Returning to “bland” white walls

When I moved into my present condo 10½ years ago, I had read a number of articles encouraging homeowners not to be afraid of using deep colors on their walls. They persuaded me to pass up safe and “bland” white. Since I had a gray sofa and thought orange complemented gray, I had the kitchen, bathroom, and one wall of the living room painted coral and everything else gray.

What I did not consider is that with only two banks of windows, there’s not a lot of natural light coming in. Gray and coral did not lighten and brighten the space. Gray also felt depressing on overcast days. After a decade of living with the colors, I wanted a change. 

Being alone needn’t keep me at home

The sister of someone I know stopped traveling after losing her husband a few years ago. She misses travel, I heard, so I asked why she does not take tours with groups that cater to single women. "She wouldn't do that" was the answer. 

A Houston couple shared a table with me at a Yellowstone café. "You're traveling alone?," asked the woman, a retired teacher. "That's brave."

I've traveled alone so much that I hardly give it a second thought. In retrospect some of the trips look gutsy – like car camping through New England for six weeks and going behind the Iron Curtain – but I didn't think so at the time. Plenty of things scare me. We're probably all brave about some things and not others. 

Strong muscles make for robust aging

Hearing aids at 66 and cataract surgery at 70 didn’t make me fret about aging. I was still able to do everything I’d always done.

Knee and back pain, on the other hand, restricts my activity. Osteoarthritis, the most common cause of joint pain as people age, has caught up with me. For the first time I’m starting to feel my age.