2011 began in a tiny village on the northwest Scottish coast. Our Scourie adventure was made all the better with a crew up for Hogmanay. Every new year should be rung in with good food, old friends and new friends, and bagpipes in a cozy pub.
And then, re-packing the car with the bedding and leftover food and wine from our three weeks in the wilds, before we took off on the 7th for ten days in Switzerland.
Verbier nonsense (see above) included: indulgences (food - raclette, fondue, etc. - & wine), frights (M’s concussion ordeal; he’s fine), aches (belly pain from laughing so much), delights (watching 13-year-old Bieber-haired Italian boys compete on the Wii’s Just Dance). Yes, I know that rhymes, yo.
We had 48 hours at home before heading to Edinburgh and Glasgow to catch up with friends, and to Aboyne to see M's mum. And next?
The world. We’re now officially short-termers in Inverness. House is getting valued, and we’re amid a massive clear-out. Anything we haven’t used in a year goes.
Last night I was thumbing through my two-year collection of the Observer Food Monthly, ripping out recipes I want to scan, considering my relationship with ‘stuff’ now compared to a decade ago. Shopping used to be a hobby for me; I’d drop by Pottery Barn or Anthropologie or Banana Republic once a week, just in case I’d miss out on something delicious. Some of this stuff has been lurking in a storage unit in Wichita for ten years. Other stuff has been culled and given to my brother, friends, or charity shops. A few choice items are still with me.
I moved to Prague with a backpack and a suitcase full of two 128-capacity CD wallets and clothes to withstand the winter. After the Great Cull, we’ll see how much this has multiplied.
Because this view never gets old, Lugano during our few days there. Fog from the heavens or smog from Milan? You decide.
5 comments:
Moving on? Good luck for all that lies ahead!
Cheers, Simon! Not til summer, so will be haunting the Schneck for a few more months. :)
Oh, I feel you on the stuff factor...I actually look forward to moving again just so I can get James to get rid of stuff! I think the key is to live in a small place so you never feel the need to fill it. Glad you've had such a great January--so jealous of your trip to Switzerland. Just finally got my swiss year photo album put together. Only took maternity leave to get me to do that, 4 years later:) Love to you!
Just wait til the baby comes, Jess...! The stuff will multiply to the heavens! :) Would love to see your CH photo album. I came across a book of yours last night - the 2003 American Non-Required Reading anthology. Want me to send it to Japan? Miss you!
It's already overwhelmed us...I've been giving away bags and bags of stuff to other families. Keep the book or pass it on to someone who might like it. Those are always good short reads. Can't wait to hear about your big trip plans in detail. Do they still involve Japan? xoxo
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