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