Packing and unpacking

I am no stranger to packing, though not as much as many of my friends. Dear Lisa has moved continents several times and travels back and forth to the States from Tanzania quite regularly. Still, I pride myself on my ability (inherited from my father) to pack a case so tightly that I can barely lift it. Not such a useful skill as it was in the days of train and boat travel, where now the challenge is to remain within the airline weight limit without having items rattling around the suitcase.

We left Kenya with the contents of half a small van: toys, personal possessions and one wooden dining table inherited from Richard's parents. The top is cut from a whole tree trunk, wide and beautiful and the whole table dismantles easily into three portable pieces. It came with us again, of course.

This time, Darren and Cliff ('Out of Hours' removals, gardening and odd job firm) took two white van loads: the second, mainly garden furniture and other bits and pieces which I am not going to mention here. And, of course, we had already moved smaller items of furniture and countless possessions.

And too many books. Too many? Can one have too many? #notinmybook  Buying bookcases is one of the main 'must haves' on my list. Our old, boughtasatemporarymeasuresixteenyearsago, bookshelves now do proud duty as a home for tools in the garage.

But already, having our furniture there, most of my blue and white kitchen crockery unpacked and my blue jugs gracing the bright kitchen (blue and yellow, my favourite combination: redolent of my life in Sweden), Morningstar is beginning to feel like home.

We won't be properly settled in before Cat and Andy visit in July. But their room is ready waiting for them, Cat's suitcases of memories standing by the window.

And mess does not matter when you're having fun. A life saying.

There you go, Andy. First single mention.  #Andy  #CatandAndy #CatandAndy'svisit2016

(My labels function on the blog tells that I have blogged about everything from angels to Australia and yet not about my son-in-law.... no longer!)