At heart I’m a romantic. Brilliant sunsets and well-performed piano concertos and mushy Valentine’s Day cards and unexpected kisses unravel me. I become toast.
At the same time, I’m prone to the hokey saying for inspiration in my everyday life. My home is filled with them, each carefully displayed so as not to intrude on the turf of another. Each also follows certain themes.
In our laundry room we have two pillows above the cupboards that read: “A fisherman lives here with the catch of his life” and “Life is a little sweeter in a home beside the water.” The rest of the space is occupied with bottles in the shape of fish, various books on fishing, photos of Earl fishing, and one bookend shaped like a fly-rod.
In the kitchen area, you can read: “Maybe it’s not Home Sweet Home. Adjust” and “Martha Stewart doesn’t live here.” Then there is “Our gourmet kitchen is closed; try our famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” This last plaque was created by my son, Kevin, in seventh grade shop about twenty-five years ago; and it has hung in every one of my kitchens ever since. In future years it will attain the status of heirloom.
Then there are the two notes attached to my office door. One says “Life is too important to be taken seriously,” something with which I totally agree. The other says, “Life is not a dress rehearsal,” again something that I agree with. The trick is to combine the sentiment of these two so that you think, “Life is not a dress rehearsal, but I don’t have to be perfect in either the first or second act.”
Earl and I recently bought two new plaques, and I mounted one today over the closet door in his office. It screams “Oh, Behave.” Which, if you know Earl, is right on. The other plaque is more serious and says: “Motto To Live By: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO, what a ride!”
I must find a place of honor for this one.
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