One of my favorite decorations - picked up at the flea market.
During the past week or so I have really started to miss being at home. At first I thought this was a bit odd, because we have been enjoying a lovely trip to Europe and have been gone less than a week and a half. But the more I have thought about it, the more I realized that it really has been a very long time since we felt fully settled in one place.
My lovely nested bowls - a gift from my wonderful husband!
In fact, I just looked through our calendar for the past year and realized that, in the past 6 months (starting in late May), we have spent only 54 consecutive days at home in Bellingham (July - late August) and 32 consecutive days at home in Los Gatos (mid October to Mid November). Since we won't be fully finished with this current trip until early January, that means that we will have been traveling almost non-stop for roughly 4 months in the latter half of this year. No wonder I'm beginning to miss home - or feel like we really don't have a specific home!
Old glass jars - my favorite way to store flour and sugar.
Add to that the fact that I have no idea where we will end up living for the next few years... Bay Area, Oslo, Bellingham... and the feeling of being lost in the world becomes even more compounded. I'm sure someday I'll look back on this chaotic time with longing, but right now I just can't wait to settle down and get into a real year round routine in one place. I want to spend the winter putting up Christmas decorations, celebrating Advent, and planning next year's garden... In the Spring, I want to watch the crocus and daffodils I planted the previous fall come up, dye eggs and celebrate Easter at our local church, and start planting seedlings indoors.... In the Summer I want to visit local farms and pick berries and vegetables to can and pickle, harvest, water, weed, and admire my garden, and have lots of picnics and game nights with friends and family... And when Fall comes around again, I want to plant more bulbs, carve pumpkins, host a halloween party, dig up my dahlias and start thinking up the perfect Christmas presents for the coming holiday season. And throughout it all, I want to keep a clean and well organized house, plan healthy and refreshing meals made from scratch, learn to knit socks and sweaters, quilt beautiful blankets, sew new dresses, skirts, and aprons, bake bread, keep up with my Bible study, learn the art of tatting, host game nights, keep a cheery home for my husband, get my nails manicured from time to time, and add some kittens to our family. Maybe someday it will become a reality.
Doilies and green glassware!
Until then, I'll do my best to enjoy every moment of our travels so that I can look back on the many happy memories when I'm bent over the sink washing what I'm sure will feel like a never ending round of dirty dishes that I know will be waiting for me in that dream home. Tomorrow: a day in the Tuscan countryside. I hear there will be boar hunters out in the fields around the house! It promises to be an exciting day.
Baking the weekly batch of bread.
~ElizabethRose~
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