Missing Aunt Helen....

   Somewhere down the line, Aunt Helen must have really made a great impression on me.  She had the ability to see beauty in even the most mundane of things, lived her life with a great deal of imagination and simply being authentic all the while being spontaneous and a bit quirky.  If something appealed to her, it was worked into her life without worry that others would sneer at her.  She wore flowers in her hair, used herbs and decorated her place with color, gardens and things from the past.  She pretty much "invented" that "Cottagecore" lifestyle about a half century before it even was given a name.   To say Aunt Helen left an indelible mark on my life is an understatement.  This is coming more apparent as I age and give up trying to meet the approval of others.  

  The Little Bayou House has slowly undergone a change from meeting the needs of my kids entertaining their friends to being all out eccentric.  If something appeals to me, it is added to the decor.  Granted everything has to be functional but a bit of quirkiness is the drawing card.  Folks realize this and often gift oddities to me.  "This was great aunt's teacup.  I hate to just throw it away but it does not fit with my place." or "Grandpa had this for years but I have no idea what it is."  Yep, Great Aunt's teacup and Grandpa's plumb bob have found a home.

  All of this influence came flooding over me recently as I sat in my great-grandmother's rocking chair just reminiscing over times past.  Things spilled from the cobwebbed corners of my brain where they have been stored just waiting for the opportune moment to bring a smile.  Thoughts of Aunt Helen soon took over and the heart filled to the brim with the special moments that I was able to spend with her.  These visits were far and few in between since she did not live nearby and was often halfway around the world but our connection remained even into adulthood.  I miss her greatly.

Quirkiness in full swing!

   To be honest, it has taken more days than I wanted to take down the Christmas decorations even though not nearly as many were in place as in years past.  The holidays came and went with little fanfare other than the delightful visit of my oldest son, daughter-in-law and grandkids.  If I could have had them here without all of the hullabaloo, things would have been far more perfect.  Still, I did what was expected and, albeit, minimal, the place was decorated.  Then...the virus struck (or was brought to us) and I endured 8 days of fever.  I had no other symptoms...Son (younger) was not so lucky.  He ran the full gamut of symptoms so taking down decorations was solely up to me.  

  It was while I was on a ladder removing garland that a thought occurred.  I was musing how happy it was to bring the Little Bayou House back to its mysterious, magical place when the mind began to wander to those who have stark, vacant homes.  I could not live that way.  White walls, few (if any) decor pieces, and always matching furniture has to be boring.  To my way of thinking, it would remind me of living in an institution where all points of interest have been removed.  There is nothing to stir the mind.  My mismatched conglomeration of oddities evokes curiosity.  In turn, curiosity evokes creativity and creativity brings productivity.  If you cannot lead a productive life then what is it worth? 

  Granted, each of us have our own ideas of how things should be and none of us are wrong.  The only "wrong" thing is when others try to force their ideas down your throat by either bombarding you with unwanted advice or by trying intimidation to achieve their goal.  Thank you very much but...no, thank you.  The Little Bayou House shall remain a "house of curiosities" where the weird and wonderful things come to reside and be appreciated.  In fact, I have often been dubbed as the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things" and I happily accept that title.  If that bothers others...so be it.  You keep being you and I shall keep being me...quirky, curious, creative and productive...all of those things that go hand in hand.  I refuse to live a bland, stark life to please anyone!

Ten Things Learned From A Purple Chair

   It is no secret that the Little Bayou House is quirky which means...I am quirky.  I have been called everything from weird to eccentric and I have to admit, they all fit.  But...that is me and I need no one else's approval.  At this fine age, I am fully allowed to just be me.  

  The other morning it dawned on me that the two thrifted glider rockers that sit among the other odd pieces of furniture were in dire need of some help.  Both were decked out in the lovely off-white fabric that was so popular when the chairs were originally sold.  The chairs were grimy looking and just not the right "era" for my mindset.  In their favor, they were super comfortable so something had to be done to salvage them if possible.  Out came the only fabric that I had on hand and some tools.  I recovered both chairs turning the once lightly padded rockers into upholstered rockers.  I could not be happier with the results.  The workmanship with arthritic hands may not be the best but the chairs "fit" now.  Son dubbed me as the "Glider Rocker Purplizer" for my efforts since the only fabric I had on hand was a lovely shade of purple!.  (Could be worse, I supposed.)  I did learn a number of things with the onset of the task.

1.  Never let fear of failure impede your dreams.  You can always began anew.  If fear was a logical emotion we would never learn to walk, talk or anything else as a child.  Fear is only there to  stir the adrenalin and make us strive harder.

2.  Do not procrastinate!  If you want something done...just do it.  Do not wait for others because it will most likely never happen. Just do it.

3.  Purple is a lovely color for anything.  It evokes a  sense of calmness yet a sense of the mysterious.  It also "goes" with just about anything given the circumstances.  

4.  Let your inner weirdness free and do whatever makes you happy.  One friend said she had purple porch furniture but had to change it because her husband did not like it.  Why?  I figure if I am the one doing the work, I should be able to do whatever it is I wish.  (Just a note here, Mark loves the chairs!)

5.  Glue guns are friends.  Staple guns are not.  At least in my case, the first was much easier and held things in place until the fabric could be permanently secured.  The staple gun wreaked havoc on the poor hand and the staples did not hold.

6.  At the same time, glue guns can be EVIL!  Aside from the obvious burnt fingers, I will be pulling glue strings for the next ten years.  Everything from the chairs to my hair have a gossamer webbing.

7.  Don't let your brain convince you that some projects can be done in a "couple of hours".  At least, plan on a few days.

8.  Take breaks from any task to rejuvenate that first enthusiasm.  The project will go much smoother.

9.  Have the patience of a saint.  You will need it.

10. Once complete, pat yourself on the back and tell yourself "Job well done." Then...sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Remember...YOU did this.  YOU set a goal and achieved it.  

  While purple rockers are not everybody's choice of furniture pieces, they are mine.  Before setting to the reupholstering, I checked around to see if new chairs could be reasonably purchased.  Nope.  I refuse to pay up to $250 for single chair. (Yep, purple chairs highly similar to these are expensive!) Since my chairs were both thrifted ($15 and $20) and the fabric was free, the major cost was glue sticks, time and patience.  For less than $50 I now have two chairs that bring a smile to my face and a sense of satisfaction to the soul.  They fit the Little Bayou House and me perfectly...all of us are a tad unconventional.  

Do What Makes You Happy

    It is that time of year when normally the Little Bayou House is bedecked with all things spooky whether it is for the actual holiday or for the Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  This year...neither.  Nothing is adorned with pumpkins, owls, bats, skeletons, spiders....none of...well, except for those that are deemed as everyday decor.  There is nary a clue hunt prop in existence, either.  The whole month of October has been a bust as far as I am concerned.  Both the holiday and clue hunt did not happen purely because I did not feel the "whim".

  That does not mean the Little Bayou House has slid into the "cookie cutter" mold of what everybody else's house looks like.  Nope!  There are no clean, white walls, tidy shelves and clear tabletops.  That....will never happen.  That...is not me.  Sorry...not sorry.  I have to be me and "me" is a bit cluttered with wild and whimsical things.  That is what makes me happy and drives others mad.  (Perhaps I am already there!)  A few years back, one sweet niece made the comment that I am the most "bohemian" person she ever met.  Good!  Another person labeled me "The Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things".  Again...good!  I am happy with both.

  That said...do what you feel is you and never give in to the whole "norm" thing.  While the clutter-free, stark and barren look is grand for some, the quaint and quirky works for others.  To each his own.  Me?  I shall keep my antique jewelry hanging on the light fixture, burnt umber walls and high Victorian furniture along with about two dozen pendulum clocks adding their cacophony of chimes to the mix.  Stay weird, folks....you do not have to conform to others' expectations.  Happy Halloween!

It Is Me

  The rains from Hurricane Nicholas have reached the Bayou with a vengeance.  This is fine with me as I needed a break from outdoor chores and, at the same time, needed time to do some indoor ones.  The past few days have seen me painting all of the trim work in the dining room.  This includes painting the stair rails which, to be honest, is a task I deplore!  Painting those spindles is a pain.  I have no choice but to paint since they were painted before we installed them some forty years ago.  That is one of the bad parts about using reclaimed lumber.  You have to deal with paint, nail holes and all of the dents and dings of time.  Still, that is what makes the Little Bayou House comfy.  The quirkiness of the whole place brings a smile...at least, to me.

  The bad thing about all of this rain is our internet is spotty.  The lines are still down since Hurricane Zeta and do not appear to be something the cable company is keen on repairing.  So, we deal with it.  It is nice that our power lines have been repaired since that hurricane was almost a year ago. That thought crossed my mind as I turned on all of the odd lamps in the living room. The soft lights gave a certain coziness to the room and blocked out the darkness brought on by the thunderstorms.   By odd lamps, I mean just that.  Every lamp in the room is one that has some weird appeal to me.  There is the old Victorian, hand-painted glass lamp, a floor lamp from my uncle that now is draped with several masquerade masks and some feathers, a desk lamp that sports a beaded rose and an owl feather and yet another floor lamp that is a marriage of the base and lamp itself.  The base is an antique one from my grandparents that had somehow lost the light and the lamp is a hanging, beaded light from my daughter's room when she was a teenager.  Of course, that meant it had to be purple.  The stand is draped with an odd assortment of antique jewelry, a Christmas ornament and some cloisonne` bells.  It makes me happy so the quirkiness stays. 

  Recently, someone remarked that the oddities in the Little Bayou House made it inviting.  Well, maybe but not many folks venture down here.  The eccentricities go unnoticed and perhaps unappreciated by any but me.  Another person queried why I filled the place with things like this and my only thought was "Because it is me."  Like it or not, it is me.