Room with a View

One of the wonders of remodeling my house was discovering something that was there all along. When I look out my window, I am reminded of the Good Witch Glinda in The Wizard of Oz telling Dorothy, "You've always had the power to go back to Kansas." I have always had an office with a magical view which I knew was there when I had a window cut into the wall that faced south towards the Santa Monica Mountains. However this vista was not part of my time at my desk. For twenty years, I sat huddled in a corner with my back to this view in a room cobbled together with a credenza from the previous homeowner and an assortment for furniture I thought fit at the time. As I contemplated reinventing my office space, I was adamant about the placement of my desk taking full advantage of the wonder outside my window. A simple shift changed everything.
Now as I enter this room painted in Particular Mint, my heart skips for a instant. The view is magical. At my desk I am floating above the trees since the window frames the landscape in such a way you would never know I am on a cul de sac in suburban Westlake Village. I can watch the seasons change when the leaves hint of red and a light mist grays the distant mountains. I am amused to see birds take flight off a nearby branch with a second of hesitation as if they are wondering if they can really fly.
Growing up on the South Shore of Long Island, there wasn't a hill in sight. I used to pretend far off clouds were mountains. I have always had the power to enjoy this view. I didn't have to click my heels. All I had to do was move my desk!