About 1992-1993, A's oldest brother and sister-in-law were talking about immigrating to Australia and he was keen to do the same. Me, not so much. I didn't think that there was any way I could leave my folks behind. We are very close and used to see each other at least once or twice a week and talked every day. In 1996, the night that the National Party pulled out of the coalition government (it was a Sunday night and we were watching the news), I turned to A and I said "OK - I'm ready to leave" - he had no idea what I was talking about - it was about 9pm on a Sunday night - where on earth would I be going to ? I explained that I was ready to move countries becaused I realised that if we stayed in South Africa, we had no future and more importantly, K would have a very dismal future. So much so that I could see her finishing school and then moving countries - and by then A and I would be too old to get into another country (except maybe NZ because it used to be really really easy to get in there).
A's most favouite animal
This is the first instance of when his idea was a great idea - it just took me a few years to catch up to him.When we got to Australia we rented a house for 6 months while we found which suburb we wanted to live in and found the house we wanted to buy. When we found this house it wasn't what we wanted at all - it had one loungeroom and three bedrooms and this stupid little vanity outside the toilet - who does that, and no door to the outside from the kitchen. No way was I going to buy this house !!! It wasn't anything like I wanted !!! (or so I thought !). After a cursory glance through it we left with me passing derogatory comments about the 'stupid bloody estate agent showing us houses that didn't have the things we had specifically asked for'. Anyway after seeing a few more places, we chatted about this house and realised that we could change the one loungeroom into two and that we could get by with three bedrooms instead of four and really, what did it matter if there was an extra basin and vanity ? So we came back and had another look and made an offer. After a bit of bargaining back and forth, we got it for nearly $7k less than we were willing to pay - bargain !!!!! Needless to say, that extra vanity has been a godsend at times - especially when my folks came to visit and Dad was shaving and K was trying to get ready for school. K has got very spoiled by having mirrors on three walls and so being able to see all around her hair. This will be another shock to her system along with remote garage doors (or lack thereof !!!)
I had very clear instructions about the house that we bought - whatever it was and wherever it was - the only time I was moving out was in a coffin (once again, our irreverent approach to death comes to the fore !!!). I have made the statement many times over the years - firmly believing it each.and.every.single.time because I was not moving - no sir, not for anybody.
We have been very happy here but A has, on more than one occasion, mentioned how much he would like to live on acerage and have horses and a ride on mower. "Yes dear - whatever makes you happy" was generally my reply (or at the very least words to that effect, knowing full well that, unless he was going to move without me or was planning on offing me in the near future, it was never going to happen) - WRONG !!!
A few weeks ago I went to a bloggers catch up out at Cedar Vale. I loved it (catching up with the other bloggers was so much fun but also the location of where we met) - the open spaces, the trees, the quietness. And my mind started ticking over. But, I had forgotten about his theory of his ideas are cr*p until I have mulled them over for a while and then, once they become my ideas, they are 'brilliant' because, as we all know, our ideas are always the best !!! After we left there (the bloggers catch up), I got to thinking - the main reason I didn't want to live on acerage was because we packed shelves until 1am, five nights a week, and there was no way I was going to finish at Coles at 1am and then drive another half hour or more to get home. Now that we no longer pack shelves, that reason for not living on acerage doesn't actully exist anymore.
When A was here last week we took a couple of drives around looking at acerage - man we saw some lovely places - some were 'lovely' prices as well but some were actually quite reasonably priced. Then he raised the question of asking my folks if they would be interested in moving into a dual living place with us, if we found somewhere. We stopped off to see them and were telling them about what we had seen and then asked them the question saying "Have a think and a chat about it. See if you would like us to look at something where you could have your own place close to us and then let us know so we know whether we are looking for something with dual living or just a home for us on a plot bigger than we are currently on." Well, I don't think A had even finished saying that before Dad said "I haven't spoken to Mom but yes, we would love to come and live with you."
So, once again, his 'cr*p' idea, once it became my idea, suddenly became a 'great' idea - please tell me I'm not the only one who does this. And, if I am, would someone please tell just a very small porky and say that they do the same so that I don't feel like I'm the only miserable wife who wants all the best ideas to be hers !!!!
And yes, now, while he is working 4 weeks in Townsville and having 1 week of R&R when he isn't supposed to do much at home, we are going to try to fix our house up so that we can sell it and make the most profit possible to put into another property that will fit the three of us and my folks in (with them having their own seperate place on the same property).
Right now I am thinking that I must have left my mind out on that property in Cedar Vale or have completely lost it somewhere else. Why on earth did I think, at any point in time, that doing something like this was a great idea ??????????? I should have just kept my big mouth SHUT !!!! But, as I am sure you are all aware, it's very hard to suck those words back into your mouth once they have been uttered.
Or I can look at it as a total challenge and decide - am I up for it or not ? Time will tell on this one I think.
Linking in with Jess from EssentiallyJess for #IBOT - have you joined in this week ?
Have the best week !
TFTD : Life is meant to be lived. Take risks. Feel passion. Discover love. Run free.
