How All Homes Should Look - In My Opinion

There is nothing like New England architecture to take my breath away.  I love the little cape style homes with their simple but eye appealing designs.  I don't mean to knock the houses in Colorado but here in Maine homes have a front.  Let me show you what I mean. 

This picture is taken in the shade so you cannot see the beautiful colors of the flowers in front which create a sort of colorful decolletage.  I could add picture after picture of example of other simple and beautiful New England but maybe you should just take a visit to Maine. 

If you visit me in Colorado Springs and are familiar with the homes there you immediately notice one thing about this home.  No garage affixed to the front of the home.  Maybe my beef is with suburbia itself which has to be efficient in its tiny postage stamp lot use but that just seems silly to me.  When you drive up on a home you don't want the only architectural appeal to be a two car garage. 

I love the homes in Maine but the real reason I love this home may have more to do with the occupant.  Fortunately, for me, you cannot make out the lovely lady standing on the porch ready to embrace us.  If you could she would probably not appreciate it unless she was wanting to advertize her particialar choice of bathrobes.   

The occupant of this home is a woman who knows how to love.  She oozes joy and love for life and loved ones out of every pore and attacks life with a zest not often seen. She also knows how to turn an ordinary home into a work of art, keeping in mind that homes should be both beautiful and functional.  The first time my husband saw her home, he fell head over heels in love with Diane and I could not blame him.  Diane has put in this house what is needed, what fits and what is of good quality.  She is an excellent organizer and can put her hands on a bargain in seconds but is equally unafraid to buy the best when that is warranted. 

Diane has a real talent for baking and cooking which was most likely derived from having five sons.  That is a lot of hungry mouths to feed.  She tells stories of how she roasted a turkey every weekend just to keep them fed.  I don't know if she gravitated to a personal celebration of thanksgiving every week or an attitude of gratitude just came natural to her.  Diane, like all of us has had some hard times and she choose to find joy.  Finding joy in life is her personal motto even when it is difficult to find.  It is no doubt that attitude that has turned her into the beautiful woman that she is.  She probably doesn't know how beautiful she is or how beautiful her home looks or how one feels to be with her.

I hope that someday my home will be as beautiful and appealing to spend time in as hers is.  I hope that, like her, I can choose to find joy in my daily circumstances.  Here's to you, my dear Diane, it was so nice to visit you and see your lovely home.  Keep choosing to live in joy, it makes you radiant and teaches the rest of us how to live too.  (You'll be hearing more about Diane and her wonderful husband Skip in a future chapter)

Susan