Heavenly Beverley : We Are (Finally) In!

My attempts to keep up to date with "Heavenly Beverley" have been quite frankly, sadly lacking. This woeful situation has not come about due to an aversion to writing or a complete absence of subject matter. Beverley has an endless array of individual characters, all worthy of mention. Not to mention the ongoing adventures of ourselves - the aforementioned Beverley Hillbillies.

I have recorded tales of teeth and telephones. I have written of the Three Stooges, Madame Cat and the Pirate Parrot. And mice. Ye Gods, have we had mice. Fortunately, with the advent of winter, mouse numbers have declined dramatically, along with various species of flying fiends. And after an unusually warm June, the cold weather has hit with a vengeance. We have even resorted to buying the Pirate Parrot a furry little tent.

The good news is that we have spent the last few nights in Station House, marvelling at her efficiencies of insulation and sealed windows and doors. The House that Rocks used to leak like a sieve and was an excellent barometer for heat, cold and wind strength. Having to leave doors ajar in the Residence was great in warm weather and bloody awful once the nights became somewhat cooler. Station House, even with only our oil heater for additional warmth, is seriously cosy.

The bad news is all to do with the all our belongings that I have begun unpacking. Boxes and boxes and boxes have been opened, creating a sea of cardboard and newspaper all over our previously beautifully clean lino. It's been rather like a manic Christmas, unearthing objects that we haven't seen for six months. And then realising we have a substantial lack of display units.

Last week, we undertook a voyage of mammoth proportions around Ikea to remedy the lack of storage space. So far, Michael has constructed an eight cube unit and finished our new desk. Unfortunately, these furniture pieces have not provided enough nooks and crannies for all the items that need new homes. As a result, Vanessa has borrowed Goldie today for another assault on Ikea to buy two extra units which will hopefully supply the move our mountain of belongings from the floor, table, chairs and beds into their rightful places.

With a combination of rain, mud, no outdoor paving and three dogs and Madame Cat, the outdoors are definitely coming indoors. The pristine lino has a layer of dirt under the ocean of newspaper and boxes. Sascha has also forgotten the intricacies of navigating the dog door, which has resulted in undesirable puddles adding to the mess.

So, exhaustion is to blame for my lack of attentiveness to my writing. Since Thursday, I have fallen into bed with a monotonously early regularity due to aching joints and throbbing feet. The end is not yet in sight, but the number of boxes has been reduced thankfully.

As for our Ikea furniture, Michael still has a wardrobe and two units (one pretty huge) to construct. The fearless Jan and her sidekick Ross expertly constructed the table lamps, which enjoying a glass of vino. Then they were galvanised into service for a second time, helping Vanessa unload more Ikea flatpacks. I figure I'll have a crack at putting together the occasional tables. Nothing more complicated. I still have nightmares of a broken drawer and a portable wardrobe in an upside down configuration from previous forays into Ikea.

Today, Michael will tackle dirt reduction in the form of outside carpet, fill in the Problem Child's latest hole and raise the height of outside the dog door so Sascha can get in and out with more dignity and ease.

Wish us luck and stay tuned for our next exciting instalment.