Whenever I look at why we are so tired, I always look at the immediate: It’s because we have been doing this, or that, mainly, in our case, renovating houses. But I only tend to look at the most recent things we’ve done over the weeks or months leading up to my reflections.

Now I am realising just how busy we have been over the last 3 years, even the last 6 years. The last 3 renovating this home in earnest: New doors, gates, fencing, bathroom, new kitchen, decorating throughout, painting furniture, adding lighting, and on and on.

We have felt the need to forge forward because we are acutely aware that we are getting older, and every job that we would have sailed through years ago is getting harder and harder. With my injury I can no longer help RD as much, I can’t even stand on a ladder for long periods of time to paint!

There is also the pull we both feel to just have ‘time’ to be together.

Add to the renovations, over the last 6 years we have got jobs, created a new life, banks, Doctors, finding our way around, buying another house. Gaining an identity in Ireland. Moving countries is so much more than just a move, but you just keep going, not allowing yourself time to think about it.

Whilst I have listed the practical things, we also have the changes that ‘Life’ throws at us. We have lost those we loved, and gained new young loved ones. The emotional turmoil is huge, and exhausting.

This week we have celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. We chose to just chill, no cards, no fanfare, just spend the day together mainly doing nothing. One of the reasons is because we have finally finished decorating our home (albeit with a snagging list as long as your arm!) and tomorrow we are having flooring laid throughout. This means we have to get every piece of freestanding furniture out of the house, with the exception of the bedroom which will have flooring laid later. We need one room to put things, and what with everything else, we just couldn’t face dismantling the bed! The job before us is already no mean feat!

Before moving most of the items have to be emptied, meaning you start to find the rubbish you have in every drawer. After a whole day on it yesterday, whilst RD was at work, I said ‘Well at least we are getting rid of our crap!’

We will keep going, and despite RD being at work for 5 hours yesterday, when he came home we wrestled the pantry cupboard, that I lovingly restored, out to the summer house. It’s great for storage and was beautifully handmade by someone. But we have a more practical one for our kitchen, that, guess what, I have to paint!

We have a saying in our house that sometimes ‘You have to drive things forward’. And sometimes you do!

So I must get on (another saying RD and I say in our sleep I think!) But I thought I would share some vignettes we have put together in the meantime.

More to come.

Moisy