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.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Where We Live

(How could we resist posting this particular Fun Monday? On the second anniversary of Fun Monday blogging, Julie, our host over at Another Chance Ranch , gives us a chance to learn a bit more about how other Fun Monday bloggers live, or at least see where they live. She asks us to share a photo of the interior part of our home that we took from the front door.)


Last week if you read my post on quirky things we treasure and saw my hinged coffee table/desk, you got a preview of the view into my living room. I also mentioned that there's not much "stuff" in my home. In fact, it would be a stretch to say that it's even decorated. However, I love well-designed simple rooms that reflect the tastes and personality of the people who live in them. Just this past weekend I noticed the elegant but shabby Warsaw apartment in the WW II movie, The Pianist, with its books, musical instruments, furniture and textiles. I would enjoy living in a place like that.

So, having admitted that I could do a lot better in the home decorating department, I'll still take you on a little tour of my digs and point out some of my favorite stuff:

Here's Willie lying on the sofa--he's welcome to snooze here, if he stays on his end. Next, if you look closely on the end table, there's a favorite brown mug that I got in New Zealand with Maori symbols on the side. On the floor you see my grey "lap buddy" with its handy writing surface and bean bag bottom. Indispensable tool for serious readers and notetakers, and laptop users. Beside the leather chair is a fancy Varilux reading lamp that I purchased about a year ago. Warning: don't waste your money on one, not that great. The library table is a favorite piece of furniture that holds several months worth of magazines to be studied, clipped and sorted. I also stack books that are in the reading queue. The higher the stacks, the better. Over the table is my favorite painting by Jeanne Filler Scott, "The Veteran". Scott spotted this old stray hanging around the fishing boats in Nova Scotia. She said he'd obviously had a hard life with his chewed up ears and battle scars, but he kept on. The underneath shelf of the library table holds photo albums and travel notes from my trips to other countries. Speaking of other countries, notice the world globe on top of the bookcase. It's always handy because I never know when I'll need to check out exactly where trouble is breaking in the world--not the best reason to learn your geography.

In front of the library table is my command center or work station for the living room. This hinged coffee-table is another antique/junk store find.
You can see that it's well used. For how, just scroll down to last Monday's post. Finally, to end the tour you'll notice that there's no curtains at my windows. I like window treatments and actually purchased that striped fabric to "dress" the windows over two years ago. Now that I've actually taken the fabric out of storage, I may be inspired enough to sew some curtains for the living room windows. My neighbors may appreciate that although Willie would have a harder time spotting the mail carrier. . .

Now get out your magnifying glasses and check out where other Fun Monday participants live. It will help explain why you enjoy reading their blogs, I suspect.

10 comments:

ChrisB said...

Willie clearly knows how to make himself comfortable! I enjoyed seeing a little more of your lovely home.

Jan said...

Love this room, it looks so comfy and welcoming. Love Willie, too.

Pamela said...

I was laughing from the get-go because of Willie's tongue flicking out. You took the photo at the exact moment.

~moe~ said...

I love this room, Faye! This is incredible! Willie looks adorable! :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog. You should totally go to Turkey. We were on the southern end by Adana and it was beautiful. The bus tour we got to go on took us down to the Castle in the Sea which was amazing. And I love my rug, thank you! I haphazardly picked the colors and pattern but unknowningly had matched them to most of my decor already. I'm told that if you like a color set you tend to purchase toward it whether you know it or not. :)

Living Life said...

Your home looks lovely and comfortable to live in. Thanks for the detailed description.

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

I love the browns. We also have brown leather and I love it. So comfy and natural!

Sayre said...

Your chair looks like the perfect place to curl up with a good book! Sorry the light didn't turn out to be what you expected, though.

I think your room is lovely!

m (the misanthrope) said...

Beautiful living room, and Willie makes it look even more like home! I also feel that "less is more" when it comes to stuff in the house. Lovely to "visit" your beautiful home, and happy FM to you!

Lane Mathias said...

Willie looks equally at home on the rug or on your lovely squishy sofa:-)

I embiggened your photos and had a good old mosey around your comfy and very inviting room. That is certainly a room to relax/learn/plan/reminisce/create in.

And I've got to get me on of those beanie trays:-)

Kaytabug said...

What a nice comfy, warm and bright room!!! A lovely space!
You were halfway correct, the first was a bookcase the second is a china cabinet. You couldn't see my corner bookshelf from the view from my front door, but it is in my living room. I love my books!