A House Doesn't Make a Home

I'm all moved in now, and do you know what? I'm quite happy with how it's all turned out. This is actually my first time living completely alone, and so it's been a pleasure to fix all the rooms as I like and spread out my things. I finally have my own office, to which room I have banished such items as action figures and my map of Middle-earth in order to keep a different look everywhere else. Similarly, I've left all my framed Victorian fashion prints for the bedroom and the small frames from the 1940's, 50's, and 60's for the hallway. That leaves my favorites, the R. Atkinson Fox pictures and others from that era, for the living room. It's all been very exciting to arrange, and I do feel quite at home when I walk in or walk around.

They say that a house doesn't make a home. So what does make a home, besides the images of art that we hang on the walls? Let's take a little tour, a tour in green, of the things that make this place home for me.

A green chair standing beside a bookshelf. A place to sit.

A green lamp on a wooden table, where also rests my book. Something to provide light.

A green Bible in front of a globe. Something to read.

And a green tea kettle on a stove half a century old. The provider of a warm drink.

I have many green things. With the clean white walls of this apartment, the green adds life and color. I have many green things. They are things that I use every day and things that I love because I use them every day. A glass water bottle from Life Factory, a business card holder, the background of a painting I did of my bearded dragon, the cloth I use to dry dishes. I have many green things. I chose them, and they serve me well: they are useful and nice to look at.

A house doesn't make a home, they say.

No, it is how we use our house that makes it a home. How do you keep your house? What do you do in your house? With what do you fill your house? With what do you fill your life?

Fill it with good things.