Fluffing

It is a nice day when Sam and I are just puttering-- no big tasks to do and nothing on the schedule but hometime. I was so very productive yesterday, on a family project for my father-in-law, and laundry and menu planning, and tomorrow is for bread baking and cleaning. But in the middle, a sunny Tuesday that began with a cool breeze. We ventured out to water our plants and all our baby shrubs. I considered a spot for my Mother's Day rose, and Sam found a new rock for he and his brother's growing pile in the carport.

When we came inside, I decided the time had come to change the mantel. It was all green and golden pottery and candles, with my huge rusty metal star over it, and I'd been very happy with it when I arranged it in January. But it began to look tired and stuffy and wintry, and made the whole family room look that way. (I should really add, that it looked that way to me-- John was content and the boys oblivious.) What I would really like are new cream slipcovers for the furniture, painted walls, and about fifty bucks worth of fresh flowers. But no driving + no cash = my favorite sport: moving all my accessories around.

We had the fabulous mirror from a clearance sale at Hobby Lobby, and I gathered the shells from the closet, and the candles, and the cake stand and birdcage from other locations. (thus the inevitable domino effect-- I was fluffing for two hours) Sam was my chief encourager, and it was fun. And now I look over at the end of the family room, at my one decorate-able surface in this den of books and toys and roughhousing and television and life, and it feels like May. Not a bad trick for a Tuesday!