It's been a sad day today.

Today I said goodbye to 5 Victoria Road, my home since 1979. I cleared the rest of my stuff out, sat in the garden, walked through every room and locked the door knowing that I would never do so again. On Sunday I fly to Chicago for work, I'll be back in London for two days and then I'm moving to Bangalore. Bangalore, India! When I come back in the autumn the house will be sold so I knew today was the end. I wasn't looking forward to today, but I took the time I needed to say goodbye and in th end it wasn't so bad.

All week I've been thinking about blogging today and what I would write; wondering how I could pour my emotions out in tear-drenched prose. But right now I feel fine, I feel like I hoped I would feel: like something's over and I'm moving on. And at last I can get excited about going to India :) I saw the fabulous Avenue Q last night and I know that it definately does NOT suck to be me!

Mind you, if I'd been typing this at about 4.30pm today it wouldn't have been quite so together. But sitting there in the garden I thought about the house and how it's a locus of memories (not a locust - read that again!) but actually the memories go on wherever you are and that's what really matters. So I had my last look round, locked up and went round to my Aunt and Uncle's house for supper. I was feeling pretty flat when I got round there but the evening was like acclimatising and in their convival company I soon felt better.

I was also able to show them the final treasures unearthed in the house. In Dad's study I found his pocket diaries in a box. Starting in 1949 they go up to the early 70s. But in the bottom of the box were some photos I'd never seen before. They were black and white pics of South Africa in the early 60s. There was one fantastic shot a very debonair, young, J.B.Johnston and then a lovely one of mum and her cousin Caroline at the beach. Touchingly Dad had jotted on the back who was who! It struck me that this must have been taken when they first got to know each other as he refered to her as "Elizabeth Crace (HC's niece) on the right". Awww...



I love those guys.