"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" (-Jane Austen)

Don’t you think rooms have personalities?

The room above that I saw in a magazine reminds me of my ex-husband’s Norwegian Great Aunts who lived in Staten Island, NY. The rooms in their home were always filled with furniture, art, music, color and life.

There were originally 11 of them in the family: all of them were working professionals, and for many years, they all lived in that big house, which reflected their varied interests. I was fortunate enough to have known the last 3: they were Helga, Rachel, and Gunhilde. Their last name was Stensland, and their home was known by all of us as "Stenhaven."

Gunhilde was an artist through and through. She painted, gardened with a passion, played piano and sewed. She made beaded, (as well as carved, wooden) window valances in several rooms; she needle-pointed entire couches; and she knitted. Her artwork surrounded you in that house, and her Norwegian rosemaling design covered the front of their kitchen cabinets.

The Aunts had a playful spirit about them. They were competitive Scrabble players, and Rachel, in particular, was never satisfied unless she could score at least 50 points a move, often accomplishing that using a single tile.

I remember delicious meals at their table, and Helga taught me how to make several Norwegian traditional specialties that still make me think of them today. Their furnishings were from Norway, and all three floors of that house were intriguing and beautiful.

I admit that I love to see pretty rooms, but I guess most of all, I really like comfortable rooms that are lived in…

“Whosever room this is should be ashamed!

His underwear is hanging on the lamp.

His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,

And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.

His workbook is wedged in the window,

His sweater’s been thrown on the floor.

His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,

And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.

His books are all jammed in the closet,

His vest has been left in the hall.

A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,

And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!

Donald or Robert or Willie or—

Huh? You say it’s mine? Oh, dear,

I knew it looked familiar.”

(from “Messy Room” by Shel Silverstein)

“All bluebirders must feel like ‘one of the chosen ones’ when we are fortunate enough to have nesting bluebirds on our own property” (-Lillian Lund)

Recently, the bluebirds have been sojourning on our deck and in our yard.

Of course, they’re here year-round, but lately, quite a number of them have been furtively easing onto their favorite perches and I’ve noticed the females, in particular, playing sentry at the bluebird house, keeping watch as if to ensure that no one else has eyes on their digs.

We don’t mind a bit. Their gentle nature and graceful plumage is a delight, no matter what time of year it is. I see it as a good sign that they’re happy, and that they plan on settling in for another beautiful year.

Early Bird

Oh, if you’re a bird, be an early bird

And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.

If you’re a bird, be an early early bird—

But if you’re a worm, sleep late.

(-Shel Silverstein)

"Weird-Bird" (-Shel Silverstein)

Birds are flyin’ south for winter

Here’s the Weird-Bird headin’ North;

Wings a-flappin’, beak a-chatterin’,

Cold head bobbin’ back n’ forth.

He says, “It’s not that I like ice,”

Or freezin’ winds and snowy ground.

It’s just sometimes it’s kind of nice

To be the only bird in town.”

(-Shel Silverstein)