After two weeks away, we were eager to come home. Thoughts of my very own pillow and our nice, comfortable bed created visions of bliss. I thought about the clematis no doubt in bloom by the pool, and images of yummy vegetables made my mouth water.

We drove in mid-afternoon and were immediately greeted by a lawn overgrown and badly in need of a hair cut. "Oh, dear," moaned Bill, and it was not with loving anticipation. The front flower bed was full of weeds, but it's small and didn't overwhelm me at all. I was still living in a fool's paradise.

When we walked in the house it was like walking into a wall of heat and humidity. We don't have air conditioning, and the windows had been closed for 2 weeks, so of course, it was not pleasant. The bedroom was just as bad, so there went any delusions of a sweet night's sleep!

I went out the back door and saw my flowers were barely visible through tall lush grass. The garden was indeed full of vegetables...many of them overly ripe. Yikes! What a homecoming!

It's been 2 days now, though, and it's starting to look and feel like home again. As much as we enjoyed a travel convention (for my 2nd business) in Vancouver, and as much as we enjoyed Milwaukee (for Bead & Button), there is truly no place like home.

Tomorrow we'll empty beads and product from the van, and the studio will start to look normal. By Thursday I should be making beads. Friday I need to send out this week's orders. Yes, we're home! And I love it. 

I don't know if you know it, but I home school our oldest grandson. His was the best welcome home of all. He bounded into the house with a grin and a big hug. "You've been gone too long, Nana!" We read, we counted, we wrote, we memorized verses...we picked peas, we pulled grass, we swam. Truly, there is no place like home!