If nature is my happy place, then home is my sanctuary!
On Sunday, temperatures dropped to a chilly 37 degrees. Since we hadn’t turned the heat on in the house, it was a bit cool inside when we first awoke. Although it turned out to a be a simply gorgeous day with the sun shining bright, we did light the fire to help take the chill out of the house. Our first fire of the season.
There is something about having a fire going that makes you just want to relax and stay close. We kept the fire going all day, not because it was terribly cold outside, but because it was so nice to have the cozy ambiance of the fire going again. We didn’t leave the house at all, except to walk the dogs of course. That’s an event that can’t be missed or our schnauzer will definitely let us know about it!
To me, these are the best kind of days. The weather was cool, but gorgeous. We puttered around the house, I cooked! and my son stopped by for dinner. It was a great day to shut out the rest of the world and simply enjoy being at home together.
These kind of days remind me of why my home is so special to me. I need that break from the real world to relax and spend time with the people who are most important to me. My home is not a place of grandeur with everything in it’s place, although I do try to keep it tidy. It ‘s a cozy place to gather with family and friends, to share a meal and conversation, and on a chilly day we can gather around the fire.
This week we will be hosting Thanksgiving in our home. We will be breaking bread with a collection of family and friends, some that we have known forever, some that we have yet to meet. It will not be a quiet day, but a day filled with joy and laughter, sharing and relishing the time we have to spend together.
In a world filled with stress and negativity, I’m grateful to have the sanctuary of my home to retreat to. It gives me a place to slow down and savor a quiet day with just my husband. On other days we open our home to share with others and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this.
It’s easy to allow the stress and negativity to take over your life. However if you stop and pause and allow yourself to embrace gratitude for your blessings, it does help to relieve the stress and anxiety that we all face in our everyday lives.
To Create Sunshine 
Your home looks lovely and very welcoming. Thanks for sharing a glimpse inside!
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