Friday, July 29, 2011

Do over, getting on with it, letting stuff go

Just a little update ... well, not to say that I haven't actually been blogging.  I have. I just haven't felt like sharing outloud.  Having the desire to write and the urge to put it out there come from two entirely different places.  I guess the superstars of blogging, which I am most obviously not, have the consistent urge to do both.

BUT, I at least did want to POST once more before the month is over to say unequivocally "NO, I have not  forgotten or even ignored my blog or you or whatever".  I have thought about posting what I consider to be relatively interesting thoughts, experiences and pictures, but was feeling a little reclusive.   A touch possessive of my life.  Hell ya might even say, snobbish. AND, in truth, the month of July has been a little overwhelming.  We had THREE guests here - in a row.  Four days, six days and five days. 

After the extra toothbrushes left, I sort-of had to recover my space.  I have been on a reorganizing and decorating bender.  A superior blogger would have captured each room in gorgeous lighting as each space evolved to something suitable for Apartment Therapy.  I have a few shots though and so when it is all said and done, I might be able to make some sort of a montage.  But I can assure you, this gray weather (city of light MY ASS!) the lighting will be hideous.  But here is one before/after of Sabine's room as it is now called.  More to come.




So, beyond just wanting to repaint the living room (after more than two years of living with this stark white room), I am blabbing on about it endlessly to Hicham to convince him that this needs to happen and soon.   Sometimes, (a hem) I have ideas that come and go, but when I continue to be charged up for a sustainable amount of time, he will get behind it.  Thing is, painting is a hassle and painting a rental apartment that has to be repainted again before leaving is a fool's errand.  Thing is though, I have always embraced the title of the fool with glee.  Hell, I painted the bedroom red and orange, the bathroom vanilla (though unfortunately it is more yellow than creamy white).  So what why not go whole hog and just keep going? Sage green?  Mauve? Taupe?  Oh we shall see.

We are also slowly but surely ridding ourselves of furniture that Hicham's family generously gave us before I got here.  So, of course, because it was here and we didn't have any money (renting apartments in France is cost prohibitively high), we just used it.  Then became complacent as it worked, even if it was sort-of ugly.   This would also be the time to pontificate on how obtaining furniture is (of course) more complicated in France.  Note, I didn't say more difficult, I said more complicated.  I guess that should be a given since my French abilities make even the most mundane thing often times mind bogglingly complicated.  But, I am not going to.  I won't also now enumerate on how French standards of time or service or enthusiasm levels often clash with the American in me.  I just don't feel like it.  (See, I am becoming French).

But I will say, that I have been giving away stuff stuff stuff.  Even stuff I like and want to keep, but know that making a less cluttered environment will be good for us all.  That philosophy is keeping the momentum going.  Two solid oak wooden chairs, free and gone.  One solid wood Ryder toddler bike, free and gone.  One red, velvet gorgeous red sofa, 100 euros and gone.  lamps, clothes, toys, desks, books, linens, gone gone gone.  I am not at the minimalist living stage yet, but closer to never asking, "Do you know where my ____is?" ever again. 

Finally, I have been nurturing some local friendships.  For a while there, after watching cool friends come and go (y'all know who you are), I took a bit of a friendship making hiatus.  Recently though, I have been hanging out with other "lifer mamas".  These are women who fit a similar profile to me: English speaking ex-pat married to a Frenchie with a toddler.  Of course, one is leading the pack by being pregnant with baby number two.  And you know what they say about pregnancy: it is an epidemic.  That is not to say that a few of my friends have no children or more than two already (y'all know who you are too).


Oh yeah, and speaking of being a mom.  Yeah, I fucking love it.  Sabine is awesome.  More on that next time.

on the bus.

Sabine!


1 comment:

Unknown said...

My god that child is gorgeous. Her smile just makes me happy to be alive. :-)