The Other Side

With my sister, Trish, coming to stay for 5 weeks or so and Margaret coming for a while, we've decided to shut down our apartment and move into the other half of the main house. That sounds a bit grand I know but it's not really.

My friend Kate put it really well when we walked into her dining room and she said, "Welcome to East Berlin.".

So we're warming up our "East Berlin." It can be the case that a part of a house gets cut off when it's not used. This Christmas with my sister here, we want the main house to be the place we live so we can all be together.

It's lovely to be back in our sitting room. In the summer this is where our guests live. But this is where we passed our first winters and where we decided to hang our favourite painting. I can't wait to spend this winter here together. The dogs are finding their way and Lizzie has brought in her divine Eames chair. I suspect we're going to have to bribe her to have a go!

Meanwhile we've moved pots and pans, toothbrushes, teabags, clothes, sheets and pillowcases and, above all, technology.

But also thoughts, dreams and expectations - it all feels a bit like a holiday (in our own home.)

How lucky am I?