A New
Beginning
Hello, anyone
there? Lol
It has been a
while hasn’t it? Life just gets in the way sometimes. I have been trying to
write this for 6 weeks!
Don and I took a
very sudden but major decision to move away from Derbyshire and the High Peak
to the lovely hills & valleys of North Yorkshire to be closer to our
daughter Claire and her little family. It does mean that we are further from
our son Gareth but not too much that we can’t drive there and back in a day if
need be. Fortunately, they have a spare room now so we can actually stay longer
(and they can pamper us for a change!)
Preparing to move
was a real nightmare for us. We were in a four bed, three storey house and
moving into a two bed, single storey bungalow so you can imagine ‘the stuff’ we
had. After 43 years of marriage and twenty years in the same house we had managed
to collect an incredible amount of ‘stuff’. Plus, we only had 6 weeks to do it.
That’s okay for young, healthy people which we are not. Between us Don and I would
not add up to one healthy old person lol. Anyway, it took us all of those 6
weeks and we still weren’t completely ready.
The hardest part
was of course my craft room. I had so much ‘stuff’ or stash according who was
telling it. So, it was a case of give it away, sell it, recycle, throw it out
(argh) or keep it. A pile for each and I was brutal. I had to be because it
wasn’t all going to fit.
On the day we had two vans and two cars loaded to the brim and the house was still not empty.
Gareth, bless his heart went back the next day to finish what he could and
still left some pieces behind. It was a relief to know that no-one was moving
in and the house would be sold.
I never thought I
would convince Don to move but I did. He finally realised that we needed help.
I was very worried that I would be dragging Don away from his beloved Buxton FC
and all of the friends he has but things have worked out well for him.
Leaving my friends
wasn’t so easy. I knew it would be hard but not as painful as it has turned out
to be. I haven’t had ‘real’ friends in my life as I am content in my own
company – mostly. These ladies are special. To reach 64 years of age and
realise that you do have wonderful, kind, funny and caring friends is almost a
miracle to me. A miracle I have left behind. I will try to keep in contact and
thanks to Jo Rice and her blog I know what they are crafting.
The house – A 19th
century terrace in the heart of Buxton Town – is in need of a desperate
makeover. I hated that house for twenty years! but, it was somewhere to live. I
don’t and won’t miss it or Buxton and I have no really good memories of our
time there.
Yorkshire – a beautiful
little bungalow on a farm just ten minutes from Knaresborough. We have been
blessed with wonderful landlords and fabulous neighbours – sheep, cows and
Patrick, the horse in the field we overlook from the front garden.
Every morning you
wake up to the birdsong and the rabbits and hares coming out to play. It is so
restful and heart-warming.
There are also
some red kites nesting nearby and we can sit with a glass (or two) and watch
them soar over the trees and fields.
I have my
birdfeeders out too and so many different birds come to visit (as well as the farms
chickens lol). Greenfinches, bluetits, blackbirds, dunnocks and of course,
robins.
I still have boxes
of craft stash to unpack but that’s okay, it will take time and we are busy
enjoying this beautiful summer with our grandchildren. I haven’t done any
crafting yet, but I have a few projects to finish plus a few ideas for our new
home.
I still have those
days when I am unwell but mostly I am content.
Thank you for stopping by. Take care
