A place of one's own...

I don't have a million dollar home, or an inground swimming pool. I don't endless views of rolling hills, or expanses of greenery. There is no 18 hole golf course just outside my door. What I do have is a "place" to be. A spot to retreat to in the cool of the afternoon, or the sunny shadows of morning. I can welcome the day from my place, or watch the stars appear, one by one.
I've always known of the need we have to posess a 'place of one's own'. There is even a book by that title, about women, but called "A Room of One's Own". I subscribe to that idea, no matter how loving a relationship you are in. We enter the world alone(unless you are a twin I guess) and we will leave that same way, alone. In between, it's good, I think, to have and understand the value of solitude. A time and place where it is just you and your thoughts as the hours tick by. It doesn't have to preclude others, it just means "by invitation only".
I lived alone here, before Ebby came. Almost 2 years. All of it is my space, and yet, I didn't have a 'place' that I recognized as such. I decided to create one for myself...a conscious effort to make what I wanted it to be, within the limitations of the space and place. My patio is small. Almost tiny, in fact. A mere 4 feet deep by 8 feet long. And within just half of it, I've made this space where I come with my morning coffee, or my sandwich at noon. With my stitching in the afternoon, or with just my thoughts in the late evening. I've added more plants this year, a humming birdfeeder and an old friend, my bell-tone wind chimes. At first I worried that the wind chime would disturb others. Then I realized most everyone out here wears hearing aids,
and rarely even hear the tornado sirens when they go off. So I hung the chimes. *VBS* I've missed them since I sold the house in 2002. I have pottery bowls of stones, I love stones. They follow me home, you know..*S* and last, but not least, I have Ebby. I worried so much at first, but being able to let her come outside with me. But I felt I would be so terrribly miserable if I COULDN'T be out in the fresh air and see what the world is up to, how could I do that to her? She's been wonderful about staying within eye sight of me, and if I come inside and she's out...she'll come in looking for me and meowing. I have everything I need, right here, in this little
corner. Recognition is the first step...*VBS*