I’ve got another awesome guest blogger today…my Aunt Jane!  Hope you enjoy! :)

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I was honored to be asked to post a piece in Sarah’s blog. 702 Park Project has been on the top of my reading list all spring and summer.  I am delighted for Sarah and Charles that they have recovered a home that was in Charles’ family and will make it their very own…with a whole lot of hard work.  I was lucky enough to see it for myself a couple of weeks ago, and became even more excited to see the process as well as the final outcome.

Well, my brother Jim kind of took my original thought for a topic: the house we grew up in on National Avenue in New Bern. Like many of us, I immediately noticed some similarities between 702 Park Avenue and 1304 National Avenue.  But he did such an outstanding job with his comments that I can’t be too upset, so I picked another topic.

I have been thinking a lot about HOME lately. What makes a place home?  In the Powers/Gaylor/Archer family (which we lovingly call PGA) our “children” are growing up and making homes for themselves.  My son Matt and his wife Alison have “set up housekeeping” in Dayton, Ohio.  Jason is making a life for himself in Salisbury, NC.  And our baby, Sarah, has married her Charles and taken on this restoration.

Here are a few thoughts about HOME:

Home is where your “stuff” is. I don’t mean fine furnishings or fabulous jewelry (although those things are nice). I mean the pictures, objects, books, and special gifts that mean something to you and give you comfort. Home decorating is not one of my talents, but I love to have the things I love around me. Little gifts and school Mother’s day cards that Matthew gave me are so valuable to me, along with pictures of places we have visited and shared together. Oh, and the “coma” chair (where it is impossible to sit without falling asleep). Gotta have that!

Home is where you can take off your shoes and put your feet up. David (my hubby) has a habit of taking off his shoes & socks the minute he comes through the door, whether the temperature outside is 90 degrees or 20 degrees. I love it when people come into my house and get comfortable. (Comfort would include some warm socks in the winter for me).

Home is where you laugh with your friends and family. As my brother and sister and I grew up and moved out of her house, our Mama used to tell us, “I am ready for you to come home and put your feet under my table.” I so understand what she meant by that now. Nothing is like having the people you love around you.  Some of you may already know about our PGA “Christmas Around the World” celebrations. Every year, we choose a different country and serve Christmas dinner using recipes from that country.  We have done Italy, France, and Germany so far, and Spain is the pick for 2013!  We learn Christmas songs in a foreign language, led by “Maestro” David.  Sometimes we play teeny-tiny handbells or whistles. The laughter and merriment in our home is one of the highlights of our year as a family.

Home is love. I have been so overwhelmed by the blessings of life. I have a loving husband of 33 years, a fine son who has always been a source of love and pride for me, and a new daughter-in-law who has just fit right into that place in my heart that was made for a daughter. My extended family (siblings, nieces, nephews) is a wonderful and nurturing family. What a loving bunch of people!

Libraries are full of books that have schemes and plans for having a better home life, raising better children, creating better relationships with other people. But the answer has been right before us all the time:

Love one another. Serve God together. And your home will be a happy one.

Sarah and Charles, I wish for you all the joy you can handle. Enjoy the process of restoring your HOME!  And invite me over…I’ll bring my own socks.

{If you would like to be a guest blogger, please comment below or email me.  Thanks!}