We’re getting down to the basics – the essentials – the very definition of “Nitty Gritty” when it comes to getting our new home organized. There are only a few hooks that need to be added and a picture or two yet to be hung once we find the right spot. An antique dresser, damaged in the move, was picked up yesterday by a furniture restoration company along with some broken chairs. Plantation shutters will be installed on Tuesday to add a greater sense of privacy. Plants now fill the empty pots on the lanai. It’s starting to look like home, just in time for us to leave for a week for a trip back to Portland. 

I remember back in college listening to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, wondering where a phrase like that came from? “Nitty gritty is thought to have originated in a term used by slave traders to refer either to the women or to the remains at the bottom of the transport ships that were covered in lice and grit.” It certainly doesn’t explain why someone in Tampa would christen a restaurant “The Nitty Gritty,” or a fashion store by the same name. The country rock band was founded in Long Beach, California, holding informal jam sessions at McCabe’s Guitar Shop. It evolved into essentially a jug band with an eventual superstar, Jackson Browne, in the mix. Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Fadden were the leaders. I prefer to think of “getting down to the nitty gritty” as the most important part or basic truth of any situation or subject.

The decorating details are what makes a house a home. My wife has done a wonderful job of adding those unique little touches in our design. A custom kitchen backsplash, vaulted ceilings, decorative rugs to warm the tile surfaces, accent pillows, striking color combinations, and unique artwork make it ours. Otherwise, every home in our neighborhood looks pretty much the same. It’s the first semi-custom house we’ve ever owned with everything selected by her right down to the fixtures. We’re almost to the finish line, as it’s all about the “Nitty Gritty.”