Moving On

How was I expected to know that the bag in my new - a year old - Bosch hoover was disposable and not emptiable? It's the first time I've done it, and that was only because I acknowledged a reduction in sucking power. I know: a year, first time of emptying, but I don't use it an awful lot. Out of the hoover case came a solid little cushion full to bursting point with floor debris. It seemed to have no opening apart from the fluff entry point, but hoovers I've owned if not exactly been familiar with in the past emptied, and so I set about doing just that. Through the little hole I reached in my gloved fingers and pulled, poked, hauled and tugged, filling a bin liner with detritus while the bag itself didn't noticeably shrink. Surely I couldn't be expected to throw it away? It was so nice, soft and white and fluffy, with plastic fixtures and fittings. Such a waste! And so I resorted to the internet to find out what to do. Yup, it is disposable. With a cheesy grin I threw the whole thing away and found the spare that came with the hoover. I've made a note to buy some more bags, and another note to remind myself not to try emptying it again next year when it is full. At least I now know where all my hair has gone.

It's New Year's Eve. The champagne is in the fridge, the last of the Christmas leftovers cleared away. Another beautiful day. I've made my resolutions (hoover more often is not one of them) and mentally swept across the year we're leaving behind. It's been a truly traumatic twelve months, but it's largely behind me now and I've moved on further than I could have imagined. I've had support from wonderful people, and I probably couldn't have got so far so fast without them. It's a new life now, not one I wanted or expected but the right one. Me and my little house found each other against the odds, and I've enjoyed writing about the process of getting to know each other and the countryside that surrounds us. Next year there will be less to do to the house itself (get the windows cleaned is top of the list!) and the garden will reclaim my constant attention. Maybe there'll be a dog or a cat, maybe not. I intend to expand my horizons locally and globally. You never stop learning. Life with all its unforseen complexities sees to that. As the therapists say, look on a problem as an AFGO (Another F****** Growth Opportunity) and turn a negative into a positive. That's what I intend to continue doing. Slainte!