Put Your Stamp on Your Life

After 40+ years in our traditional, white farmhouse with the bright, red doors, we moved to a planned subdivision with gates and rules about what you can and cannot do to your home, inside and out. This was the perfect decision for us. However, we left behind fruit trees and flower beds showy with colors and seasonal decorations. Now, we have a list of acceptable plantings and how many cars can be in your driveway. But, I have discovered that my neighbors are still putting their own stamps on their homes.

Though the houses were designed to be exact copies or mirror images, owners have added built-ins, expanded some rooms, reconfigured others. Some neighbors have hung flags. Some have large flower pots. Some lawns even sport a sign or gnome (only one per yard, please). The houses may look alike, but the inhabitants are all very different.

The inside of our house (which very few have seen due to Covid restrictions) definitely looks like us. We like maps and whimsical art. We have lots and lots of books. Pictures of our family cover every surface. You would know who lives there. As summer arrives, the outside is my latest project. I’m planting flower pots and keeping everything trimmed.  But, no iconic red door. No fruit trees.

It is a challenge to make our unit look like it belongs to us. We will have to be inventive to make our yard reflect our personalities. We can do that. We can all do that. It’s important and fun to put your stamp on your life.