Thank you for the commiserations and good wishes last Monday. It was all more than a bit mad, but it looks like (see today’s title from Edgar Meyer’s ‘Simple Gifts’) I’m almost there.
The head builder and a load of other people were in the house last Monday and by 6 PM everything that needed seeing to was seen to. So, moved in Tuesday morning (from both storage and rental house) which was done by 1 PM. I can’t recall what I did from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday evening (absolutely no memory) except that most stuff got unpacked and the decorators were back twice to finalise paint in various places (they’ll be back at least once more to touch up). At some point I drove into town and got a couple of chicken kebabs from the wonderful Turkish café (mine didn’t look like this, but you get the idea) but I can’t recall which day. In any case they were lunch and dinner for a couple of days.
I sort of surfaced Friday and can recall what I did from there. I’m mostly unpacked, have made numerous trips to charity shops and the recycling centre (amazing how much stuff you pack that you would otherwise divest when you’re moving four days after lockdown has been declared).
I have not worn any fragrance since I last wrote. I didn’t want to associate anything with the stress. I will likely unearth something tomorrow. Maybe from a sample I’ve yet to try. I’ll be writing on fragrance in a week’s time.
Today I unpacked the candles (I think I’ve got three more boxes of stuff to do – all others will go into the loft or the shed). It continues to be cold and damp here, and the days are drawing in as we move towards the winter solstice. I need my candles. I have my tomato candle from Daylesford Farm going to lift the mood.
I’m expecting a delivery of dirt and grit from the plant nursery late this week plus a large pot that was too heavy for me to carry; I’ve got an Acer and some trillium coming at some point; and I’m in contact with the bulb company which was out of stock on three of the five things I wanted.
So, it’s mostly back to ‘normal’ – although I use ‘normal’ very loosely in our strange times.
Hope your past week was within reason. Was there any perfume you wore that stood out?
So pleased that you are “over the hump” and on the other side of that ordeal Cinnamon! Yay! I recently acquired a mini of Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger and a decant of Dior Feve Delicieuse (pardon the lack of special keyboard accents). Both have been around for a while, but I’ve just gotten my mitts on them finally. Enjoying them both. I love the song, “Simple Gifts,” and think the ideal of simplicity: a beautiful, functional home that suits our needs, a garden, good food, lovely scents, beautiful music, good books — those are the things that make one feel rich and content. 🙂
That exactly regarding a home — rich and content.
Just spent four painful days in the car from Montréal to San Francisco with the car loaded down to max capacity. We are visiting parents for a few days then home to San Diego for the winter where I need to relax and wind down from the ongoing horror that has been 2020. At least in San Diego it will be sunny and warm with a garden, much better than the early months of the year locked in a tiny urban flat with nothing but ice and barrenness to look at through the windows. So glad your house situation has been mostly sorted. Time to cocoon in for the winter.
A mega road trip. I hope the visit is relaxing and you get home safely. Cocoon is the right word. I’m mostly done and realised in a few days (probably by next week) I can turn my mind to the garden and what to do with it. To my surprise and pleasure, the wisteria I thought had died has resurrected itself.
Oh, welcome back! Glad things are righting themselves, I am THRILLED for you.
When we built a house (w small kids) almost 20 years ago, everything got delayed, including by an early September hurricane, but our jack@ss landlords wouldn’t extend the rental and we HAD to move back. We moved in and there was no hot water, and only one sink (in the kitchen.) And no, it wasn’t legal for us to move in yet, no occupancy inspection and permit, but I didn’t know where else we’d go w four kids including one-year-old twins. The project manager came by that weekend and felt so bad about it he called in EVERYONE, it was like a scene from a movie, there must have been 15 workers there, installing sinks, tiling, putting up hand rails. It still took weeks for every detail but by the end of two days we had a mostly-functional home. That memory still makes me smile. Sometimes it really does take a village.
Great story, March. Sometimes things work. I am deeply impressed the builders managed to get this done in 7 months during lockdown. I think the PM was doing a lot of communicating with builder that I didn’t know about. Each day I think “wow, I’m glad I pushed for X or Y”.
WOW! Sounds like you’ve been a whirling dervish Cinnamon. Good luck getting it all finished,
Portia xx
That would be a good description. I no longer feel completely loopy. I do wonder about those ‘missing’ days though.
Nah, don’t worry – it’s like your wedding… or any other major event – right now you have no idea what happened – except that it happened. Awhile from now, though, it’ll come back as if you’d never forgotten it.
Besides… who needs to remember unpacking elebenty-billion boxes!
xoxoxo
so glad to hear you’ve got most of the drama sorted! It also sounds like you’re settling in, just in time for Cocooning Season! xoxo
Slowly settling in, yes. Strangely, my first day back at work after a week, the guy I work for decided to send me the kitchen sink. Was a bit shocking to have a long, busy work day. My brain has been so deep in unpacking. But yes, this thing, cocooning — it’s going to be the way for months now.