At last…

April arrived and so did Spring - it had seemed a long time coming, just like the start of the next chapter in the history of our lives. We, like the Winter, just seemed to mark time.  But eventually of course things began to change.

Family problems apart, we have enjoyed living in the Meuse area of Lorraine in north-eastern France.  It felt right for us to be here for ourselves and to support our daughter and her husband in their new business venture, which they made a success of but our daughter’s worsening health caused problems and, after ten years, they decided to sell the business, which they did and quite quickly. Her health continued to exacerbate and eight months later she was admitted to hospital and, a few days later, died from septicaemia.

After her death in August 2016 life was somewhat a blur but after about six months we could more clearly consider our options and decided it was time to be on our way again. 

The house was put on the market, on line, in Spring 2017 and here we are, a year later, and not one enquiry.  Now it will also be put in the hands of local estate agents but it really is time for us to leave.  Lovely as it is, the house is too big for just the two of us, downstairs is empty and echoes with memories and I am getting nervous on the stairs, so we are renting a bungalow and returning to Norfolk and will await developments there... -  if any! The property market in this area is slow indeed.

We have been unable to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather of the past week or so as we have been too busy sorting out our belongings and packing boxes.  But, this afternoon, an appointment was postponed, we needed a break and so we took a short ride to one of our nearby favourite spots - by the pond at Azannes-et-Soumazannes…perhaps for the last time.

Sitting partly shaded under a willow tree, how lovely it was to hear the birds sing, chirp and chatter.  We heard sparrows, chaffinch, chiff-chaff, a jackdaw and saw a swallow swoop through a dusty, broken window into a small barn.  The countryside is looking so green and beautiful and tugging our heartstrings at leaving it behind but we look forward to being in the English countryside again.  Here we do not have a garden - the bungalow does and I can hardly wait to enjoy it. I am also reminded of Browning’s poem, Home Thoughts From Abroad…“O to be in England now that April’s there“.  Of course it will be early May before we actually move into our new home so we’ll even miss the verse of the song Mountain Greenery…“On the first of May, it is moving day” - but both the poem and song are near enough!   

 

Overseen by the church...

...Ron catches up on a little blessed sleep after much insomnia of late - so much buzzing 'round our minds!

Lovely countryside shining in the Spring sunshine on the short drive home.

But, for now, back to box city and our preparations for leaving…but first a quick glance at the tulips in our little strip of garden.  

Spring - and almost ready for a new chapter...at last.