Friday, October 31, 2008

What we own is not who we are.

I've never been big on designer labels. However, I have always wanted matching dishes, nice furniture, etc. I've been taught by what I see on tv that my house is not correctly furnished if everything doesn't match and look like nobody lives there.

OOOHHH BOY, is tv wrong. Magazines too. My sofa does not match my chair in anything but line. The shapes are similar. The fabric isn't even in the same color family. My dishes? They are not exactly Mikasa. More like me casa. Left over Corelle, along with whatever I could find on sale that I haven't broken yet. My silverwear? Not Oneida. Just whatever I could fine. BUT-they do the job. The sofa is super comfy. The chair and ottoman are my favorite place to sit and crochet. Food tastes the same, no matter what the plate looks like. A fork is a fork. Spaghetti tastes the same, if the fork cost $4 or $40.

My wardrobe is nothing like what you see a housewife wear on tv. I'm definitely not living life in the fab lane. Kimora Lee Simmons is NOT the average housewife. I live in hand me down jeans, scruffy sweat shirts and sneakers. Baby Phat jeans? Nope. Old Navy. The fit is amazing and I finally found a size I can buy off the rack and not have them tailored. My shoes? Not Manoloh Blahnik. New Balance sneakers. Expensive, but they last forever and my feet don't hurt. My boots? Not Jimmy Choo. Wolverines. Waterproof and durable and insulated. Expensive, but well worth it. My husband has a pair that is nearly 10 years old. They are on the second set of soles, but the uppers are nearly new and he wears them all winter.

My house is not full of all the latest electronic toys. No video game system litters my living room floor. No wide flat panel tv is mounted on my wall. Just a 32" color tv from the 80's. The edges are turning purple and it makes a funny, high-pitched noise alot of the time. But it works. It's not like I sit in front of the idiot box all day and couldn't survive without the latest technology. I did break down and buy an HD box for my antenna. I still want my local channels for news and such.

Don't get the wrong idea. These are not complaints. I am so happy when I look around my house. In the bathroom, my little camp stove is in storage for power outages. My coffee table is a chest full of extra blankets. My windows are covered with heavy drapes to keep heat in. My windowsill currently holds 8 sparkling jars of pear butter that I made with my own hands. From my own tree. (thanks to whomever planted it.) My cabinets are full, if slightly disorganized. My garden is put to bed. A friend is teaching me what is in my yard and how to care for it. My sewing machine is waiting for me to be ready to learn a new skill this winter. One that will stand me in good stead for the rest of my life. My crochet basket is full of projects in various stages of completion. Christmas gifts are started.

Love abounds in my house. My kids are all healthy and happy. My grandkids too. We're not loaded, but we're happy. Our home doesn't look like the ones you see on television. It looks like a home. There are toys on the floor, laundry in the hamper, and dishes in the sink. And Love. Always, Love.

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