A Backyard Picnic

This post is a little late in coming, but oh well!

I wanted to share some photos of a really lovely backyard picnic (under the grape arbor!) shared by me, Luke, Marcus, and Yvonne.

 7 kinds of cheese, wine, pasta salad, olives, figs, honey, jam, crostini, crackers, apple pie, port, and chocolate.  

YUM.

All photos by Marcus:

I think another picnic might be in order soon...

Home: My Favorite Place

I've recently come to realize that I may not live in my studio apartment forever.

Which really (like, really really) bums me out.

Let me back up and paint you a picture...

My studio is one of 3 units attached to a 100-year old craftsman-style home in the heart of San Luis Obispo.   The house itself is on a street that is equal parts residential and office buildings.

My landlord's house (mine is in back)

There are trees, driveway parking, a lovely sunny backyard with garden beds, fruit trees, birds, and not-one-but-TWO porch/patios (complete with grape arbor!).

My studio

My yard

My studio (really a studio +; the kitchen is a separate room) has wood floors, old wavy glass windows, lots of light, a old-fashioned stove, and a built-in sort of nook for my bed.

I'm 2 blocks from downtown SLO, 3 blocks from my favorite Thai restaurant, 4 blocks from the library, and 5 blocks from work (the theatre).

And those are just the physical amenities, which don't even begin to describe how the place feels!  It's sweet, and quiet, and cozy, and airy.  It's inviting, old-but-not-crumbling, warm, private, lived-in, and so comfortable.

Of course there are a few things that I don't entirely love: the occasional ant infestation, the way the house will retain cold and heat, the claustrophobic shower, and very minimal storage space.

But it's impossible to get hung up on those things when the place is so thoroughly charming.

My front door

PLUS it's the first place I've lived on my own, and the first place I've lived where I'm truly comfortable in my own skin and where I am in my life (which are, I think, states one needs to reach in order to live alone- but that's a post for another time).  I'm so very comfortable here and this space is so completely mine.  I don't know if I can imagine anything better.

So you see why contemplating even the possibility of someday moving makes me blue.

So what will I do?  Enjoy it! Take pictures!  Write about it! Love my house in words and pictures!  I've decided to use this blog (in part) as a way to document my time here and my living and surrounding space- so expect to see house-related posts in the future!