The hemp logo beside the name should have warned me that this was no ordinary stay, but then I do not know too much about weed. Still I was glad Providence brought us to this place.
I’d booked on Expedia and expected a motel room (ok, I should have done my homework), but when the road turned to gravel, I knew we were in for an experience. We pulled into the drive of a mansion and parked by a garage door.
The elderly owner with thick glasses and a white beard, wearing torn jeans and a faded shirt who led us to our elegant room could have been a farmer. Later as we left to get supper I saw “The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer hanging near the entrance. I know this painting. I like it.
Because of this, I felt a connection. When we returned to the mansion, I commented on “The Milkmaid” to the owner. I had found his passion, and he was thrilled to talk about it and the two other copies he owns of the Dutch Master’s paintings. Art is not necessarily my passion but people are and because of my interest, Ken moved on around his walls. There was “The Great Bazaar” that he’d bought in Istanbul. The silk rug he’d purchased in Turkey for $4,000 took my breath away with its elegance. He showed us a collage of expensive Indian bridal gowns that hung near the top of a high living area wall. Sculptures, rugs, and paintings from places around the world filled the rooms.
In an alcove by an antique Singer sewing machine was a poem about a farmer. The man in the picture stood with his back to us, his hand on a fencepost. He wore overalls, a long sleeve shirt, and a cap. The farmer could have been my grandpa or Dad.
Ken said, “This picture is an ode to my heritage. I’ve built many a fence. There’s an art to making a good fence.”
Clearly, Ken had moved away from his farming heritage. However, he still knew art.
I saw no hint of godliness in the mansion. I do not know why we ended up there, but seeing “The Milkmaid” made me think that for some reason it was meant to be. Perhaps the man whose hands shook, who is coming to the end of life needs prayers.
Berniece
P.s. Next stop LGA.
An Ordinary Life 