About Me

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Recent retiree--35 year's experience teaching reading, English, adult basic education and volunteer leadership skills. Started this blog to exchange ideas and commentary with friends and others having an interest in joining the discussions. Greatest life accomplishments include: 1.organized my 3rd grade class to check out library books for me to get around librarian's weekly limit--Amazon.com, the Mullins Elementary 3rd Grade Class of 1956 is still waiting for "thank you" notes; 2. volunteered in the Peace Corps, island of St. Kitts, West Indies; 3.taught adults to read, earn their GEDs., and speak English as a second language; 4. bought a border collie puppy for $6, got evicted rather than give him up, and began a life-long love affair with all things "Dog"; 5. joined a physical fitness boot camp in my mid-50s--don't mess with someone who's been doing regulation pushups in wet grass at 5:30 a.m.; 6. walked across Northern England with best friend Sally--over 80 miles from the Irish to North Seas; and 7. travelled to many foreign countries for pleasure and work.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Bedside Table Tales

(Aoj, host of this week's Fun Monday, over at Aoj and the Lurchers maintains that she, like her friend's mother, is not nosy, just interested in people. Huhm-m-m. . .very interested I'd say because she wants to see our bedside table--what's on it, under it, and even what's in the drawers!)


This tale is not a satisfying one because what I have is not what I want. My bedside table is a throwback to 30 years ago when the home decorating style was to purchase a "set" (that's mountain lingo for "suite" for the uninitiated) of matchy-matchy furniture for each room--bedroom, living, kitchen. What you ended up with was a boring, unwelcoming space. That's what I have.

I leave this room in the morning and rarely return until bedtime. Therefore, my bedside table inventory for Aoj is not very inspiring, nor very revealing of who I am. On the table top there's a not very good reading lamp, a box to set the lamp on to give some reading height, an ugly clock radio. But wait, when I opened the drawers I did find a journal in case I woke up in the night wanting to write; a sketchbook for a quick little line drawing; glasses that, judging from the lens size, must be at least 15 years old; and a booklight since you never know when the electricity might go. And, that V-shaped pillow on my bed is perfect for reading.

What I Want--if it were practical to start all over with creating a home, I'd love to go back to my youthful free-living days when home was a one room living space. When I graduated from college, life was very simple and straightforward. My goal was to always be able to pack up my possessions and move wherever my dreams and interests took me. So, I loaded up my anti-establishmint Ford Maverick ( no joking, that was the actual green color name for my car, it was the late 60s after all!) and headed to Florida to teach. I lived in a couple of one-room efficiency apartments there. With each subsequent move in post-college days, I wanted that cozy, pared down living space that you see in this photo. In a couple of places I almost succeeded. What a pleasure to have everything that you love in sight and accessible. Simple living at its best.

By now I suspect you're growing bored with my bedside table tale. So, head on over to Aoj and the Lurchers to see what the other Fun Monday participants are willing to show you.

32 comments:

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

I know what you mean about "matchy-matchy" furniture and your ideal is mine also.....and I sort of have it but I just need to be tidier!!

laurie said...

faye, that is a terrible reading lamp! you're going to ruin your eyes!

get thee to target and get a proper lamp, dear.

i have no advice for the matchy matchy.

Peter said...

To each their own Faye, I definitely need to be able to close a door and hide the mess I leave in my separate rooms, I would be totally lost in your one room environment.
BTW it took only 2 or 3 forgotten Kleenex tissues through the wash to make me a confirmed handkerchief man.

Alison said...

Your pillow looks very interesting!!
We used to have a green ford maverick also!!!

Linda said...

I like matchy matchy - but then I don't think matchy matchy is boring - sometimes you have to work long and hard for a matchy matchy bedroom set. Whereever do you get pillow cases for the v shaped pillow?

Swampwitch said...

Looks pretty cozy to me. Love the v-shaped pillow.
I'm with Laurie...buy a new lamp. Cheaper than new eyes.

ellen b. said...

I so remember the matchy bedroom suites! We do the same thing with one our lamps (put it on a thick book to give it the right height for reading...

Molly said...

You have made some interesting reflections about the matching furniture. My furniture is amalgam of purchased furniture, furniture from my parents, furniture made by my husband's grandfather and furniture from my mother-in-law. The second picture does look light and airy...oh well. I hope that your Monday is good.

Gattina said...

Since I am retired I created my own room besides my bedside table which looks quite boring too, I have besides my bed, armchairs a little table my desk and computer in my room. Here I spend the whole day. I always thought bedrooms are just lost space !

Hootin Anni said...

I like your beside table!!! Very nice. To each their own I say on decorating. I personally find that the more eclectic the more interesting!!!

Happy Fun Monday. I hope you can find time to drop by for a visit today.

Unknown said...

Having been a military spouse, moving every 2 years, we pieced most of our furniture together, crossing our fingers it would all match up eventually. Some of it does, some don't. But I'm comfortable with it, which is what really matters. My home would not make it in BH&G but for the first time in almost 20 years, all my stuff's been in the same place for longer than 2 years. So I'm happy. Ditto with everyone else about the lamp.

Sayre said...

I'm not happy with mine either - it's amazing what you wind up living with sometimes.

Sauntering Soul said...

It's funny because when I was in college and just after I graduated, I was jealous of anyone who could afford to go out and buy a matching set of furniture. My apartments were always a hodge podge of hand-me-downs, flea market finds, etc. Now I decorate that way on purpose and don't really want anything to match. I just bought the lamp on my bedside table and my mom kept saying "don't you want one for the other table?" and I told her absolutely not because it would be too matchy-matchy.

the rotten correspondent said...

On some level that whole "one room living" thing really appeals to me, too. I think it's why I like the Ikea catalog so much. Seriously. Clean, simple...just enough but not too much.

I've never seen a V shaped pillow. It looks really interesting.

Sandy said...

I have the bedroom suite also so I know just what you mean. Yous is in much better shape than mine, though!

Laurie's right - get a better lamp and where DID you get that pillow?????

Tiggerlane said...

Now that I'm packing up our home for a move, I'm wishing for an economy-sized lifestyle. So much simpler! I don't have anything matching - and I always thought the hodge-podgery of my stuff made our house look odd.

ChrisB said...

My bedroom furniture is all fitted and although it gives me a lot of space I'm fed up with it but can't afford to change it. My mother has one of those pillows and they are very comfy for sitting up in bed.

A Slice of My Life said...

Did you make that pillow? It's very interesting. I'm not a big fan of those "reading pillows" that are kinda like a chair with nothing to sit on. I may have to steal that idea...

Kim said...

I have a matching set of cherry furniture in my bedroom, but I love it. The nightstands are different though.

You do need a new lamp. Or you could just use that booklight even when the electricity is on!

Unknown said...

So could you do that today? Pack everything you couldn't live without in a car? I would love to have an RV only when we get a little older (read kids have all moved out) but don't know if I can limit myself enough.

Attie said...

ya know we didn't have the matchy furniture anywhere for a long time!!!
But sometimes the unmatchiness really makes a room interresting!!

Baba said...

Hi Faye, thanks for your visit to my place today..I live on the marsh with a cove flowing behind my house and then returning to a river..I am 20 miles from the beach and the coastline of Ga. Come back and visit anytime. Hugs, baba

Gattina said...

To your question what style is my bedroom, I really don't know ! I bought the furniture because it looked so warm and cosy and it is in oak.

Serina Hope said...

I need the reading pillow!

Betty said...

I enjoyed visiting your blog and reading about you. I'm glad you stopped by my place today and to leave a comment.

I'm glad you like the lamp. You said there must be a story behind the base of the lamp, but there is none that I know of. I bought this lamp at JoAnne's Fabrics and have had more compliments on it.

I hope you will visit me often.

Faye said...

V-shaped Reading Pillow--several asked for the source for this pillow that you see on my bed. Can't remember where I ordered it, but I did a quick google search(images) and of course there's plenty of sources to order from--maybe one you already patronize! It's excellent for sleeping as well as reading.

Sirdar said...

I have an 'old' nightstand like that too. It is a different shape but I believe it was one of those 'sets' that you refer.

Andre Veloux said...

I know what you mean about possessions, they end up possessing you. If you keep moving you force yourself to filter all that stuff! Stay in the same place and it accumulates and accumulates.

Nikki said...

I love my matchy matchy Ikea set. It looks so streamlined and whole.

nikki

Lane Mathias said...

That's some pillow! Looks very comfy.

I can see the appeal of 'one space fits all' but I know it would just end up as one giant mess. Better to hide it away in different rooms:-)

'Matchy matchy' made me laugh:-) Elderly relatives have tried to give us some.
Some have even succeeded:-(

-Ann said...

I totally relate to not having what you want. We're in a rental right now and it's fully furnished (although we did set up our own bed, the only piece of furniture we brought with us from Chicago). The plain pine three-drawer isn't what I'd go with.

Fiona said...

I agree Faye. Keep it simple. That's what Cesar tells us. Well done with the Pitbull. My hat off to you!