Inhabiting a Painting

The painting below is called "Le chateau des Pyrenees" and it was painted by Rene Magritte in 1959.

Right now, a huge reproduction of it is resting against the wall in the breakfast room of our apartment. (I think I've written about how it came to be in our place...suffice it to say, it's all to due to Todd's unerringly sweetness)

Every time I sit at my MacBook, I can't help looking at it and smiling. 

Sometimes, I smile because I'm standing on top of the rock, wandering around the mansion, feeling the wind whip through my hair and feeling thisclose to the clouds.

Other times, I smile because I'm underneath the rock, letting the waves slosh up to my shoulders and buffet in frothy layers over me.  I smile because the rock remains, hovering above me, but somehow - miraculously - never with any hint that it might fall.

And finally, sometimes I find myself nearly out of the picture altogether, sailing away on a small, swift boat off into the horizon, marveling at the wonder of it all - the sea, the sky, the rock and the house atop it... 

Today, before taking my first final - Professional Responsibility - I definitely found myself in the second situation.  Except instead of a nice, refreshing swim, it was more like: seaweed in my hair, salt water in my nostrils, and a pretty strong riptide pulling me under... 

But now, I can take a long, deep breath of relief and sail off - at least for a day or so!

Todd and I are planning to see Quantum of Solace tomorrow.  I'm also trying to convince him to go ice-skating at the rink the city's just erected in Union Square, and to browse in the seven floors of Christmas-ified glory at Macy's flagship store in San Francisco.  

It's been so beautiful and warm here lately that it doesn't even feel like almost Thanksgiving!