I spend a lot of my time at home, enjoying the view from the window into my garden. Not surprisingly then, I can get quite obsessed with the weather – like most English people! I get a bit fed up when it’s so hot, but then suddenly the temperature will drop and I’ll need an extra layer, or we’ll have a downpour of rain and have to rush to bring the washing in from the line before it ends up wetter than when we first pegged it out!
Of course, it’s well known that we English always comment on the weather. We use it as a way to break the ice when meeting new people, or as something to say when passing dog walkers out in the village. But its unpredictability makes it hard to plan – it always seems to be too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry – we’re never happy! It can affect my mood and ruin the view from my window, but at least I don’t depend on the weather like farmers do, and I think this year has been particularly difficult for them.
I shall soon have a new view from a different window, as I’m in the process of moving home. This is something I’ve done many times (due to mine, and my husband’s jobs) but I’m hoping that this time will be my last move. We are finally moving closer to our family, and it will be lovely to just pop up the road for a coffee and a chat – I hope they don’t get fed up with me appearing without warning!
Some of the things involved in moving are quite scary, while others are just routine. These days a lot can be done online – but so often you get halfway through a form and need extra information – why can’t they give you a list of what is required at the beginning? And trying to telephone an office – oh, it can be painful! You’re number 23 in the queue, then 12, then still 12, then 12 again … eventually you speak to a human being, only to be told you have the wrong department.
Now to the thing called downsizing – which inevitably means having to part with possessions that have meant something over the years. Things that hold memories of Christmas and special occasions – like dishes I can remember my mum making a trifle in, and if it was made by Auntie Betty it would definitely be boozy.
Can I be strong enough to get rid of some of these things? And what to do with them? We’re encouraged to recycle but it can be very hard to let go. Furniture can be a little easier; few people will want to pay you for something but will happily go to a charity shop to purchase the same item. At least this way we’re contributing to a good cause, and clearing out can help someone else who might need a new start in life.
So as I start a new chapter of my life, I wish farewell to you all. Hazel
We wish Hazel our very best and thank her for her entertaining articles. If you’d like to see your words published, get in touch at sophie@intothevale.co.uk