Home Sweet Home

What is it that makes home home sweet home? Is it the smell? The memories? The familiarity? Comfort? I have been trying to pin point this for some time now and I just can't seem to do it. But it is true, for me at least, that home is a sweet sweet place.

This was especially clear to me after I was gone for a little while. The moment I walked through the front door I was greeted by a sweet cozy aroma that hugged me ... I was home. For the rest of the day I loved being able to close my eyes and sniff the sweet familiar scent that was home.

They make a candle that is Home Sweet Home. Yes. I'm pretty certain that's what they call it. I've burned it a few times at our home, but that's not the smell that does it. No. Because I've burned that same calm candle here and it doesn't fill the apartment, there are no warm fuzzies tingling from my head to my toes. So I have burned other candles, for hours and hours. But nothing happens. There is no homey smell that hugs the whole apartment. That welcomes you when you walk through the front door.

So then I think, well, maybe it's not the smell. Maybe home is the memories. But regardless of where you live you always have to have a first memory there. You are constantly making new ones. Memories like, the time my wonderful baking stone broke in two while a pizza was baking on it (really? really? ...yes. it did. oo... and I still do not have my replacement one). Or the time we hung a coat hook rack by the door. Or the time we brought a puppy home with us .... lots of memories. But I don't think it's that.

It could be that it's just familiar. All of your precious belongings are there and you know exactly where to find everything and how everything works. But I don't think it's that either. I've been to some complete strangers houses and I've felt like I was at home. It was warm and cozy, bright and cheery .... it was welcoming. Which I hope is what our home is like to others and not just us. How can something completely new be completely familiar?

I think it's the smells that get me. The smells make me think fondly of a place. Or not so fondly, like if it was a truly nasty smell, then I try to cover it up and when I do smell it again I automatically associate the smell with that one experience.... So I've tried to make our little temporary home a sweet smelling warm hugging place to be. It has yet to happen. This is a little bit some what worry-some to me as it is almost time to put out the Christmas Tree and all of the decorations that make it feel like Christmas. Again, it's that feeling that I just can't put my finger on. So that is why it has become my goal to do whatever it takes (within reason of course) to make our little temporary situation as homey and Christmasy and sweet smelling as I possibly can. yes yes. that's what I'll do.