I’m a little late this week on my postings.  But I have a good excuse, I promise.  I was in the car pretty much all day yesterday, and then having some good time with my hubby.  So posting fell by the wayside.  That is why this week’s Monday Musings is on a Tuesday.  How about them apples?

I want to talk a little bit about home this week.  What is it?  What defines it?  What makes home home?  The reason this is on my mind is because I went to Athens this weekend.  The place I called home for four years.  And going back was an interesting thing.  I knew I was visiting, but I had so many memories tied to that place.  Sitting in Donkey sipping on a delicious chai tea latte, or driving from Daves to my house and back again, or walking around the campus when snow is freshly fallen, or just sitting in our home with my girlfriends and talking, sipping wine, and just being together.   And as I went back this time, I still had those memories, but now I have many more from a new place, a new life, a new home.  It was an interesting feeling.  At first when I visited a few months ago, I didn’t like that feeling.  It weirded me out.  But this time, I embraced it.   I embraced the new place that I was in, and the memories that I had from this special place.  It was a good feeling.

This feeling was the same feeling I felt about my home in Virginia when I went to college.  The same adjustments, the same newness and strangness of it all, of calling a new place home.

And even as I sit here at right this, I think to myself, maybe as we walk through life, we are always gaining homes. There will be new places with new memories, but the old places will be always with us, always our homes.

Now it’s your turn, tell me what you think makes a home,  I’m interested to hear others thoughts!

And because posts are boring with out photos, here is a photo of me and a very very very beautiful friend from Athens.  I miss her a lot.

A have a lot of favorite things.  My husband, freshly fallen snow, mail, the sun, puppies, babies, chocolate, family, coffee, flowers, friends who are there just when you need them, a good book on a Sunday afternoon lounging in the sun, and the list goes on and on.  I could give that Governess Maria a run for her money.  This is the first of a weekly/bi-weekly post where I’ll let you, oh internet world, in on my love list!  I’ll mix in a little photo related goodness with the things that just plain make life better.  I know your anxious to here what I love, so here it is!

1) This past Sunday’s weather.  Did any one else enjoy the tempratures that rose above 60 degrees as much as I did?  Spring is coming, it really is! I heard birds singing, wore just a sweater and no jacket, and I swear I even saw some tulips poking up out of the ground.  On Sunday I think that I just about sprouted wings and flew.  I have been so anxious for Spring, and that one wonderful day gave me hope for the days to come!  Which leads me to my next favorite thing.

2) Growing your own food!  This Spring and Summer I am going to start my own vegetable garden.  I really am going to do it.  I am still looking for a good place to have it (so if you anyone knows of any community gardens, please let me know!).  But it’s too cold right now for that, so I have to hold out at least a little bit.  So until then, we’ve started a very very small windowsill garden (I’m not sure garden is even the right word, but that’s what I want to call it!).

3) The Cross and The Switchblade. And don’t judge this book by it’s cover.  It looks a little old, but it is definitely not outdated.  I am reading for the book club that I am in, and it is a wonderful book.  It’s the story of a country pastor who goes to the inner-city to work with gangs. It tells of how they both end up changing each other.   It is a touching story of redemption and love, definitely a good read.

4) A Yard of Popcorn – Yes, you read that right, a yard of popcorn.  I got it at World Market for Dave for Christmas and we had left it at his parents, when we saw them this past weekend they brought it to us…it was a happy day :)  There is just something about watching those little corn nuggets pop and fly everywhere on your very own kitchen stove that makes me happy.  And I guess it is supposed to be a healthy snack (you just have to watch what you add to it), so that’s a plus too!  Mmm…popcorn.

5 ) And for my last favorite thing today, I will leave you with some photo related goodness.  Jinky Art is a fabulous photography studio based out of Australia.  Their images are candid moments that are stunningly real and beautiful, and the colors in the photos are just gorgeous.  Check out the blog to see some more of their work.

And that’s it for today!  Check back next week for some more.