In the closet

I may not have painted a masterpiece this weekend BUT I DID PAINT THE CLOSET. Last June I had the closet reconfigured so that there was a more reasonable access to the attic where the heating system- ONE of the multiple heating sytems this house thrives on- lives. Before this ladder was installed you had to sort of leap up to a shelf, bend over backwards and squeeze to the north and then to the south to fit through a hole in the ceiling. Since my husband moved out I have had to go up there to find the loose connection where bats were getting into the duct-work and I learned to replace a filter and a belt up there. My youngest son and dearest dad recently insulated the ducts and cleaned up debris left by years of visiting service men. This new closet, green and red and white, is an ode to gradual claiming of the hidden corners and inner workings of this house... Facing my worst fears and getting beyond them. (ndp)