Closing down sale - Must everything go ?

We're now in the throws of packing.
Seven boxes and hopefully we've stopped counting.
It isn't all Anxiety Central though.

Last night was spent watching a family video.
We sat and couch potatoe'd through the extended family get together just after Mum's funeral (not as bizarre as it sounds);
a very expectant Caroline waiting excitedly to become a Mum:
Nathan's first few hours and the dizzyness he must have experienced as he was passed from Dad to Grandparents to Uncle to Aunty, poor lad:
my Dad in his last few years looking lost and tiny inside his many jackets;
our dog Ben as he too, slowed down, my bestest friend as children left and parents died;
Nathan learning to walk, talk and become cock-o'-the walk.

Obviously going.

Stephen's golf trophies?
Golf has been his Saudi past time and judging from the trophy cabinet he must be good at it and enjoyed it.
However with the onset of creaking knees and back the enthusiasm has waned.
His philosophy now is, ''Yes, I've enjoyed the game and the celebrations but I don't really need the prizes anymore''.
(The upside to this has been his being able to donate a cracking coffee machine to the final tournament!)

Not going.

His photos of himself lined up with team mates and enjoying the many celebrations with pals often in fancy dress, are coming home.
Good times!

The Filipinno chaps who work with Stephen get an annual leave home.
They brought him presents back each time; t-shirts, pictures, quirky metal figures but we've narrowed it down to an intriguing two foot wall carving that holds twelve figureheads whose bodies end in either a fork or spoon.
No small thing to cart all this way!


Stephen's myriad of computer and recording equipment is finally being boxed tonight.
The electrical cables alone will fill a box!

A very important box is his manuals and files regarding piping engineering which we fervently hope will be in use again soon after Christmas.

For those who know Stephen, know he has morphed over the years.
We now get more Shack to the buck!
Many clothes - not going.

His beloved 'Green Bessie' went way back in July.
She had faithfully got him from point A to point B with all his favourite music for many years.
He salutes her as he passes her on the supermarket run now.

His garden is now the best on site!
He has nurtured the indiginous trees and shrubs and tended the marigolds and other flowers from seeds brought from home.
His evening watering routine, I think must be the perfect wind down to the day as dusk closes in within the hour and the million birds excitedly and noisily land and take off from tree to tree before finally settling in for the night and one last poop all over the path!
His bench was sited perfectly 'neath the shade of the trees and waited to give him the opportunity to survey his family of blues and greens and purples and oranges.

Sadly, not going.

Once deserted, the villa will have it's garden stripped of flowers to be replaced with gravel or paving and await the next occupiers of the site.