Down to the Beach

After weeks of remodeling and tired of the effort, we drove over to the beach this afternoon on one of the first sunny days we've experienced this spring.  It was divine.  We were not alone.  From elders to infants, everyone wanted a moment in the sun.  Ours was a mission; the collection of rocks to paint in a craft rendezvous scheduled for the upcoming week.  But the moment our feet touched the sand, mind, body and soul were enveloped by the surroundings.

There were plenty of rocks to collect, in every size, shape and color one could desire.  We both quickly filled our jacket pockets with a variety.  Then my camera demanded attention and my "artist eye" photographed a hundred things I would aspire to paint later in soft pastel shades of watercolor.

The sounds of the sea acknowledged how the fine, soft, rounded edges of the rocks have evolved.  With each draw of the water back to the sea, the rocks clatter and thump along the sand.  It was a mesmerizing sound resembling soft, spa music.    











A seal floated by, curious about all of the people and gulls inhabiting his stretch of the beach. Then, more beguiled by the possibility of food, his head disappeared beneath the soft swells of the saltwater.  Evidence of his eating preferences could be found perhaps in the empty crab shells sprinkled sporadically in the sand along my path.

Footprints of the gulls seemed to hint of their search for morsels of food as well. This communal place sings to all of us I presume.  Like the children running down to the water's edge, we all are drawn to this place.  And like children, all I want to do is linger and play.

The Before and The After

When you watch the "Flip or Flop" and "Property Brothers" shows, or Chip and Jo describing "Fixer Upper" in Waco, Texas, remodeling seems like something anyone could do in two or three days (well, maybe in a few weeks.)  I have a distinct appreciation now for the meaning of seven weeks usually claimed by the property brothers.  That's how long it took us to remodel our kitchen/living room.  I can only imagine the time it would take for us to do a whole house, but then we've been here just over a year and it is coming together very nicely.  The satisfaction of doing a great deal of it ourselves have put down long roots in the commitment to this home.

Twelve months ago we painted the kitchen cabinet doors and interiors and called it good for a year.  The dire condition of the kitchen sink was a powerful spur to action.  It was leaking around its edges and threatening to literally begin the demo itself on its own.  And so we began...

First we papered and painted the living room walls with a special wallpaper specifically made to cover paneling.  This delightful product was true to its word and the walls suddenly looked like painted wallboard.  The newly painted ceiling sang to us, as light seemed to reflect around the room in abundance.  The dark cave had been defeated.

From there, we tore up the old carpeting and dragged it out the door to the pickup.  The carpet, with its evidence of prior furry residents of this home, made the trip to the dump.  That alone was worth the effort.  Now we were to begin the challenge of something we had never done before-the installation of Pergo laminate flooring.  To our delight, the assurances of the Home Depot flooring salesman were true, "My eleven year-old son could install it!"  The beauty of the new flooring was astounding as we worked our way across the room.

Now, one would think from watching the remodeling shows that demo is easy.  Nope!  It is hard work.  Especially if you wish to preserve any portion of the structure you are pulling down.  This is the stuff of aching muscles, bones and joints.  But, soon that too was behind us with two more pickup truck loads of debris journeying to the dump.  With electric wires hanging from the ceiling and walls and old pipes jutting down through the old vinyl floor that was embraced by wall studs stripped of their insulation, our home resembled a war zone.  But the worst was over.  The new building could begin.

Day by day the new kitchen revealed itself as we finished the Pergo flooring throughout and others took over the plumbing, electrical work and cabinet installation.  Finally, we were there.  Walking through these rooms now gives us the feeling we are in a completely different home.  It is remarkable.

 

Seattle Art Museum

As part of a watercolor class I took at the local college over the winter semester, I joined a group of my classmates today for an excursion to the Seattle Art Museum, also known as "SAM", to view the Paul G. Allen Family Collection of Landscape Masterworks.

Yes, one of the founders of Microsoft has been generous enough to share his private collection with us-the public.  After this exhibition ends on April 23rd, the works will return to Mr. Allen's personal collection.  I can only imagine what he has invested to own these paintings.  Even further, I cannot grasp what it could mean to have them hanging on my own personal walls to enjoy whenever I desired, as does he.  But gratefully, Mr. Allen has given the rest of us an opportunity to experience these works of art at least once in our lifetime here at SAM on this glorious day.

How lucky to have this opportunity!  Awe inspiring to the point of evoking a true emotional reaction  while standing in front of them, seeing these original masterworks is an experience almost beyond description.  I have never previously viewed the original works of most famous artists, including Georgia O'Keefe, Claude Monet and Gustav Klimt to name just three of the many masters we saw.  Their paintings take you beyond words, and I can easily see why the world is mesmerized by their works. 

We could have spent hours beyond what we had available to us on this day.  During our visit, we enjoyed a tour given by one of the museum docents, who provided us with wonderful descriptions of each work of art, as well as enlightening us with what the artist meant to convey beyond the actual image he or she created.  Further exploration found us admiring items in a phenomenal gift shop, followed by a yummy lunch we all enjoyed together in the museum's restaurant.

The museum is also stunning in other ways.  Within the main lobby, there is a giant replication of an actual tree created from tiny pieces of wood glued together to recreate the actual outline of a once living tree.  The trunk and branches represent the size, growth pattern and shape of the real tree.  Seeing the tree horizontally above you along the length of the lobby imparts a realization of the height and majesty these living plants are capable of achieving-a perception that one cannot realize as well looking up vertically while standing at the base of a tree in real life.

Nothing prepares you for unexpected adventures that turn into a dream experience.  But taking the time and garnering the courage to try something new, miles away from home, was well worth the effort.  Museums are to be commended for what they give all of us and I am grateful for them.