20 August 2014

Coming Home

Rosa Bianca Eggplant

What makes home feel like home, a place you love to come back to?

I've noticed that whenever I move to a new place, I have a nesting routine.  I unpack, yes, but there's more to it than that for me.

For example, I once arrived in a totally new state, and stopped by the house I knew we'd be renting but hadn't seen yet.  They were painting it, and it wouldn't be ready for us to move in for a few more days.  One of the women on the crew just looked like she'd know where to get fresh peaches, and I told her so.  

And I was right about her.  She told me exactly how to get to a good farm with a good deal.  I immediately followed her directions, and bought fifty pounds.

Never mind that I had no clue if I had access to a freezer.  It was the last day the orchard would have peaches at all, and since my canning supplies were still in transit, I also found a store, bought freezer bags, and took my chances.  

I was glad I did, because I did find access to a freezer, and until our moving truck arrived I really didn't have anything to do other than freeze peaches anyway!  And I felt that somehow I had managed to pack a bit of summer away for our new home, something I could pull out and savor during the months ahead.

Or, for another example, when we moved to our current house, our moving truck came to our door a full three weeks later than we did.  

We planted our seeds the second full day in our new house, so that even though we were dealing with a makeshift bed, we'd at least have a head start on our tomato plants.  And when there were free lemons advertised on Craigslist?  And forty pounds of limes for sale at the flea market for $4?  

We went straight down and bought jars, a big pot, and a citrus juicer, and canned ourselves several months' supply of lime and lemon juice.

Maybe I'm too centered around food, I don't know, but these old fashioned ways I have of preparing for winter, so to speak, and putting down real garden roots, make a place feel like my little haven on earth.

Having a garden to come home to, wondering just how much everything has grown while I've been gone, and knowing there is home-grown, home-made pesto in the freezer waiting to be pulled out for supper right after the plane lands, fills me with such a satisfied, eager contentment in coming home.

7 comments:

  1. Love reading about some of the things that make a house a home for you. Lisa :0)

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  2. I can relate - it's like a form of nesting. There's something so homey about the 'ping' of the jars! Right now I have a bushel and a half of pears waiting to be turned into pear sauce, jelly and dried pear rings.

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    1. A bushel and a half of pears? What luxury! Pears always feel like more work to me than some of the other fruits, but now that it's not that easy to get them, they sound especially delicious. :)

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  3. Lovely thoughts! I'm not the canning kind, but I like to freeze homemade tomato sauce, pesto, and fruit. I love to hear all about your adventures with food & gardening, you know that! This year I will try to get some good orchard photos for you (I don't know when, with my crazy schedule), but I'll try my best! Oh, yeah!! I just remembered that mornings work find Mon & Wed! And Fridays! There are many apples already in sight, I think it's better than last year. You know... last year I was just too sad to look at those apples because of you. Now it's not as hard anymore. Especially after I was able to share the spring flowers with you.

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  4. When ever I come back home, on of the first things I do is to check on my plants.

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