What a flurry of activity and sheer hard work it’s been, behind those three simple words.
But at last I can sneak a moment to update you all, and also to thank you all for the wonderful cards, and flowers and ‘welcome to your new home’ emails, which came as a complete but most heartwarming surprise. Thank you.
We finally took possession of Crown Cottage, our new house, on Friday 15th April. We finally moved in on Friday 22nd, but don’t imagine for a moment that we slipped gracefully into our new existence.
In spite of all our decluttering we discovered to our dismay that we seem to have more than ever, even the removal men kept saying how much stuff we had. Not enough hard-hearted decluttering joy sparked, obviously.
For the first few days we could hardly move for a mountain of cardboard boxes, all securely strapped up with sticky brown tape and labelled most unhelpfully with things like ‘kitchen misc.’ or ‘bedroom fragile’. Every single thing whether breakable or not is wrapped in acres of rather scratchy tissue paper which quickly makes nasty little cuts on fingers.
It was almost overwhelming. Janet has been an enormous help, and so for this Bank Holiday weekend has darling daughter Ruthie, who has worked serious wonders of unpacking and reorganisation and suddenly we are beginning to see the light.
We have discovered things we haven’t seen for thirty years, although many unopened boxes remain and we are still searching in vain for things we need daily.
But we at last are in our own house, which really does have a lovely feel to it. Moving in spring probably helps, but we both feel that when we have at last unpacked – and shed a whole lot more stuff – our new downsized existence will suit us very happily.
Meanwhile, progress will be halted temporarily, rather inconveniently but totally happily, when we fly to Madrid to see Nick, a treat planned when we fondly expected to have moved by February at the latest.
We’re hoping to return with renewed energy for the next bout. We need it…
Congratulations on your new home. I hope you get to relax and enjoy it after all the hard work of moving, very soon. xxxx
Thank you Sue. Can’t wait to be straight. Do pop in when you’re back in these parts. I’ll email the address.
Hi Marion and John, I called in this morning, a gloriously sunny morning, on my way home from swimming at the ARC in Matlock. I now realise why I knocked on doors and windows in vain; you must be enjoying your treat with Nick. I will call in again when you return with renewed vigour. Very best wishes to you both, Mike
Mike, so sorry to miss you. Do please try again. You are very polite to avoid mentioning all the cardboard boxes! Hopefully some more will have gone when you come again.
Congratulations on your move and I hope you have many happy years ahead of you in your new home! Xx
Thank you Clare. We are really going to miss all our friendly neighbours across the road and seeing you and Tom and the children on your visits! Do come and see us – Rosy and Stuart will tell you how to find us.
Oh Marion, it brings me out in hives seeing and reading about all that unpacking! I know what you mean about the scratchy packing paper too! Well done all on getting in though and very best wishes to you both in your lovely new home! xx
Thank you so much Shelley. At least we don’t have to learn Japanese at the same time – I don’t know how you and Jonathan coped! It is not much fun, moving and John has not found any swallows to photograph in Winster yet. We’d love to see you both if ever you’re back in these parts – I’ll email directions.