I was taped shut

My first glimpse of our house's new paint color was the spray on the plastic covering my doorway. This surprised me because our painters had another job lined up, and were planning to do prep this week, and the actual painting in a couple of weeks. Their other job was delayed for a few days so they kept going with this one. If all goes well, he tells me, they will finish with the trim tomorrow. I spent a good part of the day with the cat on my lap, as she needed reassurance with all those strange noises going on outside.

As you can see, I chose the color to go with the brick that decorates the doorway side of the duplex.


This 6 year old photo reveals just how long our house has needed paint. We are so tired of the rental blue-gray. Isn't that a rental color if you ever saw one?



The painter told me when he first saw the new color (Miller 1011 Semolina) he wasn't too sure, his eyes rolling up, but now he could see it's a great color. It contrasts nicely with the many colors of green that surround us. It also is a completely different color from all the other houses on our block. It is an autumn color, or a New Mexico color. Tomorrow they paint the trim. Below you see a glimpse of the old blue trim. The new trim will be light, a sandy color (Miller 1009 Bedtime Story).

That sudden realization makes me very happy. I still am in love with New Mexico. When I went to my 10 year college reunion I said I wouldn't wait another 10 years to go there, but it looks like I did that after all. Next summer, 20 years since I graduated. This year, 20 years since I became a vegetarian. Last year, 20 years since I began a meditation practice. I chose a little bit of New Mexico and I didn't even know it when I picked the color with the help of my sweetie. That's 2 big expenses this year: the roof, and the exterior paint. Next year, getting those juniper bushes gone wild pulled out, yet another rental staple that we are so tired of.