Home is where the heart is, is a popular saying, but as a person who has moved a number of times, I believe the quickest way to feel at “home,” in a new place is to get down on your hands and knees and clean it.

A thorough cleaning. Get out the toothbrush, dish soap, scrubby bubbles, Goo Gone, Magic eraser, Pine-Sol, Pine Tar, Mr.Clean, Lemon Fresh Pledge; whatever you feel is the best cleaning agent for the job. Fire-up the vacuum and do the rugs and furniture. Break out your favorite window cleaner and do them inside and out. Get down on your hands and knees and scrub the floors.

At the end of the day, sit in the middle of the room and pour yourself a whiskey and toast to space, “I am home.” You will be too tired and too buzzed to miss your old routines and old space. And It will smell more like the old one, like your place. Like your home.

The Prompt

What does home mean to you? Write a story, essay, or just start writing on the idea of home. Or look at the photo and start writing what comes to mind.

Copy the link to this post and paste it into the introduction. Tag it FranklyWritePrompt and I will do my best to comment on it. Of use the form on the Submit page to send it to me.

The Photo

I am taking a Photography class with WordPress through the wonderful Blogging University hoping to improve my phone and iPad photography for the blog. Lighting is my biggest challenge and I did not over come it here. I was trying to take advantage of the late afternoon light streaming through the blinds, but it did not come out as well as I hoped. This photo was the best of the lot.

From some reason, the late afternoon light is the most homey to me. I think it is because it was the light I came home to after my sometimes turbulent school days.  When I reached home I was accepted as I was and no one picked on me, graded me or told me I need to improve this or do that. Those hours right after school and before my parents came home from work were my dream time where I righted any wrongs done to me that day.