The comforts of home

Everybody needs a place to go and relax, a place to sit back and toss aside their cares. I am in desperate need of a place like this.

I’ve been working the past couple of days to make peaceful, somewhat tranquil, areas around my home where I can clear my thoughts and be more at peace with myself, my life, and my circumstances. I spent an afternoon clearing out my bedroom… removing all of the dirty clothing piles from the floor, removing all of the clean clothing piles from my floor, and removing every object that has made it’s home in my bedroom that, in actuality, does not belong there. The result: a room that allows one to walk directly on the carpet and where the pieces of furniture are all for the eye to see. My dresser is neatly organized, my bed is made everyday, and the dirty clothes are actually placed inside the laundry baskets.

This is a large accomplishment and a very large task to undertake, but it was necessary. It was necessary in order to restore some peace to my life. It’s an amazing feeling when I walk into my bedroom to go to sleep, I stay calm and the feeling of chaos does not enter my mind and discourage my body from falling into a gentle, but deep, slumber. In fact, now that my bedroom is clean I believe I am even sleeping better. I haven’t woken up in the middle of my sleep and when I do awaken I’m greeted by a soothing atmosphere. This, I’ve discovered, is important to me.

An important purchase that I made was that of my bedroom furniture. Once I had gotten my first job out of college and had taken home a few paychecks I was very insistent on buying a nice bedroom set. Previously, my husband and I went without a headboard and our room was framed by three un-coordinating dressers, one on each wall. So when I was more able to make this purchase, and by that I mean when my husband was out of town, I did. A beautiful oak headboard, dresser with mirror, and armoire made their way to my home. I topped it all off with a gentle pink and sage tulip comforter set that is the epitome of serenity to me. Yet, these items in my bedroom have been covered with piles of clothing and their forecast has called for decreased visibility… that is until now.

The other area that I tackled today was our deck. This small concrete slab off of our dining room measures roughly 8’ x 4’ and has little character or charm. However, with a good sweeping, removal of excess clutter and organization it too has become a place I hope to spend enjoying several sunsets and not-too-hot summer mornings sipping orange juice. Our porch now only houses two foldaway chairs and a small table. And… I am very excited to announce that my thumb is showing a slight hue of green. I planted two small petunia bushes in hanging baskets off the awning of our porch, now to see if I can keep them alive, and maybe even get them to flourish. There are still a few accents I’d like to set around this small place to make it more “cozy” h owever, this is a start and one that I am very proud of.

I now have two places to relax, two places to unwind, and two places where I can hopefully retreat to in my times of desperation. Unfortunately, in order to restore these areas to their potential I had to make some sacrifices. My dining room is now covered in enough clothing it could mask for its own closet, and my living room somewhat resembles a tool shed. But that’s how these things go I figure. I’ll just have to hide away in my bedroom. If anybody is looking for me, tell them I’ve stepped away for a little R&R.