You decorated my life, part 1

I have a home office in which I work. It used to be utilitarian - a computer, printer, mouse, piles of papers, desk drawers, a clock, office supplies like pens and a stapler and a tape dispenser.

In the last 18 months, however, my wife Jan has swept in and, with good ideas guided by an overall gift for decorating, has transformed it into quite a special place for me.

The most recent additions are two large picture frames on the door leading to what we call the utility room - washer, dryer, storage space, furnace, hot water heater.

You have to be careful that the stuff in storage doesn't overwhelm you. We have about four down-filled white comforters of various conditions and sizes stored in one of these closets , and we are loath to get rid of them in what seems a sensible manner, because they may be useful someday to someone.

But I digress - hoarder guilt is hard to shake.

The top picture frame is black, and contains an oversize photo of Noah jetting down a slippery slide toward the photographer, my son Matthew. The expression on Noah's wet face, hair matted on his forehead, is one of unbridled joy, and it makes you happy just to look at it. It is fun displayed in a photo.

If you look carefully at it, you will see in the upper left-hand corner a shadowy face, and it is smiling. That is me, Noah's Pa, who just pushed Noah down the slide. I love that photo.

Below it is a black-framed collage of nine different photos. The common denominator is Noah, sometimes depicted by himself, more often with those who love him dearly.

In the upper left is baby Noah with his mom Crystal, who is beaming at her new son. In the lower right is Aunt Kelly planting a kiss on his cheek. At top center is the great photo taken by Kel of Matthew and Noah on a dock overlooking Belleville Lake, as the sun sets in the foreground, framing the ducks happily swimming within feet of them. And although you can't see his face, Noah, you just know, is delighted and fascinated.

It's these types of things that my wife does that not only shares that gift of hers with me, reminding when I pause during writing that I am loved, but who shares her affection and kindnesses in myriad ways, including a note on the computer keyboard each morning.

This morning's message: Make today ridiculously amazing! (for us!).

There is much more to describe in these photos and in my special office, thanks to Jan. We'll leave that for another day. Time to start our day.