I was totally lost in the repetition of matching the paint roller’s rhythmic thumps to James Brown’s grunts as I applied a second coat of Sapphire Berry paint to the nursery walls. As I moved under the eave, I noticed a new sound. At first, I assumed it must be a construction noise from across the street. But it’s Sunday, I remembered suddenly.
I looked out the window, over the shingles, and down to the street now glistening and scattered with puddles.
Rain.
My first rain in my first house. Ever.
I jumped off the ladder, startling Mildred from her perch at what had been my knee level. She bounced off the freshly painted wall before regaining her balance and following me across the room to the larger window, her Sapphire Berry tail held high.
The wide leaves of a hosta bent under the weight of the water that ran from their edges and collected in the deep valley of their mid ribs before gracefully cascading to the ground. The urgency of the rain increased and Mildred again jumped at the sound of the drops pinging against the top of the air-conditioner. James Brown and his horns faded away to be replaced by Otis Redding. “These ah-rms…of my-ee-ine…they are lonely…”
Another drop of water landed on the air-conditioner, this time inside the window.
I walked back to the eave, climbed back the ladder, and positioned the roller to resume painting. But first I paused to place one small kiss on the ceiling beside my head.
It’s good to be home.
Yay! Elly’s back!!
*happy dance*
Hey, if you need help painting…I do trim.
Of course, I’m only free on Mondays for the next few weeks.
“I do trim.” I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere. Possibly involving Kathleen Turner. If only I had some caffeine…
Way to paint the imagery and evoke the feelers, lady. This goes right in the book of your life.
*slurp*
absolutely beautiful. this makes my heart happy.
so glad you are home. we’ve missed you.
Me too, me too! Almost as much as I miss my ankles.
Welcome home, Ellykins! If the neighborhood welcome wagon doesn’t bring you the obligitory basket of fresh unicorned-pooped cupcakes let me know! I’ll get at batch out to you STAT!
Mmmm cupcakes. Want.
So GLAD you are HOME.
🙂
Sometimes I come up from our family room on the lower floor and as I ascend I can look up and out the big picture window in our living room upstairs and in the winter time that window perfectly frames the northern lights. I know just how you feel.
You big softy.
How did you sprain your fingers? Was it from masturbating too much over your hosta leaves?
Congrats on the new digs. It’s fun to be home. 🙂
…and I’m horse from screaming, “Show me your veins!”
This dialogues is GOLD.
How sweet it is!
nothing like a summer rain to evoke some serenity. and glad to hear that mildred is out and about in the new digs. though a sapphire berry tail isn’t going to help her be very stealthy.
Ahhhh, this is a feeling I refer to as luxuriating.
I totally commented on this and it seems to have disappeared. At any rate. This was a lovely post.
Welcome home! Beautifully done.
So glad you are HOME! You do know that pregnant women aren’t supposed to paint or stand on ladders, right? Always the rule breaker…
Sapphire Blue sounds like an awesome color for a nursery but not for a cat.
♥Spot
Beautiful. “The urgency of the rain” “The wide leaves of a hosta bent under the weight of the water that ran from their edges and collected in the deep valley of their mid ribs before gracefully cascading to the ground.”
Welcome home, baby.
I feel like the world has been placed gingerly back on it’s axis and can now resume spinning. It’s too bad I’m on my veranda overlooking the ocean forcing me to squint into the tiny screen of my iPhone while I say this but “welcome home!”