Domestic Comforts

The last chapter in Victoria Moran's book Shelter for the Spirit is entitled Comforts, and I love it so much that I gravitate to it over and over again.  I would call these 'comforts' either treats or little pleasures, but they are all the same: the precious bits of our domestic life that give us solace and keep us healthy and content.

"Comforts aren't confined to home, of course, but at-home comforts have an advantage in being readily available and, for the most part, already paid for.  I recently rode with a taxi driver who told me that driving was a second job so he could pay off debts.  His strategy for financial independence?  'I don't go anywhere and I don't do anything.'  I asked if this spartan lifestyle was difficult.  'Oh no,' he said. 'I've never been happier.' He explained how he had become an excellent cook....was playing trumpet for the first time since high school, and refurnishing much of his house by refinishing attic heirlooms.  Going 'nowhere' and 'doing nothing' can lead to a high-quality life." (Emphasis mine.)

My own domestic comforts include, but are not limited to:
*sleeping on comfortable, fresh sheets
*a pot of earl grey tea
*wearing my wool-cashmere socks and curling up on our supremely comfortable sofa
*hot baths
*puttering around in my small collection of my great-grandmother's linens
*opening the curtains first thing in the morning to let all the light fill the house, and opening the windows to let in the fresh air
*knitting
*reading to my children (and myself!)
*doing some handsewing while watching something relaxing and often British
*eating a special chocolate
*taking Sundays off from everything
*putting a fresh tablecloth on the table
*reading poetry
*puttering in general--I love to putter. I love to pick up a bit here, poke around in fabrics, rearrange a shelf or closet....
*serving my family a really good dinner
*playing the piano
*plotting out a creative project and seeing it through to the end
*having little rituals like grace before meals, bath on certain nights, and putting the house to bed

The list could go on and on!  I highly recommend Victoria Moran's book, too--it is full of domestic inspiration.