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A R C H I V E D...S U N D A Y...M O N T H L Y S 

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Walking

the

Neighborhood

 

As a formal English garden-phile,

 

I'm thrilled to see these

 

topiary-like, sculpted trees.

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Y O U R S.. T R U L Y.. G E T S.. P E R S O N A L 

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H A P P Y.. B I R T H D A Y.. T O.. M E

 

Sounds Self-Indulgent, Right?

 

Well, it is but I hope you'll forgive me as you continue to read. This birthday was a decade-changing one - my age now ends in a zero. I have never before had such philosophical thoughts about age.

 

Actually, I have never before given much thought to age at all - and I've had many birthdays end with zero.

 

Why is this year different? I have some ideas but they get TOO philosophical. I'd end up referencing historical events and sounding alarms. It would all be a bummer by the time I finish.

Instead, I'll say that I have a sense of relief. I made it this far. I made it beyond the "probably terminal" cancer diagnosis I received 19 years ago. Lucky for me, Queen of the Valley was wrong and UCSF came to my rescue over the course of two frightening years.

Some of you know that fighting for your life can change you. It gives you a new perspective. And I'll say this... such an experience is a gift!

 

Since the SUNDAY MONTHLY is meant to be a lightweight read, I'll leave my story at that other than to say that my relief at this age also goes hand in hand with ceasing to be so hard on myself in every single way.

Hurray for zero-ending birthdays!

This happy photo represents someone else's philosophy - but one I share. The following comes from the

WISDOM OF AGING WELL

ACCORDING TO EPICURUS

by Jim Kershner

 

About 2,300 years ago, a Greek philosopher named Epicurus pondered the difficulties and rewards of old age. He came to this conclusion:

"It is not the young man who should be considered fortunate, but the old man who has lived well, because the young man wanders much by chance, vacillating in his beliefs, while the old man has docked in the harbor, having safeguarded his true happiness.” 

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To Epicurus, the pleasure of a great dinner was not the food, but the excellent conversation - especially with those who were “docked in the harbor” of a contented old age.

He believed that the best thing about old age was the ability to nurture friendships, unencumbered by business and professional concerns... to pursue a different kind of friendship, one in which we want nothing from our friends... but friendship.

Epicurus believed that happiness can best be achieved if we “free ourselves from the prison” of everyday business, commerce, and politics. Most young people cannot pull that off - but retired people can.

Is this the same philosopher we associate with sweet and savory Epicurean delights and excess? Yes, same guy but misunderstood.

Turns out that Epicurus was not much of an epicure in the modern sense. He believed in pleasure, but it consisted of gatherings with friends for large communal, simple, homegrown dinners. (Back then, were there any dinners other than homegrown?) ...

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U P D A T I N G...M Y...H O M E ~ C H A L L E N G E...# 3

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Dear Readers,

 

For some endearingly teasing reason, a few of you get a kick out of my personal design challenges in my new home. I understand... and I appreciate the ribbing. "Now you know how I feel, Patti!"

 

So, I'm going to amuse you again with yet another challenge: Painting the exterior of my house. The challenge isn't knowing what I like but choosing from a list of HOA-approved colors - none of which I like.

 

(Yes, there are downsides to living in an HOA but there are upsides as well.)

 

Anyway, maybe my solutions can spark some of your own should you face them one day.

When I think back to my homes in the past, my white Cape Cod with black shutters and a red door, and my 1948 pink stucco, old-world Mediterranean stand out. The color schemes made sense with the architecture - my top two favorite styles, by the way.

Since my HOA is in the high desert, it has its own "appropriate" color scheme - earth tones. Guess what are my least favorite colors? Right! (Note: I can appreciate them. I'm sure I've spec'd them for many clients over the years. They can be beautiful. They're just not for ME.)

 

After browsing and re-browsing through 20 or so approved color palettes, I settled on one and then made changes and hoped that the HOA would accept them. They did.

Given that my neighborhood is very young, our trees have not fully grown and, given our water-wise landscaping standards, most people have replaced their lawns with xeriscapes. As I said at the top of this newsletter, I love an English garden (the antithesis of xeriscape.) I crave GREEN LUCIOUSNESS, CONTRAST, and COLOR. Hard to pull off with earth tones.

By the way, the tree poking into the photo of my side garage door above (and the far left below) is a Red Bud. It, along with the Smoke Bushes and other I-Don't-Know-Name bushes, give me lusciousness, contrast, and color throughout the seasons - even if only when looking out my home office window.

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Back to my paint choices: I did my best to force the "anglophile" issue - starting with the base color, Sherwin Williams "Bunglehouse Grey." Don't tell anyone but I had SW add a few drops of green to the grey. In my HOA, this color is usually paired with brown trim, a brown garage door, and dark green shutters - just like my neighbor's down the street. His house is handsome. It's masculine and suits him. But I wanted pretty and fresh.

So, I opted for white trim, a white garage door, black shutters, a black iron, storm door, front door, and iron, courtyard gate. The result is a GREEN house with CONTRAST. The lusciousness? Not so much but I'm learning to settle.

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                                          Before-Blah                                 meets                                        After-Ahhhh

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The front landscape has changed, too. I'll tell you about "Challenge # 4"

in a future issue. In the meantime, I patiently wait for greenery to grow to, you know...

to get a bit of lusciousness.

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I have another idea in mind and hope the HOA will agree. I give it 50/50 odds.

I'm not crazy about the rock facade flanking the garage door and front door.

I could soften its rustic hardness with a lighter color mortar.

This fireplace was modernized by doing such a thing - along with adding a limestone hearth and firebox surround.

I'll keep you posted!

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H I S T O R Y    O F    A R C H I T E C T U R E    P A R T    3   ~   R O M E

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After Julius Caesar’s army burned the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the Romans went on to absorb Egyptian and Greek culture, art, and architecture and became innovators in their own right. They developed new construction techniques and materials and built new structures such as basilicas, triumphal arches, aqueducts, amphitheaters, and grand highways.

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The Romans introduced the arch to architecture (an earlier Etruscan idea). The arch has far greater capabilities than the Egyptian and Greek lintel because it can span eight times the distance of a stone lintel.

The arch quickly led to domed ceilings - and because arched and domed structures can share weight evenly, they were soon used throughout the city.

The roof of the Pantheon in Rome, commissioned by Hadrian in 120 AD, and a hot tourist destination, is the most notable example of Roman genius. Not only is the span of the dome impressive, but its center is open to the sky.

Wealthier homes were typically built around atriums. Interiors were made of painted plastered walls and mosaic floors.

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Many houses had pipes that carried water into the home and also acted as underground heating systems.

 

The Romans used finely ground volcanic lava as their mortar in place of clay. This was the strongest cement in history until the development of Portland cement. When fortified with volcanic rubble, the concrete was sturdy enough to build their great arches, aqueducts and roads. Concrete was also cheaper than solid stone and could be given a more presentable façade using stucco, marble veneer, fired brick, or terracotta.

​​Roman theaters were inspired by those of the Greeks and displayed their penchant for enclosing spaces with complete or partial roofs or canvas awnings. The Coliseum, built from 72 AD to 80 AD, is the largest and most famous of Roman amphitheaters and was copied throughout the Empire.​​

 

The triumphal arch is another Roman invention. It had no practical function other than to commemorate significant events such as military victories. Early examples marked thoroughfares with single, double or triple entrances.

   

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