Good Morning Digital Neighbors!!! Happy Sunday Friends & Refugees, Phamily & Misfits, ADD Irregulars and WSN Explorers! Hi to all the rest of you Conversants, Lurkers, Seekers, Wanderers and Lost of Locals. The transition into the new home is slowly taking place. We can all live in a house, but what makes it a home?

The "smell" of you, the stamp of your personality, the essence of your presence should season the house. Some heavily season the house and you have no doubt this is where Bob or Betty lives. Room after room reveals layers of who they are and what are their interests. Other prefer to lightly season their house, small accents of person and preference are present to guests and visitors who may miss them if they are not paying attention. Many probably live in between the gonzo overflowing expression of life in a home and the subtle and subdued expression of modest domicile.

The rectory, never really cared for that term in Catholic diction, is become a home. In fact, I don't refer to it as a rectory at all, nor did I do that at IHM since there are no offices in either of these buildings. I still use the term because the unfamiliar will be confused, but it is the parish home. A parsonage or manse (its not a mansion) would be a better term for what this space is becoming. The upstairs is accented by my own tastes and the remnants of Mom & Dad's taste with decorating.

Mom dominated the landscape in Elsberry and Dad has his few pictures and spaces in the home. I would call her style, "Hold my beer, Better Homes and Gardens" If you thought 4 things on a wall were something to behold, try 40! Not mindlessly or recklessly thrown up, no there were themes and collections to be displayed on various walls and in different rooms. I confess, Mom's personality has take more root in my habits than Dad's but some of his traits helped counterbalance the excesses of Mom. At least I like to think so, I guess you would have to ask those who know me.

The basement is more of my space. I am working on a Ratskeller or hosting room as well as a Game room. Beyond the door that separates the two outer rooms from the rest of the basement is the Geek Den, Dork Chamber or Nerd Haven. Call it what you will, I'll take all the names. It is strictly my space. It is where I do my morning musings, hosts my Coffee Talks and mainly hang out when I am not in the office or my sitting room. It is all coming together, and I suspect I will be posting some photos in the future.

It is an interesting thing to open your life up to others, some appreciate the fact that you have decided to share yourself, they are the people who get invited back. Others in their inanity and dullardness utter phrases that just beg my smart-assery to reply. They usually get more than they bargained, never mean but often pointed. If you giveth, you will take'th most assuredly. Some don't even realize they give'th, some may have undiagnosed dashes of aspergers prowling around their personality pool. I guess not everyone has a sense of tact or they just ignore it.

Thankfully, most seem to be thankful for being welcome into my home. My experiences at IHM certainly encourage me to be more open about this new home. Some are just flat out curious about the lives of a priest. They will be surprised. I am not your average Joe. I suspect none of us are, but I am more on the normal dude spectrum than many priests. Pets, books, guns, games, anime and fantasy are just a few of the accents of my personality that color this house and make it a home.

Below is an interesting article. I enjoyed reading it, maybe you will as well. I hope you all have a great day and a place to call home and people to call friends. Peace.

https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/how-to-make-a-house-a-home