Nest

I am starting to love my house. I got up very early this morning. The view from my bedroom is so lovely. That desert light, with all the pink and gold. But no matter where I am in my house, I see something that charms me.

And even though there is still so much to do--the movers are coming tomorrow at 9, we still need a refrigerator and a washing machine, and maybe a stove and a dishwasher (our stove and dishwasher are rather rickety and appear as if they have oft been put to good use), let alone furniture. And my phones are not working at all, nor is my new email, and I have to get a key for the community pool from some development association people. And I have to get a key for my mailbox.

But we are starting to settle in, our routines are starting to take shape, and the house becomes more homelike every moment. We put candles around my bathtub, and everyone takes a candlelit bath in my tub every night--because it is the nicest place to be in the whole house.

Today, the girls spent the afternoon with their grandmother and cousin. I spent the afternoon purchasing. You know that I have no problem shopping at thrift stores. I went to two Goodwills and bought the following, all new, all in the pristine original packaging:

• lava lamp
• silver mesh journal
  
• glass pitcher
• 2 Britta filter water pitchers
• shower head for the girls' bathroom (I still need one for mine.)
  
• purple notecards (which the girls have already used to write letters to their friends)
  
• white shelf
• white Christmas lights
• And two black metal candle holders, also new, never been used.

Then I went to the Salvation Army, and bought a small wrought iron table and chairs for outside. (Though we are using them inside until we actually have some furniture. We got rid of all of our furniture except my office chair and desk, a small painted table, and our 3 bar stools. And my dresser.)

Through craigslist, I bought a squarish comfy chair in a lovely shade of seafoam green. Glen from Rochester, NY is going to deliver it tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I hope to buy all of my necessary appliances (especially a washer and a refrigerator, as those are the most necessary of the necessaries) from Fred, who lives nearby and recently underwent a divorce. (Also craigslist.)

Although I have come to greatly dislike shopping, especially as a form of recreation, I confess that I do very much enjoy the process of creating a home.

P.S. I almost bought an Eames era orange vinyl sofa with a chrome frame on ebay. When I got in on it, the bidding was at $30! So I bid up to $65, but then found that to crate and ship the sofa from its present location in Madison, Wisconsin would be $575. Which is way, way out of my budget for a sofa. I am thinking $200. Maybe $300, if $200 means nubbly brown and orange plaid, or 80s mauve and teal florals. I had to ask the seller to cancel my bid. Sigh. I loved that sofa. I must trust that another equally wonderful sofa awaits, though that is nearly impossible to believe.