Settling in..

As a friend said to me today, you forget about the chores when the sun is shining, and you are not having to keep things done and dusted for paying guests any more. How true. Lesson learned the hard way, as I trundled on this morning, and when I had finished the sun had gone, the clouds had gathered. But I managed a sit outside on the verandah of my summer house/studio/sewing room/authors den/wine down area, in the afternoon, if only for a short while. These are the views from there.

Sith, to give hime his full Gaelic name, Cait Sith, which means, 'Fairy Cat', joined me. Sith is quite neurotic and needs almost constant reassurance that all is well. For a very large cat, he is a bit of a wimp.

We are beginning to place our stuff outside as well as inside now. My outdoor furniture never did get all its painting done last summer, but now I do have the time to finish it off and make it look good. So what I should have done this morning was have gone outside with paint brush, not carried on indoors! Note the table that should match the chairs.

This planter has lovely rock garden type plants in, sedums etc. It used to have a statue within it/on top of the 'bowl', which was a fountain. Androcles and the Lion no less, with water spouting out of the lions mouth. Not something I would have chosen to buy. But my sister in law used to work at a garden centre and they were clearing out for the next season of stuff, and it was going free, so she gave it to us. When it eventually packed in pumping water, Androcles and the lion were placed in the herbaceous border at our previous home as a statue. The rest of it Mike planted up and we have brought the thing with us. When we came to view the house there was a large wooden tub in this area, ours looks far better I think!

Well I have finally emptied all the boxes downstairs. The dining room is empty of them. My piano is in there, I have found the plug (its an electronic effort) and the sheet music. I haven't played it for about seven years so need to practice. The dining table and chairs are now ordered (and paid for.) Delivery is a week Tuesday. Hope we have chosen the right combination of colours of chairs....

This really is a new life. After nine years of catering for paying guests I am trying hard to realise that I can go into any room in the house - if I wish - in my pjs, minus make up, without a fixed smile. Now its a real smile! I don't have to worry about the parrot being too loud, (other than annoying to us on occasions.) It feels like a big relax of the solar plexus.

After many years of looking after others, parents, siblings, children, guests, its really taking a big breath of fresh air. Inhale deeply. Pity the lungs are so shot that it all ends up in a big cough!