I grew up in a large weatherboard house. A white one at that. To me they reflect the typical 'Australian' home which I loved as a young girl. I guess that is why I have an affinity to them as they always are reminicent of my childhood. I can close my eyes and still remember my dad meticulously paintng those weatherboards to keep them in good condition. Once I left my family home it seemed as if I was not going to experience this warmth again as every house I have lived in since has been brick. Until now...
Its not until you sit in the quiet of your mind that wonderous and simplistic realisations appear. When you stop the chatter in your head and reflect in wonderment at lifes twists and turns, it's then you realise just how far you have come. I came to this spot last night, once my mattress was off the floor and we unpacked a few more boxes, put up all the prints on our walls and finally sat at dusk on my bed in a warm familiar pose with the lamp lit beside me, my laptop on my lap and our beautiful black and white cat Phoebes curled up on his favourite blanket at my side. Feeling content, I turned my head behind me to look at the night sky through my lovely bay windows which will forever remind me of mum and I could see the mint green weatherboards of my new house. A tear gently fell down my cheek with the realisation, that wow, I am back in my weatherboard home, just where I belong...and at that moment I felt very blessed.
Aside from weatherboards, another very Australian feature I love in houses is the bullnosed verandah. It has a classic Australian feel and with the heat of the Australian climate they are very effective in insulating your house while adding a beautiful look to your home. Bill and I have always admired them and were very excited when we drove up to inspect this house not knowing that it had a verandah down both sides. To add to our delight, laying under these beautiful verandah's was a red brick path ~ another feature which Bill and I tried to incorporate into our old home but sadly that experience was marred by a tradie taking off with our money and leaving us with a big hole in our pockets and backyard with no red bricks to be seen. So I smile now when I look at those bricks and I realise that this path has led us back to everything we have ever wanted or dreamed in a home. It even has beautiful wisteria climbing over the back pergola to remind me of our first home, the home I bought up my family in which had climbing wisteria as well.
I have heard it said many times that once you find 'the right house' you will know. When Bill and I stepped inside this house, we knew straight away it was what we have been looking for. Since we moved in 2 weeks ago there has been no transition time or a feeling of settling. From the moment we laid all of our things in here it has felt just right. Even on my commuting into Melbourne it felt strange being back in Melbourne, like I had a foot in two different lands. And each night as my train pulled into Geelong, I have sighed a contented sigh knowing that I was home.
At the time of writing I have survived one week of my new 5 hour daily commute to Melbourne where I still work. (Whatever was I thinking?) I do not plan to do this for long. I have to remind myself that we havent travelled to this point of the journey without my new job coming into existance. I need to be patient and wait for it to arrive. It may be that it will lead me on to another path altogether or I may continue where I left off a few years back when I put my study books down to work in another area for a chapter of my life. I am curious to see what is coming my way but know its not too far away now and in the meantime on my morning and afternoon commute on the VLine, I get to catch up on all those books I have bought for my kindle or research how to start my vegie garden...or sleep...
But for now, we are enjoying getting the house to a state where it is livable and looking lovely. My kitchen is coming along in the blues and whites I have imagined for so long. I have lots of plans for renovations and cosmetic touches, beginning with painting of the bedrooms but all in good time. My priority is to now find local employment with which will give me plenty of spare time to spend in the garden or painting walls. It is still winter here in Melbourne, I have a feeling that Spring this year is going to bring me my missing puzzle piece and with it time to really enjoy this cottage for the beauty that it is...just in time for that wisteria to bloom.
So now that the majority of the unpacking has been done and we can look around and see our home transforming into what we wanted I can say that I am very grateful I am finally home...in my little weatherboard cottage with the bullnosed verandah...by the sea.
And as I write this Bill is pottering out in his garage, something that has also alluded him with many of the homes we have lived in, he has set up his 'man shed' with all of his collected tins and signs and everything he loves and I know that he feels as if he is finally home as well...
A gift from me to Bill, for his manshed
Phoebes settling in nicely
No comments:
Post a Comment