7 Quick Takes: April 3rd - What is Normal?

Today marks two weeks since I returned home from Ghana. It took about 10 of those 14 days to start to really feel "back to normal". Not sure whether that is more due to time change, culture reacclimation, or just being away from my own "normal" for a month and a half. How different "normal" can be from one culture to another! How different normal can be from one person to another!

So, what makes my life seem normal? My time away certainly has clarified what makes me feel comfortable and at home...

One
Pajamas. I adore pajamas...in fact my husband might say I have a slight obsession with pjs. After a long, busy day nothing feels better than peeling off the day's clothes and snuggling into a comfortable pair. Of course, you might guess I have quite a collection and it is a sad day when an old, favorite pair has to be retired.


Two
NPR. My daily routine includes quite a lot of NPR. Liberal bias or not, the stories on NPR are good and more often constitute REAL news (or at least REAL human interest) than what I see on local or national news shows, which I stopped watching a couple of years ago. I really watch very little news on TV.


Three
Morning Routine. Quiet house, dim morning light, warm cup of tea or coffee, reading bible and/or devotional, checking email, reading some blogs, looking over my day's schedule and waiting for the first child to descend the stairs, the sign day has truly begun.


Four
My spot on the couch. We have acquired by "hand-me down" a couch and a loveseat to replace our couch with chaise that had its springs sprung by rambunctious children. It didn't take long for me to find "my spot" on the loveseat. Settling in to this spot at the end of a day ready to enjoy a favorite TV show, a little conversation, and a glass of wine - very normal.


Five
My bed with down pillows and down comforter. I love, love, love my bed. Two christmases ago, my mom gave us a gift certificate to Bed, Bath and Beyond which we used to purchase really nice down pillows. Combined with our down comforter (which we've had forever) they make a most cozy, fluffy, snuggly bed!


Six
The menagerie of pets. Ok, we don't really have a menagerie right now, but we do have two dogs and two cats. We used to have two lizards and their feeder crickets (which we also had to feed, so aren't they pets, too?). Normal is watching my cats and dogs do their funny, well-choreographed dance around each other. The cats sneak upstairs to avoid being excessively "loved" by the dogs. The cats sneak downstairs to make their mad dash for the kitty door. The dogs wait for the slightest cat noise or scent and then bolt after the cats. Sometimes one particular cat actually tries to seek out one or the other of the dog, but carefully to avoid attracting the attention of both. (When there is only one they are fairly gentle, but together they get all "pack"-like and a bit rough.)


Seven
Our books. We have a lot of books. Certainly not as many as some but more than most, I suppose. Often I find myself reading a different books in each room of the house - a book on homeschooling in the family room, a food book in the kitchen, a spiritual book in the library room, and a novel in our bedroom.

So, what is "normal" for you? Leave a comment here and then visit Jen at Conversion Diary for more "Quick Takes".

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