Good Glass

Even now… I’m looking through “good glass.” I wrote this blog a long time ago but never posted it.

It doesn’t matter what task(s) I perform throughout the day- from making the bed to washing the dishes or sweeping the floor. I always try and make them more pleasant than I was taught to believe they were. The chores, the housework, the domestic duties of a mom and wife… I thought these were acts of responsibility, not acts of “the sacred.” But I have no doubt chosen to make them so.

I didn’t always look at it this way, of course, but as I’ve gotten wiser, I’ve tuned into a softer side of myself. And I am a romantic at heart. I love beautiful things. I love leather and lace; I love wood and metal. I love industrial and farmhouse. I love vintage (and even the word vintage.) Our home is filled with an eclectic mix of all of the above. Of course, the picture wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention fairy lights, stacks of books, and the color white- how I love the color white! 

But when a co-worker “accused” me of being a romantic, I was taken aback. She said it like it was a bad thing. I had given her a copy of one of my favorite magazines, “Mary Jane’s Farm” because I knew she loved to garden. She promptly returned it to me after only one day and said, “You’re a romantic. You have on rose-colored glasses. Gardening is not as beautiful as this. It’s hard, and it’s dirty.” 

Truth be told, I am not a gardener at all; no matter how much I’ve tried to “find” my green thumb, other things kept winning out. But her statement has stuck with me for years, and I can now happily say, and embrace, that yes…I am a romantic. (Of course, it would have been good to remember this was the same co-worker who accused me of being a non-conformist (also correct). And that I was only making my life harder by being so. (sigh…)) A romantic- YES! A non-conformist- YES! Loving the sacred- YES! 

I love and want beautiful things, that is true, and I offer no apology. When I was a little girl, you would always find me climbing a tree or playing in the dirt. NOT playing with the doll(s) my mom carefully wrapped for me every year at Christmas (she never gave up!) I was a tomboy at heart. Even so, pink is now my favorite color. You know the shade. Blush. It’s so perfect! Lace is my fabric of choice. And dolling it up is one of my favorite things to do! Romantic indeed. How we change.

Embracing that most feminine side of myself, well…I try and do everything throughout the day in the most pleasant, and now (I’m adopting), sacred, sort of way. Everything is a ritual: dishes, no problem. I love a sink full of HOT soapy water. Light the candles hanging above, turn on- Frank or Dean or Ella or maybe John Denver, The Avett Brothers, Stevie Nicks, or Adelle. So many favorites to choose from. The only requirement? It must match my mood. Am I feeling like a little dance party or singing along? Well, then it’s 70’s classic rock- to be sure. Kitchen concerts happen here daily!

I’ve even started paying attention to how I store things. Packaging must be beautiful. Green dish soap looks gorgeous, glowing in the window sill in a glass bottle. Still practical (maybe) but beautiful? Always. I’ve accepted that I am a romantic, and I completely embrace it. It is the very lens I choose to look through to see my life. 

It may not always be practical to others, and that’s okay. Lighting candles and turning on music while I wash my favorite bowls- making it an event to look forward to- well, yes, please! I love to take stock in what we’ve accumulated as the pottery and crocks lay neatly in the drainer. Sometimes I leave them there just so I can look at them a little longer. They make me happy! 

Making the bed… the same. How fluffy can I make it? Are there ever enough comforters? When I look at our bed, I want it to be calling my name… Marie, please come lay down. Rest yourself. I make it perfect and then lean in hard, pressing my hands and fingers into the mattress to create those little indents, the ones that bring out the fluff, the coziness. 

When I sweep the floor, it’s a meditation. The sound of the broom sliding across the laminate is soothing to me. Taking a bath or a shower, a savored treat. Making the everyday chores and tasks that I GET to do a ritual to be enjoyed, well… that is sacred. And a bit romantic. Even a little non-conforming. 

When I first began making photos, I was told to always invest in good glass. And so I have. I look around, and I’m immersed in beauty. I have my lens wide open, and I LOVE what I see. 

xo, and peace. always peace. 

Marie