I Have a Home In The Palisades
I have a home and studio snuggled into the cliffs of The Palisades. It is adjacent to the wide expanse of Hudson River, and on a cool summer’s foggy evening, one can hear the comforting horns of passing barges. Otherwise, the silence is deep, dark and wonderful.
Set into a few acres of curmudgeonly, yet lush lower Hudson River Valley, is the house and stone studio that dates back to the mid-nineteenth and very early twentieth century.
Most of the time I am deeply rooted in the very fiber of this property. When the call of spring arises my heart begins to sing a new song. The desire to clean, restore and organize overcomes me and I find myself raking, seeding, and planting everything organic that has survived the cruel winter. It is a joyful task, one that I greatly look forward too.
Over the years we have cultivated, restored and otherwise renovated every inch of our section of this earth. It includes all the structures, the walls and the plantings that surround and envelope us on our few luxurious acres. This house has become me and I have become it. I know it’s fashionable to not be too attached to our possessions, and most probably there is great truth in this, but I beg to differ. For me the world I have created, that surrounds me, replenishes my soul and gives me great comfort. What else could you ask of a possession? Unfortunately, the call of the home has overtaken me, and despite my moments of despair I truly enjoy every item of this home. As I find something new, I feel I am filling the very soul of this house. It is being fed with beauty.
If you were able to undress this house slowly, you would find that each pipe that courses through the myriad of walls and floors, from the subterranean level to the attic, are labeled precisely and run with the joy knowing that they are perfectly straight and true. What could be more wonderful for a pipe?
If you dug up the various lawns, gardens, and driveways, you would find level upon level of crisscrossing conduits for pipes, electrical wires, etc., that dissect our home and property at various levels. This too is a model of perfection.
Many would think this is all folly or unnecessary. Why do you need a pipe that is perfectly straight? Why does the paint need to be painted with a brush rather than a roller? Why is the floor treated as if it is a fine piece of furniture? Is all of this necessary? To me the answer is a resounding yes! This is my job well done. This is a place where things are done to perfection, where man has made small triumphs in setting this small world straight and on course. It is a place where I have tried my very best and exposed my soul in the plaster and wood working that contains and nurtures this home.
Unlike most things in our popular culture, this home is a classic, yet timeless edifice. It stands for a kind of beauty in a world that no longer embraces it. It is old in a new world, yet it has much to teach you. It’s sense of proportion, elegance and grace. It has an ability to stand solid, un-remorseful and full of all its history. It endures proudly in a culture that is quick to move on to the next new thing.
My house in the Palisades is like me. Deeply rooted, and unable to embrace all the changes that confront us. It stands quietly, yet proudly, offering a powerful alternative of what life can be.
