1) QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Decorating was excellent therapy; the style: Moldavian Bucolic . . . She had muslin dyed bright orange for curtains; the effect was eminently satisfying. She was particularly proud of her bedroom, where the walls, ceiling, and floor were stained dark brown. On the darkened paneling behind her bed - ' a broad couch heaped up with cushions in every shade of orange' - she hung an old piece of gold brocade from a Russian church and over it an antique icon framed in silver. On the floor was a muted Turkish rug. Instead of vases, Marie put her flowers in empty shell cases of all sizes and calibers, 'heavy and rusty brown.' To complement the autumnal color scheme she added the odd bit of pottery in bright green and an occasional brass dish." -- from The Last Romantic: The Life of the Legendary Queen Marie of Roumania, the Most Famous Beauty, Heroine and Royal Celebrity of Her Time, by Hannah Pakula
2) Too cold on the back porch for coffee at 5:45 AM, but not 6:45 AM. Is it just me, or is this a chilly June?
3) Twelve weekends of summer left . . . and so few plans so far . . .