10 Favorite Things about a Country Home

I roamed the countryside searching for answers to things I did not understand.

-Leonardo da Vinci

A week ago, we packed up our house in the suburbs and moved to the country...something that I had been dreaming of doing for the longest time. We found this beautiful 300 year old home in a small town of Pennsylvania and decided to call it home. It has been part of the landscape for such a long time...we are just keepers of this home, and this is our watch. Our charge is to make it better while we are here.

There are some amazing surprises of living in a country manor such as this...here are my top 10:

1. Waking to the endless sky...whether it be a spectacular sunrise or an overcast day, there's no hiding from Mother Nature. She's got your number. Clear evenings reveal stars that were just waiting to be discovered.
2. Well water...I never realized how much chlorine was in the public water I was drinking. We got lucky because our water is crystal clear and fresh!
3. Windows...not exactly sure of how I will wash these tall beauties, but for now, I am enjoying the light that streams through the wavy panes.
4. The mystery of who lived here before and wondering what they thinking when they made changes to the house...a positive and a challenge!
5. The little breakfast spots that make the best French toast and coffee.
6. Figuring out how to arrange furniture in colonial sized rooms.
7. Making choices about what to keep. I have made a new rule...shop for only the best, but get less...there's not a lot of extra storage space in my house and over time, it occurred to me that it is okay to purge. Smaller collections of only the finest have more power.
8. Exploring the hilly road and spaces.
9. Not shopping at chains...there is something special when you know the people who make the food you eat and the things you need.
10. The quiet.

What are the 10 favorite things about your home?

Photo credit: Suze Moore

weeds

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.

-A.A. Milne, English Author & Playwright, Creator of Winnie the Pooh

Did you ever notice how weeds just seem to grow crazy all at once?  Pulling weeds is one of my least favorite tasks...but I had let my gardens go for too long.  I did what every blogger would do...grabbed my camera to capture and write about said weeds before they met their untimely death.  I was amazed as I looked through the lense...check out these arrangements of texture and proportion...all for fee! 

Letting the landscaping around your home go "weed crazy" definitely affects your curb-appeal...the immediate impression your home gives.  It can make your home look unkept and create an expectation that the disarray continues inside...regardless if this is true.  Fortunately, the solutions are not cost prohibitive.  Mulch can help in large beds if it is spread at least three inches thick.  You can also use weed control sheeting that is black fabric or plastic available at most hardware stores or greenhouses.  Regularly turning soil over and raking is the most green solution...no chemicals needed except for the sweat on your brow!  Check out wikipedia for more ideas and comment on the things you have used.

Weeding can be a meditation...letting go of those things that no longer serve us whether it be a habit, a mindset, a pair of shoes or a sweater that we pass on...by letting go of the stuff that is cluttering our lives we can make room for abundance...and then our lives can truly blossom.