SETTLING IN AT TAKA

Wow! the feeling of peace that I have here is amazing. I love it. I feel a warmth and contentment and a kind of knowing I'm where I belong, and it feels lovely.

It's been a huge week. Getting out of the old villa in the city and having all my belongings delivered here in a big truck, with my wee mini cooper all loaded up, and Brenda's car too, and then the mighty unload! Been unpacking boxes and bags for 3 days, and by the end of today we've pretty much nailed it and got everything in it's place, and it's great because there seems to be a place for everything. Yesterday was pouring with rain and Rory stayed all day with us working inside with his new lazer, helping us hang all the pictures and my big sunburst clock. Very high tech picture hanging, he went the extra mile and did an amazing job. Today I completed hanging the curtains which were unfortunately made incorrectly and needed some major alterations, but all good now. It felt so cozy and homely tonight sitting by the fire with Brenda and watching old Beatles and Elvis clips on YouTube for the whole evening, and talking and eating and laughing and drinking watermelon Hopt soda, and later licorice tea. Booze may have added a familiar false reality for a while, louder voices, talking nonsense eventually, a sense of fun I guess, but I didn't need to add anything at all to the feelings of contentment, genuine love and friendship shared, and our happiness with this home. 

I am so grateful to have had Brenda here to help me with the transition at both ends.....emotionally as well as with the practicalities, of which she is an expert. Last Saturday when I bought her over with her sister Kathe for the night, and she saw the house for the first time almost completed, and we walked through it up to my room, she got overwhelmed with emotion, that I really had done it, made my dream come true, and she had tears, which made me have tears and we stood in my room hugging and crying and laughing. It was a beautiful moment and one I will always remember with much love. I will miss her when she goes tomorrow.

My Georgia is coming over tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to getting all cosy with her here, and having lots of time to listen and talk and be together. I'm hoping Rory will come back over too, not to work, just to be here with us in the home he has created for us all. I have a very special gift which I am looking forward to giving to him, and tomorrow would be perfect. It is a saw, beautifully carved by an old man, which I found in an antique shop about a year ago. I have had a little brass plate engraved and put on it's handle....Rory, with enormous love and pride. Mum. June 2017. 

It's nearly 1.00am and hey ho....off to sleep I go in my lovely soft and cosy brand new bed, where I can look out the side windows from my pillows and see the orange light on the wharf and it's reflection in the water. I could see lots of lights at Duvauchelles and Ngaio Point if I wanted to, but I've drawn my gorgeous new curtains and I feel all cozy and safe. As soon as I wake in the morning, while it is still dark, I will draw them back and watch the dawn. Life is good, and I am grateful.

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WINTER SUN

Wild horses couldn't drag me away yesterday from the peace and sunshine in Takamatua, so I'm still here, and what a glorious day it is too. The morning sun warmed my face while sitting at my breakfast bar at my cool new benchtop. By about 10am I had to change into a t-shirt and sat outside on the deck for a while doing some emails. I've discovered the reason I bought a swivel round armchair, even though I didn't think of it at the time. Instead of facing the fire I can just swivel it round a wee bit and catch all the sun pouring in through the big open double doors. The sky is blue, the sea is calm, and all is still and quiet. If I wanted a sun tan I could get one right here, right now. On an armchair in my lounge room. In the middle of June!

The afternoon is here now and Rory and Andy are working away outside, and the curtain people have arrived and are installing my curtains. I've come up to my room to get out of their way while they're working. I have the double doors open to the deck and the sun is warming my feet. Every room here is so light. It makes me realise how dark my old villa is, with it's not so very good lighting, and what a difference it makes to have all that winter sun and light coming into my rooms.

I have not properly moved in yet but I've been here since Friday and it feels amazing. I am so happy with what we have created here, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will never want for another home. This is it for me. I know there will be times when it will feel too quiet and I will feel too alone, but I also know those times won't last forever, so I will make the most of the freedom I have, to do exactly as I please, and I will wait for life to bring me what I need.

I trust absolutely that I am exactly where I am meant to be in my life at this moment.
I am very grateful.

Sent from Samsung tablet

FIRST NIGHT AT TAKA

On Friday a truck took all the beds and some of the furniture over to the new house. It was the best day ever for me. I so loved it. To put my wrought iron day bed (that I designed and had made about 13 years ago) in the alcove designed specially for it was a real moment of my vision coming to fruition. I had a very good artist, Stephanie McEwan, paint a beautiful mural of white anemones amongst tree trunks, with some greenery and water on the two walls beside it. I love it. The main lounge wall was designed specially to house my 18th century round Chinese bookcase/shelves, and the feeling of setting it up and putting my lamp and art glass and other bits and pieces on it was the most satisfying fun I've had in such a long time. It really has been such a long time since I first started working with the architect to design this home, 4 years to be exact. It is difficult to describe what it feels like to be finally beginning to move in. 

I slept my first night in my brand new bed with brand new bedding, aaah bliss! and it's one of those beds where I can press a button and it sits me up to better take in my view. It will have the added bonus that I'll be all ready when I become a geriatric!!

Actually, there's the thing that's difficult to describe...... it is the feeling of permanence, the feeling that this is it, I have achieved it, this is my end game, my home forever. It is also a feeling of coming home, back to my roots, back to the land I was given, where I feel the spirit and the memories of my parents, and my childhood, which looking back on was so protected and secure and happy. I have a feeling of profound gratefulness. For the land. For the wonderful home that Rory has built me. For the fact that it is my son who has built it, which will always give it special meaning and hold fond memories. I am grateful for the process itself, which has had its stresses like any build, but Rory and I have maintained an excellent, loving and respectful relationship throughout.

After he'd left to go back to his flat in Duvauchelles, he turned up again about half an hour later to clean the windows in my bedroom so I could fully appreciate the beauty when I woke up in the morning. What a guy! I'll never forget that. Nor will I ever forget waking up yesterday morning in my new home ready to watch the dawn, and finding the side windows placed absolutely perfectly to see the mouth of the bay from bed, and the big windows at the end of the bed giving me the gorgeous tranquil view of a calm and still morning on the harbour. I had a few tears of emotion, of happiness, and relief that this huge project is nearly over, and that my home is everything I've imagined it would be.

I'm not actually moved in yet and it‘s not finished, there's still all the corten decorative cladding, the driveway and the landscaping to finish, but it is otherwise pretty much ready, so I've started the process of transition. A very busy month ahead, after which I hope to be settled in at Takamatua, with my house in Christchurch rented.

Booze would have added nothing to this project. Well it would actually; it would have added stress, strained relationships, worry, fear, short tempers, frustration, impatience, time off, self-doubt, lack of clarity, hangovers, and more money!! 

I'm so pleased I've learned to appreciate friends and family, life, love and laughter - without any toxic carcinogenic shit entering my body, dulling my brain, and giving me false amusement for a few hours. 

“No thank you, I don’t drink”!  Yee Haa!