Faster than the speed of light

That is how quickly time is flying right now.  Quite what Mr Einstein would have made of that I am not sure, but a whole week has zoomed by since i was last here. Life seems rather like the Glasgow train, photographed here by Kenneth.

A week in which we have been organising and packing. Mostly books.  Boxes and boxes of them.  It takes up so much time, as we take them from the shelves, stack them into the boxes, then exclaim over forgotten gems.  So, I might find John sitting leafing through  Erich Fromm, or I could be caught sprawled on the sofa, engrossed in Rumi - even James can be found delving into a box to retrieve Katie Morag. 

Trying to work out what we will take with us, what we will leave, and what kristine will need in her new flat.  Now we know where that will be and what size the rooms are, we can plan things a lot more effectively.

So - what else can I say?  Stuff!  Too much of it.  I have already confessed elsewhere about the six dead laptops we came across in a cupboard - i could ask for the spaghetti factory explosion of leads and chargers from long extinct weee equipment to be taken into consideration. I am pleading guilty to owning a mountain of CDs that we will never listen to, whilst a large hill of empty cd cases slumps beside it.  We haven't even opened up the loft yet!  And yet we are not unique in the amount of clutter we have. Think of all those lofts, cupboards, cellars, drawers, handbags, sheds and garages all over the world.  It blows my mind!

Still...

we have been breathing in as much of the Spring air as we can, and reveling in the beauty of this garden for our last few weeks here.  We see the violets and Spring bulbs bloom in their familiar spots, and are stopped by the bright sunny face of the first dandelion.  Lemony sorrell suddenly bursts through and we marvel at the delicate crimson tips of the daisy.   All through the cold winter, this growth has been slowly, secretly beginning, but now it is gathering pace - speeding up and off it goes!

The hens are all laying, Erin is growing and changing all the time, and the weather has been gorgeous.  It even looks like one of Santa's elves has come out to enjoy some spring sunshine! Hope you all can take some time out to enjoy the season.

Ah well - back to the workshop. Oh -but look -here are my old Bunty annuals!  Sshh - maybe I'll just risk one eye... ;)

xx

Procrastinating - This moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember in the busy days ahead

I am joining in again with Soulemama this week. Hope you all have a relaxing weekend.

Yarn along (2.5)

I can't really join in properly this week, as our world is in a bit of turmoil with packing, decluttering and generally flapping around like scared chickens.  I will share this FO with you.  The beautiful Erin is wearing her grandma-made bronze cardigan.  How lovely she is... sigh.
And I am still wandering around with Pooh and Piglet for now, searching for calm - and sometimes finding it too!

The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet.  Benjamin Hoff
Easy baby cardigan - More last minute knitted gifts.  Jovelle Hoverson (ravelry notes)

Join in this nice, cosy meme, hosted by Ginny at Small Things and be inspired.

Here today...

....gone tomorrow!

 

The For Sale sign went up at 10.30 am Friday morning. 

At 5 o'clock, a knock came to the door.  The son of a neighbour from further up the road had seen the sign and stopped to ask for more information.  He had always admired the house as he was growing up and couldn't believe it had come up for sale just at the time he was looking for a home nearby.  We asked him in for a quick look round, and he ran about, so excited,almost like a boy in a toy shop.  He asked if he could bring his wife the following afternoon.

They arrived at 12.10 pm (well, it was afternoon).  She loved the house and the garden - they went away to think about it. 

On Sunday evening, they phoned and asked to come and speak to us.  We accepted their verbal offer at 8 pm.

On Monday morning, our solicitors were instructed to accept the offer, and by 2 pm, the house was sold!

My head is whirling with the speed of it all.  I am so pleased that this couple have bought the house. We have so many happy memories of our time here, and it has been a springboard for our new venture.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I was finding it hard to leave, but it is so much easier knowing it is in loving hands.  They said that by the time they got halfway down the garden, on Saturday, they knew. I so clearly recall feeling exactly like that when we first came to see the house twelve years ago.  It feels so right.

So - moving in just a few weeks time. Trip back up is postponed as we begin the packing - most of the furniture is staying with the house, as the couple are renting out their old flat.  It has all dovetailed  perfectly. 

I am so excited - I am an Islander :)

xxx

No words for Japan

but prayers - hopes - love

mingled in this fragrant smoke.

Yarn Along (2)

So - the weather has delayed out travelling plans until after the weekend.  This is a pity, because there are several little packages I had ordered from a well known online bookseller currently speeding their way towards the mailbox hanging on the croft gate. Never mind, I still have a book to share on Ginny's Yarn Along - and a newly cast on knitting project!

The Tao of Poo and the Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff is the book I want to share - two books, actually.  I recently finished reading The House at Pooh Corner to James, and I missed them All so much that I wanted to Keep On reading about Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore - and All the Rest.  So I remembered I had seen this book Somewhere and now I can Keep on reading in that kind of Way.  And Mr. Hoff very kindly explains the ancient Taosist principles as we wander through the Hundred Acre Wood - tiddley pom.

The knitting project is a baby cardigan from Vala, and I am using more Artesano Superwash merino but this time in the brightest lipsticky pink I could find.  I am knitting the bigger size, given my super speedy stitch rate - haha!  Hopefully the lovely Erin will be sporting this around the croft when she comes for her holidays.

Stroll over to Small Things and see what else is on the go.  Yes - that would be a Very Good Thing to Do.

A Short Sabbatical

 

We've been so busy in the last week, that we have been crawling into bed at unseemly early hours, just to have enough energy for the next round.  Mostly we have been cleaning in and around the old house, which gets a bit neglected when we are away.  The big drive for this decluttering was the planned visit of the estate agent to take photographs of the house before it goes on the market. The surveyor calls early this week, and then it will be for sale.  I know there is someone out there who will love this cottage and take care of it.

If I am honest, I have been really struggling with the idea of letting go.  I have always lived in this area - I can trace my ancestors back to this very soil for 250 years.  I planted out some of the vegetable beds today - carrots, beetroot, onion and potatoes - a bit early for here, I know, but needs must.  As I hoed out the seed row, I marveled at how light and well worked the soil was - so airy and rich - 12 years worth of work.  Why do I want to leave this and start again on a completely different and unworked soil, that has no trace of family roots?  But I know deep down that I do.  I can recollect the most joyful feeling I had a few weeks ago, as I strode down the field at the back of the croft.  The wind blowing strongly, and the sun filtering through the rain that was moving in swiftly from the Southwest and I absolutely knew I was in the right place, doing what i was meant to be doing - what Neil Gunn called "The Atom of Delight." I reckon I can cope with a few wobbles.

 

But it has not been all work.  We celebrated Finlay's  3rd birthday!  He just looks the part - a belted knight wearing a football strip - wonderful. 

 I have also managed to finish knitting a whole garment - a wee cardigan for Erin.  It was from a book called More last minute knitted gifts, and was billed as taking 4-6 hours to knit.  And how long did I take?  Oh - about 6 - 7 weeks!  Not perfect, but there is love in every stitch.

And here is Miss Erin.  I am loving lots and lots of snuggly cuddly moments with this lovely lady.

Anyway - busy busy, finishing the house stuff and organising more packing. In particular, working out how on earth we are going to fit the hen hut and hens into the back of the pickup along with the dog crate, feed bins, and other essential paraphernalia -  so it may be another week before I am back here again.  Journeying on. Love and blessings to you all.