Color in Our Lives

 

The day has been positively gorgeous for February. The yellow of the bright sun energizes folks especially in February! Color is important to us and gray clouds can make us lethargic. Color everywhere, even the ones we choose to wear, shapes us, moves us, causes us to feel warmth, anger, comfort, sadness, and more.

When I was in high school, I did not have an abundance of clothing. I learned real fast that black and earth tones were slimming, versatile, classic, and did not call attention to yourself if you were in a class you hated and where you wanted to fade into the woodwork.

But when I married and moved into the St. Louis suburbs, I met a woman who introduced me to color. It was the years of green and orange which already made a statement in homes. Donna had left school after the 8^th grade, and then she taught herself to play the organ for church and to paint beautiful floral pictures. She had a smile that could light up a city block, and she loved color. She was the one who dragged me away from black and showed me the joys of color in clothing and in the home.

I love the richness of hardwoods like oak and cherry in my home. I love turquoise. I like blue and white. I no longer stand back from splashes of color like dashes of red, a kiss of purple, or even oranges and yellows. I say that I play house with my dining room table because I have been too sick to host guests, to hold dinners, or present teas. Still on the good days I change the table setting to make me feel good.

 

This month I chose turquoise placemats and plates with orangey pink backgrounds that remind me of the Southwest. The poppies were from the Santa Fe square the year every store was showing poppies. Then a quick stop at a store last week and a glance caught the sight of turquoise stems. Ah, the table colors take me back to the Southwest as I pass it each day.

 

 

Meanwhile, I finally got the Christmas tea pot and cups put away along with the last poinsettias. I still felt it too early for Easter, but the warm weather here did remind me of spring. Yellow silks of forsythia and jonquils and tulips came out of the closet and made me feel bright as I could be. Then around the street corner I saw real crocus popping out all over the ground. Ah, their light shades of lavender were soft and full of promise.

Do you have a favorite color to wear or decorate with?