Tess at Willow Manor likes to talk about patina. It is defined thusly:
1. A thin greenish layer, usually basic copper sulfate, that forms on copper or copper alloys, such as bronze, as a result of corrosion.
2. The sheen on any surface, produced by age and use.
3. A change in appearance produced by long-standing behavior, practice, or use: a face etched with a patina of fine lines and tiny wrinkles.
I suppose that, in the normal scheme of things, patina is to be preferred over rust. But rust is the word I chose for the letter R in my ABCs of gratitude and now I have to figure out why that is.
I could have meant the color of the leaves on the trees I can see outside my window. Or perhaps a soft skirt I once owned in that same color. But I think I was feeling thankful for the absence of rust. Specifically that rasping that accompanied the movement of my left hip. It’s gone now. I’m still in terrible shape – I don’t exercise enough & the area around that hip needs strengthening, but I can crawl around on the floor if I want to. And I can stand for hours and minutes at a time without hip pain. And I can sleep on that side when I go to bed.
So instead of feeling rusty and ready for the nursing home, I consider myself to have a fine patina, a sheen well suited to my age.
patina, yes, much nicer than rust.
ReplyDeleteA little bit of rust is OK -- it adds character!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear that you can crawl around on the floor. Sometimes one simply needs to do that. I'm glad you aren't too rusty to do it but have just enough rust to have character.
ReplyDelete'character' is creeping up on me. and yes... patina trumps rust. ;)
ReplyDeleteYay for the absense of rust! I'm busily becoming more patinated if that's even a word.
ReplyDeleteI always think of rust as a sort of decay and much prefer patina to describe a gracefully aging item.
ReplyDeleteWhy, dear Bug, must you crawl on the floor? Drop something? Please tell me you aren't scrubbing floors in such an archaic manner.
Yes Rudee - I did drop something under my desk at work & I didn't have to try to use my letter opener to ferret it out - I just got down there & got it!
ReplyDeleteI think you chose rust rather than patina because it starts with an R.
ReplyDeleteIf the muscles around the hip need strengthening, there is only one way that will happen. And it will pay off in the future. So in celebration of your change from rust to patina try hard to do the exercises more regularly.
ReplyDeleteI actually like seeing rust if it hasn't eaten all the way through the metal, and if it isn't on anything of mine.