Soul Carving

   Buying your first home is a lot like getting married. There are the headaches of particulars to work out: packing, organizing, closing costs and interest rates may be analogous to arranging for the reception, paying for the ring and addressing all those invitations. Yet, in the end, it's still tremendously exciting and so devastatingly romantic! Our preparations for moving into our first home reminded me a lot of the dreamy anticipation that preceded our wedding. Some of our goals were quite lofty and would require a good amount of time to be realized. Others were simpler pleasures that required little more effort on our part than to just be enjoyed.    One dream I held, nestled deep in my heart. So small and simple, I hadn't even realized it was there until the tentative Spring sunshine began to thaw Winter's frosty grasp. Driving along a pasture road, or strolling past a neighbor's garden, I'd feel it: a strangely familiar longing. The fragrant breeze would en...