Home Beautiful

Yesterday I was disappointed.

So disappointed.

But I'll get over it.

After Christmas DH and I went looking at sofas. Ours are fifteen years old, saggy, and getting very grubby on those areas that can't be laundered. DH has been saying for a while that we need new ones. So we went shopping. For four days we visited every shop that sold sofas - and then went back again and again and again.

I got my hopes up.

Then when I thought we were at the stage where we were ready to make a decision DH said, "It's up to you."

What? I thought it was what we wanted. I thought it was a joint decision. I thought he had suggested it. But he thought I was the one who had suggested it and he was just 'supporting' me. What a communication mix-up!

DH still would've 'supported' me if I'd wanted to go ahead and buy the sofas of my choice but half the fun had gone out of it.

Plus, he raised another point. Why this hadn't been raised before I got my hopes up I don't know. I guess I should've thought of it myself.

Ever since we moved into our house almost 13 years ago we've been talking about 'doing' our kitchen. Currently our kitchen (which incidentally is probably the nicest looking room in our rather old and tired-looking house) is situated in what was once a rather large north-facing (we're in the Southern Hemisphere so think sun-facing) veranda. There's a step down between the dining room and kitchen, the floor still slopes away from the house (so spills tend to go down and end up behind the refrigerator), there is no wall lining behind the kitchen cabinets (we can see daylight in places!), and there is definitely no batting in the walls or ceiling to prevent heat loss or help with climate control. Consequently it is absolutely freezing in winter time.

The dream has always been to bring the kitchen back inside and restore the veranda to its former glory. For a long time it was just that - a dream. But recently it has begun to look as if it could become reality.

Which brings me to the point that DH raised. Part of my dream is for an electric stove that has two ovens (to meet the needs of my growing family when we all get together). Something like this but probably in cream or black:



DH wanted to know if I spent the money on new sofas if it would mean that later down the track (and he's talking this year but I'm not that optimistic) I would have to forego something I really want in my kitchen - such as this new stove.

So we've decided no new sofas at this point (even though I'd fallen in love with a particular style and colour). I'm disappointed but I'll get over it. What will perhaps take a little longer to come to terms with is the shame and embarrassment I often feel when others come into my home. I know it's wrong. I know I should be more concerned about offering hospitality and caring for the needs of my guests but sometimes I wish I could take them into a room that is lovely to look at and to be in rather than what we have.

Not that new sofas would have made that much difference. But it would have been a start.

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20, NJKV).