Sweet Home

On our way out the door yesterday, we realized that the roof was leaking. We soaked up the water from the floor, put out bowls to catch the continuing drips, and escaped for the newer house of our Atlanta friends. It isn't a huge leak, but it is the beginning of revisiting the roof we had thought we'd taken care of years ago.

We are in an old house. There will always be something we need to fix. It will possibly never be warm enough for me in the winter. We will probably always have to drive at least thirty minutes if we want to eat out or meet friends or see a movie. We will have to repaint it again in a year or so.

I have never lived anywhere this long. I had never known what goes into a home.

Each of the past ten years, while the subtly sinking foundation has caused tiny cracks in the walls I'd painted, our kitchen doorway has been further covered with lots of children's indelibly marked new heights. Every Spring, the Daffodils, Irises, Dogwoods and Azaleas have further enveloped us in their (mostly) untempered glory.

This year, roots are more literally taking hold. Gillen and Jesse have started a backyard farm. Gillen's bird garden from last year is being expanded.
There is enough going on in our back yard for Gillen to have been inspired today to create a sign post that leads guests around "the grounds".
Thank God for Netflix, warm sweaters and visitors. I think we may be here a while.