back in the room...

Finally... internet reconnected so normal service resumes! I have been just a teeny bit shocked at how cut off I felt with no wifi at all - not just for the social/interesting/recreational side of things (honestly, I really don't spend that much time on here!) but so much stuff seems to have to be done via the internet now, particularly around moving! Sorting utilities, registering to vote, changing address with the endless list of contacts we seem to accumulate... Of course, you can still do some of these on the phone or in person but it means you spend ages in a call queue (usually at great expense on a mobile call, because you have no landline yet either!) with an increasingly grating message telling you that 'we are experiencing a particular high volume of calls and you can do x,y,z via our website...' I even had the same message from Talk Talk! Ironic when it was their connection I was waiting for!

Anyway, all back on now, so last night I updated my 365 project (yep, still taken a picture a day so far - some very hastily snapped as I realise I've forgotten to do it, most on my phone in the last couple of weeks!) and this morning I have had a little spree on Amazon (theatre tickets & coffee, essentials, obviously...) and now I have a bit of catching up to do!

Thanks for all the good wishes with the move, all went well and it really is amazing what you can get into a Corsa if you are determined! 8 trips between houses over a couple of days and we were pretty much in, slightly hysterical at times (picture 20 year old, front seat so far forward his knees were virtually under his chin, packed round with cushions from the sofa and a box of lego...good job we weren't driving far, I wouldn't like to say I had particularly clear vision all round!) but by the end of the first afternoon we had enough bits of furniture in to sit and eat a takeaway and feel that we were at home.

The chopsticks look impressive but actually it was because we realised at this point the cutlery hadn't yet made it across. Tom resorted to a large strainer spoon in the end - not one to let utensil shortage get in the way of his food!

The only entrance into my house (my house! still childishly excited to be able to say that!) is via a little courtyard, so each car load was unloaded and unceremoniously dumped with the car on double yellow lines, then sorted afterwards. By this point, there was no more room in the vicinity of the front door and the armchair got parked temporarily. When I looked back, this made me laugh...

Tom thought it looked quite at home out there! So, this is the little house I fell in love with, 5 minutes from the city centre, just walking back from picking up our Thai meal...

Apologies for the lousy photo quality, the light was very low and its possible I didn't stand very still, I was soo tired by then!! I am still in love with it. Sure, of course, once you move in you find 'quirks' - yep, the secondary glazed windows (listed, can't have sealed units...) are a little bit drafty in places and yes, empty, the need for a lick of paint was a bit more obvious but hey, I have the rest of my life to tweak this place and I think that's just fine.

A lovely friend gave me this as a present...

...doubly appropriate because I am a closet scrabble fan, but I think this house should be full of all of these.

Saturday morning saw me up bright and early, car packed to the gunnels again, for the last couple of trips. The sky was beautiful...

...and I sat and had my first breakfast here, looking out at this view. Marmalade on toast (of course!), large cup of tea, bliss.

By this point, we still had a few boxes to unpack, but basically it felt like home...

In places the walls are 650mm thick (so the survey tells me!) and I love this little window in the corner...

Note to self...still need to replace the shade on the oil lamp which got broken many years ago, courtesy cats or small boys, can't remember which!

Looking the other way out of my kitchen window, I see my neighbour's lovely brick and flint wall, and one of 4 planted hanging baskets kindly left by the previous owner...

I have daffodils (and wilting herbs!) on my kitchen window sill..

...chilled white wine...

...and at least some of my pictures on the wall...

Believe me, after two years in a rented house it was so liberating to bang hooks into the wall!!

I feel the most 'at home' I've felt in years. I've even had time for a bit of reading...

Loaned to me by my eldest son, this was a very quick, pull at the heart strings, read - a reminder that we shouldn't let the 'busy' stuff get in the way of time with the people we love. I'd recommend it with a box of tissues handy!

I've even managed a little bit of planting, these primroses were calling my name from the doorway of the DIY shop...

Phew, bit of a lengthy catch up but at least now I'm up to date! Looking forward to just 'being' again. Life feels like its finally beginning to get back on track.

S xx

things you must do just before moving house...

1. Make marmalade. Of course. Obvious thing to do when you have a gazillion things to pack. Bit like the urge to make chutney just before Christmas...! My sister says I am turning into our mother and it could just be true... 

To be fair, there is some method to my madness. Last year, a bit rashly, I bought two bags of Seville oranges because they were on offer - buy one get one free... Be mad not to, I thought. Only I was trying to remember the recipe quantities from the previous years make and when I got home and checked I had got enough oranges to make at least 20lbs of marmalade. Now I like marmalade, but I certainly don't eat it every day and I'm the only one in the house that does eat it... So I used half and put the rest in the freezer. And this is where my sister thinks I've lost the plot. I still have a few jars from last year but I had to defrost the freezer to move and I had sugar to use up... "But you don't need more marmalade!" she protests... I know that. But I can't throw it all away, can I! And the thought of moving half defrosted, soggy oranges was just a bit too much.

So I spent several precious hours faffing about boiling up the oranges...

The smell was heavenly as they started to release their orangey-ness and they don't seem to have lost anything in the freezing.

Then the chopping. Which is a bit tedious I have to confess but doesn't really take that long once you get into the rhythm of it.

I had a complete mixture of half used bags of sugar in the cupboard, so I threw caution to the wind and just made up the quantities (almost!) with what I'd got, keeping everything crossed that demerara and golden caster don't do weird things in marmalade!

Well, they don't seem to! 10 more jars potted of lovely tangy marmalade. And in my book, essentially free, given I didn't go and buy oranges or sugar this year!

True, I have enough marmalade to feed a small army but hey, it keeps pretty well and I may just not make any next year!

2. Admire the sunshine streaming through the window...

We dug these bottles up from our last garden, when we were building a wildlife pond, several years ago. I know they are a bit bashed and tatty looking but I remember how excited the boys and I were with our 'treasure' and I rather like them. Particularly in the sunshine!

3. Eat Christmas pudding...

This is a bit ditto of number 1 really... I made this one a year and a bit ago (or rather I made two and we only ate one) so it has been quietly 'maturing' since about Oct 2012. This year, although we all love Christmas pud, we 'did different' and went for chocolate fondants on the day. So rather than move it, we cooked it up the other night and it was yum. Better than last year to be honest. Which makes me think I ought to make next years soon. On the assumption that we might want to eat Christmas pud next Christmas. Oh dear, definitely sounding like my mum...

4. Make change of address cards...

I wasn't too impressed with what was available to buy and a bit shocked at how pricy the ones you can make personalised vis the internet, so I bought some nice quality heavyweight paper and made my own. Feel a bit childishly pleased with these. Probably cost me about 2p a card? Plus a fortune in postage but hey ho. At least people will know where to find us!

5. Work out how on earth all this lot will go into my Corsa...

And actually, there's loads more. Never mind, I'll do some sort of tardis magic in the car I expect and lots of trips back and forth! At least its only a short drive.

The fun begins tomorrow!

I am going to be internet-less for a few days now - for some reason know only to the phone companies it takes two weeks fro them to take over the line, even though its in place! Lord knows why. Surely, in this day and age it must just be a question of clicking a button? Tom thinks he might have withdrawal symptoms! I think I can manage without quite happily! But obviously won't be posting for s while. But I will try to keep taking my daily photos and catch up soon.

Til then...

Sxx

crazy week...

My attempts at taking a daily photo have been severely hampered this week by silly long hours at work, plus all the stuff that goes with moving.  I think my hair is several shades greyer and if I have to listen to another lousy rendition of a classic tune down the phone, between being told that 'we are experiencing a high volume of calls' its just possible I might spontaneously combust! 

However, my intention was to try to capture moments of my day to day life as a pictorial record, warts and all, so to speak... So, forgive the lousy photography, the best I could manage was phone snaps that I think will serve as a memory prompt for me.

Tuesday was the longest day at work - this is the time of year when sickness seems to hit the hardest and I have a pretty small team, with a limited amount of flexibility in terms of being able to shift days so sometimes my plans for the working day have to go on hold. I have had to try to catch up on paperwork and management stuff at the end of the day which meant Tuesday I got in about 7.30am and finally remembered about taking a photo at 11.45pm. I felt like I had spent pretty much all day looking at this...

and wondering where on earth the day was running away to! I did attempt a bit of late night crochet to try to switch my head off - bad idea, can you spot the mistake?

These are meant to be rows of little 'V's and I didn't notice this naughty singleton until I got right to the end of the row. Much muttering and 'bothering' ensued...

Wednesday saw us descending into an even greater degree of chaos. The packing has had to begin. This lot is just some of my books! I don't quite know what I'm going to do with everything in the new house but I expect I'll find a place for it all eventually.

The other minor irritation is that I have some stuff here and some in storage, and some duplicates from my previous house so rather than move everything, I am having to get rid of some things first. Which means we now have no table and chairs. Hence the deck chair. Thanks heavens for Freecycle and Gumtree but blimey, I will be glad to get back to some kind of normality!

Which was why I was so glad to open this letter on Thursday...

No going back now. I've signed on the dotted line and committed myself to another 19 years of mortgage... Gulp, looks like I'll be wearing that watch for a good bit longer yet! But I will have my place, my bricks and mortar (or in my case brick, flint and timber!) and my bolt hole.

Friday saw another long day and my unwinding routine this time was a cuppa and a book, less room for error here! And I am enjoying this novel - not too taxing and enough pace to keep me interested. 

My kindle is lurking at the back of the bedside table. I do love the portability of it - great for the train and holidays, but I love a proper paper book more if I'm honest. I love the feel and smell of a book (if that doesn't sound too weird!) - somehow I feel a bit more immersed in the whole experience.  I've been debating about Audible - audio books; I have friends who swear by them and I can see the attraction of having someone tell me a story while I drive or knit or crochet... But whether I would truly feel like I'm reading? It would have to be unabridged versions I think - I don't want someone else to choose what bits I skim over!

Today, has been mostly packing and trying to sort changes of address, utilities, insurance... all that kind of essential but mundane stuff. Hence the several hours in the call queues! So by late afternoon I was going a bit crazy with all the muddle and needed to get out. We took a wander across the city, via the charity shop (how can I still have stuff to get rid of?!!), took a sneaky peek past our new home and then back via a lovely cosy little bar. This place used to be a bicycle shop (I was bought a bike from here for my 16th birthday! Many moons ago...) and is a bit quirky and I love it. It is mainly lit by candles, has a fab mix of old crockery and brass candlesticks, mismatched chairs and a lovely friendly feel. 

We were only going in for a quick coffee, but then this was rather calling my name...

I figured I'd earned it this week. Though a large glass may have been a little unwise on an empty stomach!

We were sitting under the very large plant that occupies the front of the cafe and makes it feel a bit as though you are under a tree. I couldn't help a sneaky snap of the funky lighting. The bicycle wheel spokes throw great shadows...

Under the tables are games, should you want them. Who can resist scrabble? 

Though a Spanish set of letters gave us some challenges! You might spot we were a little creative in our interpretation of the pieces, not sure my Spanish is up to word games!!

Final push this week, this time next week we will almost be moved in!

Sx 

a good day for blue skies...

Today a couple of happy things happened! One, there was proper sunshine. With blue, blue sky...

Definitely makes you feel brighter, doesn't it?

And two, I have a probable completion date on my house! At last! With a bit of luck, in a couple of weeks I will be in my own little place and finally, start again properly. Hurrah.

The sunshine didn't last, of course, but the sunny feeling did, even as the rain clouds gathered again as I walked home.

Sx

winter walk...

The sun actually shone for a bit first thing this morning...

but by the time I'd had a lazy cup of tea in bed and got all the Christmas decorations packed up and put away, I'd missed my moment to get outside whilst there was still a bit of sun.

It always takes longer than you think to take all the deccies off the tree and hoover up the mountain of pine needles! This was the last bauble on the tree, sparkling in the sunlight...

...or at least that's what I thought until I was trying to wrestle the tree out of its pot, when I realised there were another three lurking round the back (after I had packed all the boxes away of course...).

I was determined to get out for a walk today, sunshine or not and I set off across the park towards the university. When I first moved here I used to walk across here a lot, as much as anything for a reason not to be sitting at home on my own! I've posted pictures of this walk before but I do always feel as though there are different things to see each time.

Although the park looks deserted in these photos, actually there were quite a few people out - families, kids on bikes, couples hand-in-hand, dog walkers etc

There was still just a hint of blue sky in the distance...

On up to the University Broad where there was barely a breeze and the trees were clearly reflected in the water...

At the other end of the lake there was just a little wind rippling the surface of the water and putting kinks in the reflections... 

but still enough to make clear mirror images beside the little jetty I was standing on...

It is pretty monochrome out there at the moment until you come across patches of stunning dogwood or the occasional remaining berry or rosehip...

It was lovely to get some fresh air, must do more of this again!

Sx

what to do on a rainy day...

Yesterday dawned cold, grey and, to be honest, a bit miserable again. I feel like the windows have looked like this for days now...

...and I have to really fight off the grey feeling that threatens to make me want to just hibernate away and do nothing much. But yesterday we had plans! Afternoon tea in the pretty Suffolk village of Lavenham! Its a bit of a drive but I had good company in the car and we met another friend there, first for a look at the beautiful church...

It has stunning stained glass windows and must look quite spectacular on a sunny day. Lavenham must have been a very wealthy town in its day - it apparently prospered from the wool trade and by the C15th & C16th was one of the richest in Britain. This is reflected in the church which was completed in 1525 and is huge for a village church, with the names of, what I presume were the merchant families of the village, on the windows on either side. There are some really beautiful and intricate carvings in the woodwork - I am always amazed at the sheer length of time these things have survived for so intact.

I've also got to confess to being just a bit excited that the little house I'm buying in Norwich dates from around the same time and I kept trying to imagine what East Anglia must have been like in the C15th century - I love the sense of history and previous life; who walked through those rooms, what were they wearing, what were their lives like... Always have had an overactive imagination! My house doesn't have the sense of grandeur of the Lavenham timber framed houses - it is a tiny city cottage - but it is a mixture of brick and flint, and half timbered and has a real feel of having housed 'other lives'.

Anyway, after the church we went on to the very grand and rather beautiful Swan Hotel for afternoon tea...

We ate way too much (when else do you ever eat 2 scones and 3 cakes in one sitting?!!), drank tea out of pretty china and generally had a lovely time. The company of friends made it of course, but such a treat to do these things now and again!

Right... can't put it off any longer, off to get the decorations down now...

Sx

PS Keep meaning to say, although I usually try to reply directly to commenters, sometimes people are 'no reply' bloggers and sometimes I just forget! So, for simplicity for me, I'm probably for the most part, going to just reply directly on here for now. I do read all the comments and really appreciate you taking the time to say something! :-) x