Movement

We've accepted another offer 😃. Unfortunately, we had to go down with the price again, but that made it possible for a formerly interested person to finally make an offer. This time it's looking good, and we see this going through fine, hopefully within the next 6 to 8 weeks, which takes us to mid/end August.

Only the garden is difficult to leave behind

Every day, I've been walking along the river Thames in Abingdon with my little furry friend Jack, and every day I've been longing to live on a barge. It has been a roller coaster of feelings for me and us, and I'm glad we're both sharing this dream. I feel so blessed to be with my incredible man 😊.

Our Orange Blossom - Love it

What an incredible summer this has been so far, hasn't it. I love English summers, they are bearable. Where I come from, in Germany, the recent weeks must have been torture in terms of heat and mugginess.

We're looking at 25 - 27 ft long cabin cruisers at the moment, hoping to find one that is suitable for a tall person like me. I'm 6ft2, which makes it very difficult to find a boat I can stand upright in. If there's any advice out there, we'll welcome it.

I'm finding the in-between time of leaving the house and buying a wide-beam barge a difficult challenge to tackle. Where are we going to live? We thought we might be able to live on a cabin cruiser (which will eventually become our river taxi from boat to land and vice-versa). But I can't really see myself being happy with that. As I said, I'm tall. Ewan is a strong built man. We need space, and at our age, we also need some level of comfort, even if it's only for a few weeks. Maybe I get used to that thought and can adapt. Otherwise, we'll have to find short-term accommodation.

Lots to think about; and also lots of packing up into boxes as well. I can't quite find the drive to do that, yet, as packing boxes is not my favourite thing to do, and I'm a procrastinator. I'm sure Ewan will cheer me on 😉.

So, it looks likely now that we're moving to a barge this summer. Keep your fingers crossed for us, please. We feel we need a bit of luck.

We love sitting by the river and watch the sunset

In the meantime, I'll take care of my physical health, as I've been suffering from a bulged disk in my neck since October 2017. After lots of treatments, I feel there's now an improvement, and I trust I'll be in full working order again some time soon. I've been feeling very let down by the NHS. After all these months I've still not even had as much as physiotherapy - grrrrrr. I've been paying for all my treatments. But hey - I've also learned a great deal from my dis-ease, to be honest. So, it's all good.

Off to seize the day now. Surely I'll find myself by the river again today, as it's like a magnet to me.

Soon, folks, this blog will become a reflection of our experiences on the river and therefore more interesting, we hope. Wishing you all well and thanks for staying with us so far.

Stagnation

It's the beginning of June, and we still haven't sold our property. In case you didn't read my last post, our sale fell through Mid May. We were devastated, it really hurt. After that and a few weeks without house viewings, we felt we had to go down with the price even more, and we've had several viewings since. Most of them went well, and some of the people are really interested and are apparently sorting out their money situation in order to make an offer. Who knows if that's true. We've had no offer and are still hoping for our dream to come true any minute. We are both very impatient and literally can't wait, which makes our situation hardly bearable. Don't get me wrong - we are chirpy and cheerful most of the time, making the most of the time we have in our house. But there's this limbo situation. When we decided to live on the river, we wanted it to happen there and then. It's been 8 months. Our patience is being challenged big time. But what can we do.

Sorry for the whinging. I thought those who had been 'following' this blog might want to know.

In the meantime we've kept going with the sorting out process. We've now got rid of most things we don't necessarily need, and some boxes full of memories have gone into private storage. It still feels good to let go, and having all that time, we're letting go of more and more. Maybe it's good that we've had more time. Who knows what this is all good for.

Life Is About To Change

As some of you know we've been looking after young people in leaving care - so called Supported Lodgers. That was my way of earning a living. The latest lodger, 17 years old, was with us since October 2017. I felt very warm towards him and cared a lot. Just over a week ago, we had to discover that he had stolen my debit card details and had tried to buy items online amounting to over £1,200. We never have that kind of money on our account, so, those attempts were fortunately declined. I felt betrayed, heart-broken and shocked. How could a young man do such a thing when he had the opportunity to be safe, cared for and looked after; when he had been given the opportunity to start building a future for himself? Did he have no sense of sensibility? No respect? No conscience? Anyway - he had to move out the next day. It just didn't feel safe to have him in the house anymore. Within one day we lost our young person. We also lost my income of £1,000 monthly. That's when the penny dropped. The Universe was giving us another chance to jump. We decided not to take on another supported lodger and turn the small guest room into an AirBnB. We also spoke to our mortgage company in order to get a 3-month mortgage reduction. Ewan's salary would not be enough. But we decided that we'd let go of fear and have faith that everything would be okay, and that the house sale was going to happen soon.

Only a week later, last Friday, in the afternoon, we received that call that we had been waiting for since October 2017: Our estate agent gave us the good news that a first-time buyer offered us the (recently reduced) asking price, and that their lender had no issue with our house having concrete walls, and that they had a sufficient amount for the deposit. Wow! The moment I heard that I was actually not feeling much at all. My mind felt happy to hear this news. But it hadn't sunk in. When Ewan arrived home, a bit later, I held his hands, looked him in the eyes and told him. It was that moment we had been hoping for. Telling him the news made it more real for me and I started feeling the happiness in my body, but for Ewan it was the same like for me, it had to sink in. This is what it must be like to win in the lottery - quite unbelievable at first.

We hugged, we bounced up and down, and we decided to accept. I asked him to call the agent and let them know our decision.

When we walked into town later to go to "The Northcourt" to see "The Secret Police" (a "The Police" tribute band), we finally both felt it. Our lives had just changed dramatically. We were going to sell the house, and we'd have about 8 weeks to move. It felt and still feels amazing. This can only be a sign of having taken the right decision (unless we're delusional).

View from under Abingdon Bridge (down the river).

Views like this is what we're expecting to see every day around sunset from about May 2018.

Exciting!!!

Over the weekend we sat together at the laptop and looked for wide-beam barges. All the ones that we had been watching on "Apollo Duck" were sold or under offer; that was sad. But after a lot of research, we found 3 new ones that had most of our criteria, and we contacted the sellers for viewings. This Wednesday we're off to Reading to see a real big barge, and coming weekend we'll be off to see 2 more further away ones.

It's all of a sudden so much more real; our dream is coming true. Apart from a few of our closest family, everyone is so happy for us, it's wonderful. And those who are not amused are just worried about us, I guess, which is understandable from their point of view. They do wish the best for us, but they also seem to think they know what's best for us 😉

Our thoughts are now circling around what we need to do in order to make this move as smoothly as possible. We need to find an affordable solicitor. We need to put more energy into clearing out, especially the man shed and the kitchen. We need to start thinking about what can already go into boxes and what we will need until the day we move. There is so much more letting go of  'stuff'; and we decided that all our CDs must become files on our hard drives, so that we can give them to charity. That in itself seems an impossible task, but Ewan is on it. We will only keep what adds value to our lives. And some memories we want to keep are going into safe storage.

We've been good at sorting things out.
Lots more to do.

Finding the right boat  shouldn't be a huge problem. But will it still be available to us, when we 'exchange'? That really does feel scary, and I keep having to stop worrying about it. All we have is faith that everything is going to fall into place smoothly now. Last time I took a huge decision like that (moving to the UK), it turned out to be the best thing I'd ever decided. So, if the heavens are with us, this will turn out equally perfect.

It's an adventure - it's a jump into cold water (as we say in Germany).
But - Together we're strong.

We'll keep you posted.

Patience

Hello Followers of our Blog,

It has been quiet with regard to our house. We recently had a very good offer, but it was withdrawn the next day. The Lender had an issue with our house having concrete walls. Very strange! So many houses in this area have been build this way in the 60s, and we never had a problem getting a mortgage. We've had no viewings since last week, which challenges my patience. I'm seeing the first signs of spring, getting all excited, and I do want to move to our dream boat with Ewan before the summer. We've actually got a boat in mind that we both love from the pictures. We even had made viewing appointment, but when the offer was withdrawn, we cancelled. No point in setting our hearts on that one boat. We'll just have to trust it's going to happen when it's meant to happen. Patience!

It is cold out there, isn't it. Brrrrrrrr! Don't like such a cold wind, but I'm still going out with my Jack every day. I'm glad I've got him, otherwise the outside would never see me apart from when I go shopping. Certainly not in the cold season. It does make me think, will we be warm on the boat. But when I speak to boaters, they all confirm that it's warm on boats - they are well insulated and have several heating sources. Sitting in Annie's Boathouse Cafe at the moment and - apart from writing this post - I'm just enjoying the view onto Abingdon Bridge and the racing river.

The good news is: Spring is on its way, there is plenty of evidence.

Last night Ewan and I were pondering over the interior of our dreamboat.  We both feel it's got to have a slightly hippy look to it - not chaotic - rather calm and tasteful, but certainly with a feel of Buddha peace. No clutter anymore. I'm sure we'll both challenge that - haha!

I also felt a bit unsure if moving to a barge is the only option we can see for change.  After discussing several other possibilities we found that the boat life is what we both want, even though it feels challenging. It's the growth thing with us - we just don't want to stagnate. Growth happens outside one's comfort zone, and this is what we want.

I'm sure the Universe has heard us clear and loud, and it's in the process of sorting it all out for us.

If any of you in the boating community want to get in touch, we'd be very pleased to hear from you. It's always nice to chat with those who've been on this journey.

So much for now. I'll be back in due course (coarse/cause?).

AHOI!

Hanging in there

I know, I know - we haven't been exactly good at keeping you all updated. Well - it was Christmas. But I admit, I also couldn't get myself to write a post, as there is not much news, still. We're waiting for the house to sell. Had 2 viewings this week - no luck. We're basically getting on with more research, talking to people who've done it, finding websites where boats are sold or hired out and thinking about having our barge made from scratch. Lots of brain-storming going on; also thinking of boat names. It's a bit like being pregnant - we know it's going to happen - and we have kind of a time frame - but we just don't know exactly when.

Every day we walk along the Thames in Abingdon,
and every day we ask ourselves,
when is it going to happen, that we see this kind of
scenery every day for the rest of our lives.

I (Silvia) have been suffering from a trapped nerve in my neck since the beginning of October, which has now affected my left shoulder as well. I'm managing, but it's truly affecting my energy levels. By about 3pm I'm done, and all I want to do is lay down and rest my body. Can't do that, of course, as I've got to go to work in the mornings and build my business in the afternoons (and whenever I get time). So, basically, some things are very low on my agenda, and this blog is one of those.

In my mind, some of my/our our habits are going to change, when it happens (I mean when we've moved to our new floating home):

• We'll eat much, much healthier, and mostly vegan. Being aware of what's going on in the world in order to keep and feed animals, and what's happening to pigs, cows/calves/male chickens/chickens etc is making me sick whenever I see clips on my FB timeline. I don't look away anymore, and my conscience is weighing quite heavy on that topic. We still eat cheap Tesco or Aldi meat, and my excuse is that we can't afford the organic stuff. Rubbish, of course. Less is more - we both know that. It's our habits and cravings that make us do this, and there is no good excuse. Making step-by-step changes seems to be the way forward for us.
• We won't have a big TV screen. We'll both have laptops, as we do need them for our jobs and hobbies. So, watching stuff together will still be on the cards, but we won't allow space for a big TV screen, we'll sit side by side on a sofa and watch stuff on a laptop together, and only things that we agree on together. We kind of do that already, to be frank.
• I will read more. I used to be a "Leseratte" (a reading rat - sounds so wrong) when I was young. Where's this gone?! I will read the books that are still in my possession and go with us onto the barge, and I will read all the books I've bought and downloaded to my Kindle.
• I will be more creative. That journey started a little while ago by attending classes like "Art Journelling" or "Creating A Soulbook" etc. I enjoy creativity in a group setting with a facilitator. But will I enjoy it doing it on my own? Not sure, but the intention is set.
• I will be better at keeping those piles of paper down. I have a two piles that don't seem to ever get any smaller. They're things I want or need to attend to, and then I forget about them. Some of them don't go away, though. Procrastination is the word that comes to my mind. I'm good at that. I want to change and attend to things much more immediately.

That's enough change, isn't it. 

Did you know that Ewan is a Radio DJ?
Tune in every Tuesday from 19:00 (GMT),
live, either online on www.flashfmoxford.co.uk
or
on Radio 105.1 FM (Destiny) in Oxford area.
He plays an amazing range of more or less known
Rock and Blues tracks till 22:00
(and on FlashFM the Rock & Blues playlist goes on until the morning hours)

Show is being repeated every Sunday morning from 9am.

Meanwhile we're now emptying the attic and getting rid of more stuff. We have been very lazy the last 2 months. Shame on us. The shed is next.

It's nearly 3pm, and I can feel the strain on my neck. So, I'll give myself a break, feeling satisfied that I've written another post.

Bless you for reading and following. We do appreciate it.

Lots of love to all our readers.

The Caterpillar Is Very Hungry

I know you don't see much of us here (even less of Ewan than me), but we're just having such a busy time. I'm building up my business as a life coach and group facilitator, and Ewan is in a full-time job, being a radio DJ and a very committed member of "A Band of Brothers" in Oxford (they're looking for men to volunteer, by the way). But we also have been meeting 4 Estate Agents within 1.5 weeks and are constantly letting go of stuff. We also look after a 'supported lodger' (a young person in leaving care, being housed with us) and have a dog. Well, and there's of course all those unimportant things like shopping, cleaning, tidying, cooking and keeping friendships up, going to the pub ..... You get the picture.

Ready to go to the charity shop

Most importantly, we are not yet living on a barge. So, there's not a huge deal to report from that position. Yet, we have contracted an estate agent to try and sell our house, it's going on the market (hopefully) this Saturday. Tomorrow we'll have taken pics of the house (God - I still need to hoover, dust, tidy, clear the garden from all those bl...dy leaves...), so, we're well on our way. We're hoping that we're going to sell real soon (within 4 weeks, please, dear Universe!!!), as we absolutely can't wait to live our dream. Yet, there is still just soooo much  S T U F F.  Absolutely unbelievable, what we thought we 'needed' to keep. It was only 4 years ago that we moved to Abingdon-on-Thames. We had let go of so many things then, as we downsized. I remember promising myself that I'd never accumulate so many things again. And here we are. I'm at the stage of "do-i-really-need-to-let-go-of-this?", so, at least I've rid myself from everything I didn't have any attachment to. Now I'm starting to feel the pain of letting go beloved and more meaningful things. Ewan has yet to deal with his man-shed (I think I'll take a holiday when he's attacking that one). But at least we've mostly emptied the garage. I won't be able to run away from emptying the attic, though. This will be my absolute biggest challenge, as I've got memories stored there, and old VHS cassettes with German films on them, CD collections .... Urgh! But we'll do it - I know we will. We're so focused and determined - if I was our friends I'd be admiring us. I believe we're doing an amazing job. We've done good research, we've spoken to people who've done it, we've spoken to friends and family, we've been following related blogs, we're blogging ourselves, we've started letting go before we even decided to go on a barge, and we're being very disciplined with the getting-rid-of-stuff. Once we've sold, we can move on without huge 'baggage', we'll be totally ready to find our dream boat and move in.

Why did I give this post such a strange headline? Some of you might have already guessed. I feel Ewan and I are in metamorphosis, stage 1 of 3, and we'll come out of the cocoon as beautiful shiny butterflies 😋

I would like to share with you the collage I made recently in a little workshop:

I love my creation, as it reflects my vision of the near future. I didn't find a barge, unfortunately, but even so, these pics reflect my longings. Sorry for the German words, I used German magazines. But I will translate them for you (in no particular order):
- Departure
- Beautiful Life
- I look forward to new pathways
- Onlookers welcome (that is snales, birds ....)
- Finding an oasis
- In time I recognised that I don't need to be perfect in order to be loved
- Seeking stillness and finding freedom
- Oozing love
- Coming home
- Together strong
Those words say it all. The snowdrops symbolise my wish to have moved by the end of winter 2017/18.

Wish us luck!

Summer Break Is Over

Hello devoted Followers,

We've been quiet. I know. I do apologise! It has been a roller coaster Summer for us. We were far too busy to write blogs; and also enjoying any available sunshine.

Our dream had been on hold for a bit, as we had to get a wedding, two holidays and a crisis out of the way. But it's alive, and we're still on track.

IMPORTANT:
If we can get any chance at all to live on a wide-beam barge for just a few days or weeks, that would be so amazing. So, if you read this and can give us this experience (of course against payment), please do get in touch.

Just a few impressions from the wedding:

Isn't she the most beautiful thing? I'm not allowed to publish photos of her husband, but I can tell you they looked gorgeous together, and the day was perfect. We were in Germany for 10 days and enjoyed every minute.

But back to the dream. This week I'll pop in to the estate agents and find the right one for us. So, very soon, the house is going on the market. We're still letting go of things. And you might want to know that we've been trying to sell a dark brown 2-seater leather recliner sofa (electric), that is in very good condition, but we just haven't found the buyer, yet. If you're interested, do get in touch, we'll find the right price for sure, and you'll be so happy to own it. Here are some pics:

It's looking good. Right?

So, just let me get on with things, so that I have more to say next time. I'm also busy building up my coaching practice (which will obviously move with me to the barge) and setting up workshops. So, lots to do.

If you can help us in any possible way, please be in touch. But we're equally grateful to just hear from you and get to know you if you're passing by (Abingdon-on-Thames).

Till soon.....

Silvia

Half a day out with Paul and Carol

Last Saturday we were warmly welcomed on Paul & Carol's barge "La Finisterre" at Abingdon Lock. First we were greeted by their super sweet dog who gave us a huge smile (honestly! - she does show her teeth when she greets you!). I wish I could show you a picture of that. 😁

What a lovely couple! We had a beautiful time with them, chugging up the Thames to Sandford Lock and back. We were kindly offered cheese & biscuits and I brought my German cheesecake for pudding.

Up the Thames it was Ewan steering ....

..., which he did confidently - I was impressed. And backwards I had a go. Gosh was I nervous. But I got the gist of it after a few hundred yards (or was it miles?). Still - I'm finding the steering into the mooring very challenging and we both left it to Paul. 

Our Jack seemed to be relaxed most of the time. But once we found him off the boat when we were in a lock. He must have thought "walkies 😀".

I loved watching Paul & Carol's dog Milly (I hope I got this right). She always sat on the edge checking out the river, and mostly wagging her tail.

Obviously, we loved seeing the wildlife. We saw at least 3 herons. It still gets me all excited when I see one heading off. Not a very good pic. Forgive me! The weather was rather wet and windy.

So, do we feel any clearer about moving onto a houseboat? Yes. And we're being given a fantastic opportunity by Paul and Carol to try it out for a week in September. They say they've never looked back, having done it for about 20 years. All they say is very inspiring and it's motivating us to go ahead. We might even rent their boat for a while when they go travelling for a year. We'll see how the house sale goes. We haven't even put the house on the market yet. That will happen in September.

So far, it's all going well - so many nice connections already, and still lots of support from all our friends and family. When we speak about our dream-come-true project, we always find ourselves smiling. Ewan asked if we were still going ahead with it if we won the lottery big time. We agreed that we would; possibly on an even bigger scale, though 😉 - And Ewan would retire immediately.

Life's exciting.

Parents, Clothes and Lodger

We've done it. We've told Ewan's parents. What a big relief! The first response wasn't too uplifting. But after explanations and expressing our dedication, as well as showing mum some of the amazing wide-beam houseboats online, she softened into it. We've got their blessing. That's what we needed.
It feels even more real now.
My parents ... to come .... but not yet. I expect mine to try and talk me out of it, and I'm such an obedient daughter. Well, this time I won't be, but I am aware that I - again - don't want to get them to worry about me. Maybe I'm totally overthinking this. It's all in my head so far. But I can't yet pluck up the courage.

Today I went through my two 3-door wardrobes (yes, 2!), and I think I could now start making it one, slowly. There are some pieces I just am not ready to let go off. But 2 black bags full (I could hardly carry them) was a brilliant start.

And I sold a camera - Yippeeh!

Another topic:

My prescription has changed, and I'm having trouble to read stuff on the laptop or my phone. Believe it or not, but right now we can't afford to buy me new glasses. They will cost me nearly £400 because my eyes are so complicated. So, I'm trying to sell stuff and get that money in. But that bl...dy recliner sofa won't sell. Ebay was unsuccessful. I've now put it on Gumtree. Wish me luck, please!

And an issue I'd like to share:

We have a lodger. He is a minor (17) and from Albania - a refugee, seeking asylum here. We got him through Social Services and have had him live here and cared for since June 2016. In all these months, my every attempt to teach him some basics, like how to eat socially acceptable (not with your fingers or the knife only), how to cut meat (not pull it apart), and like how to leave the bathroom behind, so others won't feel disgusted when they want to use it. But also basics like locking up behind him when we're away and he leaves the house. I'm sure you know where this is going. Yes - he seems unteachable, and my levels of anger have been rising for over 12 months. Yesterday I got myself in such a state that I wanted to explode. I talked to him when he came back home, and I hope I made myself very clear this time.

I've been suffering from exhaustion, lately. Couldn't put my finger on the cause of it. But having a young person live with us that is 99% ignorant (or otherwise engaged - .... I only say phone!!!!) might just be a reason. Yesterday, speaking about it with a good friend, I felt so tearful and done with this job, and I understood that a big part of my fatigue might come from this care job (which we need as it gives me an income). I'm not the youngest anymore, and for the last 13 years together (Ewan and me I mean) we've always found our financial situation hard, and we've mostly had strange people living with us to pay the mortgage. So, yes, downsizing is definitely an answer.

I used to be an admin person, before I became a full-time self-employed life coach. Admin is not for me anymore; it's soooooooooooo boring. Also, I see through bad organisational structures, power abuse and how one person has to do more and more because of downsizing staff and taking on more work. I've had it HERE (if you know what I mean). So this is not an option - I can't go back. As a life coach I'm only in my second year of building up, so, I have practically no income, yet. Anyway - this has been quite a struggle, too, as I'm not very good at using marketing tools to advertise my services. It's all so overwhelming.

Sorry for being a bit whiny today, but letting it out is quite a relief, and I'm certainly not looking for sympathy.

Yesterday I also spoke to my old friend in Germany. She told me the boat thing could be a symbol for floating more with our soul's purpose and being carried. She said the solution to our issues might not necessarily be living on a houseboat, but the houseboat could be a metaphor for the solution. She also said, letting go was a great thing and will be rewarded, and that we might have to keep open-minded about what is the right thing for us after the house is sold. We'll see where we float then ;)

See you later,
and thanks for listening.

The rain, our parents and stuff

We have a date with Paul and Carole - Yey! They will welcome us on their boat and we'll have a good chat about moving from the land to the river. We're excited 😀

Right now, there is not much more to report. Only that we have got rid of some stuff, have put things on Ebay and have contacted a friend to help us with the repair of the kitchen tap.

But we haven't spoken to our parents, yet. Coming Monday we're invited to my in-laws for supper. We'll have to pluck up some courage .... Don't get me wrong - they are the most wonderful people I've ever known; they are tolerant, open-minded, open-hearted and so very loving and lovable. But we believe that one of their great values is to own a house - on the land. We simply expect them to feel rocked by this news of ours. And we hate the idea that my mother-in-law is going to have even less sleep in the near future, worrying about us.

It's been raining all day here in Abingdon. That made us both think the same thought: What would it be like on the barge now? What would we do on a day like this? We both came to the conclusion that we would do exactly the same as we do now - we'd be on our computers, avoiding to go outside. I must admit, I haven't been out with my dog (shame on me, I know), but my darling Ewan has already had a long bike ride this morning (bless him), so he's off the hook.

We've been telling more friends and acquaintances about our mission, and we've had nothing but applause. Weird! But good 😊

I would like to use this blog to write about other things that move me, so, be prepared that not everything will be about the boat dream-come-true thing.

Here's a peaceful image of me gazing into nature. I can't wait doing that every day ...

And here's a pic of my sweet dog Jack running through the grass:

Tonight we're going to a big Sophos Party. Shame that the weather is not with us on this one. I need to become more English and not be so bothered by rain.

Cheerio, and talk to you soon x

Good Omen

Last Saturday we went to a birthday bash at the Brewery Tap in Abingdon and it took no more than 2 minutes before Ewan was introduced to Paul and Carole, houseboat owners for 14 years on the river Thames in the Abingdon area. Ewan was chuffed when he realised that Paul was the brother of one of his mates who had just recently told him to have a chat with them. The world is such a tiny place, isn't it. Paul and Carole offered very kindly to come visit them and have a good chat about living in a boat, but also spoke about the possibility of renting theirs when they are travelling, so we can get a good idea of what it is like. This certainly is a good omen, right?

A day later, at the 3Bs fundraiser event, one of Ewan's "brothers" (from A Band of Brothers), who had read about our venture, offered us their narrowboat for a holiday this summer. Another omen.

Chuffed!

I'm a spiritual person (grounded as well - so, no 'nananunu') and take this as a further sign of the Universe that our dream is blessed and meant to come true. All will be well and falling into place.

So far, we only get full support from everyone. We still haven't told our parents, though. Just so worried they won't sleep. We'll do it Friday lunch time.

Next step: Asking a friend to help us repair the kitchen tap and find out how to clear the utility room's ceiling from mould.

I was a good girl today and have done some weeding in the garden - ooooh my poor back. Must rest now :)

Yes, you are seeing a pack of meat defrosting in the sun LOL

Till soon xxx

Snap decision

During those beautiful warm summer days it is especially difficult to be patient with regard to realising our dream. I've been walking my dog Jack every day along the river in Abingdon, and I look at the barges with even more yearning now. I envy everyone who is already living this lifestyle close to nature.

The day before yesterday I took a snap decision and signed up with House Simple, in order to get the house sold as soon as possible (don't like mainstream estate agents, would rather sell the house privately). My thinking was, we don't have to commit to anything, but we will get an idea of what our property is worth. When Ewan came home he looked unhappy, though, so I sat down with him and we had a chat. The decision whether or not he'll have a job has been postponed another 2 weeks, and it's becoming hardly bearable for him. Poor Darling. Other stuff is also going on at work, e.g. one of his colleagues has got the sack. It's so bloody sad. What's going on at the County Council right now - I have only one word for it: Disgusting.
Anyway - to get back to the point - Ewan didn't have his head free for selling houses, so, he asked me to wait with getting Estate Agents here. Also, he feels we need to do some cosmetics first. He has a point, I gather. When I want something I want it NOW 😁 So, I'll have to cancel with House Simple again and be patient and do the step-by-step thing. Glad I have my Steadfast - he's so good for me.

It's not raining, so, the earth is really dry and hard; and it's hot. Therefore, I decided that garden work (de-weeding etc) is not on at the moment. I will sell stuff on Ebay now. Get some money in and rid of stuff as an added bonus. Anyone want a beautiful, fully functional dark brown double leather recliner sofa? We're finally selling it. It won't come with us - too big and bulky. Very comfy though 😆

Please, Weather God, let it rain cats and dogs all night tonight and then let us have more of this wonderful summer warmth at the weekend. Thank you!

Oh - P.S. -
If you'd like to support a wonderful Charity called "A Band of Brothers", please come along to 3Bs Fundraiser event at Sunningwell this Sunday (9th July). We'll put on a barbecue (even vegan and veggy options available), bands, offerings like Reiki etc., and Ewan will play his Rock & Blues in between, cause he's The DJ. This will be a real nice, fun family event.

So much to do

So, now that we're going to do this, there is just so much we need to do - it feels overwhelming to me. I guess, listing a few things might help?

• Get rid of stuff - Am I going to sell things or take them to the Charity Shop? Both, I guess. But it's so much work 😖 And where do I start? I'll start with the stuff that goes to the Charity Shop - things that I don't expect people will spend money on Ebay. It's so hard for me to let go of things. They somehow seem to be part of me - memories, collections... What if I miss them when they're gone? Can they possibly go with me onto the boat? No. I don't want stuff anymore. It's time to let go. Carol and George said it's so liberating, and recently Ewan and I watched The Minimalists on Netflix and found it liberating to just watch others free themselves from possessions. So, I can do this. I will do this.

• Put the house on the market - Yeah, I'd like to do that today. Nevertheless, the garden needs attention, the super expensive hob has a diagonal crack from top left to bottom right, the bath tub has a crack (the coat won't last forever), the kitchen tap is loose, drips and leaks. The kitchen walls need a new coat of colour, so does the living room. Carpets need cleaning; the front lawn needs new grass, the patio needs weeding. Ewan has cut the hedge, bless him; that's something. Okay - before we've done the house and garden up we can't get the estate agent here. At least the cosmetics need doing.

• Do houseboat research - Carol and George have given us some helpful tips where to find boats. But does it make sense to look now? It's like when we last sold and bought a house, first get some interest, then start looking for a new home. At least that's how I see it at the moment. But there's other research to be done. We need to understand how to maintain a boat, how to even get it here if it comes from another part of the world. Mooring costs, taxes - Will we even find a mooring? They're not easily available. I need to go to Rosie's Cafe and Boat Hire and get a boaters' magazine. I can do that. I'll have a lovely walk along the canal with Jack and then a coffee and a read.
• Tell our parents - Right now this seems to be the hardest bit. Most of our family and friends know, but we haven't told our parents. We expect resistance. They'll talk us out of it. They'll infect us with their fears and doubts. Again - speaking to Carol and George helped us a little, as afterwards we felt we could tell them. But today is another day, and my fear of their reaction is back. Well - we have time, haven't we.

Ewan might find out today if he still has a job. I better get busy and not think about it. Just hoping for the best. Somehow, I feel the Universe is with us all the way. I feel a green light.

Let's get do stuff now.

See you later,
Silvia 🙋

Meeting others who've done it

Yesterday, we walked along the Thames in Abingdon, and it didn't take long that we noticed this beautiful wide-beam boat - one of those that we're looking to get if it all works out. We looked at each other and knew we'd knock on their door to ask lot of questions.

Carol and George were instantly warmly welcoming us in. After introductions and telling them about our dream, George took us on a guided tour of "Still Rockin" (http://wbstillrockin.blogspot.co.uk/). What a beautiful interior, and so much space!! We got a lot of very valuable information on best width, length, height, horse power and so much more. How lovely was THAT???! Stepping out of the boat, we were even more convinced that this is not just a dream, but one that will come true for us.

Soon, we'll be able to have this kind of view every day...

More than ever, we feel very excited. Boaters, next year we'll be one of you 😀

The Seed of an Idea

I guess like for lots of people life has been a struggle for us, constantly working hard to make ends meet. Well, we’ve had enough of the millstone that’s called a mortgage, enough of having to share our space with a lodger, with not having the freedom to do as we want when we want. And on top of that, government cut backs are threatening my earnings.

I’ve spent all my life living in proximity to the River Thames and the Oxford Canal, seeing the many various crafts and lifestyles, while walking dogs along the towpath. I've been wondering if one day I too could take on such a way of life.

I’m married for the second time, and Silvia has similar thoughts. But at 6’2″ tall we kind of assumed that the boats would mean a life of stooping for her. Then, about a month ago, we had the opportunity to see inside a wide beam barge, and to our surprise there was a clear 6 to 8 inches above her head.

From that point our dream was starting to become reality ... at least in our minds.

The Plan is to sell the house and buy a wide beam barge (or Dutch barge). It's July 2017 now, so, if we started today we could be moving onto the river mid winter, assuming it would take about six months to sell, find and buy the right boat, move it to Oxfordshire if necessary, and get settled in. Oh, and there is the contents of the house to think about, we have so much ‘stuff’ - we’ll need to down-size our belongings, find a home for the hens. Jack the dog will come with us.

So, the idea behind this blog is to publish the progress of our move from Land to River.

We’re definitely in the research stage at the moment, so, are looking for help, advice, information anything really that makes this dream come true. Please, if you’ve done this journey yourself and have some wisdom to offer, do get in touch.

Just writing this to the world - feels like a start.

Ewan