July 14, 2013

I sit here in my Papa's house, in the living room to be exact. I look all around me at the visuals in the room. Sitting here facing the south wall which has a double window centralized on the wall. The blinds are closed for the evening and the curtains are held back with matching tie-backs. They are white in color with a scalloped edge. Hanging from the wooden valance over the windows are 4 wind chimes and a snowman that our oldest daughter made for Grandma at Christmas time. Sitting on top of the valance are bells; in upwards of 25. Grandma loved bells, and her collection of many of them still sit where they always have been. On the same wall are other various items which include 2 decorative plates and a wooden Nebraska sign. On the south-west corner of the room sits an old grandfathers clock that I don't think has worked for the last 15 years. Looking to my left is the west wall hosting a window and the front door of the house. The window treatment matches those of the south wall. The door is an off-white metal door. It's a large contrast from the dark brown paneled walls that surround the room. The valance above the west window is occupied by more wind chimes and bells. There is a clock that has 12 different birds on it but no longer plays the sound of the birds. The wall behind me is home of the spare bedroom door and a collection of pictures that is approximately 5 foot by 6 foot. The frames are of many different shapes and sizes but all of them are an off-white color. There are pictures of my grandparents, their siblings, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. I still enjoy enjoy this collection, although some of the pictures are quite aged. Such as my senior frame that is now 19 years old! The east wall has a large "archway" that leads into the dining room. There is a weather rock that my dad made more than 25 years ago that still hangs on one side of the trim. Adjacent from it on the other trim hangs a bell along with a wooden wind chime. The trim above has a couple of other decorations hanging from it. Pictures occupy another 3 foot by 4 foot section on one side of the archway and a 2 foot by 3 foot area on the other side of the archway. Sometimes when I look around the room I think about how cluttered it is; then I quickly come back to how much my grandma loved this stuff and how it represents both of my grandparents. It easily comes back to me why I also love this room.