That Old Thing!?

I've been a bit hit and miss on the blog over the last few weeks. My problem is never a lack to things to talk about-  (Yeah, Yeah, I know!)- but a lack of time to get sitting down and say them. It feels like we've been dismantling our house (or parts of it) and putting it all back together again...only somehow it feels different..in a good way.

 Its been an upheaval, no doubt about it. There's been a run of late nights, dust everywhere, loads of clearing and now I've a huge pile of stuff for a car boot sale, another  for charity, another for my sister. And of course there's still all the other day to day stuff that needs doing too-kids' routines REALLY get in the way of home improvements. BUT, before you write this off as a moan fest- it's actually okay!  More than okay- it's great! I'm enjoying feeling motivated because for so long I just didn't.

In fact, it  reminds me of my camel coloured coat (Bear with), that I bought years ago when we were living in  US. It was a really good, warm, full length one and every time I wore it my mum unerringly scolded 'That coat'll take you anywhere- I don't know why you don't wear it more often'. But then I  lost a bit of weight and anyway, camel didn't coordinate well with baby sick, so it hung in the back of the wardrobe for years and years. Too good to get rid of, too 'granny mush' to wear. There it hung t until a year or so ago,when I went along to a clothes revamping evening and finally saw its potential. A few weeks later and my old bag lady camel coat was 6 inches shorter, with a cheeky half belt on the back and I've hardly had it off my back since. I fell back in love with it again (sidenote- it also happens to work fabulously with leopard print so what's not to love?)

So anyway back to the house-  what I'm trying to say in a hopelessly roundabout way, is that sometimes you CAN fall back in love again with a thing, or a place or maybe even a person-even if you think that ship has sailed and your bags and your heart are packed up-just by seeing it in a slightly different light. Then, if you're really lucky, you look around and slowly it dawns on you why you fell in love in the first place.

 One lovely evening last week,  I glanced out into our garden and counted nine children- mine and most of our neighbour's - all playing there together. From toddlers to teens, they were just swinging, climbing, talking, bouncing, scooting....if ever I needed a decision affirming moment, then that was it.
In fact, the only thing that could possibly improve on it would be leopard print carpet on my stairs and landing.... watch this space!

Not my stairs...but it COULD be!