Home . . . where the nest is

On the 25th of this month, we will have been in our present house five years. (Yes, the picture really is my house, but the lawn looks nothing like those trees . . . and is no where near that size. My office is the big set of windows all the way to the left). I don't know about you, but for me, five years is a long time. It's not the longest we've ever stayed in one house (eight years is the record), but it's long enough for me to start itching.

But moving is out of the question, and so are major home improvements (the only way I made it through eight years at the record-holding house). You see, I'm an INTJ, and our mantra is "improvement, improvement!", and I have to be improving something in order to be happy. In the past, in other houses, this has taken the form of adding on--rooms, garages, porches, walkways, you name it. But in this house, there's no room to expand. And there's a homeowners association that frowns on undue creativity, if you get my drift.

Which leaves me between books and itching to improve . . . so I've begun to move furniture. The old office carpet is gone because 1) it had holes in it, worn by Charley's nesting and 2) it was very doggy. I bought a new rug for the office and the dogs love it so much they just smile and loll around on it, ensuring that it will soon be every bit as doggy as the one sitting out by the curb. That's why I buy inexpensive acrylic rugs for my office. You can throw them out every five years and not feel wasteful.

Today I also took a long look at my library, adjacent to my office, which has not had a good traffic flow since we moved in. One entire wall is bookshelves, which you might expect, and the opposite wall is windows. I need a comfy chair in there, a chair in which one can curl up with a good book, but the present chair is a bit too small for such purposes.

Fortunately, I had the perfect chair in the living room, a match with my two sofas. I learned long ago, though, that one should not be afraid to break up sets of anything. So the large comfy chair has gone into the library, and the too-small chair is on its way Out. I think it'll end up in the middle school department, tucked into a little room somewhere.

Whenever one piece of furniture is moved, however, others must be moved, too, so the French bookcase went into the hallway, the easel with painting had to move from the hallway to the dining room, and the library table had to go where the French bookcase used to be. And, of course, I had to go out and buy a new chair--a lovely French country piece with cushions and a rush seat--from my local Home Goods store. All in all, I feel good about my nesting, even though I've only adjusted one room. Many rooms were touched, but only one rug and one (inexpensive) chair was purchased. The "Trading Spaces" people would be proud of me. :-)

Something about fall weather awakens my nesting urge. But moving furniture is much cheaper and easier than moving. At least, that's what I keep telling my husband when I tell him what has to be hauled in or out.

How about you? Do you re-feather the nest in spring? Fall? Or do you just hop up and look for a new nest?

~~Angie