As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Home Happenings and a House-iversary


I could totally repeat the words I said a couple of weeks ago at the beginning of my post on Catching Up.

I won't, but I could. 

Today was the first day in over a week that I did not have an outside appointment (or two or three!), nor was I hosting anything. Rest was the first order of business! I rose at my regular time, but it was a slow, meandering, sipping-coffee-in-my-nightgown kind of morning. Just before lunchtime, I decided that I needed to vacuum after yesterday's gathering and then I mopped the kitchen floor. I told Bekah to go ahead and eat lunch while I took a leisurely bath. This afternoon, I did some school work with Bekah, and made spaghetti sauce because comfort food was also a part of this day of rest. And I was back in my nightgown before I ate my plate of spaghetti. Luxury! 




Between lessons and classes and grocery shopping and laundry, here are some of the happenings in our world this past week . . . 


Bekah celebrated her sixteenth birthday one last time. We had a family party earlier in the month, and we went out to dinner on the actual day. But on Friday evening, friends gathered to play games and celebrate with her. 








Family gathered at a local restaurant to celebrate another birthday . . . that of Ron's youngest siblings, twins who turned 50 on Sunday. 







Fourteen homeschooled students and moms gathered at our home to read aloud The Taming of the Shrew. We have hosted several of these Shakespeare Reading Days over the years, inspired by the ideas of Karen Andreola as shared in A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning

We begin by reading a "retelling" of the tale from Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children.  to familiarize ourselves with the story and the characters. After we assigned roles, we read the induction and all five acts of the play, stopping only to eat our brown bag lunches or to answer questions. Our students met the challenge! They did a fine job of reading and they were engaged in the story. We all laughed at Katherine's wit and her sharp tongue and we cheered on Petruchio as he "tamed" her. 






We have lived at Pineapple House for one year . . . our "house-iversary" as my friend Joanne called it. Although we loved The Farmhouse, our home for thirty-five years and the place for so many memories, and we could hardly imagine living anywhere else, I can honestly say that this house feels like home. 

We have made so many new memories over the past year! We have now celebrated every holiday and every birthday here. We have completed a school year and begun another. We have enjoyed the happy sounds of children playing. We have given out Grandy at the back door as they were leaving for home. We have had parties and guests and homemade ice cream. We have all had the flu. We've decorated for every season. We have made countless pots of coffee. We have done house projects. We have lived.

And it is home. 



16 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Every bit of it! This house is already a reflection of the family that lives in it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Houseiversary or homeiversary to you. So good that it feels like home. Seems right to celebrate #16 more than once! Glad you had a day to relax. A plate of spaghetti with a nightgown on sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love how you express that the new house has become home. It's all about family gatherings and memory making, isn't it? And the beauty you express there. It looks like a fun twin birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I especially like the Shakespeare readings you participate in! What a great idea.

    And Pineapple House! What a beautiful and fitting name for a home that is JUST THAT - Home. God bless it, the family who lives there, and all who enter...♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your "resting" day sounds wonderful. I don't remember the last time I stayed in my nightgown for tea or coffee...sounds soo good, lol. LOVE LOVE LOVE the way you described your new house becoming "home". I remember when we first moved in here almost 6 years ago now after 25 years at our old house. I couldn't wait for it to seem and feel like home. It took a while because everything was soo different. But once we had a couple of holiday's and birthday celebration or two it helped a lot. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the twins. Oh, and BTW, I LOVE the color of your hair. If my grey looked like that I wouldn't touch it either. You are one of the lucky ones, lol. Enjoy the rest of your week!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love hearing about the events at the "Pineapple House"--like the pineapple divider between stories. So much fun and good times going on at your house. You and your girls are such gracious and hospitable hostesses. Blessings to you and your family, Sharon D.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How long did it take for Pineapple House to feel like home?

    Oh my! I have always thought that Kati looked like you. Perhaps not. If she were blonde, she would look a great deal like her Auntie!

    When school ends for the summer, you'll have time to follow some of your own pursuits that have been set aside for a while.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I noticed this right away too Vee! Wow, what a resemblance!

      Delete
  8. Well I can load your blog on my phone, but not my computer. Anyway, the Shakespeare day sounds wonderful. It is so fun to read!! Happy birthday to Bekah. Looks like a nice party (ies). I had one of those robe days today. Rainy, cold, comfort food baking. Glad that Pineapple House feels like home. It really is about the people and our special times that we enjoy together, isn't it. Have a wonderful evening.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cheryl, I'm so glad to hear you were able to have a restful day. You are such a busy woman. All of the girls look so sweet at Bekah's party. Such happy times at the Pineapple House. I'm so glad it feels like home. Your azaleas are so pretty in bloom. I hope another restful day is in your future. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just so you know, I put on my night gown the minute I get home from work if I'm not going out anywhere... girl after my own heart :D And your home is absolutely lovely...Happy House-iversary!

    ReplyDelete
  11. A restful day after a busy week or season is like a gift. My schedule has eased up a bit lately and I'm deliberately slowing down on the days when I can, too. It's a lovely luxury.
    I'm glad The Pineapple House is now home - sometimes it can take awhile, but I think it's the life that's lived that makes a place feel comfortable.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think you have a beautiful new home and I'm happy that it truly is "home" to you now. It's hard to believe it's already been a year that you've lived there!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a sweet house!! I have now lived in my new home for two years, and I adore it! It's not perfect, and neither am I, so we are a perfect fit!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have those "Luxury" days ever so often, Cheryl, they always leave me refreshed and ready to go the next day!
    You certainly have made Pineapple House a real Home, and are quickly filling it up with many wonderful memories! Can you imagine if the Farmhouse could talk, the memories it could share with those who are now living in it! You certainly left many that you are now able to reminisce about! Thank you for sharing! have a blessed weekend,
    hugs,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...