Nostalgia, and mopping the floor on New Year's Eve

Nostalgia. It always hits me hard this time of the year. Perhaps it’s because of the holidays, or maybe it’s because today I’m mopping my floor. It’s New Years Eve; everybody does that right? Our New Year’s tradition these past few years has been to host brunch for our family on New Years Day. It’s casual, nothing fancy, and all about eating and visiting without the pressure of opening gifts or doing any of the other traditional festivities required by Christmas. Normally, I wouldn’t even bother to mop my floors before this occasion, but one of my after-Christmas-sales-Christmas-gifts was a beautiful rug to go under my dining room table. I have been on the fence for a long time about which direction I wanted to take the design of our dining room, and if you truly know me, you’ll also know that almost every decision I make is a painfully slow process. But when I saw this rug in a Ruggable ad, I was finally able to see my design vision clearly. I’ve never tried one of the products from Ruggable before, but it made a lot of sense to put a washable rug under the dining table. I elected not to purchase the rug pad at the same time, just due to the cost of the complete system. That is something I can save up for and purchase later. I’m not great at budgeting, but I do try!

So here I am, mopping the floor, feeling nostalgic. The feeling is not brought about by the rug, but the floors themselves. Beautiful hardwood oak that my dad laid and finished himself many years ago. A floor that has felt the shuffle of 7 pairs of feet every day, and even more on every holiday when my family would gather around the table together. I live in my childhood home. Nostalgia. Sentiment. I bought a rug. Some of my future design decisions will mean that the ones previously made by my parents will be tucked away behind a new coat of paint or swapped out with a new light fixture. I love my home. And I love the memories that it holds.

My mom originally painted the dining room a lovely warm wheat color. They always had a variety of wood tones in the furniture pieces that they chose, so this color went well with all of them and always provided a feeling of warmth and comfort when we sat down for holiday dinners. My parents bought this old farmhouse back in the 90s. They worked hard gutting it and completing an addition to accommodate our large family of 7. They didn’t hire contractors and did it all on a single income while homeschooling 5 kids under 10. Sometimes things were chaotic with a house constantly under construction, but every completed project was celebrated and is burned into my memory because we all helped to complete it in some way. My parents worked hard and long to make this house what it is, and they have good taste, it’s just different from my own. And I know one day I’ll want to make further changes to the room, so while I’m excited to make one more space in this house our own, I’m remembering times past and considering the future memories of my own daughter.

My husband and I purchased the farm from my parents in 2020. Right in the middle of the pandemic. We had previously sold our home, and while we were looking for something new, we hadn’t yet found the right fit for us. The process of course was farther complicated by the pandemic. It has always been my dream to purchase my childhood home when my parents were ready to retire. But at the time, they weren’t sure they were at that point in their life. God had other plans though, and a house became available that suited their vision for retirement, opening the door for them to let go of the old farmhouse.

So, here we are. And anyone who has ever had a 100-year-old farmhouse knows that there are always projects to be done, repairs to make, and updates to complete. I feel privileged to have the ability to accomplish these tasks with my own husband and daughter, providing her with some of the same childhood memories that I, myself, treasure. These oak floors will need refinishing one day soon, from all the wear caused by the feet of a happy childhood. But today I will start small with just a rug, and enjoy my nostalgia, while I mop my dining room floor. Happy New Year ~