"terra cotta"

ter·ra cot·ta  n.  "baked earth"; clay used in fired unglazed ceramics

ter′ra-cot′ta, adj...a brownish orange 

...rolling on the paint, dipping and saturating the oblong roller brush at the end of a pole into a paint tray...exerting pressure with criss-crossing motion, using long strokes to fill in the rougher areas.  This is what we did to redo my previously dull atrium in my home to get the house ready to sell.  Whether it's a selling point or a drawback, it's ready for someone to do what they would like to do with it. Immediately green bamboo leaves contrasted with a pop against the bright wet paprika painted concrete floor.   It soon  dried to  a flat eggshell terra cotta colour;  a fan helps to move the warm air out while a cool breeze travels through the bright room.  A small old burner stove stands modestly nearby, asking the bougainvillea to climb up the wall.  There is pond where a waterfall softy recycles itself.  The Aloe Vera plant appears swollen, ready to use to heal a wound.  The camellia bush's shiny leaves and the cacti provide texture, as does a new colorful accent sisal rug.  It is a more vibrant space.... almost begging me to stay and enjoy!  Clearly, the indoor terrace has the ambiance of a courtyard in a casa en Mexico;  cozy, warm, and comfortable, with beams of vaulted wood..open air from above...and the color, terra cotta...I tried samples of tan, gray and red, thought of expensive tile or polished stones, but this was the best choice.  We repaired some rotted woodwork, painted the trim, washed and cleaned the entire area.

I'll miss the sound of rain on the sun roof....

Tiny Baby's Breath creeps through begonias and ferns.  It would be the epitome of tranquility, to  lye in a hammock or sit in a wicker chair with a good read, a bottle of Chardonnay on the table; I can almost smell from the kitchen a meal of chicken adobe, beans, rice, tomatillos and flan prepared by Frida Kahlo. I hear her ruffled long skirt swish as she makes her way to the brick oven, laughing voices, and I hear a faint guitar.....

.....o.,k....but back to reality -

Large drops of fresh dark red cement paint on my pants; oh well, I don't need them anymore anyway.  My hair, toes (I always go barefoot), arms, and hands bear thin trails the color of blood, as though I had fallen through a window and been cut by shards of sharp glass.  The hard work of refurbishing a room reaps its rewards of new possibilities; new ideas present themselves.  Already a small garden of ferns and a water feature, I add flower pots, a healthy new strawberry hydrangea tree and a zinnia.  Wa-la! Time to put up party lights and dance (sometime after the second coat of paint dries) and after the big garage sale tomorrow!  So for those who wish to know, I am still very busy here and unable to focus on my blog again this week.  Just so some know, I am hoping to return to it and writing as events allow me to. As they saying goes, there's a lot on my plate at the moment.  I have had many "looky- loos" coming to check out the house almost every day, but so far no takers.  All it takes is just one person - and perhaps a little negotiating ;-)

To curtsy or to bow..

It's Open link night at dversepoets.com today where we are celebrating the two year anniversary of this supportive and welcoming worldwide poetry website...
We love parades,
adhering to elaborate traditions, 
pomp and circumstance;   
ceremonies seem oh so relevant,
but why are the Who's Who 
of an empire, heads of state, 
uniforms, polo 
and prominent noses important?
What about who designs planes,
who runs in the special Olympics,
or what about a man on the moon?
Isn't the balance of power out of balance?
What does it mean to want to be top dog, 
to eat from a silver spoon?
Britain's monarchy is at the center -
with a stigma of being Stuffy, finding change difficult yet
However, we love kind, down to earth Queen Elizabeth; 
we remember her beautiful sister, Princess Margaret
They began their reign with important reforms -
Optimism above all, expressing a need to be
near the people, dedication and service
People love having their lives linked with affection 
and loyalty - and royalty remains
as set examples to emulate -
of virtues and artful living, caring for one another
Even though she lives in a palace in London, 
she gives her 100%; she put up with The Beattles
burning holes in her rug with cigarettes
So the future king or queen will be borne this week,
to perpetuate the family's domain;  
Surely a prince or princess will resemble William and Kate,
let's hope he or she is a cute baby,
for often it's not the case 
when two such attractive people mate
I hope in spite of all the pandering and ceremony, 
there is kind of normalcy;
for with new leaders of a kingdom
the marked emphasis now should be
the content of one's character, 
not what weight the crown in jewels or gold, 
nor taste in hattery.
Kings of old may have acted insanely;
today their soundness of mind will lead 
us into the future;
And when the new baby arrives,
we will salute him or her,
pray goodness and mercy
shall follow as the old is replaced with the new. 
Soon we will know whether to bow or curtsy -
whether the royal diapers will be pink or blue

On the horizon...

by klr

Water runs clear in the creek bed;

streaming moss grasps its hard pulled roots

Smooth mottled rocks look back at me,

gold tones hit thigh high wading boots

Light plays into stained glass ripples; 

Shades of evening gather and turn 

still pools to aubergine ink wells  

Gone is midday's white brittle fern

And all fools wish to love again; 
when all is said and done and fish 

swim no longer in murky dens, 

but frolic with faces clownish

Rising, flying to halfway heights

between the green sea and blue sky

Lofty hymns, pianissimo -

air and gulls' wings thus carried by

Heard only by the steadfast ear
they recall a sailor's lost joys, 

tribulation's lost salty tears

preserving crimped hearts as alloys

Flutters of wishes unfolding
fragile spirits lift sacredly

and in the throws of leaving cry 

the clouds for birds nigh achingly

Beating still louder, red gold wings, 
flocks of one million butterflies -

What was a lifetime of verses

disappears bidding it's goodbye's

Over at   dversepoets.com   Claudia has invited us to share our version of a mirage or heat wave, a kind of fantasy about real and the unreal...I had this already half written, although it doesn't suggest "hot", just that fine line between our visual and imagined horizons...and will be reading all the other posts tonight after dinner out.

Hidden objects...

banana
bell
needle
flag
ice cream
toothbrush
cotton candy
comb
open book
wishbone
pencil
moon
pennant
croquet
heart
note                        
in the picture puzzle -
the Highlight game
we as kids used to play, 
discovering....

..later in life, the game changes -
Bewildered, lost?  

Wonder what in the future lies,
what doors will open, close?
Pondering answers to these
puzzling questions causes drums 
to beat in my heart;
whirlpools of blood curl as prose;
surely it's poetry that flows

Feel bewildered by turns of events? 
Isolation, when once 
there was partnership?
Feel lost, betrayed,
barely hanging onto threads 
for safety to fight another day?  
Inside unfamiliar territory?

Cozy to cling to one's socks, shoes
walk the street in sunglasses - 
Incognito

Ironclad is the notion 
things get better with age,  

that wine 200 years old is tastier still; 
that sweet smoke of blanched alder 
enhances the steak

I was following trails of crumbs, 
you see;

I don't like losing things -
I sometimes miss cigarettes

My mind was as fresh as the top of the morning - 

a thrill here, bit of gambling there; 
So does life fizzle like bubbles in the bathtub
til the end of time??

But it's the innocent babe 
in the folds of beginning
that has the secret to living -

We all have to learn it all over again,
as grapes ripen on the vine;
For all puzzles will have answers
one day at the end of the line

I've have made a reservation - 
Can't you see it in my eyes?
For when puzzles cease to capture me,
When highest light dawns golden in the deep,
I'll travel the road into the mystical 
midnight blue skies,
solve them when I sleep 

For dversepoets.com today considering puzzles 

~ returning in August with a different look...