confessions of a housewife

This is the most fragrant rose bush I've ever known.

And she just keeps blooming, it's incredible!

I hope these two boys know how much I love them.

And, I hope they grow up with the fondest memories of this place.

Summer is winding down, maybe it's already gone I think today is the first day of fall. And, while I was mowing the lawn, I got to thinking about Brian and my home. How it's ours (sort of, we probably own like the front stoop and the bank owns the rest) and how there are so many responsibilities that come with that.  Like, mowing the lawn. Lot's of other things too. I thought about how it seems like most of the things we do for our home we do in the summer, and in the winter the home is doing most of it's things for us.

Brian bought me these window boxes this year.

That probably doesn't make sense, but all spring and summer we mow and weed and garden. We do all major projects in warm weather, like painting and redoing bathrooms or basements.  In the summer we stain the wooden swing set and this year I replaced half of our screens in our windows. In the winter we mostly shovel snow and thats it. In the winter the house is responsible for keeping us dry and warm and giving us things to do (or at least it's more important in the winter).

And with all the responsibilities comes a really good feeling (at least for me). Every time I mow the lawn, or garden or kill grubs, I feel good like I'm being a responsible grown-up and it's for MY house.  Doing the upkeep makes me feel, I don't know, like I really do own the place, that I really have arrived. I am creating and maintaining a warm loving, unique home for our family.  Maybe this is something our countries founders understood, ownership. I sound like a realtors commercial "home ownership" but for me it's true. We've lived in lots of nice places but this is the first place we own and even though it's small it just feels different. It feels right.  I am blessed with a quaint home, that is sturdy, with good neighbors and a nice yard. I am grateful to God for that.

This geranium is my piece de resistance 

Any way this was unusually rambley but enjoy these outdoorsy summer shots from my home this year.

He is such a good helper!

I've had this plant since spring and now that it's going to frost it finally gets it's first pepper.

My FIL gave me the seeds to start this vine when we first moved here. Now look at it!

My garden is a little wild, and that's how I like it.  Oh, that mum plant 

it's five years old!

What about you? What motivates you to mow the lawn, or cook dinner, or shovel the driveway?