This Week, February 17, 2025
Five Things of Interest
1) Love Is a Verb
When we were dating, Prince Charming and I told each other we "loved" each other. But one day, during this exchange, I asked him what he meant.
He looked at me sideways, as you do when you not so secretly think someone is crazy mad. "I feel good when we're together," he said.
"Hmm," I said with the firmness of an attorney making a close case before a skeptical jury. "Love is a verb, not a noun. It's not how you feel. It's what you do."
This exchange sparked a nearly quarter-century-long conversation between us about what love is. It's been and continues to be fascinating.
Valentine's Day is often about the sweetness of feelings, and that's fine. We all need sweetness. It's also a day to celebrate all the ways we show up for each other in all kinds of relationships to make love an action verb.
Happy Valentine's Day, Lovies.
2) Inspired
My dear friend Diana is an incredible hostess. I’m always giddy when she invites me over. She’s a divine cook. Her meals never disappoint.
The art and care she spends setting the table sets Diana apart as a hostess. Her table settings are a still life done up in a manner I’ve only seen in museums by professional curators.
She sets such gorgeous tables that we have a pre-cocktail ritual when she hosts. She gives me an exclusive tour of her table settings, which are richly layered and full of crystal, silver, and memories. We can spend half an hour discussing the many layers of memories and fun until the other guests arrive and demand their cocktails.
I don’t have silver in Winter Quarters. But Diana’s inspiration led to last week's display below for a dinner party.
3) Unplugged Treasures
I walked through a museum garden collecting treasures on the ground: camellias, a bird feather, and a pine cone with fascinating textures.
I brought them home and created a centerpiece for the dining room table.
I hosted a dinner party for Don and Marcia in our rented winter quarters and wanted to add some low-country charm to the table. They were so taken with the centerpiece that Don fixed my computer before dinner, rescuing my manuscript from the black screen of death.
As we broke bread, we shared the fruits of reciprocity: dinner, deep breaths, laughter, and years of friendship. This cycle of giving and receiving is a way of caring for and about each other. Our friendship circle includes a genuine concern for this delicate and resilient earth that provides our air, water, food, and beauty.
4) Challenging
My biggest artistic challenge is making time to create. What’s yours?
Check out my new post for ways to hold space:
5) New Digs, New Studio
We had to change winter quarters over the weekend. Which involved a laundry caper that included:
Moving sopping wet clothes. Someone who shall remain nameless (me) underestimated the time the washer took to wash.
A misplaced load of laundry was eventually found in an unpacked bag, but not before the previous landlord was called to report missing laundry. This necessitated calls to the cleaners, inspectors, and current tenants.
In the scope of world affairs, minor inconveniences. It was one more test to affirm the loving devotion of Prince Charming.
The new studio has Eastern exposure!
xo
Felicia
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