The sound of home

Although this may not be the greatest photo, it shows a windchime/suncatcher that's special to me. Way back when, in my single days, I ordered a windchime just like this and it followed me from apartment to apartment, city to city for years.
One especially fond memory is when I lived on Louisa Boulevard in Lafayette in an old house that had been turned into three one-bedroom apartments. Mine was set up shotgun-style, and I loved it dearly. Plus, the rent was ridiculously cheap — $415 a month, I believe. I hung the windchime by my back door and could hear it tinkling as I washed dishes (there was no dishwasher) and looked out on the backyard, where my neighbor, a chef, had built a wagonwheel herb garden. Boy, was life simple then. Although, of course, it didn't feel that way at the time.
Anyway, after all those years, my favorite windchime had been bleached out by the sun and I left it to Carolyn after I got married and moved north. I never did find another windchime I liked as much.
Imagine my surprise a week ago when Mom surprised me with a brand new one. I hung it by the front door today, and its gentle chimes have brought back memories and made this place feel a little more like home.