Once all of our house guests leave next weekend, we’ll be dealing with interior painting. All of the ceilings in our condo will be changed from a shade of tan to white, allowing more light to reflect within each room. Most of the walls will also be changed from tan to Butterball or Pound Cake, although the final decision on these two shades of yellow has not been made. Small sections of our entry wall have been painted and samples posted to allow comparison. As soon as the Portland rains start to fall, our painter will shift from outdoor work to our indoor project. I’m sure it will take several weeks, and may not be done until Christmas.

As we prepare for this project, we’ve already begun the process of packing up any breakable items. This has included my wife’s extensive Limoges Box collection and crystal glassware. They have all been carefully bubble-wrapped and stored in out-of-the-way places. Our Halloween decorations will not be coming out of their boxes, including our dancing Snoopy, glass pumpkins, and Holiday-themed porcelain figurines.

It will be the first time that I can remember when Limoges Boxes haven’t dominated our shelves. It’s been a gift tradition for me since we met nearly 20 years ago. Each month I try to present a custom box that has a meaningful romantic tie to our travel adventures, events we’ve gone to, and holiday memories. Within each box, I enclose a special poem to commemorate its individual importance as part of her collection.

I could not bear the thought of all those empty shelves during this painting process, so I bought her a “Spider” box to celebrate Halloween. It contains this short poem:

Spider

With painting plans,
They’re packed away.
Every Limoges,
Out of the way.

Crystal Glass,
Removed from cabinets.
All stored that’s precious,
Except for our pets.

White ceilings,
Buttery walls.
Hoping nothing,
Breaks or falls.

Another Halloween,
Is happening soon.
And Snoopy won’t,
Play his tune.

Ghost-like tarps,
Will hang instead.
While Thanksgiving,
Looms ahead.

The very horror,
Of a porcelain-free holiday.
Made me exclaim
There’s just no way!

So I bought yet another,
To simply assure.
That such an atrocity,
Would never occur!

It’s an itsy-bitsy,
Eight-legged might.
It’s Biggest strength,
Is it won’t bite.

This one will stand,
While the others hide.
Until the paint,
Has finally dried. 

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