Nesting

My husband James and I bought a house this past summer, and we have ever so slowly been making it our own. With each change we make we feel a little more content. It begins to feel more and more comfortable and homey, a place where we can relax. But there is that bit of tension between the desire to sink in and revel in a place that is ours, to be still and enjoy, and the niggling knowledge that there is still so much that we want to do. When we delight in the changes we have made, especially after completing a particular project, we feel proud and pleased of the mark we have made on our home. But we can't help notice the last few boxes that still sit tucked on the bookcases, waiting to be unpacked, the pictures leaning against the walls, waiting to be hung, those random items that have been stuffed out of the way, but which haven't found a permanent home.


Frequently in the evenings and on the weekends we find ourselves bustling about, tackling a new project, tying off the loose ends of previous ones. This is such a satisfying kind of busyness. Every day we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor. A newly organized closet, a freshly painted room, a clock rendered useful again by being hung in a prominent place; all these things make life a little easier or a little more pleasant. This week J has been hanging curtains. We've marveled over the difference it makes in the feel of the rooms and exulted over getting rid of the torn, broken roller shades.


Often as we complete one task, the next project presents itself. When the curtains were hung, we immediately noticed how blank the walls look. After nearly six months in our home, somehow we haven't managed to hang much more on our walls than these icons. And I already have some plans in mind to adorn the plain curtain panels, including a total refashioning of the one we have hanging at an awkwardly sized window. I guess I finally need to finish getting the sewing room into workable shape. I can tell that documenting our projects with photographs will lead me to look at our home from another perspective, and will probably inspire some changes around the house in the future as well.