Why is it that some houses become HOME so quickly. From the moment we moved in -- well, after the landlord fixed the water pipes and after Charlie peed on the kitchen floor -- this place felt comfortable and RIGHT. We love sitting out on the porch in the morning having coffee and watching Charlie romp in the front yard. We love that the house stays cool enough to avoid turning on the AC until the outside temp reaches 100. We love that the dogs have a huge yard to play in and we have room for a nice-sized organic garden (starting in the fall -- hey, we live in the desert). We love being 10-15 minutes away from school or downtown Phoenix. We love the enormous mesquite tree that keeps the yard so cool and shades the southern exposure of the house. I love that my "heat resistant" tomato plants in the front yard are doing so well -- as are the herbs.
I love walking around the neighborhood each evening with Paul and the dogs. Waving "hello" to folks sitting out on their porches in the dusky evening light. I love checking out gardens, and the way houses are decorated. I love that we're close to two wonderful city parks where we can walk the dogs and watch people feeding the ducks and geese.
I love that my neighborhood is a mini-UN -- Philipino-American, Mexican-American, African-American, Native American ... that's just the neighbors closest to us. The apartment complex a few blocks south holds primarily refugees. One way you can tell is how few cars are in the parking lot -- maybe a half-dozen throughout the whole complex. I also know because my church adopted one of the incoming Burmese families. We filled their new apartment with furniture, linens and food before they arrived and then gave them clothes and toiletries when they moved in. I wasn't part of the welcoming committee, but I did go over with some items to help prepare the apartment. I heard they were speechless with gratitude. Refugees get 90 days of support when they arrive; after that, they're on their own. Which is why they go through the neighborhood on recycling day, digging through the bins for aluminum cans that they can trade for a dollar a pound at the big recyclers on Grand Avenue.
I put up my Peace Be With You mezuzah immediately -- even thought I'd had it for several years. It just didn't seem right to hang it in the old house. I did hang it facing the street -- I KNOW that's not correct, but, then again, I'm not Jewish. I am happy here. My biggest worry is that next year when our lease is up, the owner will sell and we will have to move. I don't want to think about that. Not now. I am happy here.
Who is Malenka, Polish Princess of Peace?
Malenka, may avitar, my alter-ego, my imaginary self was born on a potato farm in Poland. Her hard days of digging potatoes as a youth only toughened her spirit and resolve -- and put a permanent glow on her rosy cheeks.
She wears her luscious golden hair in thick braids that cascade over her shoulders. Dressed in green silk shirts that set off her emerald eyes, black jeans and gleaming black riding boots, at 6 feet, Malenka turns heads wherever she goes. She has never had any issues with weight.
An amazing equestrian, Malenka travels everywhere on her sleek black Polish Arabian, Calligrapher's Inkwell (barn name, Calli). Trotting along beside them are her two faithful hounds, Liliput and Charleton.
Malenka spends most of days helping people. She can intuit their deepest desires and most pressing needs, always finding solutions that bring them peace.
Years ago she married her true love, the dashing Italian prince Paolo, a brilliant screenwriter/musician/tennis player. As a young man Prince Paolo, while hiking in the Apennines, discovered an enormous gold nugget, so the couple is set for life, never having to work for a living.
Prince Paolo and Princess Malenka live happily but simply in a crumbling villa in Tuscany. Because Prince Paolo is extremely handy with tools and they both love to do renovations, they're slowly turning their home into a stunning, yet environmentally sustainable, showplace.
Angora goats and alpaca roam the rolling hills of their estate; the couple pays local women extremely well to weave and knit their wool into warm, beautiful garments that the Prince and Princess donate to various charities.
They raise herbs and organic produce that Malenka loves to develop into fantastic healthy meals. She often invites the entire village to sumptuous feasts.
In her spare time, Malenka throws and glazes exquisite pottery, paints the ever-changing Tuscan landscape from her balcony, writes award-winning novels and an advice column for Salon.com.
She wears her luscious golden hair in thick braids that cascade over her shoulders. Dressed in green silk shirts that set off her emerald eyes, black jeans and gleaming black riding boots, at 6 feet, Malenka turns heads wherever she goes. She has never had any issues with weight.
An amazing equestrian, Malenka travels everywhere on her sleek black Polish Arabian, Calligrapher's Inkwell (barn name, Calli). Trotting along beside them are her two faithful hounds, Liliput and Charleton.
Malenka spends most of days helping people. She can intuit their deepest desires and most pressing needs, always finding solutions that bring them peace.
Years ago she married her true love, the dashing Italian prince Paolo, a brilliant screenwriter/musician/tennis player. As a young man Prince Paolo, while hiking in the Apennines, discovered an enormous gold nugget, so the couple is set for life, never having to work for a living.
Prince Paolo and Princess Malenka live happily but simply in a crumbling villa in Tuscany. Because Prince Paolo is extremely handy with tools and they both love to do renovations, they're slowly turning their home into a stunning, yet environmentally sustainable, showplace.
Angora goats and alpaca roam the rolling hills of their estate; the couple pays local women extremely well to weave and knit their wool into warm, beautiful garments that the Prince and Princess donate to various charities.
They raise herbs and organic produce that Malenka loves to develop into fantastic healthy meals. She often invites the entire village to sumptuous feasts.
In her spare time, Malenka throws and glazes exquisite pottery, paints the ever-changing Tuscan landscape from her balcony, writes award-winning novels and an advice column for Salon.com.
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