I've got a new key on my keyring, although the door it opens is more than 2,300 miles away.

As I've written before, Nicole and I won't be moving into our new house until next spring. Still, she's enjoying the heck out of all the decorating she's planning, working with <a title="Kate Dague Interiors" href="http://www.katedagueinteriors.com/" target="_self">her decorator </a>from long distance. They're picking out colors for paint, styles for drapes and almost everything else you can imagine. Much of the actual work won't be done until next winter, so I'm sure it will be perfectly planned by then.

[caption id="attachment_307" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Home Sweet Home"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DSC_0205.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-307" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DSC_0205-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

The house itself is wonderful, but what really fascinates me the most is returning to the South.

I have spent about a third of my life living in Virginia and the Carolinas, and there really is something different -- something special -- about what for lack of a better term I'll call Southern hospitality. We spent three hours in a furniture store in Griffin, and even though we weren't buying anything, the lady whose job was selling furniture seemed to really enjoy just talking with Nicole the whole time.

I'm pretty sure we <em>will</em> be buying some things there when the time comes.

My wife was very impressed with how <em>nice</em> everyone was, even though we were obviously not from around there. I think once they knew we thought enough of the area to be moving there for our retirement, they decided we were OK.

I'm counting the days till next March, and when I do, I occasionally pull out my key ring and look at the house key I won't be using until then.

It'll keep.