Mendofleur

When I am in Mendocino, this is where I walk every morning to do creative work. It is a very short distance from the main house that in itself is small. The garden and this little house behind the front house is the piece of magic that no one suspects is back here. That is why I love it. I feel very protected and safe when I am working in this cocoon of silence and peace. In my mind and heart, there is nothing on earth that could possibly match it anywhere else in the world. Essentially, it nurtures and protects my sometimes fragile and creative spirit.

When I came to live here with my husband, I had never been to Mendocino. As far as I knew, it was the hippie town north of San Francisco where I lived at the time. I was not afraid of small towns. I grew up in one, so I was familiar with the characteristics of such a place. What has drawn me here increasingly is my feelings of connection, placement, and security. It is the longest I have lived anywhere for my entire life. That, in itself, is affirming and comforting. This green cabinet was in the house since I first stepped inside. Actually this little back house was in ruins, tumbling down, full of cobwebs and disintegrating wood, and my husband asked me if I would like to fix it up and use it for my creative work. The green cabinet was simply the voice of the house calling out to be protected like its future owner. I have never touched this piece with any paint or new wood. It carries the soul of the place and gives me solace.

This is the ladder that connects to the loft. I store extra things up there and also have a futon in case someone wants to sleep up there. Primarily, it belongs to my oldest cat, Sam. He has moved in and seems to know this is his domain.

Looking down from the ladder into the main room.

Looking up at the loft.

The blue door leading outside.

I spent days painting the walls. I mixed the paint from pigments and started with an ocher base and added a pomegranate red over the top. It actually does look like a pomegranate. I have visits when I think I should simply paint it white with the trim around the baseboards and windows a seafoam green. I cannot bring myself to change it. I love the red. It suits my creative passions and inspires and energizes me.

I find that when I am in this cocoon, the world melts away. I can close the door, not answer the phone, and release my mind and heart to what is most essential for that moment in time. And sometimes, I fantasize that it could be like that for the rest of my life.