I Used to Have a Book....

The story of my life is...I used to have a book... I keep lending them out and never getting them back.  Also, I never got my books back after my divorce.  Oh, well...I guess I just have to get more books.  Not my least favorite pastime.
The book was called:  "The House of Boughs ." 
It described all sorts of garden constructions, and is another must for people who want idyllic design ideas.

I keep having this picture in my mind of a garden pavilion, and I saw one years ago either in this book or in a magazine.  I thought...Wow that would make a lovely house in the middle of a rose or herb garden.  I could do without grass altogether, and would prefer to have garden paths, roses and garden borders.   I suppose it would be nice to have a table smooth bowling green or croquet lawn in the middle.  I also want a Bocce court...I don't want much!

Anyway, the garden pavilion was a square stone building with banks of French Doors on three sides.  The space was just one big room.  An addition on the back or a slight extension on one side to make a rectangle would easily hold a little kitchen and bath.  The building should appear to be a cube basically with a roof on top.  It could be a classical Greek style roof, one with cross vaults, a mansard, or a Chippendale type with curved slopes on the four sides and a finial on top.   I like acorns for finials


The inside was a sweep of airy linen and gauze drapes and silk damask in French Blue or Celadon Green.  Raised panels in all the wall spaces were painted white, with just a hint of the drapery color mixed in and the moldings were accented with a darker shade of the color.
A big chandelier was hanging in the middle of the open space, from a high ceiling that followed the high sloped and pointed roofline.
The space inside was not divided up, though there was a distinct bedroom area with a Lit a Polonaise gracefully draped in the same color silk or a complement.  A beautiful carved table and French chairs were in front of one  set of doors, there was a desk area to sit in the sun and write long letters to friends(like we used to do).  And a beautiful arrangement of French(one of the Louis) settees and chairs by a fireplace and a large Recamier to lounge in.  One would not lie down in a Louis XV settee.
The French doors were all thrown open and the breeze blew the gauzy drapes up into the room, carrying the scent of lavender and roses through the room.  You could not tell that the scent was lavender and roses from the picture, but I can imagine.
I do not know why people worry about having enough money to retire.  I can see living in one or two of these pavilions in different climates(In my case Normandy and Italy) and whiling away the years in idyllic pleasure on a shoestring.  One would of course have a Potager garden full of berries and fruit for the entire season, perennial vegetables(yes there are a number of them) like asparagus, Good King Henry, Jerusalem Artichoke...etc.  and a henhouse for eggs and meat.  Yes, retirement(with a few good books and lots of old movies for the evening) is all I could hope for.  Who needs scads of money.  just deed everything over to your heirs as soon as possible in case you get sick, and set aside enough to go home for a visit once a year.
Another need is to socialize.  So many people wonder why they are not satisfied with retirement.  You have to see people.  Join the local clubs.  The garden club, book clubs, a church if you are so inclined, historical societies, bridge(if they still play bridge), or poker...just stay in the kitchen and make sandwiches and cookies instead of playing enough to lose your savings.