Vignettes

At a yard sale long ago, I saw one of those 1960s chunky octagon barrel end tables. Ugly. But it was topped with a circular piece of pink marble. Lovely. The cost was $5. Perfect. Upon inspection, I saw that the marble was not affixed to the wood bottom, but only resting there. I bought it and when I returned home I dumped the ugly end table and kept the marble. I wanted it to be a table, but how that would come about, I had no idea. I knew that someday I'd figure out how to use it.

The next summer I was at another yard sale and there displayed was a folding set of table legs with suction cups on the top...just waiting for something to be placed there to make the table complete. Well, I had the perfect thing: a polished piece of pink marble.

The table is to the right of my front door. I usually use it for functional purposes. When I return home with groceries of bags of some kind, I set them there while I get out the key and unlock the door.

This summer I decided to have fun making a different kind of display each day. For a few days I had flowers out there. The tiger lilies are blooming, and they make a pretty display in the vase. But I always feel bad because they die right away. So the display of the lilies in the yard is better left to enjoy, because they last longer. They line the border of the yard by the street and they look pretty there. Other days I had the cut flowers out there which my friends at work had given me at the end of school. They looked pretty also.

I have some spectacular rocks I'd gathered at Machiasport Maine's Jasper beach. They are smooth, round, egg like, and sparkle in water. So I got them out, filled the vase, added water, picked a few dandelions, and placed a leaf behind, for a charming little display. The crocheted coasters are sprinkled around for color (and to dry out from constant use by placing a mason jar full of drinking water on them.) The dandelions die pretty quickly when plucked but I don't care because they are a weed and there are always more of them to see in the yard! They are not a noble flower deserving to remain in the ground where they bloom, lol.

 

There are only a few flowers left in the bunch that my friends at school bought me, but as the flowers dwindle, I simply use a smaller vase to display them in.

I really love flowers. I think they are luxurious. Combined with a nice piece of marble, it makes a luxurious little display, outside where the real luxury is: birds, grass, and fresh air.