This is the hellish Waiting Time... the time when checks are made, papers drawn up, mortgage arrangements agreed, surveyors instructed to survey. Nothing is happening that I can see yet, so I'm sitting at home, slowly packing one house up and dreaming, thinking, planning another, but hideously aware that much could go wrong at this stage.
I am the mostly-grateful recipient of shedloads of advice and instruction. Willing helpers, most of whom still appear to think I am completely mad, are offering help with the eventual move, and I accept it all. A veritable convoy of friends will be moving ahead of me and with me; I will even have company in the car when it is finally laden with yowling cats and a vomiting dog for a very long drive from the North East to the South West. There's friendship for you, despite the upset feelings.
Frequently, I touch wood. People ask how the sale is going; I touch wood and say little; I can't quite say with confidence that I've sold this house - maybe that won't happen until I hand the keys over after signing the final papers. People ask where I'm going; I touch wood and tell them, adding "If nothing goes wrong." I am beset with nervous fears, fantasies and anxieties. I have unpleasant dreams; I wake at dawn; I listen to whatever is on the radio: farming programmes, the daily prayer, the shipping forecast. I touch wood when thoughts of my new house spring to mind.
I ponder what moving into a village will mean. Will it make me a villager? Maybe not; I was never a city girl all the years I lived here. I hope I won't be an Incomer for long, stared at in the Post Office.
I make sketchy plans in my head for a garden, much longed-for all these years and now soon to be mine - touch wood. I love the idea of being able to walk to the shops, the bank, the open countryside. I look at my house on Google Earth, and marvel that - touch wood - I could be living in it some time soon. I am amazed at how little I remember of the house when I viewed it, except for loving it; sadly, the horrible stinky house viewed immediately before remains a violently memorable experience.
I look often at the photos that Lizzie, female spy par excellence, took for me from a moving car. My house; my garden; my ivy-clad stone wall; my little road. Touch wood.
I tell the dog that soon she will have a lovely new home. She looks at me without understanding a word; to her, home is wherever I am. The cats will give me a hard time, I suspect, but they will come to learn that they have moved to a little piece of heaven. Touch wood.
And I don't want to wait too long: I want it to be Soon!
21 comments:
I don't think you are mad to do this. It is what you have wanted to do for a very long time, you have the means to do so, and no one to answer to. So why not?
I've caught myself envying you a little.
I'm sure you, the cats and the dog will be just fine. When we moved here we drove 3 days in an SUV crammed with 7 cats, one turtle, two computers, three sewing machines and a sullen 12 year old. Each night we checked into a hotel, shuttling the cats into the bathroom, then moving their giant crate into the room and the cats into the crate. The turtle came in too, of course. One night they all figured out how to get inside the box springs for the bed so we had to fish them out the next morning. It was quite the adventure. Best of luck with all your maybes - knock on wood.
Have I been away so long? Things have moved apace in the house-hunting and selling business.
Fingers crossed for a happy outcome.
So hoping that both sales go smoothly and you hear soon .... before you burst !
Perhaps a bit of baking would be therapeutic ?
I shall keep my fingers firmly crossed for you!
Such an exciting time but you won`t really breathe that sigh of relief until you turn the keys in your new front door......
I moved from the city to a village over three years ago and it has been quite a nice change. We still comment on how we can actually see the stars at night where as the light pollution had been so bad we'd never seen them before. People seem friendlier in the village - someone cut our grass and weeded a bit for us when we were out at work after I'd mentioned to our neighbour it was often too dark to get the push mower out for our tiny strip and I was touched by the kindness. It will be a change but the cats will get used to it - ours loved the new place and the wildlife that came part of it.
My tip for the journey (from an animal behaviourist) is to completely block out all stimuli for the cats so put them in a basket and cover with a cloth and they will then go to sleep. We brought our kitten home from Wales and there was the odd meow but it seemed to be most calming. Also put some bach rescue remedy in their water for a few days before the move and after as it calms them down.
mrspao at gmail dot com
When we flat hunted in Moscow we saw loads of lovely places, but I remember one especially. It was a dreadful place, like a caravan with plastic wallpaper on every surface including the ceiling. It also had a spiral staircase that only dolls house furniture would have gone up. So I know what you mean about remembering the wrong one!
I also once moved into a house in Reading that I'd never been in, but had seen pictures of and knew it was in a safe place for the cats. MrH had had a look round but couldn't really remember anything. And we took out a mortgage on it on that basis...All will be well. Touch wood!
Reading your posts is a bit like watching my favourite British T.V show, 'Escape to The Country'. I look forward to hearing more about your exciting move.
I'm sure your cats will enjoy their new garden but might live in your wardrobe for a few days first.
I really hope your move goes smoothly and quickly - anxiety is not good for the digestion! Lucky cats and dog - they don't know how happy they are going to be.
I don't think your mad at all, I've finally realised that you reach a point in your life when you just have to do things. You don't want to spend the rest of your life saying "what if". Still have my fingers crossed for everything to go smoothly.
Best avoid stepping on the cracks in pavements, too.
Your anxiety is understandable, but how exciting to be making such a move!! It's all come together very well so far, so just look straight ahead and you'll soon be in your new house.
A beautiful post, you describe these feelings so eloquently, yet so simply that I feel them "all" right along with you. You know that we , here at Black St. are all busting with happiness for you and the team. Plus we're tres impressed and proud of such a steadfast effort in realizing your dream.
An inspiration you are - to all of us dreamers.
Another book perhaps xoxo Susan & les Gang
Don't know if will help, not knowing your cats, but when we moved across country our Vet gave us tranquilizers for one of our cats who didn't like cars and didn't travel well. They worked better than nothing, but Lord could he YOWL!
I've been reading through all the comments and everybody must have touched on almost every aspect of things.... so, I'll just add my fervent wishes for things to roll along on the proper tracks.... and soon..you'll be driving down the road to a chorus of "cat" ..... get some earplugs.... hahahhahah..... mine used to drive me mad just going to and from the vet's office.....panting, drooling and yodeling allll the way..
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment - I hope you have fun reading more of my meanderings! I've got my fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you ...... it is such a stressful time. We moved to the Scottish Borders, a year after Malcolm took early retirement ... it was lovely to live where we wanted to, not where the job dictated (including a spell in Indonesia!!)
Regards, Anne
I love the look of that wall. It would be worth it just for the wall.
I assume Touch Wood is the same as "Knock on Wood" here in the States.
Keep on dreaming, dreams do come true...We hope....
It's all so exciting! I'm with Fran - the wall and the magnolia tree (read that on the cats' blog) would be enough to make me move. Everything crossed here for you.
Soooo, your new village has a post office, ha. That narrows it down :-) I really hope that everything goes like clockwork for you.
If you're moving to a place that's a little bit of heaven then you must be moving to my village because if heaven can be found on earth then this must be it.
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