I guess this is quite easy, especially for me to answer, and I do suppose a lot of others out there will probably feel the same. I’ll read other comments later just to confirm this. But for me I’m pretty simplistic, for me it’s just two things, comfort and silence.
I know that makes me sound like I’m some kind of Monk in training but it’s not meant that way. I could have said solitude, but I like to have company, however when the occasion suits, solitude is good.
Local park
I find the company in choosing those I want to be with, those who know me and have similar likes and tastes to me. The silence/quiet/solitude aspect is what seals the peace, and to be in that position with the company you choose to be with is what truly brings me peace.
Part of my work environment
I’m a city dweller, I work in the city and the noise is 24hrs constant with no let up, I find peace in taking breaks away from that environment. Fortunately my work allows me to venture into some of the most beautiful parts of the countryside where I can find that peace, and as I work alone I also find that solitude. But that moment of solitude is often kept as a moment of time in my memory, to share at a later date with my loved ones, and so that perfect circle of finding and observing peace, starts again.
Silence. That’s the way to do it. However living on the outskirts of a city, silence is not always a viable option so I’ll settle for peace and quiet instead, oh and a cup of tea.
From the moment you arrive at work, your ears are open to a barrage of demands and orders, your brain filters them into some kind of chronological order and you deal with the demands accordingly.
When a spare moment appears in between all the organised chaos that single letter “T” appears in your mind informing you it’s time to consider a break and in a good old English fashion a cup of tea is the order of the day.
Getting the day started normally involves two cups before settling down to business and winding the day up is also another. Yes tea plays a large part in my unwinding process as well.
Not too long though as there are always jobs to be done.
Off we go again.
But nothing beats the end of the day, a comfy seat, a cup of tea and some well deserved peace and quiet.
The wise man will however, always avoid having a demanding day. I am not that wise man though.
You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?
Illustration by Maurice Sendak in Open House for Butterflies by Ruth Krauss.
One of those questions that you give little thought to. However for me peace and quiet and tranquility reigns supreme.
Not just for reading a writing but for all my hobbies, all I ask for is some peace to be with my own thoughts and no rushing, peaceful all the way. I may also like to have a radio on, turned down low in the background just to hum along to,
Melton brook – Melton Mowbray
A little cottage with a separate annex by a slow babbling brook would be ideal. However I don’t think that is going to happen anytime soon, but one can dream can’t they? So in the ideal world it’s down to the river every time to seek inspiration and mental stability for me.
It probably sounds corny, and to be honest it is quite difficult to sideline a single word that is a favourite of all those that are used on a daily basis.
But for me it would be the word “Quiet”
It’s the one thing I like the most, it’s the one thing I seek the most and at the same time it’s the one thing that seems to be most difficult for me to find. It’s a strange all encompassing word.
My wife is a polar opposite, she loves hustle and bustle and finds “Quiet” difficult to handle but we do find a happy medium.
Yes, I’m the guy that would love that house in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours or main roads for miles.
Silence is golden they say, for me it’s an achievement to find it, keep it and treasure it.
It’s a lovely word “Quiet”
Peace to you all and please try to have a happy stress free day.
We’re looking at making our final move within the next 18 months. We’ve purchased new in the past and though the house was lovely we weren’t really happy as it was so “perfect” and needed nothing doing to it. We wanted a project, and 8 years later we have a nice house, though it’s not ideal and has been a drain on us both physically and financially.
We’re now exploring the new route again, this time more thought is going into it, we’re looking to move probably only a few miles from where we are as we have family here and we like the general area and I happen to work nearby and don’t want to increase my commute too much if I can help it.
Tabs protecting the garden
Believe it or not, one major issue for not moving just yet is the feral cat we have in our garden, Tabs. When we purchased this house all those years ago, one feature in all the exterior pictures of the sale brochure was this cat posing in all the garden shots. That was “Tabs”. She wasn’t owned by anyone, and all the neighbours had a hand in feeding her, as the neighbours have moved on that has become our responsibility, and she is fed regularly by us in exchange for her living in and protecting our garden. And boy is she good at that. She is getting old now, dosen’t leave the garden much and is very much into her senior years. We don’t want to put her through getting a new set of “Carers” and leaving her to potentially getting neglected by new owners, so we have committed to care for her and see out her final days being looked after by us. Should she then pass away we will be here, we will attend to her and see she is looked after. Only then will we continue our search for an “ideal home”
Tabs
Anyway, what is our ideal hone? To be totally honest we’re not looking for something outrageously expensive and inappropriate for just two people, we don’t want a ten bed mansion we simply want a nicely built and practical house. Three beds would be fine, one of those rooms to become a hobby / office type space. A small to medium garden that is currently a blank canvas for me to develop into a seasoned garden. The garden I have at the moment has taken six years to start reaching a maturity where it is kind of looking after itself and it is beautiful, I would like to do that again. We currently live on a main thoroughfare and the dust and pollution that creates would certainly not be missed. Yes a quieter area, more rural would be nice, and as this is a major route for emergency service vehicles, somewhere quieter without 24hr a day wailing sirens would be appreciated.
Quieter, peaceful, new, nothing more to be done apart from basic maintenance maybe with a garage would suit us down to the ground. The house we currently have I’m sure would be a good project for someone who has the time and money, but it’s not for us. We took the challenge on, and we learned a lesson. Been there, done it and got the tee shirt as they say.
The ideal home for us involves a simpler and more relaxed life. I think we deserve that and to be honest we are fortunate to be in a position to be able to do it. We’ve worked our collective butts off for it and we deserve nothing less.
But first off Tabs is our concern. There’s no rush.
Foxes Den 
You must be logged in to post a comment.