Hello, from the other side of an intensely chaotic 6 months.
It’s a few days into 2025 now, and I’m writing to you from our brand new beautiful home. After twelve months of diabolical slumlord behaviour we managed to escape to someplace wonderful, leaving behind a home that I have loved and cared for for 15 years. It was absolutely time, but unfortunately it all unfurled in an unnecessarily sad and stressful way in the second half of last year
Even so, it’s hard to be too sad about that door closing when we have landed in a house and neighbourhood that’s so bloody wonderful. We have space – lots of bedrooms and living spaces, a private and beautifully landscaped backyard, and neighbours who have gradually introduced themselves without intruding. In the few short weeks that we’ve lived here we’ve managed to host Christmas and 3 BBQ gatherings, and take in a friendly old black lab who needed puppysitting for a while. We’ve both had some time off work to unpack and settle in, and I can barely remember life before this house now because it already contains so many memories. Only a few more boxes to unpack and we’ll be free of the cardboard too.
We are so much healthier for the change of house. No more rising damp, black mould, peeling paint or windows painted shut. But I will always be grateful for the era of my life spent in the old house, that 104 year old grand dame whose last custodians failed her so terribly.
I’ll miss my magpies. Despite being close by, our new house is governed by crows.
All of these changes meant that ‘real life’ got put on hold for the second half of last year, including aspects of my 101 Things in 1001 Days project. It’s been almost impossible to tackle anything new while our life was undergoing so much upheaval, so I’m running behind but somehow not too worried about it. I still have 21 months to work with and I feel good about my chances.
The 12 month mark is also a great time to review the list and make sure that I still care about everything on it – especially as I consider it from this new vantage point. I can already see a couple of items that I want to tinker with and even replace. If you ever decide to write a list like this I recommend that you don’t stubbornly cling to the goals that no longer speak to you. You’re in charge!
I’ll be back very soon with a 12 month progress check-in, and updates on the stuff that I did manage to conquer in the background last year.
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