We actually live here now

Never move house just before you have a holiday.  We have just returned from a 16 night camping holiday to our "new" house, and it just feels so strange; after all, we had only spent 13 nights here before the holiday, so we didn't really know what it was like to live in this house after spending so long restoring it.  We came inside and walked around admiring the handiwork as though we had never seen it before!  Do we actually live here now?  We own it, it's all ours!  We had even forgotten where things were - which drawer contained the cling film in the kitchen; more importantly, where was my clean underwear?  I didn't realise how bad it was until Jane came home tonight and asked why there was so much stuff in the sink.  "Have you forgotten that we now have a dishwasher again?"  Or is that just my age?

Apart from my memory, the other trouble now is motivation.  For the last nine months I have been working to a plan (sort of) which basically was to do all the necessary things so that we could move in.  Having achieved that, I now have serious problems in personal motivation and prioritization.  There is so much to do in the house, quite apart from our plan to re-build the brick extension (which is about to fall down) and sort out the garden/drive.  I can see why people talk about taking ten or more years on their period property renovation, so I must stick with the weekly lists of tasks and make sure that I achieve what I aim for each week.  There are also loads of boxes containing the assorted miscellanea of 37 years of marriage, and for once I do not have a storeroom or garage to hide them in; in fact, I don't even have a store for my tools which are now getting in the way.

The good news is that we have submitted our revised planning application for the brick extension and conservatory; my aim is to start the repair of the existing building in September (for which we don't need planning permission) and hope that the full approval is forthcoming soon after.  However, after previous encounters, I am not counting any chickens as far as the council are concerned!