7 weeks to go

Happy New Year!

I have been tempted to start an altogether new blog, but I had to admit to myself that this was purely down to pride, my last post having been more than a year ago.  I also had to admit to myself that, with seven weeks to go until our boxes are packed, my thoughts are very much spiralling, so the title of this blog is wholly appropriate.

As I have a very limited audience, I am sure I don't need to enlarge on my witterings, but just in case you are not in the know (and if you are, no I am not rubbing it in.  Just still testing whether it seems more real seeing it in writing), we are moving to Budapest as we continue to follow the Doctor's career.

We have had two surveyors from two separate removal companies traipse round our house, estimating the number of boxes and container space we need.  One of them offered to tell me the number of boxes.  I chose to live in blissful ignorance.  Just one of those facts of life I decided wasn't worth knowing.  I have spent the past months emptying the house of all unnecessary belongings, but every time I walk someone around the house I see it through their eyes and realise we still have quite a quantity of STUFF.

My plan is to have an empty (but hopefully filling-up) box on each level of the house and, as I come across something that is glaringly unncessary, to throw it in the box.  However, so far the first box has already been recquisitioned by The Lawyer for his treasures, those which Must-Definitely-Not-Be-Given-Away.

The weeding-out process has had different psychological impact on each one of us.  The Musician is constantly asking whether any item lying too close to the front door is "being given away" (no doubt he will write ballads about this experience in years to come), The Lawyer just shrugs his shoulders when asked if we can give something away (but is he secretly planning to sue us in the future??  First test case: the two-headed-dragon), and The Doctor still thinks more needs to go.  Personally, I am enjoying the pounds / kilos we have shed so far.

As well as getting rid of excess flab (if only it were as easy in human terms), it has been a pleasure to find appropriate homes for our stuff.  We started off with a sale of many of our English books.  Living in Maastricht, with limited access to browsing English books in their physical form, the book sale took place in festive spirit.  Next went the toys.  We have tried as much as possible to match toys to boys (hoping that their mothers won't hate us for overloading them), and have enjoyed hearing stories of one toddler (new owner of kitchen set) discovering the art of cooking, another lovingly taking care of his new family of dinosaurs and of The Doctor's Subuteo at last seeing the light of day.

The promise we are making ourselves is we will be as consistent in shedding excess belongings even when we are not moving.  I think we may have said something of the like before...  Luckily we seem to move once every 3-4 years.