Today we had our first guests at our new for-now home. Last night I stayed up late sorting antique linens newly purchased on ebay, unpacking new glassware and settling in our new-old antique dishes that were a gift from a friend. When I went to bed the cabinets were perfect, filled linens from the 1890s, sparkling glassware and beautiful dishes. The table was ready. Each place setting matched and none of the forks were wrapped in plastic from a fast food restaurant.

Today we broke bread together and talked of skiing, falling and of architecture. We talked of antique linens, of bunny rabbit salt and pepper shakers. We talked of forks and knives and ginger graters. We talked of how to find the particular house that belongs to a particular place and a particular kind of land. We talked about finding the house that belonged to our particular land that was changed so profoundly by the fire. We went to our house site and looked at the charred remains.

It was a blessed day. We were graced by people who shared the meal we prepared and who were reverent standing on the land that was so much a part of us.