Favorite Things

This is one of my favorite spots in our house because it has so many of my favorite things. The photos on the wall are some of my favorites. A large group photo from our wedding party...all of the important people in our life on one of the best days of my life...a crisp sunny day in April, Cajun music, dancing in the middle of the prairie, holding hands with my new husband. The other photo is of Noah and Camille (who are my favorite children ofcourse!). There are two other photos on the same wall that have special meaning to me. One is a beautiful black and white shot taken by my grandfather and the other is taken by my Aunt Janet.

The other thing I love about this part of our house is the rotating arrangements and the link to our life in Japan. While living in Japan, I took Ikebana lessons. Once a week for three years I would carry my notebook, special scissors, frogs, and heavy ceramic vases into a small classroom. I would join Japanese and American women at various stages of study. Those weekly lessons in patience, form, culture, seasonal growth, and connections are some of my most cherished Japanese experiences. I loved my sensei (teacher)...a gentle, but spunky woman in her 70s with patience and wit. Despite the fact that I always felt so clumsy and "American" while fumbling to produce arrangements, I always loved bringing home fresh arrangements. And I continue to keep that weekly tradition. I don't have a class here, but I do like to make sure I always have something in an arrangement or something blooming (like the amaryllis above). It makes me smile. It brightens up that room and somehow seems to pay homage to my favorite photos/my favorite people.