the making of a home

I am home, to this place he is more comfortable in, to this place he has lived and knows as home. I am home, though it does not feel like home yet. I fold t-shirts, sheets, boxers, dresses and towels. I hang art and mirrors and clocks. I move furniture and mementos and books. I am home, but I do not feel like this is home.


How long does it take to make a place a home?

He welcomed me with giant hugs, Saturday morning breakfast, and uninterrupted World Cup games. He wrapped me in his love, anxious to make this place ours. I recall another Summer night- over a year ago- in Central. We were newly-married/just-honeymooned and I moved into his home. It took rearranging the 3 bedroom apartment several times to make that place our home.


Does the time-disconnect between place and home shorten with time?

I hang our "Welcome Home" card from Amanda and light our home-warming soy candle from Grammie. I turn on the praise music and whisper a prayer, "Please Lord, dwell here." I wash the sweat, sand and sunscreen from my Puerto Rican clothes. I empty the refrigerator of near-finished containers. I plan menus to make in this new, extravagent kitchen. I smile as objects fine their places. I know I will find mine soon.

The disconnect will shorten for home is what we create.
Soon: I can almost smell it.
Soon: I hear the rustling.
Soon: this will be home.

Puerto Rico

In the face of pilot strikes, world cup excitement, creative bootcamp highs and lows, new job sweats and anxiety, Mum the Twins and I are finally getting on the plane to Puerto Rico! The week had us wondering what would happen and fortunately for us, in the midst of it all, we had friends praying for us that the strike would end and our 60th birthday vacation would proceed. Thank you for those prayers! and Praise God for His grace to us! [You might be thinking a vacation is a silly thing to pray about- but remember its diety-exemplified Law to have time of rest.]

Our flights will be completely during the USA vs Slovenia game tomorrow morning- but I will receive text updates to my phone [yes, you, send them!] Once we land, I will turn my phone on and see...

Perfectly executed CORNER KICK BY DONOVAN AND DEMPSEY HEADS IT IN!!!!! [again, I might add]

That will be the perfect start to a wonderful week of waterfall jumping, lagoon diving, phosphorescent bay exploring, sunning, shopping, and mojito drinking with Mum, Lydia, Lynda and Elba.


As a side note on the Creative Bootcamp- it ends tomorrow. Because of the move, no internet and lost tools, I fell a little bit behind so over the weekend I doubled up on days' activities. This proved exhausting and frustrating. I was having great personal insight followed by some of the worst "creativity" -if you can call it that- I've had in a while. When the pilots went on strike and Thursday flights were cancelled, I thought, "Oh, guess I'm not going now-at least til next week at earliest." I slowed the gears on the creative activities as I thought I would have the weekend to finish up. Rather than rush through them today only to be left with ONE to do when I return, I will save the 4 remaining and continue on June 25th. I will also share more of whats been going on in that front with you later.

GO CELTICS! GO USA! and Go GERMANY!
my only P.R. regret is to miss these games with my brothers and husband.
Cheer loud for me, guys!

Creativity Day One

Its day one of my voluntary creativity bootcamp and I cant be happier with it! I am a little disappointed that I'll be in P.R. for part of it, because it will delay my finish. At least I am off to a good start!

Today's writing task was to write a letter to your post-two-week-course self explaining the things that have happened and how far you have come. I have always found "future" letters odd and hard to write- but this was nice- it was like speaking the next two weeks into being and claiming personal satisfaction and victory. I'm guessing I did it to look back on and think "what were my goals? what did I accomplish." To be honest, I have not yet narrowed my hopes for this course but think they will formulate with time. I know what I want to be on the other side of this, I just don't know how I will get there. I want to know myself as a creative person and to not feel like all of me is just a copy of another's idea. I am likely to make some ugly things in these next two weeks, because I am going to stretch my mind and say "why not?" to odd ideas. We will see what comes of it.

Today's creative task* was to incorporate IVORY into our chosen medium. I crocheted a three-strand necklace, clasped with buttons, and made a fabric and tulle side adornment for it. I am pleased with the outcome and excited for where new ideas like this will take me.

*There will be no photographs of my creations for a while as we are in the middle of moving.
I have also not decided how public I want this journey to be.