Another Momentous Happening

This is the perennial border at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk. It has nothing whatever to do with the "momentous happening" but it is rather beautiful and it cheers me up no end. I can almost smell the lavender.

No, the momentous happening is that Mum has been offered a flat near to me and has accepted it. Which, of course, is good news. But I'm just beginning to realise how much work is going to be needed, by me and 'im indoors, to make that happen. Mum lives in a Park Home (static caravan to you and me). She has lived there for 18 years. It is a small place to live in and I presumed it wouldn't take long to sort out the things that mother will want to bring with her. Bearing in mind that most of the furniture is built in and will stay where it is, that only leaves small stuff........

W-R-O-N-G!!!!

I have underestimated my Mum's capacity for hoarding by about 3 tonnes.

There is a second bedroom. Calling it a bedroom rather gives it status beyond it's station as it is only 7ft long and 4 ft wide. You can't get much into that small space..........

W-R-O-N-G!!!!

Fool that I am. I forgot about the space UNDER the bed which is on a platform 4ft up from the floor. You guessed it. The space under the bed was absolutely crammed full of "essential" items for moving. Oh and did I mention that to get to the space under the bed you have to roll back the bedding and mattress - one end at a time - and lean in to fish everything out? I thought I hadn't, oh but first you have to remove the ironing board and clothes airer to give access to the bed in the first place.

To be fair to Mum that room has never been slept in (surprise surprise). The bed is only 2ft wide so can only be used by children - who can't actually reach it!!!????

Mum has an uncanny knack of making a room look neat and tidy whilst actually stuffing it full to the gunwales with bits and bobs, nics and nacs, spare tape; elastic bands; wrapping paper; blue tac; scissors; screwdrivers; pins; nails; wool; tapestry thread; sewing thread; rulers (3??!); witches hats (2??!); a picnic set and, yes folks, several - cuddly - toys!!!

You see Mum loovveees cupboards. So much so her much loved partner, Steve, who died about six years ago, had ingeniously built cupboard space in the most unlikely places, one only about 6 inches deep to take outdoor coats, hats and gloves etc. The trouble is that it is too easy to hoard things that way because they are out of sight so, for example, there are six coats, four of which are never worn. Mum said to me, "I hate having coats and shoes out on show". Which means she needs a cupboard for them. I said, "there's more incentive to keep things tidy if you have to look at them some of the time". But she didn't agree so we'll have to be building tiny cupboards at her new place. Luckily 'im indoors is a dab hand with wood, screws and glue so it will probably work out OK.

The other thing is ornaments, books and magazines. I said to Mum, "you'll have to declutter before you have potential buyers round".

"CLUTTER, WHAT CLUTTER?" she said.

Oh dear! That's me in the dog house then.

I drove the 100 miles home with the car loaded with: things to go in my loft; things to go to the charity shop; things to go in my garage until after Mum has moved and lots of double sized bedding for daughter's house as Mum will be downsizing to a single bed.

In two weeks I'm going down there again to start on the kitchen........groan...........