From Where I Sit

Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land. And the little moments, humble though they be, make the mighty ages of eternity.
Julia A. Carney 1853

Hello Friend,

I’m so glad you found me! Please come in and have a look around our new home.

We’ve settled in, for the most part. There are still some boxes to unpack, as you can see, and little piles of paraphernalia to go through, item by item. But we are in! And loving our home in the country.

Come have a seat in our bright and airy kitchen. I have rhubarb cake fresh from the oven, and a new tea that was gifted to us as a housewarming gift: Organic South African Honeybush. I think you’ll like it. I still like a bit of cream with mine. How would you like yours?

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A simple cup of tea is far from a simple matter.
Mary Lou Heiss

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One of my favourite things about our new home is how much light pours in from every direction. And, almost anywhere we stand, we have a view of the outdoors. My library faces northeast and has three large windows. Mornings there are glorious, and the rest of the day is pretty special too, whether you’re gazing out the window or perusing the books on the shelves.

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A good book is the purest essence of a human soul.
Thomas Carlyle
from a speech in support of the London Library. 1840

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Our motto for this home has been: Built for us, with others in mind. Yes, this is our home, but our desire is for it to be a place of sanctuary for all who enter. And we hope many will enter, and find welcome and safety for a brief moment in their journeys.

I had looked forward to welcoming others into our home – once everything was in place. We’ve been working hard to get the house and the guest rooms prepared, but I’ve come to realize that the place doesn’t need to be perfect before they come. And so we’ve already broken in our guest rooms, several times over, and had friends for coffee too. It’s been a bit of a learning curve for perfectionist me. I want my guests to be the most comfortable they can be and that means making sure everything is flawless for them, doesn’t it? Perhaps not.

Taking time for people, even in the midst of my own disorder, is precious and fleeting. I once heard it said that the only things we take with us into eternity are the people we’ve touched along the way. That puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? Maybe this home will always be a work in progress, so why wait?

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If we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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Real life is messy and marvelous, blissful and boring, allegretto and andante.

When the world calms down; when gas prices decrease; when the pandemic is really over … when my house is clean. In my mind, these seem like legitimate reasons to put off doing one thing or another. But as a very wise and inspiring young woman said recently,