thankfulness/H
Today I’m thankful for my home. It shelters me behind its old, thick walls. It’s warm and inviting. It has been my haven, the place I feel most protected. It has kept me and my family safe for years. It has been a wonderful backdrop for my many decorating projects.
I’m even thankful for the amount of work it requires. It keeps me from getting bored. I’m thankful because it’s like no one else’s house. It’s over one hundred years old and houses just aren’t built like this anymore. But for all its charm, it has a few drawbacks, like uneven floors and way too many doors and windows. For a house that seems big, I have a very small kitchen with maybe three feet of countertop. I’m way ahead of the modern trend of kitchen cabinets extending to the ceiling. Mine have always been that way. I chuckle every time I see a remodeling show where the owners take this approach. who are remodeling their kitchen that cabinets to the ceiling I would love to know what the homeowners think once they realize that cabinets to the ceiling are not all they’re cracked up to be.
However, what I do have to make up for almost no counter top is a walk-in pantry that I can’t imagine living without. If we ever move or build a house, that’s one feature I’ll insist upon, not ceiling-high cabinets. I have a formal dining room which even though we never use, is great to decorate. Because we don’t use it, it’s the one room in the house that’s rarely messy. It also has a built-in hutch which houses my assorted Goodwill dishes. But for all I love about this old house, it’s how I feel when I walk in the door that I’m most thankful for. I think most women probably feel that way about their homes.
Sometimes when I get stressed out over things, when depression looms, I have an instinctive urge to get home as quick as I can. I know I’m safe here. I’ve tried hard not to let anger or dysfunction enter my home. I guess it’s true that we women are “nesters”. Speaking of nesting, a Dr. Seuss book I used to read to my daughter (I can’t remember which one.) had a phrase that my husband hears me quote a lot. “I love my house. I love my nest. In all the world, my nest is best.”
I hope you feel that way about your home and if you don’t, go to your library and browse through some decorating books, the kind that emphasizes using what you have or decorating inexpensively. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. (Remember, I’m cheap.)
