Home

Thursday, in an effort to be a more positive person, I decided to choose one thing each day that I'm thankful for and focus on appreciating that.
Since so many people are losing their houses, I decided I would focus on my Home. Notice that I said my "HOME" not my house.
A "house" is just somewhere to live.
A "HOME" is where you spend your "life".
My home is tiny, old, and in need of much repair. When we moved here 30 years ago it was only going to be temporary until we could build a bigger house. Well life got in the way as it usually does. Now I wouldn't trade my home for anything bigger, fancier or in a "better" neighborhood. This is where I belong. This is "HOME". We have raised our family here. There have good times and difficult times; happy times and sad times. There have been slumber parties, birthday parties, cook-outs, Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas mornings. I marked my children's growth on the kitchen wallpaper (which was saved when the awful 70s paper came down). There has been play dough smushed into the carpet, crayon masterpieces on the wall and later the occasional hole punched through the wall. There have been teenagers playing pool and loud music. There was the Mulberry tree in the back yard for climbing and a tire swing. The backyard was the place for football, volleyball, badminton, and bike ramps. The basketball hoop still hangs on the front of the garage. We have drawn on the driveway with sidewalk chalk and played in the sprinkler. We have built the occasional snowman and with stood hurricanes. We have rescued baby animal of all types. We have had dogs, cats, bird, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, turtles, frogs lizards, geckos and rabbits as our many pets. From our home we have sent our children off to college, on missions and then off to make homes of their own when they got married. Our babies and now grand babies have been rocked to sleep, fed, and loved here. They have brought total chaos and much happiness. My home is much like the stuffed rabbit in the story "The Velveteen Rabbit". It is quite simply loved. What more can I say "This Is HOME"