So, that snowballed

[iamshadow]

We were in town the other week, and we swung past the big charity shop, just because we hadn't been in there in a while. I grabbed a few books (which I photoposted about at the time) and Emma went out the back to the furniture section and had a sit down on a really comfortable sofa

Comments

[thenetwork]

That's an awesome story. :)

[iamshadow]

I mean, sometimes I'm really glad I live hundreds of kilometres away from my family and their Drama, and others, I'm reminded abruptly that they're genuinely amazing people who just have different (often polar) opinions to myself on politics/religion/morals, etc.

Hey, long time, no talk. How have you guys been? :)

[mrsquizzical]

i'm in raptures over all that clearing getting done for you in the garden in one fell swoop. and to also get those purchases. that is a whole bunch of quality of life right there!

<333

[iamshadow]

It was amazing seeing him just clear it all with basic tools and muscle and stamina. He's seventy-one; he's forty years my senior. He's Cook Islander Maori, he's done physical labour his whole working life, and he's got body strength better than a lot of labourers in their twenties.

It really is. I don't know whether to flail more over the potential in my garden or the shiny new Windows 8 running computer. The old Mini was only running XP. Once I figured out where the Desktop was in Windows 8, I really liked it. I've been using a Windows 8 phone since November, so the whole tiles arrangement is familiar enough that it's easier than it would have been if I'd not had that comparable system.

[blue_midnight]

<3

Lovely story.

[iamshadow]

To be honest, it all hasn't really sunk in yet. And yet I'm typing this on my new computer. So weird.

[pengke]

You should write your family a letter telling them most of this. I'd bet they'd be touched how much you appreciate their efforts.

[iamshadow]

Believe me, I was thanking them all weekend, and when they come up again, I'll be thanking them all the more. We're not really a letter writing family; we don't do birthday or Christmas cards, either, but I made sure I let them know exactly how much it meant to me before they left for home.

[thisgirl_is]

Oh man, that's amazing! Having someone tear down the wreckage of an old garden is such a relief - at that point it becomes something you can do something with.

So glad some things came together for you. (New furniture, new laptop!)

[iamshadow]

Yes, that's it exactly. We've had plans for this garden since about eight months before we moved in, that's about three whole years, and finally, now I can start doing some of them.

It's an embarrassment of riches; I'm still stunned at the whole situation.