Wednesday 2 July 2014

kitchen romances



image via

last two images via

Eek, where does it all come from? H would probably call it the detritus, or crumbs of life. Or something similar. Really though, how have we managed to pack so many things into one little house. You bring one tiny box down from the loft, open it up and it's like those cans with pointy nozzles that builders use to fill cavities in walls. All this stuff squeezes out that is ten times bigger than the container that it came in. The temptation is to pack it all back into the same box and put it to one side until we move.

We are gradually peeling our personality from  the house that was our home for the last twenty two years.   We leave at the end of the month. It's only the 2nd of July and that may sound like plenty of time to an experienced mover. But if like me, when you open up a drawer and find the pattern  for the miniature babushka doll overalls that you made for a cheeky little golden haired girl with dimpled cheeks and elbows; or the photograph of the exotic young man with dark, dark hair and big brown eyes who climbed out of a wooden boat nestled in a blue-green sea and headed for the beach with an unrecognisably skinny girl in a white bikini balanced on his shoulders, both wearing shiny new gold bands on the third finger of their left hand; it's hard to move quickly because you just want to slow down and remember those moments that were a life time ago yet only seem like yesterday...


But it's time for a new chapter and it's no wonder that I came down at 2am last night, I am so EXCITED I can't sleep.  My life if full of boxes but when I'm not tripping over them, any spare moment you will find me looking at interior tumbler blogs or the kitchen sections on peoples pinterest pages. ( Yes at 2am.) Mostly my favourite my little thingsrhubarb in the garden   or  local milk  for the higgeldy piggeldy kitchens with miss-matched old cupboards and odd pots and pans. Functional, practical, homely ones. I want our new home to be comfortable and livable. 

I re-discovered Sibila Sibella Court. I've  kept an old magazine that I take out every so often and pour over the images of an apartment, that's a bit like a cross between a museum and a stage set, not realising who the owner was.  Then I discovered her books and her website and I can't stop peeping at it all. 

I've begun to collect some things that I don't want to use until we move. Old stoneware jugs that no one seems to value, that you can buy for a few pounds at flea markets. A massive white bowl for making bread. I think it once lived with a jug on  a wash stand in some old house. There's the bargain Georgian full-length stand mirror, and the wooden coal scuttle. Old table and bed linens, and the horn handled carving knife for Sunday lunch.  Even the cherry red, enamel Wee-Willy-Winky lamp, all rusty and chipped to burn candles on winter nights, and the Scandinavian socks from my sister P to hang by the fire on Christmas eve. Mostly projects waiting for a new coat of paint or for me to dye them. It will be a while before they get done. But there's no rush. There may be holes in the roof to repair first or broken floor boards to change. We want to get to know the house first to get the feel of it, and then to start all over again...

...I can't wait...




...do you steal time for a little bit of late night blog reading too? 

debx



10 comments:

  1. I am so excited for you Debby, I don't think I would be able to sleep either.

    When I was growing up we moved almost every year [21 times by the time I was 18..military] so we never accumulated anything. I have now lived in my home for almost 20 years and it would take me months to pack it all up , ahem.

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    1. That's a lot of moves Tracey. It's amazing what we keep...well what I keep. I'm a bit too sentimental. It's not the valuable things I hang on to but the little odds and ends like my mum's fair isle knitting, still on the needles and little scribbled notes to me from Ahmad or Hannah.

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  2. I am waiting to see how you will transform your new home and install your lovely charm. I would miss your lovely kitchen that we have grown to love on your blog. We have moved a lot, but have now been in this weatherboard house now for 20 years, similar to Tracey. Each part of it has been remodelled, repaired, renewed and renovated and we are now nearly finished with the butlers kitchen and new laundry area being in its last stages of completeness. I must say I won't miss the mess, dust or workmen. Good luck with your new venture it is very exciting.

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    1. He there, I'm glad that you are back safe and sound from your travels. I kept checking your blog to see if you were back. Thank you. I hope so. We want to take time to do everything slowly so that we hopefully get it right first time. I will miss my kitchen as it's where I spend most of my time when I'm at home. It will be a while before the new one is right for us so we are going to try and be patient and have fun pretending that we are on holiday.
      Your home sounds lovely. I really like weatherboard houses. I can't wait to see what it looks like, especially the butlers kitchen. I hope that you share lots of photos with us.
      debx

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  3. I am just so tickled pink for you. I know your new home will be as delightful as you are. Your descriptions are so charming...I can't wait to hear about your first Christmas in the house. Tis bittersweet, though, I can imagine leaving your home of 22 years.

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    1. Thanks Emily. So sweet of you to say. We've had a busy fun week with Hannah home. Bringing down lots of boxes from the loft. Re-discovering old family photographs, cards and letters and little baby clothes that caused lots of reminiscing and story telling.
      We are planning to have a Christmas cracker making day with lovely coppery coloured feathers we found. I don't expect much will have been done to the house by then but we aim for the best Christmas yet. With good food, warm fires, twinkly Christmas lights and lanterns and lots of fun and games.
      debx

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  4. I enjoyed every morsel of this blog post. It spoke my heart and what I have felt lately! We too are moving from a home we raised our children in to a home of our dreams. Wish you all the best on your journey as well. May I ask where you are moving? Is there a blog post about that? I may have missed it.
    Be well,
    Lisa

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    1. Hi Lisa. Thank you, that is so nice of you to say. I can empathise with you for all the emotions that it stirs up. It seems we must be kindred 'home moving' spirits. I very much hope that your transition is a happy and smooth one. We live in the UK, in the town of Oxford, England and are moving to a little village in the county of Herefordshire, which is still in England but right near the Welsh borders.
      I will find the links to any related posts for you.
      Take care,
      debx

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  5. I'm excited for you!! Packing is not fun but nesting in a new place definitely is!! Oh I bet this month will go fast for you :)

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    1. Thanks Karen. Yes the hours seem to whoosh by like minutes. This morning I feel quite calm but I do keep having these odd moments of panic when I think we will never be ready in time.
      debx

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