What Makes a House a Home?

It's been roughly a week and a half since we moved into our house in San Francisco.  The first six days were spent in rather spartan fashion - a card table, air mattress, and a pack-n-play being our only furniture.  Even with the arrival of the moving truck, the place is still quite empty.  Our furniture, which had more than adequately serviced our 600 square foot one bedroom, seems almost lost in our new digs.  Consequently, with only half the rooms liveably furnished, we're still living in about 600 square feet of space.

Nonetheless, this formerly anonymous Richmond District house is slowly becoming our home and it's got me thinking.  Just what makes a house a home?  When does that change occur and what's it based upon?  Does the neighborhood matter?  How about the weather? 

There are hundreds of factors - too many to list, or even identify - but I've come up with a couple that have been standouts over the past several days.

The first is establishing a routine.  One of the most hectic aspects of any move is that each day brings a new task to do, a new obstacle to overcome.  Getting settled, at least for me, has meant not so much putting away all the boxes but slipping into a regular, and quite familiar, daily routine.  This, of course, is centered around Mimi, so sometimes it begins at 9:00 (like today) and on other days at 6:00 (like Sunday, unfortunately).  It's reassuring to have this schedule back; a link to our previous life in New York.

As before, each day really begins with the "ih-hi, ih-hi" of Mimi's wake-up announcement.  

This is usually followed by her immediately demanding something: milk, a blanket, a 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder... today it was a shoe.

Having secured the object of her desire, she then wanted to put it on.  Mimi's getting much better at dressing herself.  While shoes are still a bit of a challenge, she'll occasionally be able to put on her socks all by herself. 

 Of course, there are still some issues.  Yesterday she was attempting to put on a bra which, to her, was a very fashionable, double-layered hat.  Luckily she reneged on this style choice before it was time to hit the park. 

Breakfast quickly follows a change of clothes.  Although the room is different, the process is basically identical: same chair, same foods, even the same table.  Unfortunately, we're also currently stuck with the same episode of Thomas the Tank Engine Songs.  We've seen this special so many times that the tunes are now even invading my dreams.  It's like a Nightmare on Elm Street, only with catchy tunes and British Middle Class morals. 

Having our belongings from New York here has also had a major impact.  Though the house is far from fully furnished, it at least now reflects the life we've led.  Ties to the past abound, which makes life in the present a bit cozier, a bit richer.  Take the picture below.  This is of our "library," which, given the complete lack of anywhere to sit, is basically unusable.  Still, at least to me, it's a comforting room.

It begins with the books.  Whenever and wherever I set out my books I immediately feel more at ease.  There's also the cedar chest I bought for Sumie, which I had somehow managed to wedge into the front seat of my old Honda Civic in order to bring home.  On the mantle rests the Seth and Thomas mantle clock that I had watched as a little kid, waiting patiently in my little rocker for 2:30 and Scooby Doo.  This is joined by a Japanese Calligraphy print penned by my host father in Iruma, Japan.  With these items in place, our new house is beginning to feel a bit less foreign and more familiar. 

Of course, there's so much more to it than just routines and ties to the past.  That both Sumie and I are now enamored with Golden Gate Park has gone a long way to making us feel comfortable here.  So too has finding a Japanese Curry restaurant, within walking distance, that rivals anything we'd had in Tokyo! 

It will take months, but with good memories, good food, and sunshine and in plentiful supply, I do think we'll be able to make this house our new home.  Now, if only I could get a proper barbeque!