HGTV

Things That went right today:

1) Got moved over to the new/old house
2) Daughters sweet 16 birthday party tonight
3) Missionary son having success


I am a big fan of HGTV. Candace Olsen is my favorite but I really like them all. I have been known on occasion to watch lengthy marathons of color splash and house hunters.  It's fun to take a peek into other people's homes. Get some ideas for decorating. See how creative the designers are, often on a shoestring budget. Most of the things they do I know I could never actually recreate in my own home, but its fun to dream. To see how completely a space can be transformed with some imagination and muscle grease. For the most part it is really a lot of fun.

There is one danger I have discovered though. If I am not careful I can begin to feel discontent. As I see the wonderful features of other people's homes, sometimes mine doesn't look as good by comparison. Things that I don't have begin to seem standard as I see them over and over. Higher ceilings sure are nice. And giant picture windows. New furniture with no pen marks on it. Gorgeous tile back splashes. Granite around the fireplace and on every counter surface. sigh. How come my house doesn't look like that? I begin to want to keep with the Joneses and feel like what I have is not good enough. So I have to be careful about watching too much. If those thoughts creep in I turn it off. Because the truth is I am extraordinarily blessed.

I've moved several times this past year into some kind of odd circumstances. A rental home that had an paltry assortment of furniture and a home that was quite small for the size of my family. We had 6 children sharing one bathroom. It was 'interesting". We just moved a few days ago back into our old home. We have only moved a few of our belongings so far, so we have very little furniture and a small collection of dishes and other amenities. No TV service yet. But yet I am at peace and it feels like home. Why? Because I have everything that matters right here. My family is healthy. We have plenty of food to eat. A roof over our heads. Clothes on our backs. That is more than so many others worldwide can say. We are very fortunate. I have learned over these past few years how little a person actually NEEDS to have a happy life. The basics and a lot of love. That is the secret to happiness. Granite countertops are a nice bonus but certainly not mandatory. So I still plan to watch HGTV. I am learning to keep my home cleaner and more organized and what a difference that makes to the environment here. I am learning how to arrange furniture to make spaces flow better. How to choose more modern colors of paint. How to make old things seem new again with very little money. How to make my home a more beautiful place for my family. And whenever we do have some extra money, I have lots of wonderful ideas for home improvement. But all in due time. My life is full and complete just as it is and I am so thankful to be home again.