Artifact

June. June and its been so hot that the air smells burnt outside, the bite-bugs are in full force (happily breeding in the giant hole across the street) and everyone is instantly covered in sweat. June and all of my good intentions are awash- even though I have been out of school for almost 2 weeks now, I haven't begun on my great projects of summer, or not begun in full force. Instead I have taken *lots* of naps, avoided working on the Lumina stuff, and cleaned the bedroom. That was this morning-

You see, years ago when I was newly single and at the beach, my room became very feminine, haven-like with lace and the rose lamps, the pink china clock, ropes of pearls hanging from the doors, old family photos, documents, Granny Wrye's drawing of the Belle of the Atlantic. I held onto this look even when moving to the cottage- due to nostalgia (for the beach house as well as loyalty to family-objects). Things gradually changed. The bed, held up for years with duct-tape and cinder blocks, was replaced. Then moved. Another dresser was added when Charles moved in, and a stack of trunks that became his bedside table. In the past few weeks, Turrello has discovered that he can walk around the room while not touching the floor, that pearls are great fun to play with, and that he can make my old tin boxes 'talk' at four in the morning by bouncing on them just so......

Today, I decided it was time for a change. I pulled everything off the shelves, off the walls. I kept some things out, but mainly that which is immune to cats. I have replaced the rose lamps with the oil lamp I found at the auction, and the waternight jar that the manz surprised me with the other week is beside my bed. I still have my abalone shells, the rocks from California and the heart shaped rocks we collect, the tray Aunt Mary brought back from Mexico- on it is my crystal ball (yes, I actually have one!) the first present Grendel gave me on his own (a bracelet of black metal hearts from a claw-machine), Mother's roadrunner pin, the plain cross that Daddy had (somewhere), the coin Grendel brought me back from Rome. The rose table is replaced by the lovely little secretary with the drawers that Charles brought home from a sale (I won't let him sell it! It's handmade and a sweet sweet piece).... I'm not sure what art to put in the room yet, but that will come along. Point is, homes need to evolve, just like families and people do.

The artifact in the photo is something they dug up across the street- not ours, this one, but the manz has brought over a few choice shells that- according to the soil guy- "are as old as the dinosaurs". Me, I'm still hoping for the dinosaur.... I remember trying to find fossils in the rocks at Headacher... I believe.

And speaking of which, I think this house has its name at last. It was obvious, really- Hazelwood. That was the name of the little old lady who lived in it since it was built- built for her- and it is only fitting that it carries her name on. And so it is.