This week’s Listography is a lovely one – what makes my house my home.  Or your house your home.  Or anyone’s house anyone’s home, for that matter.

For me, it’s…

1. The Rest of the Family

It’s just not home if there aren’t several kids running around, shouting at each other, playing games, annoying each other (and us).  When it’s just one adult at home on their own, it’s not right.  The last time it happened to me I was waking up stupidly early, firing up the laptop and doing some work. You do things to fill the time, but you might as well be in a hotel.

2. The Pets

1 dog, 3 cats, 5 children. So the dog’s going blind.  So the cats are occasionally less-than-100% continent (No, don’t sit there.). When they’re not there, it’s like the soul of the house is missing.  I find myself populating dark corners with little kitty eyes peering out, and large expanses of the floor get coloured in with dog-shaped shadows.  It’s life all around you.

3. Home Comforts.

You know that feeling when you come back from holiday and flop down onto your bed?  That’s what I mean.

4.  My Kitchen

In my kitchen, by and large, I know where everything is.  Unless one of the kids has moved the salt again.  Or I’ve put something away somewhere sensible.  I hate it when I do that.  Trying to second-guess myself, work out where I could possibly have thought would be a “sensible” place to put that pan.  I’ve also got my spices, my gadgets.  I suppose this knowing-where-everything-is-without-having-to-think could be extended to the rest of the house, though I rarely know where the remote control for the TV is these days.

5.  My Stuff.

It wouldn’t be home if you took away all my stuff.  It would be tidy, but it wouldn’t be home. The noticeboard next to the freezer, the kids drawings and photographs on the walls, the Paul Bartlett paintings in the lounge.  The collection of movies and CDs, the books.

To sum up everything in one simple phrase, what makes my house my home is this:  Things that go to make up a life.  You might not be able to identify them, but you’d know if it was missing.

Now head over to this week’s guest host and find out what everyone else thinks.