Saturday- August 14, 2021

Dear Marion,

  We have been experimenting with new recipes these past two weeks and have not had much success but we have had fun trying, tasting, and sharing. It felt good to push ourselves with new ideas, encouraging us out of our comfort zone. You can have all of your ingredients for a recipe, how you put them together and present it makes all the difference as to whether it’s a crowd-pleaser, flop, or something in between. The heat this week was unbearable for most of us but made easier with your granddaughter’s Lemon Snow Cone or Shaved Ice. It felt like a reward for making it through the heat and it was oh so refreshing.

  How many times did you announce to all of us “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”. The tone of voice matters, it’s the difference between a conversation and one that erupts into an unpleasant exchange, or an unfortunate fight. How the pieces fit together, the design or layout of a room is much the same way. The tone you use is as important as the materials and sometimes even more crucial. 

  In our childhood home, you decorated with a trained eye(even though you did not have formal design training) and you mixed high and low price points. Keeping in mind this was the early 1960s. The bulk of your budget was consciously used on the pieces of furniture. If I remember correctly you purchased inexpensive prints from Two Guys which have long since disappeared but it was a similar price point to a Target with less of an eye for good design. Dad found some inexpensive wood frames and cut them to fit the prints(without glass) so that they looked like paintings. These prints were copies of Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso, Matisse, etc. and much care was then taken as to placement on the wall. The result was a Gallery Style Wall running the length of two stories at the main entrance and could be viewed from the Living Room creating a beautiful setting while teaching your children about some of the masters. Eventually, you created art and invested in some local artist work, one by one replacing the copies. It was a brilliant solution for your budget without compromising good design. 

  As a side note, one of my favorite memories/ideas was your “Gallery”. The Gallery was in the hallway leading to three of the bedrooms and the bathroom used for entertaining. An upper and lower wire was installed the length of one side of the hallway with clothespins to clip and attach while showcasing the artwork created by us- your children. We all took part in changing the art as new art was created to present on the wall. Hmmm, confidence building and working together as a team. Good stuff.

   Summer has presented me with another interesting book, one that your granddaughter picked out as she is itching to travel. This book offered much with a puzzle to solve while crunching on my Lemon Flavored Snow Cone in the comfort of our porch and coveted shade. The author, Alex Landragin entices the reader for “Crossings” from the moment you peruse the Preface. On occasion, I have skipped the intro or preface and that would be a huge mistake with this book in particular as the author clues you into the puzzle. This preface sets the tone for the reader as it introduces the manuscript which may be responsible for a murder. A narrator shares that the manuscript is a combination of three stories that contain an allure and possible history loosely claiming to be one that has been missing creating a veil of mystery. The tone is set right from the preface in that the reader is given a choice to read in the order the book has been bound or to follow the clues and order suggested by the murdered character. Since we have been talking about stepping out of our comfort zone, I have chosen to read in the order of suggestion by the ill-fated character. Travel to Paris, intrigue, puzzles, and more ….what could be better for a summer evening read.

  I love walking and I find it interesting to take in my surroundings while listening to podcasts. Each week I choose something based on my mood, it could be humor, psychology, religion, politics, profession, whatever I choose it sets the tone for my morning or maybe vise versa. Often I just walk fast in my own thoughts, occasionally stopping to take in a particular view ...or chipmunk and the like. This week I stumbled upon a beautiful site- it was a dad sitting on a park bench under a shady tree with a newborn in a stroller and a leash on his wrist with a chillin’ Golden Retriever. The sun had risen about an hour before and the air was as cool as it was going to be for the day. It was almost a spiritual site to see(for me) and one that I didn’t want to intrude. The dad looked up, smiled, and turned back to his family, what a lovely tone for the beginning of my day. Sometimes little things make such a difference and today it was the design of a park bench. I walk past them in parks, schools, cities, and outside storefronts and they set a tone for the neighborhood. They bring communities together, offer a moment to chat with a new friend, rest as a new family, a way to give your feet a rest, and sometimes if you're lucky to hold someone’s hand. Often there is a plaque or message inscribed that gives you a peek into someone else’s memory. The park bench is a beautiful reminder of sharing and helping to set a tone for not only yourself but someone else who may be walking too.

Talk soon,

Forever Yours

Quote:

“I dwell in possibility.”

Emily Dickinson

American Poet

1830-1886