I am so happy you’re here
Please make yourself at home.
If you were actually here, I’d make you a cup of tea and listen to your story. Since it’s only the internet, you’ll have to make your own tea and I will tell you mine. But, you know, use your imagination and stuff. And also, (please!) tell me your stories. The whole one-way conversation thing is weird.
About Desiderata
Latin, meaning « things wanted or needed ». Which is exactly where I am. Not just the tangible things of decor and fixing faucets and planting gardens. But things like the calm and love and hope and joy and quality time with my children that make a home a sanctuary. If a sanctuary doubled as a circus tent.
This is a collection of those things.
Desiderata began as a place to to try organize my life and get some method into the madness of a rebuilt life post-trauma. But over time, it’s grown into just field notes on living.
I’m inspired by the commonplace books of old – the collections of stories, memories, notes, things to remember, everyday observances – and that is what Desiderata has become.
Desiderata is also, conveniently, the title of my favorite poem. Written by Max Ehrmann in 1927, it is exactly what I want for you, for me, and for our homes as we do this:
Desiderata
« Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. »
-Max Ehrmann
What you’ll find here:
Field Notes
A collection of notes about life and daily observances
KITCHEN
Recipes, notes, and thoughts from the heart of the home
Method in the madness
The field manual for making a home – while embracing the chaos
library
Curiosity should be endless and a book should never be out of arm’s reach
garden
Seasons, botanical notes, and the patient and vital work of being outdoors
hawthorn house
This is our home and it’s an ongoing story.
The Philosophy
I hold that lives and homes are constructed upon the mundane moments—those seemingly trivial instances such as brewing coffee before the household awakens and the morning’s hushed elegance. The favorite armchair, accompanied by a teetering stack of books and its charmably shabby upholstery. Artwork from primary school that stubbornly lingers on the wall long after the cherubs have turned into philosophers. A rose bush, planted each spring, in memory of someone who once meant everything. A notebook bursting with handwritten recipes passed down through generations. And, of course, the black paint splatter from a toddler’s impulsive adventure on white walls—the sort of personal touch that defies the very notion of repainting.
These small things are what makes a rich life. That is what makes a home.
The Place
Life moves quickly – technology developments, everything being instant, and trends cycling so fast that by the time Amazon Prime gets it here it’s out of data.
This is not that kind of place. This is place to sit a while. For ideas and thoughts worth reflection and contemplation.
My aspiration is that this transcends mere blog or influencer-crafted curation. Instead, it aspires to be more genuine—a tete-a-tete between friends, a wander through the library, a reflection on life’s abundant riddles.
My hope is that something here tickles your fancy, offers solace and rejuvenation, and brings a smile. And that you, in turn, share your musings, tales, recipes, notes, and keen observations.
Welcome.
Make yourself at home
