visionariblog: The Year in Review.....Whew!

What a Year 2014 has been and some time since my last blog,(April in fact) so here is the update and a catchup with our happenings and developments as I reflect on this year and way beyond, as moving from Rosedale where I lived for 38 years was rather momentus!

You may remember my last blog was about getting some Motor home experience and we have moved along this road and now have our very own converted bus a 1987 Toyota Coaster, but first lets go on the journey of preparing Rosedale to sell, then selling and buying another place.

First we had to sell allot of workshop related items

like these 120 Fine Woodworking books, thanks to trademe.

My brother Philip was a huge help in getting ready to sell apart from Christine and I's work, Christine's relatives pitched in as well. Bro and I spent 6 weeks working on a rather huge daunting list, kindly supplied by the Building inspector to get all the consents up to date and passed before selling. This did happen but was ticked off after we had sold.
Selling happened very quick, which actually came at the first open home.

We also made the smart move of using a real estate person in the form of Simon Thomas who knew Ma and Pa from way back, he also had other personal connections for me so it seemed and was a good match, with Simon's knowledge and experience getting the job done very smartly.

This was my note to all interested people at the open homes.

Rosedale was always going to be a magical property, but only for the right person and luckily that person (actually three families) came along real quickly. Just what they were looking for! It was a massive task to get Rosedale all tydied up, painted and semi-decluttered. It was also very fortunate that the new owner wanted to have most of my workshop machinery, so I left much of it behind. The week we sold, we found another place to move into, just perfect for us (a carbon copy of Christines last new house in Bella Grove Way in Nelson). We had 6 weeks to move out and also to shift into Forget-Me-Not Lane in Richmond.

Here is Kokopelli taking down the sold sign

Our leaving party was very well attended

Kokopelli leaves Rosedale

A Rosedale Rose

A Rosedale Forget-Me-Not, which is now growing at Forget-Me-Not Lane

We got the professionals in to move the big heavy stuff it all happened in a morning

These moving guys were rather fridge-id

Before leaving Rosedale my brother and I put our Mothers headstone

up alongside Dad's at the Moutere Lutheran church.

At this time of letting go of the massive hoardings and all the connections of Rosedale, my sister passed away, taking her own life...geez what can...do I say about this...it's enough to mention it, it's implications still shudder through my bones.....I still miss you Lulu!

In preparation for leaving Rosedale I chose to remember the many good times and family connections by getting my first tattoo (not that I'd ever thought I'd get one) and it had to be a Piwakawaka, the Maori name for the Fantail,

Every time I see one it takes me back to Dad, to Rosedale and now to my sister Louise....so it is,....will be very special for me to have on my leg and to show who I am, where I've been and what I carry with me for life...Yes life!....its important,.... its what we all do till we die...so get on with living life to the full.

Message to self (Get on with it Mate.....Live your Bucket List)

Leaving Rosedale and downsizing was a huge move, but very necessary, the sifting through many memorabilia and memories included, has activated many more ideas and appreciations of a life so far lived well with new enthusiasm to go on from here.

The Christchurch Wizard is still greeting the tourists

as he did over 40 years ago.

After much research and looking at Motorhomes I found one on trademe, bought it in Chch from a nice old Kiwi bloke, old school and lovely to deal with, he even drove my car up to Blenheim (so we could collect my car and drive back to Richmond) and he caught the train back to Chch, thanks Keith!

Here I am with the cheque from the Restart Mall

ASB bank for the Motorhome purchase.

It fitted our wish list, and with a few improvements and personalizations, like it's name "Clowning Around" tells you something of my personal bucket list.

The shift into town has been great, though we had to wait over 2 weeks to get the fibre broadband installed by Chorus, which was quite something to see the technology that comes through this miniature cable.

Here is the fiber cable being shot out of the installed ground connection

Thats one fibre cable which is spilt into two.

We had a visit from our first Warm Showers cyclist at our new home, David the retired English Mancurian who lives in Forres in the North of Scotland, near my Auntie in Nairn.

We look forward to hosting more Warm Showers people.

The back fence at Forget-Me-Not with ties right back to Rosedale

We spent Christmas eve and day on our first trip away in our RV in the Marlborough Sounds at a Doc camp at the head of Keneperu Sounds in fabulous weather with only 4 other campers all who were Germans???