House

Little House on the Homestead

What makes a home?  It’s not the paint colors, the amount of the mortgage, or the royal cat presiding over its staff.  Setting aside the warm fuzzies, home fulfills the human need for shelter.  It is a place of security, a refuge in which to live and rest.  How do you intend to live?  What keeps you rested?  The honest answers to these two questions should have a ripple effect in every subsequent home-making decision.  In the age and culture in which many of us live, we have the luxury of concentrating on the more intangible elements of home: serenity, comfort, love, creativity, and intrigue.  Whether I’m arranging my furniture or my schedule, I channel my domestic energies with these in mind.  The results surface in a practical, everyday sense as well as a philosophical, conceptual sense. 

Welcome, Benvenuti, Failte

While the physical ambiance is important, the most vital quality my home can possess is a sense of welcome and repose to all who come through my door (including my husband and me!).  I'm not ashamed to be a bit of a home-body. In so being I want to feel enveloped in good things and people while in my space.  Blame it on my Italian heritage if you will, but I crave gatherings in my home.  Small or large doesn't matter as long as they happen -- ideally, with food involved!  I break out my flea market china for no good reason or heat up some leftovers in hopes that you’ll stay for dinner.  I don’t have award-winning décor, but if I did, I believe its true value would be diminished if it inhibited comfort and relaxation.  Just as much a culprit for dis-ease would be countless projects cluttering my home leaving the eye and mind antsy and unsettled.  Ick. Like most things of import, balance is the key to maintaining my intended aura of "homey-ness".  By experience, most of our guests now expect to see a project or two in the periphery, some dishes in the kitchen, a tasty offering in front of them, and a spot on the coffee table to set their stocking feet.  Perfect. 

Eat Your Heart Out, Southern Living

My decorative tastes prefer a rustic, country feel with intellectual and worldly overtones – cottage, cabin, and bungalow rolled into one.  I like classic and laid-back over trendy and overdone.  A balance of Function and Looks is the main priority in the design of my domain.  My walls are clad with nature photography and artwork (mostly my own or of other artists we know).  There are numerous books and no lack of trinkets.  I prefer furniture and household items that have a story and aren’t scared to be used.  Not surprisingly, hand-me-downs, flea markets, and yard sales are my favorite sources!  I often buy things that are my style before I know exactly what I'll do with them.  However, my pocketbook and philosophy demand that I am both thrifty and intentional in every purchase.  I also take occasion to reassess my “stuff” and purge what isn’t used or appreciated.  Everyday niceties are most fulfilling to me -- cozy furniture, comfortable towels and sheets, good lighting, usable items that herald craftsmanship and skill, colors that speak to me, vessels of pottery, a variety of rich wood grain, vintage glass, industrial metal accents, treasures from my travels, old baskets, woven rugs, and elements that bring the outdoors in.  These are some of my simple pleasures...so why not keep them around!

So Fresh and So Clean

I'm no spic 'n span Nan, but I like an uncluttered space that’s not afraid to say, “people actually live here.”  I use only a few basic supplies for laundry, dishes, and general cleaning.  Vinegar and baking soda are two of my favorite go-to products.  Every other product I use is naturally derived and multi-purpose leaving my cabinets organized and clutter-free.  Despite the stigma, natural products don’t have to cost a fortune and the right ones last a long time.  There are also a few common items that I don’t keep around home: chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and chemically-produced smellies like candles, oils, soaps, lotions, and potpourri.  My hand soaps and lotions are crafted from naturally-derived ingredients and most of them are handmade by a friend.  Natural personal products and ingredients, fresh air, and whatever’s on the menu keep the house full of pleasant aromas without causing long-term health and respiratory concerns. 

I Love Technology

I’m not a Techie, but I’m far from a Luddite.  Again, I feel that balance is key when it comes to indulging in or abstaining from certain technological advancements. 

Cell Phones: Weldon and I have cell phones for safety and convenience, but do not use texting.  Ever realized how distracting it can be for anyone and everyone to expect access to you at a moment’s notice?  How about “conversations” taking an hour when a simple 5-minute phone call would have done the trick?  More importantly, medical studies have raised some serious questions about the ill-effects of cell phone waves on the body’s natural electro-magnetic stasis and tissues (causing cancerous cell activity).  While it’s not yet practical for me to ditch my cell phone completely, I’ve stopped carrying it on my person (i.e. in a pocket) and attempt to keep calls short unless I’m on speakerphone or have an earpiece.

Television: We have a television with VHS/DVD capabilities, but have chosen to skip cable service.  The cost-savings is nice, but the real impetus is that television is the most deceivingly time-consuming of all household activities…and what value truly comes from the majority of programs these days?

Tools & Kitchen Gadgets:  We maintain a less-is-more mentality when it comes to tools and gadgetry.  The energy conservation is a part of that, but the clutter factor is the major catalyst.  Our rule of thumb is to have the basics and otherwise do without.  If, in time, we repeatedly require the use of an appliance that we can’t share with or borrow from a family member, then we go for it (these make perfect Christmas and Birthday requests!) i.e. Borrow the dehydrator, own the stand-mixer.  Borrow the table saw, own the chain saw. 

Microwave:  Many studies have shown micro-waves to be harmful to human health (particularly because of cancer-causing electro-magnetic disruption) and deleterious to the nutritional quality of food (the micro-waves essentially kill the living goodness of the food consumed).  It’s just as easy and only takes a bit more time to use a toaster oven or stove top for reheating food.  There are many digestive advantages to cooking raw ingredients, but the health effects of the unnatural methodology of using microwaves to do so raises too many questions in my opinion. 

Automobiles: While a vehicle isn't often considered technology, it is a man-made contrivance that saves effort and time.  Walking or biking aren't practical options in my neck of the woods…I've got to have a car!  Weldon and I reign in our fuel use and carbon footprint by keeping errand trips to a minimum.  Raising much of our food at home keeps us from needing to go to the grocery regularly. We typically collate our trips for supplies into one or two multi-stop trips per month.  Furthermore, we’re committed to buying reliable, used vehicles.  A decent used vehicle will do the same job that a brand new one will with a monumental cost savings in the long run and no monthly payments or debt to account for.  If we ever get really out-of-the-box, we can always transition to a mule and cart!

The Big Picture

I realize that there are different strokes for different folks -- my style may not be yours or hers or his -- but the bottom line is that the human needs for security, repose, and real life are met within the four walls of home.  As much as possible, my husband and I produce food, everyday items, art, and leisure on our own.  We keep an arm’s length from the notion that a distant corporation or professional is an ideal source.  With rare exception, can we not feed, entertain, heal, teach, provide for, and inspire ourselves?  I trust so!  Home is a place where we are meant to thrive holistically.  Healthy relationships and balance come first in this quest; the rest will take care of itself with a little thought, a bit of intention, and a creative eye.

Above all, Keep It Simple!