Two weeks until the overland transport arrives to collect the house contents. Boxes trip us up and dominate the house and the lists of things to go and things to stay fluctuate wildly as we keep changing our minds. A trip down the hallway in the night is fraught with obstacles and sleep is a bit hard to come by. Will the car make it, will we get mugged, will we remember everything we need for the journey, will the house survive in our absence, will we really need lolly makers, egg slicer and fridge magnets in Crete or should I take THAT box to the charity shop? All the local charity shops are beginning to turn around the open sign to closed when they see us coming!
We approach countdown week. A significant birthday looms and M has entered 'lame duck' mode at work as she realises that she will soon become "someone who used to work here". No help for it; she will just have to grin and bear it and be happy that the handover is progressing well. A boring weekend with parcel tape and scissors was lightened by a trip to Poole on Saturday afternoon for what we thought was an evening meal/stopover/breakfast but turned into a lovely break staying overnight at the Marina Hotel and magical sunshine which lit up Sandbanks, Brownsea Island and neighbouring Poole to give a really well-timed pre-birthday present. Returned to a freezing cold house to think about our lists and tape up a few more boxes!
On advice of younger daughter, decide to surround my temporary desk site at work with photos of Crete and play non-stop Greek music to keep cheerful in final weeks at work. Latest weather reports from Crete report that it was very warm and sunny but the mountains have a good capping of snow this year which will ensure plentiful water during the summer. .... Not long now ....
Sunday 30 January 2011
Friday 14 January 2011
Six weeks and counting
Our little house is a tip with boxes, bags, lists and labels in every corner of every room. The book cases are empty; boxes are systematically packed and unpacked as we have to unearth something packed too soon.
My desk at work is as neat as a new pin and the person appointed to take over my job starts on Monday. I hope that I can be focused enough to hand over the job properly. We have three sets of ferry tickets, travel insurance for a year's trip AND SO MUCH STILL TO DO!
Our ambition to live in Greece is a definite plan at last and we are chopping and changing our minds about what we need to take with us and what to leave behind. After long deliberaton decided to dump the bread maker and the steam press but pack a preserving pan and a manual sewing machine. There is already a guitar in the house in Crete, so we have no need of a second one. Then we decided in favour of a travel cot and baby linen just in case grandchildren come to visit at some time in the future.
The house in Crete is very simple in a small agricultural village; the locals already think we are fearful "capitalists" - (not true really) - and the real attraction of being there is that there is not too much clutter to weigh us down - so liberating. I am concerned that once the removal truck arrives and disgorges all our goods and chattels that our sanctuary will be no more.
Anyway, so far so good and time is marching on - Watch this space
My desk at work is as neat as a new pin and the person appointed to take over my job starts on Monday. I hope that I can be focused enough to hand over the job properly. We have three sets of ferry tickets, travel insurance for a year's trip AND SO MUCH STILL TO DO!
Our ambition to live in Greece is a definite plan at last and we are chopping and changing our minds about what we need to take with us and what to leave behind. After long deliberaton decided to dump the bread maker and the steam press but pack a preserving pan and a manual sewing machine. There is already a guitar in the house in Crete, so we have no need of a second one. Then we decided in favour of a travel cot and baby linen just in case grandchildren come to visit at some time in the future.
The house in Crete is very simple in a small agricultural village; the locals already think we are fearful "capitalists" - (not true really) - and the real attraction of being there is that there is not too much clutter to weigh us down - so liberating. I am concerned that once the removal truck arrives and disgorges all our goods and chattels that our sanctuary will be no more.
Anyway, so far so good and time is marching on - Watch this space
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)