Hi folks.
I haven’t blogged for SO long, and my instagram content has been lacking.
The reason is that, apart from the arrival of our fourth, amazing, little lady, Scout, we have also had a lot happening behind the scenes in regards to the barn renovation.
For almost 3 years now we have battled through forged measurements for original plans, having to hire an architect and get new plans, re-applying for planning, hiring a builder, the builder taking us for a ride, the builder walking off site while we were out of the country, to then the same builder coming back and taking us for a ride all over again…
We have been battling for so long that the strain was becoming too much for Martin. You can’t hold that amount of stress on your shoulders for so many years, and it not start to take a toll.
We made the (not easy) decision, to walk away… The barn has sold (VERY quickly). In fact, it sold so quickly and the buyer is pushing to move so fast that we had to prioritise doing a couple of exhausting days of house viewings.
As far as our next move, and all the questions pertaining to such move, we had them all ourselves… Smallholding still? Just a large garden? Tiny garden and an easy life for a while? Finished house? Project? Big house in not great location? Small house in amazing location? And on and on and on…
Eventually, it became clear that we both fancy doing what we used to do before we bought the barn, and buy an ‘alright’ house and renovate it to eventually sell. So, that is where we are at.
We just bought STC, a smallish house in a nice location (near the peaks), that needs gutting and an extension adding. It’s actually really exciting now! It’s such a relief to feel excitement towards a home again. The sheer level of anxiety that we’ve had to deal with here has been soul destroying.
Am I going to continue to grow my own? OF COURSE!
The garden at the new house has the most ridiculous amount of raspberry plants I’ve ever seen! Hahaha!
Also, as far as sustainable choices, being closer to civilisation means that where I can’t grow things myself, I can sign up to a better selection of plastic free, box schemes and also walk/cycle to places to get bits and bobs that aren’t wrapped in plastic.
Honestly, it has been unbelievably overwhelming for years here now (disregarding the freedom and the beautiful land), and the sense of relief that we are leaving it behind is HUGE!
So, if you followed us for the barn renovation and 4 acres, I understand if we are no longer of interest… however, our journey will continue to be about trying to live a more sustainable life, home educating our beautiful girls, renovating a house, growing our own and just being our wild and crazy selves… and getting back to running wild around the peaks again! YAY!!
It’s sometimes hard to let what you thought was ‘the dream’ go… but something we’ve learned along the way is that there’s no, single dream that you are beholden to for eternity… Dreams can chop and change, as people do.
It has been an adventure.
L xxx
