Milestones and moments

When I was little, growing up in California, I wanted to be what we would all refer to as a "housewife." I wanted kids, with whom I'd stay home. I wanted to sew my family's clothes and clean and decorate my house. I wanted a garden which would yield both beautiful flowers for indoors and delicious fruits and vegetables for the healthy meals I'd cook.

Then I grew up. I got married and was then divorced with no children. I discovered the real-estate market in California had left me far, far behind. I lived in a tiny rental house and, while I did have the small garden, between full-time school, full-time work, and going out with friends, I had no time to grow much of anything. The dream lived at the back of my mind, and I figured that's where it would stay.

Later, still divorced, I got pregnant and had a little girl. I moved to Ohio, finished school, began working as a librarian, and bought an old house on 1/3 of an acre with mature trees and plenty of room for a garden. I began knitting sweaters and socks and hats and scarves and enjoyed decorating my own home for the first time ever. And I discovered that, while I still couldn't be a "housewife," I was thrilled - am thrilled - with my life. This is where I am today.

So here I sit, beginning a blog in which I'll talk about my adventures, and misadventures, as I attempt to create this life that I've always dreamed of, minus the husband. I may talk about single parenting and how challenging it is. I may talk about maintaining a house that's at least 150 years old when I have zero - and I mean ZERO - home maintenance knowledge. I may talk about what works and what doesn't in my Zone 5 garden, and may share recipes for foods that I cook. I will definitely share pictures of my home, my knitting, my daughter, our pets, and anything else that seems to fit my loosely-themed blog. And I'll invite you to share your experiences and knowledge, too, and hope that you'll feel comfortable sharing in the milestones and moments of my life.