Other peoples' houses

If you know me well, you know that I am a Jill of All Trades.
Metalsmith, woodworker, nanny, house-sitter, pet-sitter, studio manager.
It all started when I returned to the U.S. from Australia and came back to school. I started nannying, thinking it would be a temporary gig (9 years later....), and slowly families started asking me to watch their pets and homes.

Staying in someone else's home is always a bit funny. There are quirks in each one. Kitchens without salt. Freezers without ice. Fridges without hot sauce (?!). Finding dishes, pots and pans, and cooking utensils can be an adventure. And there are plenty of weird noises at night.

This week I am staying with two adorable, fluffy black and white cats named Fig and Quince. They are lovely boys. The house is quiet and comfortable, with a HUGE back yard and lots of light. As much as I miss my husband and kitties, I love these weeks. I need these times to just be. Here, I cook for myself. I clean up after only myself. I boil eggs, make too many cups of tea, randomly bake things like rhubarb peach cobbler. I catch up on emails, phone calls, and books.

I sit in quiet.
I read.
I don't speak a word.

All I can hear is the kitten boys snoring and the whirring of the central air system.

Right now, this is bliss.