Flying to the moon
You know how unreal those old photos look now on the telly? Those guys rocketing up to the moon, finally getting there and then looking a bit stunned.
Because it does look a tad like the landscape at the back of Orepuki.
But there they are, they have made it and the world looks on in amazement.
Well, we feel a bit like all that having made a huge move back into the city, the end result of weeks of organising, days of clearing and packing and here we are. Where?
Waikiwi, and very nice too: further details when we become settled and ready for visitors.
Now the astronauts might have done it hard, months of training to fly in space, weeks of wondering how they’d get back – all of that.
But we’ve had it tough too, tougher than I’d have imagined.
Such an embarrassing accumulation of goods as you’d not believe – embarrassing and yet I feel somewhat sad they’ll all go off at auction on Saturday, find new homes and bring joy to other people. Fair enough of course.
Even our beloved Patsy the fostered greyhound, who had lived with us for two and half years, bounded joyfully into the truck of new foster mum Tanya without a backward glance. Treacherous, I thought.
But Himself said it showed how well we had cared for her – preparing her for change – and we must be glad it has gone so well with Tanya a treasure to find.
Well, of course all that may well be true but it doesn’t change how I feel nor abate the sorrow of parting, which never is sweet sorrow but, rather, sadness.
Because leaving is hard, transition never easy.
One thing, we left great neighbours and we have found good ones here, too. Ah, lucky in love.
On our last night at home we celebrated, watching the royal wedding on television with our children who’d gathered to help us move – and it took them all to make it happen, so big a deal is a shift when you haven’t done it often.
But hey, there’s something endearingly familiar about our new abode. For years the coal train has come and gone, down at the end of our Nightcaps garden.
And guess what?
That same train now rattles past our windows twice a day heading out and twice more coming back.
Talk of the sweet sound of home – just love it.