That did make July into very tedious month, but it was well worth it in the end when we were packed, cleaned and ready to leave to leave 'The Gables' for the last time on the 16th August. It was a great pity that the previous owners of the house we were moving into hadn't also had an industrious July, and half of August too, as when we arrived it was to find that they had packed some things, cleaned very little and were nowhere near ready to leave.
Thank goodness for the kindness of friends, and for having an estate agent to hand, and a solicitor who was ready with legal advice at the end of the phone.
Our well-packed and sorted belongings had then to go into storage for 5 days, ready for the next available removal slot, as did me and Mr Cooper. We quite enjoyed being in storage as it gave us a chance to employ cleaners, remove carpets and belongings that had been left, and to feel justified in sampling each of the 6 pubs in Selsey.
Here is our new home all sparkling, ready to receive the packing cases for the second time.
And here is the back of our new home, ready to receive a lawnmower.
Those of you who know me and Mr Cooper more intimately will see that the rear of our new home looks very similar to the rear of 'The Gables'. That was in fact my favourite view of it, usually when I was working away in my shed. And if things go according to plan, I will be seeing this view from my new shed, plus lots of herbs and flowers too.
After a week or so settling in, it was time to go to the Peak District for a few days, to spend some time with Rachael, Ben and young Henry, plus Banjo the dog. It was made even better by the addition of Ben's parents too. You would think that with so many people around, there might have been at least a photo or two featuring a human being, even perhaps one of an endearing toddler?
It seems very hard to break the habit of a lifetime. You will have to get a sense of the lovely few days we had with a view of a fairly insane lion from inside Chatsworth,
and some wonderful flowers just glistening after the rain. If you haven't been already, Chatsworth is definitely well worth a visit, and me and Mr Cooper enjoyed our allotted hour of culture there. Not only were we able to feast our eyes upon many wonderful artifacts and modern artworks, but we were the only members of our group to avoid the downpour! Culture wins over play-parks on that particular day. I think these will be a great asset for my new garden.
It was good to be away for a while, and I am now knitting fox scarf number three as a result of this visit. here's a progress report, Julie. His torso is about a third completed, I would have knitted more apart from being transfixed at times by The Bodyguard.
Arriving back home was also good as although we are both very happy with our new home, we are also very happy with our totally new environment. Each week we explore a little more of Selsey which happily remains a fishing village as well as a holiday resort.
Here is East Beach, just 7 minutes from our front door.
Having gathered many leaflets about local walks, me and Mr Cooper decided that the two mile walk to see houses that used to be railway carriages was a must. We also decided that neither of us should be working on a Sunday, a decision that pleased us both. I think Mr Cooper would have been more happy if the decision had been to only work on a Sunday, but you can't have it all! For me, no Sunday sandpaper purchases, or involvements with emulsion. Just strolls with a camera, and pauses for mainly liquid refreshments, including tea, of course.
The sight below refreshed my eyes and also my memory as it took me back to a time in my life when Mexicos seemed to abound. A picture for my bros, a really pretty one enjoying the sunshine.
But enough of classic cars, where are those railway carriages?
It was a walk of great charm, and Santos, featured below, definitely lived up to its description as being the one that most closely resembled a railway carriage!
Lots of them had been altered over the years to mask their origins, but I loved the ones where the carriage was still very much in evidence as part of the dwelling. It was around about this stage of the walk that I thought it would be just perfect to have a carriage as a studio. It was also around this point that Mr Cooper seemed to have an even greater problem than usual with his hearing.
Perhaps I will act more sensibly, and just aim to live in one when stairs become a problem in the future. A carriage and a veranda combined, what really could be better! You can see why a) I am enjoying Selsey very much and b) it's not for everyone!
There is a wide range of architectural styles in Selsey, and also a wide range of concrete ornaments. You can spy them nestling in flower beds, peeking from the shrubbery, or valiantly decorating walls and gateposts. These featured below are my 'statues of the week', with an extra splash of colour provided by the skip.
And whilst we are on the theme of colour, I am adding an extra splash of it to Dilly the caravan. My painting time there is drawing to a close, in fact by this time tomorrow, I should have signed my name after adding an extra dimension to two more species. I have had a really enjoyable time this summer, both in painting Dilly but also spending time with Rose and Paul, plus Moss and Mabon.
During my painting I have also enjoyed the company of an adventurous shrew, who is now to be seen depicted beneath the dandelions. Well, what you see is a shrew-inspired creature, I think the term is 'loosely based on'..........
Now I am back in the Green Donkey business again, though feeling a trifle rusty, I will work to keep you up to date with all that also needs to be done to ensure a studio is soon built at the bottom of the garden. No studio, no production of significant artworks. As me and Mr Cooper failed to 'downsize' our possessions sufficiently, the first job on the list is to have the loft boarded. We must be careful to keep sorting things out before storing them, as a railway carriage home will have even less room!
Try to make sure you are surrounded by things in your home that are decorative, or functional, or both. Stuff that you don't want, use or like could happily belong to someone else, somewhere else.
It is also good to have friends in your life who are both decorative and functional. Don't pack your friends away out of sight, or think that you will leave them for the time being, they need to be part of your life, as they need you to be part of their life. So give them a call and arrange to do something decorative with them, and leave the functional for another day.
Looking forward to seeing you all again very soon. Until then, be decorative and have fun, whilst remaining fully functional, of course!
