cushions and houses

On the working side of life, I’ve been making cushions using the designs I usually print on pillow cases. I was keen to maintain the patchworky random look, so no two will ever be the same.

Still experimenting with sizes and layout – but it’s a brilliant way to use up small pieces of fabric left over from the bedspreads. The Kalk Bay shop has expressed an interest, but they would want the cushions to be a standard size. “Standard” – hmmm, a strange concept for me, I’ll have to give it some thought….

On the domestic front, we received three offers on the house within 24 hours of it being on show. We happily accepted the best one, and transfer is scheduled for the end of May. Aaaaaaannnnd, best news of all, Philip and I are now the proud new owners of a beautiful house in Claremont (a suburb of Cape Town about 10 minutes drive from where we currently live). It’s green and leafy and quiet, and the house is perfect for two people who both work from home and who like to entertain (on a relatively modest basis). It’s been wonderfully and attractively modernised, in pristine condition, and we don’t have to make a single change. So, 1 June will see quite a few removal trucks rumbling along in various directions between Mowbray, Rosebank and Claremont – housewarming to follow soon after :) Deep sigh of relief, gratitude and contentment!

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and yet more changes

My garden is looking so lovely right now, as high summer approaches and all the little plants and cuttings recently planted are starting to grow up and bloom. Despite the drought, our work-around has been successful – (grey water, gutter overflow, pipes, buckets, etc) – and Peter has helped me take wonderful care of it all. He’s busy deadheading the daisy bushes as I write this.

Sadly, it won’t be mine for much longer: it’s time to pack up house again and move on. It’s not my first option but circumstances are such that I must accept somebody else’s first option. I have not made any permanent living plans for the rest of my year, I’m just going to focus on packing and sorting and clearing up space and believing that everything happens for a reason. I don’t actually truly think that, to be honest. I think things happen that we have little control over and then we just deal with them because we have no choice – it’s in looking back that we can reshape events and change perspective so as to find silver linings and positive outcomes, because to do otherwise would be too bleak to consider. Just my view. Bit of a miserable one, I suppose, but I’m stuck with it!

Yesterday, this was the front part of my tv lounge.

Today, I can actually see some floor:

The car is packed with stuff to be taken to the charity shop. Let me get on with that before I run out of steam….