Inspired

Moving out, Moving on.

Where is....?   Have you seen the....?

Those are the most frequently repeated words around here these days.  We have boxes packed for storage, boxes packed to move to Meghan's place and boxes packed for short term storage at a friends place, just in case we might need them sooner.  Chaos reigns! 

Actually, it's fairly organized chaos but I'm fondly remembering the few times I've moved when everything was done by movers...all the packing and moving...and the only thing required of me was to lounge around in a hotel while the hard work was done by someone with far more energy and muscle than I! 

We move out today but still have a few days to clean and tidy up the garden.  I'm thrilled that there will be a young family moving into our home and the house will be full of life.  Trees will be climbed and marshmallows will be roasted outdoors on the fire.

.....

8 pm. ...OMG, what a long day it was, but we did it!  The puzzle for me is...why have I felt so happy all day to be leaving?  I've never felt this detached from a home before and I've had lots of them! 

There's an excitement within me that comes from taking a "jumping off of a cliff" kind of leap of faith...with the absolute knowing that no matter what (and there are lots of unknowns), I'll fly.

Interesting.

Minimalism

Meet the beautiful Fawn Lily that grows wild in our forests on the pacific coast.  She's dainty and delicate, loves the shade and is also known as Trout Lily, Dog's Tooth Violet and Adders Tongue in other parts of North America.  Yesterday, while we were trying to decide just where to situate a house on our new land, I noticed that they're in bloom .  They won't survive the clearing and digging when building begins, so I'm going to rescue as many as I can before the chaos begins.  They may not all survive but I'd love to save as many as I can.

We move at the end of April and most of our belongings will be put in storage for the duration.  We'll be living with my daughter Meghan and her family for 2 months or so  and then...we don't know yet, but it won't be traveling as we had previously thought.  By the time we arrived home from Mexico and living out of suitcases for two months, we knew we wanted...needed...to stay in one place for awhile.

The packing is well underway as is the process of "mentally" leaving and separating from this place that has been our home now for eight years. (the longest either of us has ever lived anywhere!) Although we've loved living here and the home has so many wonderful memories of good times with family and friends, I'm more than ready to leave and start the next chapter in our lives.  I'm excited to be packing up all this "stuff" and feel lighter already!

I'm thinking I could easily become a minimalist, but I'm not sure it would last!

The House

Who slept here before I came,

who lived in this room

how did it look

was it the same?

Was there a girl or two,

a little boy?

A house filled with toys,

with joys,

with dreams…

Or was it just a lonely place

with empty beds

and silent rooms.

Was it always filled with gloom?

And did the house

long to be loved?

Was there a girl who danced and sang,

a dinner bell that chimed or rang?

And did anyone

ever stand

right here

as I do

now?

(unknown)

This old house...just a cottage really...is the site of my new home.  We've bought a small property...much smaller than we now have, and not far from where we now live.  It's across the road from the ocean, or rather an inlet of the ocean.  The cottage on the property has been empty since the 1950's and is now derelict with the roof caving in, so the building will be torn down and a new home built.  A smallish home with a very modern design.

It's neither where I thought I'd be living or what I thought I'd end up building!  It's funny how you can be blissfully walking down one road and then realize you've skipped over to another, completely different one.  It's not that I'm not happy with it...it's just a surprise!

I rather like the idea of clean modern lines and decorating in bright colours.  I also like the idea of a roof top deck with views of the water. 

It's a funny old thing, this life we live!