Little Things that Make a Home Sweet Home
Setting up an office in our hotel room at Hope Lodge was something of a challenge. Depending on our Exploring Government editing task at the moment, we needed two and sometimes three screens. As you see, we placed Ray’s computer, my computer, and a keyboard on the room’s little round table and placed an extra screen on the credenza that held the TV. That made for pretty tight quarters for Ray and me huddled side by side in the room’s two straight back dining chairs.
During our first weekend trip back home, friends graciously loaned us a folding table and a rocking camp chair. With these helpful items, we were able to separate our computers and have our own work spaces. When we finished the Exploring Government project, Ray wasn’t up to working very much, so he was fine with the small round table.
I got to spread out on our borrowed table.
Notice the footstool under my temporary desk. My body was much happier after I remembered to bring that from home. I can barely work at a desk without a footstool. Before I remembered to bring the one from home, I made do with a makeshift substitute.
Except for food, the American Cancer Society graciously supplies everything residents need while they stay at Hope Lodge, from dishwashing liquid to paper goods to laundry detergent—and lots and lots of cleaning wipes to keep everyone healthy. The wipes even had their own special containers on the tables in the dining room.
Ray and I were hesitant to use up the supplies people had so graciously donated, so we brought some of our own, including a giant package of Angel Soft. That package became my makeshift footstool. It got me through some long work days on Exploring Government, but it didn’t fare very well, as you can see. This was its condition the day we relegated its contents to their original purpose.
Though we will always be grateful for the lessons we learned and the new friends we met at Hope Lodge, Ray and I are very glad to be home sweet home. Even my feet are back home where I can write to you while resting them on their very own footstool under my very own desk.
One of the joys of mothering is providing the little things so that everyone’s feet and hearts and souls can rest in their very own home sweet home.
The wise woman builds her house . . .
Proverbs 14:1
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
Psalm 127:1