musings

I've been thinking a bit about why exactly I started this blog. It's because I want more moments like this one - I'm sitting on my couch with lemon buttermilk scones in the oven, a cup of tea in my hand, a knitting project in progress next to me, and jazz on Pandora. I want more simplicity. I want more reality. I want to get out of my head and out of the consumer-driven society I've been a part of for so long.

It's a lot to get a head around at once, so I'm taking baby steps - making lip balm and cloth napkins are good starts, but they're really representative of who I want to be and where I want to go in this life of mine. I want to be more present, more thoughtful, and more engaged.

Its all perfect timing for me to be having this little epiphany because we're thinking about a home - where we want to live and more importantly, HOW. We've looked at a few houses for sale that would be just fine, but nothing is right, you know? The more I think about it, the more clarity I get about my priorities. First, I want LAND. LAND in capital letters - I'm not talking acres and acres - two is fine for me, but I want that space, that breathing room. For gardens, for livestock, for a tree house, a barn or shop...maybe a sauna? Living on this island, desirable land is scarce and often expensive, so I'm hoping that in the next couple of years, just the right piece becomes available. No water view, just a sweet spot where we can build our home.

Home. It's a big deal. Especially when you're starting from scratch. I always thought we'd buy a "fixer-upper". There are so many empty houses available, and we've got the skillz to do it. But the more I think about it, the more the twitchy control-freak side of me gets that maniacal glint in her eyes and starts twirling her fake mustache. Man, I've got plans for this place, but most of all, I want to look around in ten years and see a home with a history - that has been created and shaped by our (as cliche as it sounds) blood, sweat, and tears. I want a home that treads lightly and is a part of its surroundings. One that is efficient, light, and full.

Big ideas, friends. It's what keeps me up at night.