Big includes just about anything that involves a crowd, crossing bridges or nights later than 11pm.  Writing that makes me feel old and boring, but I actually think I am just discovering my comfort levels and where I find satisfaction. I can have fun at big events, but many times I do not.  Many times, I spend the time hopping from one person to another that I haven’t seen in a long time and don’t really get the depth of contact that I really enjoy.  It is also pretty likely that if I go to a big event that I will get a cold or flu after or at least need a day of recovery from exhaustion.

Another category that I have struggled with is “new”.  I have also been increasingly feeling like I want more time for the the things that I am already doing rather than inviting new projects all the time.  I do crave new things, but I have begun learning to contain them. I now try to start new things as a short-term project with a specific scope and completion time or projects with built in limits.

So, focusing on work, self-care, music, home and friends has been the order of the day. Especially as it is winter and I am preparing to be a mom again.  Keeping it simple is actually all I can handle.

I have also been working on being under-committed rather than over-committed. I remember my friend Chance being available to help me out on a moment’s notice and that being such a relief so many times.  He said that he was available to help because he actually really didn’t do anything himself, but being available for others IS doing something. I am grateful that I have the stability and availability to be Chance for others.

I put off making any Thanksgiving plans, partly because I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to do.  We had plans with our friend Al- the next day.My family seemed coll with skipping it, but I was invited to my good friends who lives a little over an hour North.  J-and I have been really burnt out and I wasn’t sure about the driving.

Turns out that Al- went into the hospital with sepsis.  She was really scared and I got really scared .  All I really wanted to do is hang out with her and luckily, she needed me to.  So, I got to spend part of Thursday and Friday with her at the hospital and I was so happy to just to chill and have her know that I was in the same room (she slept most of Thursday).  Her partner made an awesome dinner, I helped her eat and then took the rest home to share with J-.

Instead of stressing out on the road and stuffing myself sick, I spent a sweet time with someone that I love and haven’t gotten to see too much lately.  I did miss my other loved ones, but I know I will see them very soon.

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Fireplace Before

The beautiful paneled walls, bricked fireplace and mantel and box beam ceiling of our dining room had been painted over a stark white at some point. While this choice was slightly redeemed by a lovely clay color chosen for the space above the paneling, The primer-like white was never going to feel cozy or warm.

After several years of home-ownership and with many other more dire improvement projects under my belt, I decided it was time to tackle this. I scoured the internet for suggestions specific to the paneling and fireplace, but found very little. Much of what is posted are photos of display homes of famous architects of the era.  Luckily, I was able to visit a few homes to get some ideas.

Fireplace after

I went down to Eco Home Improvement and looked at the Yolo color palettes.  The palette that I was considering was most like their Canyon palette, but it was a bit on the red side and the dark brown was a bit too dark.  I did choose Canyon 5 for the bricks, which matched our curtains perfectly and is reminiscent of, well…unfinished brick…  For the light trim pieces, I decided to go with Stone 1, which was clearly a contrast with the rich dark colors in the rest of the room, but much warmer, richer and darker than the white that we were moving away from.

The brown was not a Yolo color, but a custom color called “Raisin”.  It was the color that I was and am the least sure of.  It brings a business to the room that I am not thrilled with, but I really liked the idea of  paying tribute to the beautiful dark wood underneath the paint.

And no, I don’t expect that white trim around the door frame to last. Actually, I hope that eliminating that will be the final touch that gives the room the cohesiveness that it needs. And then on to the box beam ceiling, which I am excited about asthetically, but dreading because of the difficulty on the neck and shuolders that I imagine with painting detail on a ceiling.  How did Michael Angelo do it?

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