A quiet place

Froggies Quiet Place

People keep asking me, "what kind of house do you want next and where are you moving to when you sell the one you're in now?"...I guess its the human condition to want to talk about the future, (like I have control over when this house sells..,) but it got me thinking on it today, as we showed the house for the first time, and tomorrow morning will be the brokers open house... So today, I did spend some time thinking about what matters to me when looking for a new home.

Firstly the where part is easy, I want us to live on Bainbridge Island I lived there for many years when the Girls were growing up. I feel more at home there than anywhere else in the North West, and my youngest daughter Isabel still has two more years of school to go at the High School there, so I want to be closer.

The "what kind of house," is a little fuzzier, not so clear. I guess one of the reasons we're moving is because we'd like more room. Caelin would like a "Man Room," where he can watch his t.v, and listen to music in peace. Which would be great, because the rest of the house will be for the family to hang out, and people to come and visit..

But something else came to me today, as I pondered a new place to live... I would like a hiding place, a bit like froggy in his rose, I realize I've shown a similar photo, but I had to use this photo today, because sometimes I feel like a need a sweet quiet place, just like Froggy, a place to get calm, be quiet, be creative, listen to what my soul is telling me.

I remember when my Girls were still quite young, and we'd had weeks and weeks of non stop visitors, I was trying to do my art, I had a lot on my mind, I know I was deeply stressed out about my Mother who was very sick, and five thousand miles away.., I was tired and feeling overwhelmed, and felt trapped... I needed to be quiet and get away.. So when the family were outside, I hid myself away in the closet under the stairs. I lay down on the floor, behind baskets of winter gloves and scarves, boxes of tinkling christmas ornaments and just breathed... My husband and Girls came in, and started searching for me.., I could hear them looking for Mama... But it wasn't time yet, I hadn't had enough quiet.. So I didn't give my hiding place away. I lay there for another several minutes till they'd stopped looking for me, and got distracted by a game they'd been playing earlier.. I allowed myself time to gather myself up.., and yes, I did feel a little guilty, but it made me realize the importance of quiet and solitude, and I came to terms with the fact that along with food, water and love, to survive, I also need quiet time too. So, when I think of a new home for us all, in my heart and mind, I long for a quiet little corner of that home to call my own, where I can retreat sometimes, and just breath...