Blues apprentice? You decide. This is how it went down:
“Please, God, not a blue one.”
Arms crossed against icy wind—and what I was about to do—I braved the La-Z-Boy store.
“And how may we help you today?” the genteel salesman asked, ignoring my body language.
I did not gnash my teeth. Or mention a long-held personal vow: no recliners. Ever.
Having survived 5 bypasses, Dreamer required safe, adjustable, maximized comfort. I wanted him to have every last thing he needed to heal. As long as it wasn’t blue.
I cleared my throat. Swallowing pride felt like raveled twine was stuck to my tongue and tonsils.
“I need a recliner. For a big guy.” He nodded, starting to turn. “Today,” I added.
His tilted his head. “That sounds important. Follow me.”
The only Big Man Recliner in stock was … wait for it … blue.
+++
Dreamer loved The Chair, lived in it 24-7. And this sounds selfish and utterly trivial, but I had to alter the room’s color scheme. Immediately. Or implode.
Goodbye lily pad green, tawny brown, beige, and black. So long vintage gold frames.
I became a Blues Apprentice, nipping into thrift stores between grocery stops. I wanted to:
- Ease Dreamer’s traumatized palate
- Recreate our décor palette
- Appease sense and (my) sensibilities
I raided the linen cupboard. (Good thing I have a pillow fetish.)
Hello cranberry, kingfisher blue, sea urchin-purple. Dashes of orange.
Saturate
I bought an as is blue rug and discounted tapestry to pull the new look together. (No rug photo, too much dog hair today.)
Beauty heals. Color enlivens. Now I want to sip it, swim in it, splash passersby.
In other words, deliciate. No, not delicate. Not dedicate.
Delic-i-ate: Verb (obsolete, intransitive) To delight oneself; to indulge in feasting or revels.
Why is this marvelous word obsolete? Let’s bring it back!
+++
Meanwhile: new regimes, new recipes, smaller portions. Our plates feature produce (Killer Kale recipe below). Feasting, I decide, may be more about attitude than amplitude. Or the actual food.
Some entrees bomb (don’t ask).
Some days we battle the blues.
Each day I intentionally wade into color, sink into beauty. Try to abide there.
Marinate
“Be still and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10)” contains the Hebrew word rapha, translated “Be still”or “Cease striving.”
Raphah can also mean “sink.” Make that sacred sinking as Emily P. Freeman puts it. Marinate in God’s presence.
Outside, perennials stampede their split rail edging. Blue solar lights glow at dusk.
From clumps of lavender, purple lightning rods rocket forth, attracting bees. Sedum and rose campion blooms peak, as never before, as if saluting The Blues Apprentice, making her comeback.
I shelve my Quaker-ish wardrobe, buy a royal blue tunic and polka dot shawl, shoes and a sunhat the color of raspberry sherbet.
Emanate
Is a little happiness leaking from this post? Is it catching?
I aim to feast on this daily slaw of verbs—spiritual yet practical:
saturate / marinate / emanate
Repeat
And to think The Big Bad Blue Chair started it all.
Any unexpected chain reactions at your house?
*****
KILLER KALE* (is this an oxymoron?):
Makes 2 servings
Toast 2 slices of wholegrain bread.
Carmelize sliced onions in pan spritzed with olive oil spray (8-10 minutes).
Add diced garlic, orange pepper, and 2 cups thinly sliced kale.
Stir 2 minutes, until kale wilts. Set aside.
Fry 2 eggs.
Spread veges and on toast and top with egg.
Layer on reduced-fat pepperjack cheese (or provolone).
Broil, melting cheese.
Serve alongside red grapes (or grape tomatoes) and mini-carrots. And . . . Deliciate!
*Adapted from Junk Food to Joy Food, by Joy Bauer.
Laurie, I love, love love this–the colours, the words, how you found a way to pull the room together with The Big Bad Blue Chair. And yes, let’s bring back deliciate!
April, love your enthusiasm! Here’s to deliciating every chance we get!
It’s the best chair in the whole world! – D
And you look great relaxing in it 🙂
I love your “daily slaw of verbs,” Laurie.
Hi Barbara. I’m guessing those Latinate verbs are high in fiber, too! 😉
Hi Laurie:
I am loving how you have embraced the new look – looks. Sometimes it takes a kick to facilitate change that gives us a new lease on life. It seems blue has done that for you! Keep looking up! Blue sky above!
Linda Jo, those kick starters lurk everywhere, don’t they? I just have to remember to keep my sense of humor and, as you advise, look up! 🙂
Oh and my color chain reaction (in terms of decorating choices) began with a small, antique needlepoint chair. I loved the colors, and everything spiraled out from there.
Luci Shaw commenting on any blog is an honor unto itself!!! I adore her work.
Ah, a “character chair” as the Trade calls it. Great way to spiral into newness.
I’m a long-time Luci Shaw fan, too. Tomorrow I’ll take a page from her playbook and dress from the shoes up and see what happens . . .
I say hip, hip hurrooh for blue and healing and love, all of which this post epitomizes. Sometimes you go with the flow–flow blue?! :-)–(even the flow that doesn’t suit your tastes), and the domino effect really does have a happy ending. I’m so glad Dreamer is having sweet dreams in his new true-blue recliner, and that it is helping improve his health. After Michael’s heart attack, we rented an electronic recliner that pushed him up from a reclining position sans effort on his part to a standing position. We didn’t keep it, because thankfully, he is doing far better now (that was in 2000–there’s hope after heart attacks, Laurie!), but they allowed us to apply the price to his own sage leather recliner. It’s his favorite place to sit in the house. Our home is decorated in shades of red, sage, gold, and cream. But we do have a blue bathroom (a holdover from the original fifties tiling, and our daughter has touches of blue in her bedroom wallpaper (though most of its colors coordinate with the other shades of the house) to match her blue carpeting (another hold-over which we couldn’t afford to replace). But it actually looks rather lovely. Funny you should mention blue, because lately I have had a hankering for blue and white china. Not sure from where that yearning springs. And suddenly, you remind me that when we were first married, our bedroom was painted a bright sky blue and we had a brass bed. I’d not thought about that in a long time. It’s a precious memory. What I love about this (always so creative!) post is that you put your preferences aside and cared for the needs of your beloved Dreamer, and God blessed you with unexpected beauty and flair (as in that royal-blue tunic and polka-dot shawl. And just remember, Laurie, one cannot possibly have too many shawls! Not possibly!) And I just thought of some blue songs I like, such as Blue Moon, Lavender Blue (Dilly, Dilly!), Love Is Blue, Song Sung Blue, Blue Suede Shoes ! :-), Blue Eyes, and being from St. Louis, I can’t resist The St. Louis Blues!
Love all you write,
Lynn
PS Writing blue is better than writing purple (as some say my too gushy writing can border!)
Lynn, delighted the post made you recall your first bedroom. How wonderful that you could rent a recliner, then leverage the fee on one to suit your decor (which sounds warm and rich). I could have done some comparison shopping (La-Z-boy doesn’t rent) but wanted a chair ASAP. And, as you can see, it did us both good.
I have to add that as soon as I read your list of song titles melodies crowded my brain. A delightful excursion!
Speaking of which: Sounds to me like you need to visit Pier One for some export china . . .
Love this, Laurie! Blue was my favorite color when I was a child. Just redid our master bath in (to use your words) wait for it … ocean / seaside blues within the last month after a May trip to the Oregon coast. Now our favorite getaway place to deliciate 🙂 is reflected in a tiny way daily (along with the wonderful sounds of water showering, sink’ing, flushing). So glad you have become a blues apprentice and are finding that ‘beautiful is blue’. http://nancybentz.com/beautiful-is-blue/
Rich blessing to you and Bill ~ Nancy
Oh, the wonder-filled Oregon coast, a whiff of salt coming off your words just now. You master bath sounds serene and refreshing.
I’m off to follow your link: “beautiful is blue.”
I usually start with the shoes I want to wear for the day, then move upward with socks, Jeans, shirt, sweater, earrings and foibles. I love foibles (make your own definition). I’m pretty well attached to my office palette–smoke brown carpet, wall paint pale with just a hint of aqua, and a wide window shelf of weathered glass bottles picked up of beaches in Massachusetts.
And mason jars of pebbles and shelves donated by beaches around the world.
Luci, I’m going to try your bottom-to-top sartorial scheme this week, foibles and all——a chain reaction yet to be triggered at my place.
Reading about your office-scape reminds me of Water Lines and Polishing the Petoskey Stone, and it all suggests to me the sound of surf . . . sela-a-a-h.
A yummy feast for the senses! Deliciating! It would be a chore for me to switch to blue too, but if I ever have to, you have certainly made the path before me! And thanks for the kale recipe. I’m going to try it.
Jacqueline, I hope you can keep the color scheme you love. Despite my initial dismay, the kickstart has done me good. Nothing like a spring/summer tonic for the senses, even one forced down the throat. Hope you like the kale recipe!
I so love this one! Just the encouragement I need to not let pre-conceived judgments cloud my thinking!
Deanna, I need that same advice, over and over. So glad you found encouragement here. Thanks for reading!
OH, I LOVE THIS!! Blue is not my favorite color for interior spaces either. But as I imagine the symphony of color you created by adding cranberry, purple, and dashes of orange, etc. I KNOW I’d ooh and aah upon entering that cheery room. Just what Dreamer needed! And thank you for that wonderful new/old word: deliciate. You’re right: we need to bring it back. I wonder what scriptures might sparkle afresh if paraphrased using that word? ‘Have to give that some thought! Meanwhile, your happiness is definitely leaking through the words and photos of this post. I’m smiling here while deliciating over your lemons-to-lemonade story, the beauty of your garden, and the end result of your saturation, marination, and emanation: joy. Joy is always infectious!
Nancy, I wish I could usher you into my favorite chair and hand you iced tea.
I love your idea of seeding deliciate into the scriptures. Let me know what you come up with.
About the garden: we’ve lived here 25 years and last fall finally revamped the “inherited” sprinkler system. This year, total transformation. Talk about timely!
“Swallowing pride felt like raveled twine was stuck to my tongue and tonsils.”
“daily slaw of verbs”
I love, love, love the new color scheme. Thanks for splashing me with all this deliciatousness
Sandra, happy to splash. You’ve done the same for me with your wonderful work and outlook. And hurray for the noun form, as well. And all tenses and conjugations. 🙂