My favorite mug, gifted to me by my favorite girl
With The Shaker Woods Festival in the books for the year, five more Ligonier Country Markets to go, our Fall at the Farm Event on October 7th, and the Ligonier Christmas Market in November, our live show season is winding down. I must admit, dear reader, I am relieved. I love the idea of traveling. I love the idea of live shows in different states. My love of the idea is where my love ends. If I am honest with myself, I genuinely love being at home. I love the feeling of home. I love the people and animals who make home feel like home. I love all that home has to offer. Although mundane, I love our routine at home. Home is comfort, safety, peace, and love.
When my bib overall wearing wonder buns traveled for work, I was a tad bit jealous. I used to tease him and say, "OOOOOH, how rough you have it! Staying at a four-star resort in the mountains, dining at gourmet restaurants (or any restaurant for that matter), watching what you want on television, meeting new people, and having adult conversations must be oh-so taxing! You poor put-upon thing!" After a long weekend staying in a hotel, eating out, talking to people, and not having my Netflix account, I was ready to come home and stay home.
My digestive tract is not meant to eat restaurant food all the time. We steer clear of fast food joints, for the most part. However, my tummy feels gross even when I eat salad and soup. Not having my bed makes for interrupted sleep and achiness. Even though I bring my pillow, I wake up with a headache. Don't get me started about strange showers...yuck! Conversations with my bean and bibbed buddy before coffee are not fun or acceptable. Oh, and hotel coffee is nothing like home coffee. No, dear reader, there is no place like home.
My dear friend, Trisha, pointed out with her Trisha-chuckle that I am not meant for the traveling vendor show circuit. I want to think I could do it, but I get homesick quickly. New shows are exciting. Meeting new people and making new connections are enjoyable. Promoting our products and telling our story is fun. However, at the end of the day, I want to be home with my dog, my animals, my house, and my land. It's too bad we can't teleport ourselves back and forth between states with the push of a button. It would offer the best of both worlds. However, I learned a long time ago one cannot have their cake and eat it too.
My favorite parts of being home are the small things. I love drinking coffee made by Dirk(my coffee machine) from my favorite mugs gifted to me by my favorite people, listening to the crickets chirp, the birds begin to sing, and the sky lightens ever so slightly. I love walking the fields and woods with The Heavy-B at sunrise. I love returning from my walk to tend my chickens and gather eggs. I love climbing the fence to visit with my girls for a few minutes each morning. I love to gather Lester and Shadow onto my lap and snuggle them for a few minutes each day while the big girls mill around me, taking turns getting scratches and kisses. I love eating our lunch of oatmeal, kimchi, and poached eggs with my witty, funny, brilliant husband. I love my nap on the couch with my dog at two in the afternoon every day. I love sitting with my favorite girl after school, listening to her day's excitement, drama, triumphs, and trials. I love falling into my own bed each night, exhausted and exhilarated from the hard work and progress of whatever project we are working on at the moment. I love saying thank you for this day, this life, and everyone that makes it extraordinary. Home is a blessing.
On this fall-like August day, stay safe, be smart, appreciate home and all it brings to your life, and keep washing your hands.
“There’s no place like Home.”