Saturday Drive

One of my readers told me I was slacking off on my posting.  Okay I’m married to him and he didn’t really use the word slacking but obviously I’ve neglected this blog.

No good reason –

Yesterday the disgruntled reader and I took a drive up to La Grange to visit his mother and her new husband, Richard.  They were spending the weekend up at their cabin on his acreage.  He owns 1000 acres between Lake Don Pedro and McClure Lake.  The property consists of rolling hills, oak trees, babbling creeks and views for miles.  There is even a spot where you can see both lakes. 

Patricia, my mother in law, is probably the most elegant woman I know.  She is an artist and decorator and can truly turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse.  When Rick was growing up it was just him, his sister and his mother.  Even when money was scarce you couldn’t tell by looking.  No money for a Christmas tree?  No matter – she just cut some branches from a shrub and arranged them on the wall in the shape of tree and decorated that. 

When Rick and I were first dating Patricia was working at a wallpaper store.  She said they were looking for additional help so I started working with her.  It was probably the most fun I have ever had at a job.   Patricia is elegant but she also has a wicked sense of humor and fun.  After hours we would change the music piping into the store and I can still see Patricia sweeping the floors singing Devo’s "Whip It" in her Ferragamo pumps.

There came a decree from the corporate offices that all employees had to wear a bright orange apron while working.  This just did not go with Patricia’s fashion sensibilities and she refused.  The manager really didn’t care one way or the other but the district manager insisted.  Patricia refused.  Firing was threatened.  Patricia finally acquiesced and went into the break room to put on her orange apron.  She came out with it carefully fashioned into a turban on her head.   She spent the day waiting on customers so attired. 

They never said HOW it had to be worn.

The cabin is a rustic little affair – one bedroom, a kitchen cobbled together from cast off cabinets and appliances.  When Patricia first started going up there it was all bare wood and floors.  Now it is painted her signature rosy cream, with oriental carpets and there is a crystal chandelier hanging in the sunroom. 

Seriously – just because you are practically camping it doesn’t mean you have to do without elegant lighting.

Patricia and Richard are going to build a proper house on the property and they picked a lovely site.  Views of the lake from one direction and views of the vineyards they are getting ready to plant from another.  You can just make out the vineyard spot in the picture below.  It’s the cleared out rectangle right in the very middle of the picture.

You would have to have such spectacular views to compete with the house Patricia is designing.