Here are a few snapshots at our flat on this rainy morning:
White linens, a tattered paisley-covered club chair, books inside a Chinese chest, a large jewelry box (with a reflection of our cat Kali in one of the mirrors), a stool covered with an old suzani.
I'm listening to the rain on the roof. It's pouring here! It's a nice day to stay in. I'm in decorating mode and re-reading all my old Dominos. BTW, I heard a rumor last week that the former editor of Domino is in discussions with one of the Huffington Post financiers to start a Dominoesque website. Wouldn't that be divine?
PS: UPDATE on my dog training efforts
I've discovered that pounding two escargot pans together helps stop the barking. I couldn't bring myself to throw around the Calphalon.
I know this little dog looks very innocent in this picture, but she's a fierce beast. How long does it take to housebreak a Pomeranian (never?). And what about the ankle biting?
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Our two cats emerged this week from under the couch...
They immediately took up residence on the windowsills. They seem to be recovering from our move. I am too.
There's only one way to fight these house blues: Decorate. I'm putting most of my rustic pine furniture from the old house on consignment. Tomorrow I'm starting my quest for new things for our new abode!
We learned today from our real estate agent that we have ten offers on our house! Almost all of them are above our asking price. The offers arrived with the loveliest, heartfelt letters. There were so many kind comments about the garden from the sweetest people imaginable.
I spent most of the weekend on the couch with a box of tissues feeling such a profound sense of loss. I was semi-prepared for my layoff. After so many of my dear colleagues had lost their jobs before me, I had vowed to only keep at my desk what could be packed in five minutes. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the realization that we could no longer keep the house.
I am heartened tonight knowing that the house will soon be owned by a family who loves it as much as we do.
Dominique Browning, the former editor of House & Garden, wrote so beautifully in today's New York Times Magazine about her struggle to rebuild her life after Conde Nast closed the magazine in 2007. I've read a lot of layoff stories since I lost my job at the Los Angeles Times in October, but Browning's captures the pain and devastation most eloquently.
She writes: "Just because something failed doesn't mean you're a failure. Just because something has ended doesn't mean it was all a mistake. Just because you've been rejected doesn't mean you're worthless and unlovable."
I know I've been talking a lot these days about my layoff. It's weighting especially heavy on my mind because -- like Browning -- we're selling our house to start anew. This is how it goes: first you lose the job and then you lose the life.
I'm not exactly sure how my new life is going to shake out. It will be different -- and maybe even better.
It's official: our little Tudor style house is on the market.
If anyone out there is looking for a very cute place in Pasadena, maybe this is the house for you.
I would like to write a missive here about my layoff....I'm just going to say this: We spent nearly 12 happy years in this house. I'll miss the roses and the clawfoot tub.
Life goes on...
