phew!

This week we moved to Australia!

At last, I feel as if we are home.  I am exhausted but happy.  I have my things around me and it feels so good.  Unpacking every box was exciting and exhilarating as I dug deep and unwrapped the endless white paper to rediscover my treasures.  I am so thankful for the time that I put in before leaving SA to do a big purge.  Everything that is here, I really want and love.

We now have a couch to perch our bottoms on, a microwave to reheat the leftovers, leftovers (because we have something to save them in), "new" shoes and handbags, photographs, Nintendo Wii and everything that helps us to feel at home.  And I can save and post my photos!

There were moments of sadness as I unwrapped special things like the antique teapot that my bookclub ladies lovingly restored for me.  The most difficult parcels were my tablecloth from the girls and the photo of all our friends from the Bales.

It has been a hectic week of hard work (with no Mavis to help).  On Thursday night Liezl brought us spaghetti bolognase.  On Friday our new friends, Mark and Di came over with big pizzas for us all.  On Saturday Ondine, my new S'Affer friend, came for a drink and on Sunday we had Hannalie, her mom and Liezl and Koos over for dinner.  In between we had drinks in the city with new friends, church and a 40th lunch at Kings Park.  Every spare minute has been taken up with changing electrical plugs (we are at 40 something already!), arranging furniture and art, unpacking and sorting.

So phew!  I am knackered!

This week Hannalie is visiting from Darwin too.  We have been friends for 16 years.  It is just amazing to see her after 3 years and to have a proper hug and coffee - not screen to screen.  She is staying with Koos and Liezl but will be with us when her husband is here for the weekend.  We are so looking forward to the four of us being together again.

Our house just turned into a home and that makes me very happy.  We have been embraced by so many people passing through already.  It is great to hear laughter here.  I still often catch my breath as a wave of nostalgia flows through me.  I wish my distant friends and family could knock on my door.