Bringing the Outdoors In
by Patty Lee
At this time of the year, one of my greatest pleasures is taking a brief pause from my work to sit outside on the patio in the sunshine. The temperature of the air is just right. The sky is blue with not a cloud in sight. There's even perfect background music – the sound of water falling over rocks into the fishpond, and the songs of birds as they build their nests and raise their families. As I write this, Mrs. Robin is taking a bath in the rainwater that has collected in the pool cover and the goldfish are swimming around among the rocks in the fishpond. What an idyllic setting!
And so I am thinking, "Wouldn't it be nice to have this pleasant setting all year?" I feel the start of a new mission coming on. I will call it "Bring the Outdoors In".
First, I will have to find a room or area of the house that gets lots of natural light. The room just off the patio will work nicely. It has large windows. I'll take down the curtains. That will open up the room and make it appear larger, more airy, like the big outdoors.
Next, I will change that worn-out carpet to cushion floor in a rock design. If I had the money, I probably would go for the real thing, but this should work. Any floor covering in a wood grain, stone, or other natural material would work, and of course, I want something that is easy to keep clean.
I love anything wood and so the furniture pieces will be a warm pine. I think the new twig furniture would look very nice, too, maybe even better than my beloved pine, due to its airy quality.
In one corner of the room, I will place a self-contained fountain. The small ones take only a couple gallons of water. Then I will have the sound of water indoors. I would love to get a larger model and put a couple of fish in there, but this will do. After all, I am on a budget.
For accents, I will make a grapevine wreath and decorate it with silk flowers. I will place a eucalyptus swag over the windows. Here and there I will position a little fake bird. Or perhaps I will go out and buy a canary. I used to have canaries and it is lovely to hear them singing. Where are those starfish that I collected on a beach in Nova Scotia? And the clam shells that my daughter sent me from British Columbia? They will add nostalgic touches.
There will be fresh flowers everywhere intermingled with silk ones. These days, when you buy good quality silk flowers, it is hard to tell them from the real thing. I just adore flowers of all kinds.
There now, I will have finished my mission without breaking the bank. And I will have the pleasures of the outdoors that I am enjoying now all year round.
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