Monday, March 23, 2009

Living in Sherry's house

It's Richard's house too, but I'm pretty sure that those English blue and white plates that hang everywhere are Sherry's idea and not Richard's.  The Porsche in the garage is Richard's.  I wouldn't enjoy being here nearly so much if it weren't for the careful way this home has been put together.  I love the details of red toile, Persian carpeting,  fat white sofas, iron kettles and an odd assortment of antique Dutch kitchen ware.

Since I have been here there has been no hot water.  I have been heating water on the stove and having thorough spit baths and washing my hair in the sink.  My grandmothers washed themselves this way their entire lives.  I called the water heater folks today after deciding that I couldn't live another two and a half weeks without a bath and a cordial guy fixed the water heater and entertained me at the same time.  He did imitations of rude old lady custumers: "You are part of a government conspiracy!"  I was a good audience.

The weather has been windy and irritating until this morning when the sun came out.  I went for a walk and then wrote for four hours.  Tom called to tell me that it was snowing in Salt Lake.  I'm glad I'm not there to see it.  It will be long gone by the time I return.

Tom and I talk for long periods of time.  Being alone is a lot more fun if you have someone to report to.

Mary Ellen took me to a cupcake store.  I had a chocolate one with chocolate frosting topped with chocolate sprinkles.  It was all butter and chocolate.  I'm glad I don't know how to find that store.  I'm glad I've forgotten its name.

I'm reading V.S. Naipaul, A HOUSE FOR MR. BISWAS.

6 comments:

Sarah said...

My eyes are twitching with jealousy (except not over the no-hot-water thing). I love that house, that spiral staircase to the roof, that thick tile everywhere, the way the morning spills in.

The snow will be gone when you get back. It snowed all day at our house, and I think it's all sunken into the grass by now. Saturday was fantastic! We spent the entire day outside, de-wintering and de-pooping the back yard, and readying a patch in the very back corner for foods to grow.

I'm sure you wanted to know all that.

We're missing you! (Especially a certain little boy.)

Louise Plummer said...

As soon as my sister Janie found out I was here, she booked a flight for the last weekend. She's never been here before.

It actually seems odd to be here without you. Tell Elliot that everytime I see the ferris wheel, I think of him. Tell him a big bird pooped on my car. Tell him I wake up every morning to boats running through the channel. Tell him I love him. Love you and Sam too. I don't like Louis all that much, though.

dede said...

That sound lovely. We are all jealous.

ann cannon said...

You have a genius for describing interiors. It's the Dutch in you.

Thanks for the cupcake update. My life would have very very little meaning without cupcakes right now.

Sarah said...

Apparently mentioning big-bird poop makes Elliot concerned. All I got was a distant, "Oh..."

He will be talking about that Ferris Wheel for a long time. His latest statement: "I was very brave. And, I was dizzy."

Louis can wave hello.

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