Up Too Early

Ever wonder why our inner alarm clock goes off too early?  Maybe it was the quantity of smoked salmon I ate last evening...

A friend and I went to Kathy O'Malley's after holidays all girls party.  Kathy is half of the former WGN "Kathy and Judy Show."  She moved to Princeton a few years ago and is now on the Freedom House board. 

She lives in a 1860's home that was moved out of Princeton into a newish subdivision in the country.  Lovely old home with all the character and fun of a home from that era.  Character is a word we old home dwellers use for oddities no modern home builder would think of letting happen.  It has windows that don't quite match up or have cracks (hers were beautiful tall round top beauties with substantial wood surrounds).  Doors that no longer close right, heating ducts that were added years ago in odd places and nook and crannies abundant.  Has things that don't make sense today but are really nice in their strangeness.  It also had several additions made to it since the move.

Aside from a fun house to take in, Kathy is a collector.  Many (I mean millions) lovely and mixed paintings everywhere and she feels at ease with displaying anything that strikes her fancy and in abundance.  I go through my minimalist stages about every January.  Seeing everything Kathy displays makes me want to drag out all the mountains of stuff I store and let people thread their way through the little isles of room between.  The truth about a good decorator is doing what you want, in a way you want, and having people say "she certainly has a eye for arranging things."  Love it. 

Her house was packed with women to the "excuse me" stage (that's where you bump into someone everywhere you move or turn.)  Most were my age - kinda give or take.  Saw a few people we knew but most were strangers but a friendly group.  It's been so long since I had an "invite everyone you know" party I'd forgotten how much fun it was.  I'm reclusive by nature and this winter it seems depressed reclusive is a better word.  Maybe I just need to throw a big party. 

On the home front:  Bible study tonight.