dusty magic

Saturday afternoon, I made fussing noises about my husband always leaving his computer sitting on the art table. He’s supposed to store his laptop in a cupboard, but he rarely bothers to put it away—dragging it out and packing it back up is such a bother—so it clutters the table all day long, taking up valuable real estate. So I was fussing and that made my husband start mumbling about where he could possibly put a study.

“Maybe we should bump out the house on the north side and add a little study there,” he said.

“What about the toy closet?” I said. “The kids don’t play with toys anymore.” [insert wild cheering] “We could knock it out and put a little office under the stairs.”

When I woke up the next morning, my husband’s side of the bed was empty. I heard a thud, like a door slamming shut. A minute later, another thud. Realization dawning, I went to investigate. Sure enough, the closet was coming down!

He didn’t go to church that morning. He worked all day, and that evening when I came home (I had meetings), the closet was out and my husband was wondering around the house in a daze, completely out of steam. He claimed the kids had already done a lot of cleaning, but the dust was still thick. I spent the next hour wiping down counters and open shelving, washing dishes, and mopping floors.

The plan is to drywall everything in, run a board along the back for a counter-like desk, and install good lighting and some shelving. We contemplated putting in a small window, but that costs money and I don’t think it’s even necessary.

I’m so excited for this little nook. The living room already feels more spacious and open; it’s amazing how much difference a couple extra feet makes. And what a thrill to discover unused space and transform it into something cozy and practical! It almost feels like magic. Dusty magic, yes, but still … magic.

This same time, years previous: the quotidian (3.2.15), my new superpower, Friday mishmash, the Chicoj coffee cooperative, leap year baby, air, print, internet, potatoes and onions, and red raspberry rhubarb pie.