No place like it.

Autumnal rose with chateau windows in the background.

Literally for decades I've had a repeating dream about not being able to get home. I'm trying to catch a cab, find a bus stop, train station, Metro station, or my car. I am stranded and bereft.

Was. I haven't had that dream in awhile.

I do not own the chateau or my nest at the base of this grand old house on East Capitol Street, but this is my home, maybe the first home ever.

I certainly never felt at home in the house where I grew up, nope. I lived alone in a number of apartments during my 20s and 30s, but back then I was neo-bohemian to a fault, literally. I didn't cook, didn't care about comfortable upholstery or having a table at which to sit while eating dinner. So while I parked my stuff in these apartments, the spaces were never cozy, nor did they reflect anything much beyond my disinterest in nesting.

Later, I proceeded to co-habit with a string of other people, all of whom had definite opinions about what makes a house a home. For the duration of each of these situations, I took the path of least resistance which was to never even try making these spaces feel like my home. The result is that I lived in other people's homes.

When I moved into the chateau, I did a few things to make the space more comfortable. These days I love to cook and entertain, making some degree of domesticity a must. Also, as I get older, my appreciation and fondness for comfortable upholstery grows exponentially, a great motivation to at least try.

It was when I decided to move my practice into the chateau that I noticed how sparse it felt here. For my clients' benefit (or so I thought) I took time, spent money, fixed things up, attended to neglected spaces in the apartment, hung pictures, arranged. In other words, I decorated. The result is a COZY, inviting, calm and rather nice place, if I do say so myself. Clients say, "This is very you," "It feels so calm and inviting in here!" etc. I love it when they say that! One client asked if I'd had a feng shui consultant help arrange the space. Cool!

I did it for my clients, but I, too, am reaping the benefits of my efforts. For the first time ever I live in a space that's arranged just right for me. Not too big, not too small, too hot or too cool, too hard nor too soft. Within the domestic realm, I have achieved the Tao of Goldilocks.

Hence, the end of the nightmares. Or - at least that's today's theory. Happy Sunday to all. Hoping everyone I love is enjoying a peaceful day in a homey setting. Shalom.