Kingsville Just north of Kingsville, 2nd July 2022 - the day we first saw our new home.

“We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway…”*

So begins Carly’s “Anticipation” and, since last week, all I’ve been doing is thinking and fantasizing about the days to come. Fair tingling with anticipation. On Wednesday, we learned we’d been successful with our offer and had bought ourselves our next home. With that happy knowledge, on Thursday we celebrated our anniversary, our hearts fluttering  with expectancy, hope and excitement. I’ve always had a vivid (overactive?) imagination and this week there are two features in our new home that have been the cause of my woolgathering - a balcony and a window seat. A window seat in the kitchen, no less. Squee!

A sneak peek at what is in store for us in Kingsville:

Our first balcony:
Balcony (Realtor's photo - not our furniture/rug.)

At the bottom of our new garden is a densely treed ravine, and at its bottom, a tiny creek running along the property. Can you even imagine the many species of birds we might see? One hundred, perhaps? On one day, perhaps? Close by, at Point Pelee National Park, during their Festival of Birds, they run a “100 Species Challenge” - if you can find 100 species during your visit you’re gifted with a commemorative pin. One hundred species! Not all in my garden, of course, many of those will be shore birds, but still… Anticipation!

How best, then, to furnish our bird-watching balcony? A camera, a telephoto lens and a tripod are all givens! Beyond those, I picture a couple of deep, comfortable chairs to sink into. There must be a table to hold books and mugs and, perhaps, a lamp for when dusk draws in. I can already imagine our afternoons; Cam home from golfing, me home from the park, brewing up and relaxing on the balcony with its pretty view before us, sharing the special moments of our day, whilst serenaded by an avian choir. Idyllic. Anticipation!

A window seat of one’s own:
Kitchen (Apologies for the lack of detail in the photo (it is a realtor image) but, if you hold your head at just the right angle, you can just make out the edge of the cushion in our bay window.)

It’s often said the kitchen is the heart of every home and I just know that this window seat will be the very heart of our new kitchen. Facing west, it’s a sun trap which will be heavenly in the winter months. I’m picturing some added texture (shiplap?), a brighter, happier colour for the cushion cover and a much bigger, squishy-soft pillow for leaning back against.  A speaker would be nice for some music. There’ll have to be a shelf for books and journals and perhaps a wall sconce for soft lighting. I’m imagining countless ours of joy, snuggled up in this cosy nook, that sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness itself**. Anticipation!

With the purchase of our new house, our hearts and minds have been positively bursting with joy and anticipation; a very sweet feeling — part gratitude, part curiosity, part hope, part excitement and part amusement. We’re both looking forward with happy expectancy, to the first week in our new house and our new town.

’Til next time, y’all…

*Carly Simon’s 1971 Grammy Award winning song "Anticipation".
Have a listen, if you’d like:  Anticipation

** Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility