Kitten and Mama work fast to prepare their new home in time for Hanukkah.

Scene 2: They Redecorate

First, they prepared the new house so it would be ready when they moved in. Mama did not want her daughter breathing paint fumes and plaster dust, or living in a chaotic environment. They had to finish redecorating before they moved, not after.

For Kitten the most important thing was moving near Pegasus. Hanukkah came in as a close second. It was coming up, and she wanted the first Hanukkah in the new house to be perfect. As always, she worked with her mother and never complained, no matter how tired she felt.

Monday, after work and school, they bought supplies. Tuesday went to hanging textured beige wallpaper in the dining room, and then plastering the living room with a neutral white Venetian plaster. These do-it-yourselfers wanted to get this project completed before their new couches and end-chairs arrived! It was a huge job, but they were determined to make their sweet abode as flawless as possible before the holiday. As the day ended, they painted the two bedrooms ivory-white.

Wednesday morning, the truck from the May Company store in Topanga Plaza, down the road from the ranch, delivered their new furniture—matching off-white overstuffed couches and chairs to make the living room cozy. Mama got it all on sale. The fresh Venetian plaster walls of the living room set them off perfectly.

After a quick lunch of avocado on rye bread with slices of tomato, Karen and Mama took the Chevy to a discount store and bought accessories for the living room and bedding for their bedrooms. They selected new throw pillows for the living room chairs and a matching soft blanket for the couch. For their bedrooms, they bought new duvets and matching sheets. Karen’s duvet cover and sheets were white with pink piping. They danced with tiny pink butterflies fluttering across them.. Mama’s duvet cover was a black and white Oxford stripe. Her sheets and pillow cases were a large plaid, and the shams matched the duvet cover. The valances in both their room were white, simple, and elegant.

“This is perfect!” she whispered to Karen, as if decorating the new house were a secret between them.

Thursday and Friday, they finished packing for the movers—everything but their most delicate possessions. Mama had already wrapped the treasures she inherited from her parents and grandparents in tissue paper and placed them in wooden fruit crates she had picked up for nothing at the local grocery store. She would transport these in her car, and then she and Karen would use the sturdy wooden boxes as planters.

“We will look very artsy!” she said with a laugh.

©2021, Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.