On being at home

Last Thursday I was in the kitchen at my new house, (actually we took possession of it in August '07) and I am sure it was the first time to me that it felt like our kitchen, or home, at least in the kitchen.

I looked around to see why that was.

There was our green kitchen jex, our Sunlight soap, but I thought maybe it was the retro canister on the bench that I got in 2002. There wasn't much else out on display so I wonder what it was exactly? Those things, or the things we have done to the kitchen, like the new taps, the new floor and lino, dishwasher; or that I chose to have that kitchen in the first place. I chose to have a kitchen with the remains of a chimney with little windows in it like my Nana had, or the two taps in the brick wall over the sink that I chose to replace the old ones, taps like my MIL used to have in her long time house. Maybe because I liked the way the old owners chose bright colors. Or was it that my husband had carefully planed back the edges of the bench and put on a lovely shiney clear varnish.



Was it that I had just looked carefully at the retro tiles, as I have been chosing a paint color for the back entry next door, and I noticed that the tile had a cute orange flower in it, and the square around the edges was actually tan? Was it the serviceable 70s laminex? Why was it finally home that day?

The first time I saw it, it really let the house down. The real estate agent and my husband were standing there peering into it. It was dark. I said the overhead cupboard over the sink would have to be raised up. This turned out to be true, and we did that. I couldn't see the taps or much to be able to wash the dishes.

I walked very carefully over the brown lino after we bought it, and I vowed to stay out of there. There was a little square in the lino very carefully disguised and the floor seemed soft. It turned out there were whiteants in the floor. Now the lino is white, and we have a big enamel light shining light downwards from the high ceiling with my favourite strips dissecting it.

The window is still not painted after the 40s thin glass was replaced. The doors haven't had their glossy paint, and there are minimal dishes and pans, and cutlery and food and virtually no cookbooks or decoration. Only some dried wheat and seeds or something on the mantelpiece, that still has some cute oldfashioned lino on it.

There is a toaster.

I love the stove, the door has a hole in it, why did it feel like home to me?

I think it was that I have spent extra time there lately as my computer was there for awhile. And I have forgotten the snake incident. I used to worry I would find it in the kitchen I think. Plus we got a great new back door with glass either side, and the sun shines on the cement out there and into the kitchen through the back porch. I have the door photo not far back in my posts.

It is possible it is hot chocolates the kids have made in the kitchen, their egg lunches, the fact that there is not too much junk in there. Maybe the dishes I have washed on my own in peace and quiet while the others have been busy. Everyone seems more settled there.



It has come a long way.

There used to be white mould in that cupboard, at least now it is freshly painted, just right for that bag of potatoes. The drain didn't actually work in the kitchen and the grey water went under the floor. It took a few months of airing the soil for everything to smell fresh, there, in the laundry and in a part of the garden near the laundry.

Please click on the biggest kitchen table banner to go to Rhonda's post On being at home, and perhaps visit others who have written about it.

I had forgotten I had something to write about and had a look around and found this great meme called "What does home mean to you?" at Green Gourmet Giraffe. You may want to look at what was written there, the photos are very nice.

To give an idea on how far we have come, and why it is taking so long, here is a photo of our laundry in the new house, when the plumber put the taps in the wrong place and we were trying to work out where to put the machine.



Here is the link to our newer photos, and here for the laundry. Another group of pictures here.