A Different Kind of Remodel

6/13/07

Now that I’ve finally gotten over the fact that I’m no longer in France, I’m really enjoying my last weeks of sabbatical. My garden plot in my neighborhood community garden is beginning to show signs of the upcoming abundance: tiny green pearl clusters are forming on my grape vines, the peppers and tomatoes are flowering, and the beets are showing their little red-veined leaves. The early daisies have already finished blooming, but the Shasta’s are budding, the pink yarrow is a blaze of cool color, and the sundrops are a cluster of yellow sunshine. Here’s a photo from a month ago, when the clematis was blooming on the fence.


I’m steadily getting “summer chores” done—I renewed my drivers license yesterday, enduring the legendary long lines in un-airconditioned splendor. One of my favorite things about being back but still not working is that I have very few calendar commitments, so when my friend A e-mailed about having lunch yesterday and my friend R called me last night and offered free tickets to the National Tour of the musical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” I was able to say “sure, I can go.” Creating a routine that could change at any moment for something fun or unusual is one way I'm keeping a “vacation spirit” in my life.

Soon my condo will be a sea of displaced furniture and kitchen stuff-- over the next few weeks I’m having my dining room and kitchen painted. I wanted to do a major remodel, but decided to get new appliances and paint now, and do the tile, floor, and counter tops later, when I can find a contractor that isn’t booked up with summer projects. I can’t tell you how excited I am for the change. The current kitchen is circa 1978, and although it was decorated tastefully, I can’t wait to make it mine.

Last Sunday I hosted my women’s memoir group to an al fresco dinner under the apple tree behind my condo. I’ve known this group of women for several years now; most of them are "real" writers in that they've published books, poems, and articles in major journals. I am humbled that they include me in their midst. Normally we choose a topic to write upon and read our essays while sipping wine and eating cheese and crackers. On Sunday we got together to catch up on our adventures. I grilled shish-ka-bobs and veggies, and the others brought scrumptious salads with exotic ingredients like papaya. Dessert was brownies and strawberry-rhubarb tart. It was truly a luscious evening, and we all felt like fairy queens under the nurturing branches of the apple tree.

The thing I miss most from Malérargues is the community and the companionship of the wonderful people who live and work there. I came back to Cleveland determined to create more community for myself here, and these last few weeks have been an experiment making old friendships new. A different kind of remodel, if you will. I hope I can come out of it shiney-new and ready to keep the remodel spirit when I go back to work.