This Easter weekend, my brother and I got a good start on not just one, but several of the projects we still need to get sorted out before we finally sell The House (=originally the home of our paternal grandparents, and then of our parents in their retirement years).
1. On Good Friday we met with a local antiques/second hand dealer who seemed willing to take on the job of clearing out all the remaining furniture and stuff in the house and outhouse. (We showed him around the place, and he will get back to us with an estimate.) He also cooperates with a cleaning firm.
2. The gardener who used to mow the lawns for us has retired. We asked the antiques guy if he knew of someone else locally who does that sort of thing? He said he can do it for us this summer himself, as he lives nearby and has the equipment needed.
3. The neighbour who started a road project last year, involving some tree-felling between our properties, is getting on with that job. A huge fir tree on our land that was left standing last year is now down too. Per met this guy outside a couple of times this weekend and got to discuss with him what still remains to be done on that front. An additonal decision was made to take down the huge birch tree in our front yard too – as just now there is space to fell in a direction where it will do no damage. This will probably be done next week.
The outhouse with the birch tree still in front. The high fir tree used to be between the mound and the car. (The mound will be removed as well.)
4. The tree-felling guy will also give the facade of our house a pressure-wash in a couple of weeks (he’s in the construction business).
5. Either Per alone or both of us also got to talk to the owners of the other three neighbouring properties this weekend. So everyone is now informed of our plans and no one has to wonder what’s up.
6. Before Per went back home, he also got to show the house to one couple who might be interested in buying (we’ll let them know when we put it up for sale).
Besides all this, we had a gloriously sunny and warm Saturday. We were able sit outside in the garden and eat our lunch (salads conveniently bought in the grocery shop in the village). Before lunch we also visited the graves of our parents and grandparents in the village churchyard; and in the afternoon we went for a walk to the old mill and nature reserve meadow behind it, where the hepaticas and wood anemones were in full bloom.
In the summer when there is cattle grazing in the meadow, there is an electric fence. Just now there is just the gate!
Mornings are still chilly, but in the afternoon sun on Easter Eve it got a bit hot wearing a winter jacket.
Blue Hepaticas and white Wood Anemones.
The wildflower essence of spring!
On Sunday I stayed in town, and went to an Easter church service.
Through the cherry blossom tree in the foreground, you can see a glimpse of the church up on the hill behind.
Sitting in my pew, I just had to sneak my camera up our of my bag, put it discreetly on “silent” and take this shot, with the light coming in through the window and hitting the boquet of daffodils next to the candle holder with all the prayer candels burning.
In the main square, the Easter Tree stood in all its glory against a clear blue sky.
In a grocery shop I bought a lunch salad again, and decided to stop in the park and eat it sitting on a bench overlooking the river. (I did also buy a a plastic knife&fork set, and bottle of sparkling water.) I was far from the only one who had my lunch in the park that day – there were several more picknicks going on.
Panorama view from my park bench.
16 comments:
You have been busy.
The mill is very photogenic.
Seems as if your plans for selling the house are moving along fine...it's good that you have found reliable persons to take care of the remaining jobs that need to be done.
Don't you wish you could hold on to the house and spend some quiet time there sometimes?
The surroundings are so peaceful....I love it.
The Easter tree is interesting and cute.
you got a lot accomplished and had a wonderful day in the country. i would love to live in your parents home, that area is just beautiful. good luck with the sale and glad you got a few decisions done... also happy your weather is letting you get out and about and eat outside.
Your Easter weekend sounds great - a good combination of getting things done (or getting started on them), walking in nature and going to church, and even having your first outdoors lunch of the year!
The area where the house is looks so beautiful, I am sure it won't be a problem to find buyers.
What a beautiful and interesting post. Love your walk, and the church, the Easter Tree....Lovely, all very lovely.
Adrian - I have, and it is!
Virginia, if the house had been just a small cottage with a tiny garden, then we might have been tempted to hold on to it a little bit longer. It's not, though. It's a big house with a big garden, and in need of a lot more "loving care" than we're able to give it. So it's time it got a new owner. The surroundings (like the old mill, the lake, and the village) will still be possible for us to visit sometimes for a whiff of nostalgia - even if of course that's not quite the same.
What glorious colors in the Easter Egg tree picture. I love your beautiful secret snap in the church. Seems that you had a perfect Easter...you and your brother together! I am so happy for you! How is Per doing? Is he still doing his music?
Yes the sunny weather worked in our favour in more than one way. The only thing we had planned ahead was the meeting with the antiques dealer. The neighbours we got talking to because everyone was out in their gardens!
The spring sun makes such a difference... My first photo of the Easter tree was on a gray day, the colours came out much better now against a blue sky!
Yes Meike, we got more out of the Easter weekend than I had dared hope for beforehand.
Thank you Wanda :)
Looks like you had a fantastic weekend, and a lot of things done to. I love the spring flowers, when they show up then it's spring :-)
Have a great wednesday.
Doesn't everything look so much more beautiful in the sun? The river is wonderful. I love water as you know and to live so close to a running river like that with so much green and tress around would be lovely in my book.
Thanks Eva
As you know, Graham, I do live within walking distance from the river in town, which i appreciate very much. And as for the nature reserve area in the countryside, that will still be there even after we sell the house.
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