A [Long] Photo Essay on Serene Chaos

If you click over to The Sustainable Scoop, you will see my weekly post about one of my passions - the scent of vanilla.

And, I am enjoying the natural light in our kitchen this morning. Well, it is technically afternoon as I type, but I started early today. Johnny left for a recording session in College Station, so it is me, this big house, and the cats. Harley is adjusting quickly; he is walking around, up and down the stairs, and meowing. He tests each window sill to see which one suits him best. Currently it is the kitchen window facing our bottle brush tree. Milo only ventures downstairs at night and during daylight you can most likely find him hiding under the guest bed, not quite sure what to make of all this space.

I understand, little guy - tonight I might feel the same way. However, the morning was blissful. Not a light on in the house, but sunlight flooded the breakfast nook. When I visit my aunt in Austin, one of the highlights of each trip is breakfast in her little nook, overlooking her idyllic front yard, sipping coffee, and listening to NPR. I reenacted that experience today. Though addicted to yerba maté as of late, today was a coffee day and I brewed completely non-organic French Market coffee with chicory taking pride in my half-Cajun blood.

I sipped coffee and looked. Our neighbor walking her baby around the block. Cars, vans, and trucks driving by. Our yard and bushes. Listened to another John Piper Podcast as well as The Writer's Almanac. I ordered the Sunday New York Times to be delivered on our doorstep. Listened to birds and owls. Looked at the lovely chaos inside these walls, making note of all I need to do today (and tomorrow): more laundry, more dishes, clean the kitchen floor, dust, unpack, make a Whole Foods grocery list, be patient with the West Elm delivery personnel who are still not here to deliver our couch and bedside tables, ETC... Moving is fun, but it is a lot of work. I also snapped more pictures of our "progress," a ton of pictures, in fact. Bear with me.

Here we have one of the reasons I am sitting in a lovely house - John Leroy Simmons. As he became sick, we wanted to buy a house and have him live with us, but life does not work out as we plan sometimes. We miss him a lot, and I think of him so much lately. This is his American flag, handed to Johnny at his funeral, honoring his Dad's service to our country. We will place the flag in a wooden frame soon:



Blurry pics of West Elm incense; the first one my choice, the second is Johnny's:





The main reason we have a house, and a cone of sage tea incense:



Wooden coasters:



Two of my favorite magazines on the coffee table:



Morning coffee:



Breakfast nook:



A study in bamboo and Hugo (shea butter & oatmeal) soap:



Boxes of dishes, pots, and pans:



Bags of food, tea, and spices:



I love this mirror-top table:



Our bedroom in progress, the bed sporting our old, reversible bedspread. We are waiting on our new bedspread and headboard:



Shower caddy; our shower needs a good scrub - I better add that to my list:



Another study in bamboo and Hugo (Mexican lime & bergamot) soap:



IKEA bookcases (Billy) waiting to be filled....:



....with all of these books:



Cat tower o' fun (upstairs):



Milo hiding:



Room service:



My bare writing room and desk:



Not much in the fridge yet:













If you are still here after all those pictures, I thank you. Now I better get to unpacking.