I'm back!

Hi everyone. I'm still in the land of the living although it's been a while since I posted here. I did mention in an earlier post that things were going to change for us. Well, they have.

Since Grant was so ill in September, the children suggested we sell up our home in Marquard and move down to the Drakensberg. I've been posting regularly about our trips to John, Debbie and children in the 'Berg; so many of you know where we are at the moment. 

As with death and divorce, moving is another HUGE trauma in anyone's life. Apart from me and Rina packing up my home (which contents we stored 400m down the road in a friend's closed in veranda) Grant still carried on with his home repair and maintenance business on the patio.  

The other thing is that I've lived in our house for the past 16 years. And been in Marquard for 22 years. You can imagine the amount of stuff I threw away. Rina, who cannot bear to throw things out, couldn't believe it when I packed up dinner services, coffee, and tea sets; bed linen, kitchenware, and clothing and said: who wants? She took a lot of items and handed them out to people in the centre who don't have. 

John and Jacob were stalwarts in helping us move 

John has a great sense of humor; here he sits on one of the chairs on the back of the pick-up. (And no, Rina isn't in tears; I think she's exhausted!)

My house lady, Erica, Grant's assistant,  Jacob and my gardener, John scored in a big way as well. On the last three days, we packed their newly acquired items into the back of the pick-up and took them to their respective homes in the township. 

Lounge suites, painting, lamps, tables...

Furniture and boxes stored in friend's house

It's a long (wide-enough) area which took about 80% of the house' contents.

The three-piece lounge suite is in the friend's lounge for him to use. The kitchen appliances: two upright fridges and a dishwasher is integrated in his kitchen. Rina is storing my chest deep freeze

Angus and Amanda have bought our home and I left my Elba stove for her

This was the amount of garbage (cardboard boxes, refuse bin bags filled with papers etc) which Grant and the men threw away on the rubbish dump

Ginger sitting in our very empty entrance hall!

Chappie opted to wait in the radio cabinet!

The bedroom divested of all but my dressing table and our bed

As you can imagine, the most important part of the move (for me) was transporting our pets. We kept Ginger, Shadow and Ambrose locked in my bedroom on Sunday morning - while we packed the last of our possessions into the trailer we were towing behind the pick-up.

Ginger and Ambrose asleep on "their" cushion on the last day on our old house

The three cats in their travel cages

Chappie, sweet girl, was already waiting INSIDE her cage when John and I entered the diningroom where we'd locked her for safety

John helped me by carrying Chappie's cage to the pick-up waiting on the patio

John and Jacob came in to help on Sunday morning. The most important job they had was to help me lift Skabenga (who is petrified of vehicles - crazy dog!) into the back of the pick-up. 

Then it was goodbye to the two men who'd worked for me for ever so long: John for the past ten years and Jacob for the last 18 months. 

Angus, Amanda and children met and greeted us on the pavement between our two houses. 

Eddie and Skabenga were so well-behaved on the 310km, three-and-a-half hour journey 

Shadow, Chappie and Ginger were safely ensconced in the bin of the pick-up with the dogs

Ambrose was in his cage on top of my bedlinen, next to our large suitcase on the seat behind me

The animals have all settled in well. The humans too! The cats are still indoors - I'm hoping Ambrose will give an update of this later. The dogs are in their seventh heaven with a huge area of garden and lawn to romp on. Not to mention another huge field for walks with Mum every morning.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day ahead.