The Last Few Days of December...
It's surreal that we've been in Berkeley for over a month. The Professor has been here since the beginning of the semester, situating us as comfortably as possible (finding us a place to live, situating himself at Cal, etc) while he waited our arrival. Kids and I weeded through our astronomically big Farmcastle, and most of what we kept went into storage. I'll add here that we didn't keep 'most' of what we had. The antiques, antiquities, kids most special things...that we kept, but the rest was sold in a massive garage sale that paid for our move. I laugh now, but all those chores combined nearly caved my head in. The cause and effect of child rearing over 19 years....it's crazy what you accumulate, what becomes painful to say goodbye to simply because it's known. That's not an easy factor in weeding when you're a sentimentalist. Here's the before and after of the family room.
Just a side note, but I could write a novel about the shenanigans that occurred during this time. I literally cannot believe I'm still *mostly* sane after the two years prior to the move, but I'll spare you. Most of it had no resolution except for when we finally started the truck engine and pulled out the Farmcastle drive. I left a lot of issues right there in that driveway, and I don't regret it.
Just a side note, but I could write a novel about the shenanigans that occurred during this time. I literally cannot believe I'm still *mostly* sane after the two years prior to the move, but I'll spare you. Most of it had no resolution except for when we finally started the truck engine and pulled out the Farmcastle drive. I left a lot of issues right there in that driveway, and I don't regret it.
But here we are. The beautiful Farmcastle is empty, storage is full and locked up for a few years, the moving truck has been unloaded and here we are in a tiny little apartment barely big enough for four people. The Village we live in is truly lovely. The community is full of sincere, hard working people thriving on books and research. It's been a while since last belonging to a community sharing common goals, and it's a refresher that's helping me let go out the I brought with me. Almost everyone I've met here so far have been positively lovely humans. Taking walks through the courtyards, parks and paths always lead to cordial introductions and anticipation of more conversation in the future.
The holidays brought two of our kids to visit, so now we have six people and it's claustrophobia on steroids, but it's been a merry time. Earlier today the Professor and two of my goblins left for fishing on a pier in the bay. They'll come back smelling of fish, wind, sunshine, and salt air. Stingray, sharks, halibut, conch shells are the main sea life caught, and they throw it all back once they catch it. It's about the hunt really. It'll be such fun to hear the stories when they return. The Viking child will be full of grins and silly sass, the Professor will be full of humor. He has the best sense of humor. The delicious smells of roasting meat will be magnified after their full day in the brine. Can't wait for the stories and photos to be shared, especially after a day of dealing with myself, the Youngest and Troubadour having colds.
The holidays brought two of our kids to visit, so now we have six people and it's claustrophobia on steroids, but it's been a merry time. Earlier today the Professor and two of my goblins left for fishing on a pier in the bay. They'll come back smelling of fish, wind, sunshine, and salt air. Stingray, sharks, halibut, conch shells are the main sea life caught, and they throw it all back once they catch it. It's about the hunt really. It'll be such fun to hear the stories when they return. The Viking child will be full of grins and silly sass, the Professor will be full of humor. He has the best sense of humor. The delicious smells of roasting meat will be magnified after their full day in the brine. Can't wait for the stories and photos to be shared, especially after a day of dealing with myself, the Youngest and Troubadour having colds.
It's a gorgeous day. 62 degrees and sunny, with a light coastal breeze. It will take a while to get used to leaving the house and getting blasted with all that beautiful, fresh ocean air. After living in the central valley for so long I doubt I'll ever take clean air for granted again. And green....everything is so green. And organic. Berkeley is a strange phenomenon that takes some easing into. I do love it so far though.
Just popped a turkey in the oven to roast. Tried a new way of roasting, a simple but fragrant way. Can't wait to begin a garden again this spring so I'll have all the herbs I need for proper roasting of any meats. There's a community garden down the way, plus we have a little patio on which to grow some useful herbs in pots. Cooking is such a passion! I think this bird will start wafting through the house in thirty minutes, and I'm excited about the combination of ingredients that'll cause that.
Wish the kids weren't are down and sick, probably aided by too little sleep over the holiday. They are feeling a bit tense too from the move aftershocks. It'll take a while to settle in.
Gearing up to write. Going for 'the big one,' or the story I've been working on for years. What a challenge it's been to gather up all the notes from the past fifteen years. I'm ready though. I made sure I would be before moving up here. Reading up on so many Norse and Anglo Saxon myths...
funny how what you spend so much time with ends up incorporating itself in every day life. My bed covers are now faux wolf furs, we are eating lots of roasted meats, and I find myself drawn to all things of this era. Didn't realize it at first. Now, we are saturated. But, it's always been about the fairy tales. Anyone who's ever been to our house knows this. People have always called me a Witch, and that has always amused me.
Just popped a turkey in the oven to roast. Tried a new way of roasting, a simple but fragrant way. Can't wait to begin a garden again this spring so I'll have all the herbs I need for proper roasting of any meats. There's a community garden down the way, plus we have a little patio on which to grow some useful herbs in pots. Cooking is such a passion! I think this bird will start wafting through the house in thirty minutes, and I'm excited about the combination of ingredients that'll cause that.
Wish the kids weren't are down and sick, probably aided by too little sleep over the holiday. They are feeling a bit tense too from the move aftershocks. It'll take a while to settle in.
Gearing up to write. Going for 'the big one,' or the story I've been working on for years. What a challenge it's been to gather up all the notes from the past fifteen years. I'm ready though. I made sure I would be before moving up here. Reading up on so many Norse and Anglo Saxon myths...
funny how what you spend so much time with ends up incorporating itself in every day life. My bed covers are now faux wolf furs, we are eating lots of roasted meats, and I find myself drawn to all things of this era. Didn't realize it at first. Now, we are saturated. But, it's always been about the fairy tales. Anyone who's ever been to our house knows this. People have always called me a Witch, and that has always amused me.
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