and spiritual life. I admire photos of beautifully curated homes–clean lines, clear surfaces. Then there is reality.
The Power of Things Read More »
This is Holy Week, with Good Friday in a few days then Easter Sunday. I’m preparing to make traditional Portuguese Easter bread, just as I did with mom for so many years. Even though it seems everyone has sworn off carbs and the new evil, I will still distribute it. Years ago I videotaped my
February 5 makes one year that mom died. Like those early weeks, when I could simultaneously and acutely feel both her presence and her absence, that day feels both so distant and so recent at the same time. It’s been a year of trying to find my footing. I have often reflected on the advice
Looking back on a year without mom Read More »
2013 will always be The Year Mom Died. It has been a difficult year, of course, even if it was not as grueling as 2012 when I watched my mom disintegrate before my eyes. I planned this year to be one of recovery and self-care. To a certain degree, that happened. I sleep straight through
This year I will not celebrate the holidays as much as I will *cope* with them. As if the transformation over the last several years of the holiday season becoming one of obligation, expectation and duty weren’t bad enough, this year I am dealing with it without the good humor of my mom. I’ve read
The Dreaded Holidays Read More »