Admittedly, I have been obsessed with my house move.   Everything about my move into my new (but really old) Los Angeles house has been fodder for venting, reflecting, and rejoicing. It’s been trying times. It’s been fun times. It’s been tiring times. We are several weeks into our house yet at times it feels like we have been here for either two years or for just one day.   It all depends on the moment.

Its been fun rediscovering my old items stored away in storage the past year and a half. Its been slightly annoying coming across my boxes of super heavy winter coats while we are in the middle of a major heat wave here in California.  I have yet to fix up the family room in any way, shape, or form. Its just a mish mash of odds and ends. I have three sofas that we need to figure out how we will arrange them in our large family room. I almost just want to form a train chain and let my son jump from couch to couch. Nine year old boys would find that to be a divine living room.   But at some point, I will get my act together and some common sense will prevail. But not in this heat.   Not yet.

One room that is fairly set in terms of decor and arangement is that of the sitting room up front. We hardly spend anytime in that room. Considering that is where my home bar amenities are at, it is a shame I don’t spend more time there. Another thing that is in that room is an accent chair. I may move it to another wall, but for now, it has found itself in a comfortable corner. 

After a long day of running errands and visiting an ill friend, I came home tired and weary. I placed my handbag on the floor and tried to start doing some house chores. I couldn’t motivate myself.

Tired, I went and sat down in this accent chair. It being an “accent” chair, I have never really sat in it despite having owned it for over five years.  Its never been in storage. It has dutifully stood its ground in each house we have been in during the past five years. A sturdy and silent chair.  I sat in the chair and sank into it. I propped my legs up and just sat there for 20 minutes.  I didn’t talk. I didn’t read anything. I didn’t really think about anything. I occasionally looked at my mothers ashes that were directly in my line of sight.  I just stared at them and breathed in and out.

Accent chairs are meant to add a pop of style or embolden a space.   I just never thought of them as sitting and reflecting chairs. But that is what I did today and it felt nice. Such a simple thing as sitting in a chair in a room with no television but lots and lots of books, artwork and memories did embolden my spirit.  It was emboldened by being allowed to relax. Its as if I gave myself a time out.   A well-deserved time out, that is.

End scene. And back to the grind.