Be an Angel . . .

Angels in My Home

These are my favorite cherubs, from a painting by Raphael. The small images are from a tote bag hanging on a doorknob in my living room.

I also have little magnets of these babies on my kitchen stove. Angels and cherubs are the children and adult versions of the same celestial beings; I think of cherubs as baby angels. They all have wings.

I have several more of these charming creatures in my home. This wooden angel is on the wall next to my bed. And this saxophone-playing angel hangs from the reading lamp above my bed. He's about four inches long and he has the greatest pair of sneakers. I also am fond of his gold-colored patina.

Standing on the floor below the bedroom window is this stone cherub. It's very heavy. And very cute! He'd actually be suitable for a garden ornament, but I like having him close by.

Strolling through the dining room, I have a wonderful triptych that I bought eons ago at an auction in Philadelphia at Freeman's. These are adult angels, Gabriel and an unnamed woman.

They're special because they have gold wings.

The Birthday Angel

One evening eleven years ago I took a friend to dinner to celebrate her fiftieth birthday, and an angel became a focal point of the celebration. We went to the Eastland Hotel here in Portland, which has a dining room on the first floor.

Shortly after we were seated, an agitated man burst into the dining room, carrying a gigantic bunch of beautiful flowers in a vase.

He hurried to the banquette next to us, placed the flowers in the middle of the table, and then approached us, saying: "I'm having dinner with a very special friend tonight—Angela." The man in the black leather coat, with a long scarf dramatically thrown across one shoulder then announced: "She's in the car, and I'm going to get her now. I'll be right back and then you can see for yourself. Don't go away."

I was thinking "You go away! And leave us alone, dammit!" He rushed out and within a couple of minutes was back, carrying a large angel doll, which he plopped down at the banquette. It was quite similar to this one, from the Franklin Mint.

He said "This is Angela. Isn't she gorgeous?" Yes, she was beautiful, we had to agree. He then pulled out a camera and stuck it into my friend Deb's hand, telling her he'd like her to take some pictures of him with Angela, how this was his birthday, and that he'd spent his birthday last year in Los Angeles. He said "I'd like you to take a picture of me with my dinner companion." She complied with his wishes, snapping a few photos of the "odd couple."

He finally left us alone and went to sit down with his angel for his birthday dinner. There's nothing that I enjoy more than finding out people's "stories." Most have fascinating ones, even if they may not realize it. I love getting to know people. But this guy had crossed some sort of line in my psyche, where I just wanted him to get far away from me. I would like to know his story, but I didn't want to hear it from him. There was something about him that made me think he could drag us across an invisible marker and we'd wind up in The Twilight Zone, of the old Rod Serling TV series.

We managed to have our dinner without any other interruptions, and to commemorate the event Deb gave me this tiny book a couple of weeks later. Whenever I see it on my shelf I remember that bizarre man, who was touched—and with an angel.

Emerson's Angels

Doug Emerson, a talented photographer, is someone I was introduced to by this same friend. I didn't realize I'd known Doug for such a long time until I typed this in. Time does fly, doesn't it?

Doug is also an angel aficionado, and has taken many beautiful photos of angel statues.

Here are three of his delightful angel photographs.

I'm always drawn to black and white photography. I'm having a difficult time trying to decide which of Doug's angels to bring home. And then it will be exciting deciding in which room the angel should live. I think I feel a need coming on to have an angel residing in my living room.

Oh, yes! I know the exact spot where it will go. It will be fun waiting for my new addition to arrive and become part of the household.

Comments

[dug the bug]

Marge...you are tooooo much, and tooo fabuuulous!! Hugs & kisses!!!!

[MARC]

I didn't realize you had wall space left for anything. I'm also suprised that the sombrero didn't end up somewhere in the house.

[Deb K]

Ahhhh Marge! I had forgotten that particular special evening until you brought it up again! And I love your concern lest we be hauled over to some other world. You didnt tell me! And I can still see that guy!
And how nice to see Doug's wonderful angel work again! I wonder if he will be in ME when I am???

XOXOX

Deb K