Monday, Monday...

I have to admit, in spite of the bad rep that Mondays sometimes get, I enjoyed and was very productive on this Monday. I finished writing all the Vendome copy (yes!) and sent it off to the client for a preliminary read, and finally got the American Express parameters delivered for the catalog. Yes, this is my "other life" that I live, that has everything to do with advertising and graphic design. You've all seen the positive effects it can have on how I market the "other" business I am involved in, so I guess it all pays off and balances out in the long run.

On another front, the first day of Fall! Oh, how enamored am I of those words, and can hardly wait until they are translated into cooler temperatures...although I despair of ever wearing layers again. My sweaters have languished in the two bottom drawers of my dresser for the past 24 months, hoping for a respite from the menopausal nightmare that challenges everyday living, for me and so many others.

I shall, reluctantly, and very tardily, remove my display of shells and matte white pottery from the mantel, and cast about for some fall leaves and branches to place there instead. I must make a welcoming place for Fall to come into my life, or it might overlook me, as needy as I might be for crisp temperatures that warrant stacking some well-seasoned wood in the fireplace, even if it means opening all the sash French doors in our little cottage to justify it!

Nathalie and I are going to clean the wool carpets and place them upstairs and down....she has claimed one for her bedroom (lately my studio), where we have recently laid slate down for the floor. She will be needing some warming in that room this winter, where our very seasonal house cools down drastically, built down-the-hill as it is. Hot upstairs in the summer, and cold downstairs in the winter are the downsides of our life.

On the other hand, we escape downstairs in the summertime, where the breeze comes up the hill, charges in the back door and up the stairwell like some sort of air conditioning on amphetamines; winter months, upstairs is the place to be, where warm air and conviviality congregate in the living room, dining room and kitchen. One thing is always guaranteed in our house...the smell of food percolating, courtesy of Alain's constant curiosity about recipes, ingredients, and the results! If nothing else, we are well fed and loved!

We are contemplating the paint colors for the diningroom and livingroom...mostly settled, but still to be done. Still hoping to make it happen before the end of the year, but no guarantees. Don't be surprised if you come over and see it still in patches and swatches. But, the fire will be lit, the mantel laden and your glass will be full. All else can be forgiven if the sentiments be true and the company good.

Happy autumnal equinox!