I have been painting the house this weekend, it’s sort of a birthday change for the men.  I am wholly decorating impaired as was pointed out to me by some guy I went on a date with when I was in my early 30′s.  He walked into my house, looked around and seeing nothing on the walls promptly informed me that I sucked.

It was not the first time I’d been told I ought to decorate but he was downright mean about it and I had my feelings hurt.

It’s very strange (to me) how people think their priorities should be other people’s priorities but this guy was so cruel when he left I really thought I’d better address this problem. This is when I found out I had no idea how to address the problem.

Decorating was never part of my life in  the desert. It just had no place at all in my life so I was at a complete loss as to where or how to begin.

Now I realize some would have made it their mission to overcome this lack.  I don’t see anything wrong with that but it is not my style. I just don’t like my priorities to be dictated to me, especially by people who are rude and not impressive to me which would cover just about anyone who walked into anyone’s house and complained about it but I was hurt by the remarks and after a day of brainstorming, hung a dress on the wall in the living room as pictured.

I thought it was a good idea but to tell you the truth, I have not had another idea since and it’s been a dozen years so you imagine my pleasure that others are helping me out on my current project.

I painted the living room and the hall over these last days. satori (who has taste) picked the color and it turned out magnificent. I really have never seen a better color on a wall anywhere and now the soldier has decided what will hang over the couch which is the amusing part.

Er… he wants Antony and Cleopatra up there.  ::smiles::

I told him we should have some love on the wall… you know, for the hell of it and this is what he came up with.  I am entirely amused and if you’re not, guess what?  Keep it to yourself.

I have led a Saturnian life of deprivation and I really don’t know any better. It’s snowing today but it was warm last week:

“I’m lying on the picnic table in the yard,” I told the soldier. Many of you know this is my thing to do in the summer. The table is trashed and on an angle.

“Are ya, P? We’re going to have to fix that table.”

“No, we don’t. I like it just like it is. Yeah, I’m lying here in the sun like I did when I was a kid. Henry had a slant board he’d lie on to rest his heart. It was my favorite thing to do – lie on that board and it still is apparently because I never feel better than when I am lying on a board.”

Regarding the painting…

“You want a tragic love story on the wall?” I asked.

“Yeah, but tragedy is comedy too…”

The Soldier and P and going to have Antony and Cleopatra on their wall. Think what you will.