One Small Thing

  Walking in the door, we head for seperate corners. My son's first stop is his room where everything gets dumped on his bed, mine is the counter between the kitchen and family room. Whatever is in my hands; my keys, the mail, my purse, and my day planner;  all get set on the counter and I pull up a stool and start sorting and planning. I sort the pile of mail and then open my planner. Pondering the dinner choices I make the final decisions about our evening meal. Will we eat at the counter or the dining room table? How soon shall I begin cooking? Soon I'll clear the counter and carry out my plan.

      My favorite place in this house is this counter between the kitchen and the family room. It is the hub of family gathering activities. In a few minutes, my son will come out of his room and sit down at the counter with me inquiring about my plans for dinner. We'll sit at the counter  and discuss his homework, his favorite books and games, and our evening plans. He doesn't fool me, I know he is hoping to get a snack.
     During large family gatherings the bar serves as the buffet. For hours guests gather around the counter filling their plates or nibbling on appetizers. Again, the counter serves as the  hub of all activity and the link between the host in the kitchen and her guests. When I first moved into this house there was a row of cabinets above the counter that blocked the view from the kitchen into the family room. I had talked about taking it down for a few years-- usually during large family gatherings as I ducked under it to talk with guests on the other side. One day I decided it was time-- the cabinet came down. That one decision made a big difference in how much we enjoyed both the kitchen and the family room.
     Sometimes just one small thing can make a big difference in either the function of a room or how much you enjoy a room or both. Start with the purpose of a room. What functions will be performed in this room? What area(s) of the room will serve those functions? What are the obstacles to those functions being carried out efficiently or joyfully. What is one or two things you could do this weekend to eliminate one or more of those obstacles? Do one small thing now!
     After I took down the cabinets I installed decorative recessed lighting above the counter. I put the lights on a dimmer switch allowing me to affect the atmosphere of this gathering area . For working on my menus or for doing homework we have the lights up on full brightness but for a meal or social gathering the lights are dimmed and provide a more tranquil setting. This was one small thing that made this counter the most frequently used area of my house.
   What one small thing have you done to your house and what impact did it have? What surprised you about the change? What one small thing are you planning to do and what do you hope it will acheive?