Does it surprise you that it is January already? It surprises us a bit. We have so enjoyed hearing from and working with thousands of homeowners this year that made decisions to make long-term investments in their homes with beautiful, worry-free, energy-efficient roofing systems. Given how roofing costs increase year after year, these homeowners are looking forward to no longer being in the cycle of buying a new roof every 25 – 50 years.

Fact is, our homes are important to us. And, as we approach the winter months, our homes take on even more meaning, as we will be spending more time inside enjoying the comforts we have created within. There was a song that was popular during World War I titled “Keep The Home Fires Burning.” It referred to the importance of home. It was a reminder to those with family members fighting overseas of maintaining their homes as a bright place of warmth and cheer so that their loves ones would look forward to returning to it. Here are some of the lyrics to that song:

They were summoned from the hillside
They were called in from the glen,
And the country found them ready
At the stirring call for men.
Let no tears add to their hardships
As the soldiers pass along,
And although your heart is breaking
Make it sing this cheery song:

Keep the Home Fires Burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There’s a silver lining
Through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
‘Til the boys come home.

What Does Home Mean to You?
Real Simple magazine recently surveyed their readers, asking them “What does home mean to you?” The results are a great deal of fun to read, as they remind us that our homes are indeed our comfort and refuge. They remind us of the importance of maintaining our homes as places that we and others want to return to. Here are a couple of survey answers that we especially enjoyed:

• A warm bed that you can’t get out of in the morning, a tiny pink toothbrush in the bathroom, and the sound of my husband’s key in the door at the end of the day.
• A clean, fresh, lemon-scented living room, open windows, plenty of sun and warmth everywhere, and my mother’s cheese pie baking in the oven.
• Home is a place you can feel comfortable cooking breakfast in your pajamas.
• A place that evokes a sigh of relief as I walk in the door.