I’m not going back to the beginning, I don’t have the energy and it serves little purpose. A little synopsis might help link my two lives though ....
I had a year, while I lived in limbo, the house went under offer, but stalled as my buyer couldn’t sell. I realised I could go a week without seeing anyone, without talking to anyone but to Pooch, so I went out and got a job. The house went back under offer shortly afterwards ... isn’t that always the way!
So things moved along slowly and I slowly packed up and went to work and walked Pooch. I saw my brother every week, taking him fishing, sitting with him by the lake watching the swans and learning how to spot where the fish were. It was peaceful, but things were moving along
Eventually we got to a point where the buyers started pushing, they wanted to be in for Christmas, but nothing more definite than that. So, I suggested dates, I insisted on three weeks between exchange and completion, I’d had one sale fall through, I wanted more certainty this time. The dates were agreed
The buyer cane round for a second viewing. Telling me I was holding everything up! Cheeky mare. I’d run myself ragged getting my brother into the solicitor and sorting all the paperwork. My solicitor confirmed that she had everything she needed from me
On the day of exchange ... it fell through ... my buyer had failed to complete his paperwork with his seller. Silence followed. Twelve days later it was back on, but with the same completion date. I baulked. No chance of being ready in nine days. My solicitor assured me so long as it was done at some time that day, it was fine. Don’t believe solicitors. it was not fine
I don’t want to re-hash that day. It was horrible, they were nasty. I was a mess. They didn’t care and one after another told me how disgusting I was to not be ready at noon. Three hours of their bullying and I almost wept
I deal with it by telling myself “they have a massive mortgage and I have their cash in my bank”. It’s helping
Anyway. I couldn’t find anywhere that wouId rent to me with Pooch in tow. Nothing. Nada! So, I looked at Poppet and decided to give it a go. The sixteenth site I phoned turned out to be the only one in the area open over winter! Fingers crossed I drove out to see it, praying it was half decent. It’s blooming lovely. Clean. Well maintained. Friendly. Perfect
The week of the move, several people who were going to help, couldn’t. Poppet decided not to start. I plodded on, what else could I do? I chatted up a recovery guy and he moved Poppet to site. At least I had somewhere to sleep. Unfortunately he moved her the day before moving day, instead of the week before, so I didn’t get the chance to kit her out, make a bed up etc
Moving day. Well, that went a bit array, the charity shop stuff, the storage stuff, some of the rubbish and all my stuff went in the same van and everything went to the site. All dumped on the grass outside Poppet. Yikes. Not what I needed
So, there I am, surrounded by stuff, with Pooch and Poppet, our new home. I plugged in the cable and .... nothing. No lights. No heating. No nothing. It was blooming freezing. I phoned the emergency mechanic and made the bed by torchlight while I waited. An hour later I was £££ worse off, with an improvised extension lead for a light and a promise of a new part “tomorrow”. An hour later the light went out, the heater went off and Pooch and I went to bed to get warm.
The next day my brother arrived and we figured how to put up the awning, moved lots of stuff inside before it could get wet and then I waited for the mechanic to arrive. Early evening and I had light and heat. it took days to get warm! Pooch was not impressed. He used me as his heater lol
We’ve settled into a routine. We get up around six and go for a walk. It’s total silence. its so peaceful. Pooch runs around sniffing, scampers around in the leaves and checks I’m still there. He’s so sweet. Then it’s back to Poppet, where I have three coffees while Pooch has his breakfast, then snuggles on my lap. Around nine, I walk up the hill for a nice long hot shower, then back to Poppet for another coffee and Pooch snuggle
We then walk up the hill and sit by reception, while I pick up emails, swop books at the library and amble back to Poppet, more coffee and snuggles.
The days I work, Pooch goes to sleep on my bed, he wakes up as I come home, all bleary eyed as I come in. He was pretty excited at first, but he’s settled well. I think he’s worked out that I’m going to come back and he doesn’t get in a panic now.
Christmas Day was perfect. Absolute silence. Crisp and clear. I’d even managed to borrow a gas BBQ from my brother and cooked a full English breakfast. I’d agreed to do a few hours Christmas night, but I only saw clients I knew and apart from one unwell person, it was actually very nice.
So .... that’s the brief synopsis lol