I have so many memories of Mike – it’s hard to know where to start. As siblings close in age, Mike and I travelled through life together. Growing up we shared interests in so many things. We spent 3 years together at the same high school and 5 years together at university. We both got married within a few months of each other and had children close in age.
In 2004/05, we both bought our first homes. Since we both shared a keen interest in home renovating/decorating, many of our conversations since then focused on the improvements we were making to our houses. My style tended to be more monochromatic than Mike’s and he would often encourage me to be less ‘matchy’. With his artistic eye, Mike was much more skilled at adding colour contrast into his room décor (Sarah – I know you helped with this too).
Lately, I can’t help but think of Mike as I look around my living room. I am underwhelmed by the neutral colour palate – everything outside is grey, everything inside is beige. So on Saturday, reflecting on my many conversations with Mike, I made an effort to add more colour to my life. With my Second Cup (not Starbucks) in hand, I hit the home decorating shops of Queen West in Toronto. As I wandered from shop to shop, I couldn’t help but think of Mike and how much he would have enjoyed browsing with me.
Mike continues to influence my life in so many ways (big and small). His memory lives strong!
On the theme of rainbows, I’ve included a link to a beautiful version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow by the late Israel Kamakowiwo’ole.
I am reminded of Mike when I hear this song, which overwhelms me with sadness and inspiration in the same breath.
This song was our wedding song ... much too long to dance to in front of a crowd! But there we were .....
ReplyDeleteWhen I see H&H magazine it reminds me of Mike. Watching Sarah and Mike put a home together was like watching artisans at work. Such a thoughtful and careful process. Mike's artwork made things all come together .... my mind tracks to the painting that I believe was H&H inspired and a wedding gift for Sarah. Should have commissioned one for us.
I think our thoughtfulness around decorating was related in large part to our indecision coupled with my (shall we say) thriftiness...:) I'm in the process of framing some of Mike's artwork that has been stored under our bed for years. I'm looking forward to enjoying it on the walls! Alison, I'm sure Mike was enjoying every step of his walk with you on Queen St.
ReplyDeleteMike was my decorating sounding board ... sometimes our tastes varied, but the beauty was that I also had an honest opinion. When he liked it - you knew it! I still remember my amazement when I first met Mike - I think I kept asking Sarah 'you mean he doesn't mind shopping!?!?" ... as I was (and still am) used to dragging any male around, if by chance they get stuck shopping with me.
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