The Spirit Of A Home

Well, good morning to everyone. I hope you had a good weekend.  Not so good for me.  I don't know what is going on with me, all I can say is I am "out of kilter".  Something is just not right with me.  I had a migraine on Friday so that really put me "out of kilter".  Migraines are horrible.  If you have never had one be grateful.

 But that isn't what I want to talk about today.  

I like to take picture of old house.  Houses that are well taken care of.

Houses that have some character. . . Houses that are Homes.

Now remember there is a big difference in Houses and Homes.

As the poem goes,

"It takes a heap of livin to make a house a home."

I have found this to be true.

This is my childhood home.

My Aunt Diane lives in the home now.  But originally it belonged to my Grandma Dot.  My Grandma was a young widow. My Grandpa died of strep throat.  Long before we had antibiotics. They were living in Washington state at the time.  It was in 1930.  My Grandma was left with three young children and was expecting my Aunt Diane.  After my Grandpa died my Grandma returned back to Utah to be near family.  Her parents my Great-Grandparents were living in our families home town of Payson, Utah.  Basicly my Grandma was homeless. . .she lived with my Great-Grandparents for awhile until my Aunt was born.  Now remember this is 1938.  Not much opportunities existed for young widows. . especially in rural Utah.  They family knew they needed to get a place for my Grandma to live and raise her family.  So in the Old Mormon Family way, everyone worked together to build this home for my Grandma.  

My Great Grandparents Home.

Not long after my Grandma's home was completed the family helped build this home.  My Great-Grandparent home.  Soon after my Great-Uncle build his home on the other side of my Grandma.  

It was in these secure surroundings that I grew and matured.  Many of life lessons was taught to me in the confines of these homes.  Under the care and love my my Grandma, and my Great-grandparents, Aunt, Uncles and Cousins I learned life lessons.  Lessons that would carry me through the storms of my life.  Lessons that would help me see sunshine, when I was surrounded by darkness. In these homes I was taught strong Christian values, and standards.  Under the nurturing care of my Grandma, I learned how to face challenges with faith that I can be happy and at peace.  

Yes, it does take a "heap of livin" to make a house a home.  And it is the lessons we were taught in the home that we will carry forever in our hearts.  I believe that houses have a spirits. . .yes, Spirits.  The spirit of the home is created by the people who live there.  These houses I have shown you here have GOOD spirits.  You can feel it the minute you step in the door.  Housekeeping is just keeping a place. . .but Homemaking is making that place a home. A Home  with a Good spirit.  Maybe that is what has happened to our society today, there is not enough Homemaking.  It is just streets and cities with houses and not enough homes with Good spirits.  

My Home

It could be that if we all tried to bring back the Home in Homemaking, and thought less of the House we could change the world to a more nurturing and loving place.  Now by all means a Home should look nice and clean, for a good spirit can not reside in a messy cluttered house.  I truly believe the tide must change and more time and thought and action needs to be placed in the Home.