This blog has been brewing for a while..and this daunting first post keeps preventing me from starting..so I’m breaking the silence on a night where I’m completely exhausted, surrounded by boxes and no furniture, and have no idea where my toothbrush got too. We are moving house after 10 years. In that 10 years that cottage has witnessed a lot: changing from derelict house to loved home, the wonderful birth of 2 children in the living room, the lonelyness of a mother, the happiness of a family, and the separation of a family. Animals have come and gone, the faithful old dog, Rafiki, the mice, Patch & Treasure, (Marlon really into pirates at the time), the lovely House rabbits, Rosie and HipHop, and the not so welcome rats..who shall remain un-named. Finally the rebirth of a different family, a unit of 3; the kids, Marlon & Maisie, et moi. The break up was made easier for the kids by us splitting our home, C moving next door and a little mouse-hole door fitted upstairs linking the 2 houses..the kids being free to come and go but strictly no adults allowed… Two years on we’re moving to the next stage..I’ll spare you the tedious separation details but it now makes sense to swop houses, and as part of my grand plan to live simpler and more outdoors, and to save money for a big adventure abroad, I plan to rent the house ….and live in the garden. Looking at the mess that surrounds me and knowing how much painting and building work there is still to do I am exhausted. There’s lots to do, no loads to do, but I am excited to be beginning.
As our own time comes to an end we witnessed some other new beginnings in the house this weekend. The blue tits in our nest box have new chicks! We had the amazing pleasure of actually watching the eggs hatch on our tv due to our clever little nest box camera we fitted over the winter. It’s wonderful to spy on these completely new and vulnerable, strange featherless bulgy eyed things, and see the tireless work of the parents returning to feed them and warm them. Each year we watch a pair of blue tits build a wonderful soft cosy nest, incorporating layers of dog hair, mosses, and grass. The parents are constantly busy, the chicks grow fast, fly the nest, hopefully escape danger and enjoy full freedom & joy before embarking on beginning their own nest and family. Its like our own lives in concentrated simplicity and full speed. I am so looking forward to ‘building’ my own new nest for me and the kids, heading towards simplicity (ok I am a bad hoarder..so a lot to work on there..) and embarking on a life that is more out than in.