FEATHERING THE NEST

I am a nester. Nesters are those among us who feel a deep-down joy whenever we arrange flowers, or fluff a pillow, or stir the soup. We find something wonderfully fulfilling about tending our own space, something therapeutic about discussing life's challenges around our own kitchen table, something restorative about the quiet comforts of our own home. Whether we've been away from home for a month or a week or from 9:00 to 5:00, our hearts sing when we open our own front door. To identify the home of a nester, you seldom need to look farther than the entryway. As soon as spring arrives, a pot of pansies will suddenly appear on the front step, a rocking chair or wicker chair will find a place on the porch. In summer, look for window boxes overflowing with petunias or bright geraniums and Old Glory wafting in the breeze. Come fall, swags of Indian corn and crocks of chrysanthemums signal a nester-in-residence. And as winter holidays draw near, nesters will deck every window with wreaths, ribbons and candlelight. Whenever a nester doesn't know what to do with something she puts it in a basket. Our baskets hold mail, produce, toys, towels, magazines---even other baskets. Rearranging furniture comes as natural to us as changing clothes. Don't be surprised to find chairs and sofa in different positions---perhaps even different rooms---each time you visit a nester's home. This may be confusing for visitors, but it's normal for nester's. Pillows---lots of them---feather the nest. Whether faded, beaded, hand-made or tag sale finds, they serve as inviting antidotes to life's rough spots---physical or mental. Nesters believe in the power of books; their bookcases overflow with volumes they have read and reread, cherished and loved. Shelves hold childhood favorites, classics, volumes of poetry, and of course, tons of cookbooks. Coffee tables hold tomes devoted to art, home decorating, antiques and travels to Rio and Paris and Tuscany. Favorite magazines are stacked and kept for further reference becuase you never know when a nester may need further reference. In every room are candles. Tall, short, chunky, tapered, and usually triple scented delights are waiting to cast a warm glow. In the kitchen, a tea kettle and a coffee pot always stand ready on the stovetop. A nester takes every opportunity to invite others to relax with a cup of coffee or tea---or enjoy one in solitude. Some nesters collect things: blue and white china, copper molds, cookie jars, art or vintage linens. Finding and living with the objects they love is an indescribable joy to nesters. For the nester, decorative objects tell stories and hold memories. Children's plaster handprints from kindergarten may hang on a wall. A card from a special someone may be in a frame. Grandma's handmade quilt may adorn the guest-room bed. Each piece is significant and special. You might not recognize a nester when she's out of her preferred domain, camouflaged in a business suit or a uniform or dress attire. But it's a strange fact that on weekends, nesters often dress alike. Well worn denims and khakis are favorite pieces; they dress them down with t-shirts and dress them up with a string of pearls. There's reason to believe that nesters are born, not created. It will not be surprising if, in the amazing new mappings of our genetic codes, scientists someday note one peculiar little gene to designate the nester. It will probably be shaped like a house...