Our House

Listen while you read:  . . . is a very, very, very fine house.

I'll light the fire
You place the flowers in the vase that you bought today
Staring at the fire for hours and hours
While I listen to you play your love songs
All night long for me, only for me

Come to me now and rest your head for just five minutes
Everything is good
Such a cozy room
The windows are illuminated
By the evening sunshine through them
Fiery gems for you, only for you

Our house is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy 'cause of you

And . . . our . . . la, la, la . . . 

Our house is a very . . . 

I'll light the fire
You place the flowers in the vase that you bought today

~  Graham Nash

Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell lived together in Laurel Canyon back in 1969.  One morning, after they'd gone out for breakfast, they stopped at an antiques shop where Joni bought a cheap vase. Graham actually said that first line when they got home. He thought, "What an ordinary moment!" and he wrote the song. He doesn't really like the song, but plays it because everyone else likes it. You can find it on CSN&Y's Deja Vu from 1970.

When I started writing this post on a chilly, rainy day, I was entranced by the comfort that a fireplace can offer. And I thought about how nice "our house" is. But the "our" in "our house" changed almost fifteen years ago when my husband died. Since then, it's been "my" house as far as taking care of it goes. And as if the Universe was in on the joke, as soon as I called up the CSN&Y song, I became aware of a leak in my water tank! Emptying buckets of water all night long is not my idea of comfort.  I filled the bathtub, shut off the pump, and called my plumber. Ugh.

Ordinary moments. Flowers in a vase. Cats in the yard. Staring at the fire. This house used to have all of that, plus kids and dogs and a fishtank. Am I sounding too sentimental? While part of me is waxing nostalgic about the way it used to be, another part of me is cursing the burden of home ownership!

Now everything is easy 'cause of you. If that is true in your life, get up off your butt right now and sing it to your significant other. Punctuate it with a kiss.

My plumber will be here soon. I might just plant one on his cheek in gratitude!

Joni and Graham