Tea leaves ...

We were advised yesterday that Tea would be collected this morning - and should be ready to board the truck at 9:00am. 

Nick was on night-shift last night. He had not long returned before we departed again (with me driving and Vaughan organised for his usual school drop-off).

The trip is about 45 minutes and we wanted to allow plenty of time to move Tea from her paddock to the small race yard, so arrived a little after 8:00am.

Although Tea walked up to the first gate quite happily (encouraged by some lucerne hay), it was clear she wanted to dash and dance across the much larger paddock - with Nick and Vaughan in pursuit!

Fortunately she soon tired of the game and walked easily into the yard, when offered a larger portion of hay.

As it happened, the truck didn't arrive till 12:30 and there was plenty of time to spend with our cow prior to her departure.

She seemed happy enough munching the grass and then sucking on a chunky piece of rope - and smooching with Nick while she waited.

The truck driver arrived and seemed a bit bemused when we introduced Tea to him (after our former neighbour introduced us).  Happily our cow was well behaved and boarded the truck a lot more co-operatively than when we put her onto the skinny horsefloat a fortnight ago!

Tea travelled to Shepparton this afternoon.  She'll be sold at the Regional Saleyards tomorrow.  We won't attend the sale.  It's a round trip of about 500 kilometres and we're already feeling a bit drained from today's angst.

Tea times ...

We visited Tea today.

She's been staying at a friend's house, awaiting transport to the market.

The truck will collect her on Monday. We don't have an exact time, so we called around this afternoon to offer her some apple and carrot - and say our farewells.

Nick and Vaughan gave her favourite scratches - under her neck and at the base of her tail.

There have been times when she has folded her legs and stretched her neck along the ground to thoroughly enjoy a neck massage!  

We remembered some of her past exploits (chewing through the extension cord, entering Erin's caravan while we were out and coming into the house when we were home)!

Raising a cow has been very interesting!

Final Tally ...

I stopped counting packed boxes about two weeks before our exit date.  It was just too hard to keep track of them, as the pace picked up (and our stress levels increased).

At last tally there were about 90 boxes but I expect a much larger number are actually in the container.

It was easier to keep tabs on the op-shop donation boxes.  That number increased to at least 45.  Quite a few other items were given away via FreeCycle and FaceBook. Of course, we sold what we could but sometimes it was quicker/easier to gift things.  Vaughan's school received many books and various other educational resources.  Our knitting group coordinator was very happy to assist the reduction of Erin's yarn stash!

We've kept our normal rubbish and recycling bins chockers since mid-May.  As well as a free hard rubbish collection, we used our two complimentary tip passes.  Another very full trailer load went to the tip on Sunday, which cost $120.00.  I do hope some of those items make their way into the fabulous tip shop that we often visited.  We'd like to think our stuff might be considered a bargain!

When we packed up our previous home, we housed all our gear in two side-by-side storage units. Those same belongings filled 70 cubic metres of a huge removalist truck.  

Soon after receiving the Notice to Vacate we made a family decision to fit all our possessions into just one storage unit.  I'm not exactly sure of the size comparisons but we packed one 20-foot shipping container with everything we want to keep.  There's currently a bit of overflow that didn't make the packing deadline, so we'll cull that further (as the trailer is set to be sold).  Everything we own is either in the container, trailer, caravan or our cars.  That's it.  A-ma-zing!

Whatever floats your ... cow?!

How do you get a cow onto a horse float? With a great deal of difficulty!

Once our container was loaded, Nick drove Elmer down the driveway, leading the way for the truck.

When he returned, he was towing a hired horse float.

There was some joking that he really should have found a cow float!

Regardless of what it was called, Tea was completely unimpressed by the skinny wheeled conveyance.

And she wasn't falling for apple bribes two days in a row, either!

It required our concerted joint efforts to heave her onto the trailer.

I failed to get footage of Nick grass skiing behind Tea as she raced away from the float!  That sight may well have been the day's highlight!

I'm not sure how long it took for us to win over the cow but we finally had her inside the float and were able to move her to temporary accommodation.  She seemed to like her new quarters but definitely didn't like us much after the floating experience.

E for Effort (and Exit)!

Sunday and Monday (our exit date) blended together.  We achieved a lot but didn't sleep much, though we did appreciate our caravan beds on Sunday night (or very early Monday morning) - when we finally got into them!

We expected our container to be collected on Monday afternoon but received a message to say the pick-up would occur between 9 and 10am instead.

There was a mad dash to cram as much as possible in the little remaining space - before putting the last two boards in place and locking the doors.

I grabbed a quick group shot for the archives before we dropped Vaughan to school for his excursion.

Our cleaners were due at 8:30am but were delayed so we spotted them driving slowly along the road when we returned from the school run.  I waved them down and they had not long parked when the tilt-tray truck drove down the driveway.  Far out!  That first-off rushing around pretty much set the pace for the rest of the day.  

Van-quishing the packing!

By the end of the day we'd achieved a huge amount.  As well as tagging Tea, the third section of the container was sectioned off.

Given our exit date was just two days away, I (finally) started packing the caravan.

Our summer clothes were stashed under Erin's bed.  I was able to fit lots of stuff in there, which was definitely heartening!


We also pulled up our carpet tiles from inside the house and I took some of them into the van to add more insulation over the green foam mats.

Although we are booked into a caravan park for a few nights after leaving here and there'll be power for a small heater,  I firmly believe the more warmth the better!

Tea Tagged!

There was a fair bit of rigmarole involved in readying Tea for sale.

It took a while for Nick to obtain a Property Identification Code, which then enabled him to purchase an ear tag and the tag applicator.

Seemingly it doesn't matter if you have one cow for sale or a much larger herd, the process is the same.

Once the tag arrived (with applicator), we needed to "apply" the tag to our cow's ear. Yep, no-one was keen to take on that mission.

There was a diagram with some  basic instructions to detail the correct method of application.

The theory was simple but we doubted Tea would just stand still for her ear piercing - and we were right!

Armed with a large bowl of apple pieces, we set about tagging the cow. Thankfully, the process went far more smoothly than expected, though we were pleased of Nick's excellent rope-tying - and his forethought in wedging Tea between the gate and the fence!

Misc-ing in action!

Next Monday is our exit date.  There is lots of chaos at the moment. I've lost track of how many boxes have been packed.  I do know "misc" has been used often in the labelling!

Our old caravan door was collected on Saturday.  Tanya mentioned that when she moves, her boxes have detailed index cards taped to the top, fully describing the contents within!

As you can see, every space is being utilised. The wardrobe marks the end of the container's third division.  It's not yet ready to be sectioned off, which is just as well cos there's quite a lot left to pack.

I'm using our dining table as a packing area. It needs to be cleared -very soon!  A bookcase is also set for inclusion in this current section. Fortunately, it's almost empty.  Almost!

Our fridge will be in the fourth/final division. (We'll use our Engels while in transit).  It's the last of the big things.  Fingers crossed all our magnificent culling pays off and everything we want to take will actually fit in the space available!

And then there were two ...

We're definitely over the packing but the packing definitely isn't over.

Nick finished the second section of the container on Saturday.  It's baffled and strapped in.   That's the half-way point.

We've started moving stuff in for the third section, which is set for completion today.

Two smaller lounges will be donated, as will our older-style TV.  The washing machine has developed issues while here and it won't be packed either.

It's just as well those items were planned to stay behind.  Space is running out and there is still a lot of other stuff that does need to come with us.

Summer clothes are stashed, for storage in the van (cos we're not sure how long it will be before we can access the packed container).

Stuffed!

It's 14 weeks since we received the Notice to Vacate - and there are just 12 days left before our exit date.  We've worked very hard these past few months.

Culling.
Sorting.
Packing.

Chucking stuff.
Donating stuff.
Gifting stuff.
Selling stuff.

Too.  Much.  Stuff.

Our op-shop donation box tally rose to 40 this week.  (And yes, there's yet another box being filled by the front door).

Polly visited yesterday to collect the remaining vegie garden soil.  We were chatting about culling.  She asked what was in all the boxes.

This is what I can remember: beads, bed linen, board games, books, bottles, buttons, cake tins, (blank) canvases, CDs, clothes, cookie cutters, cosmetics, craft supplies, crockery, cutlery, DVDs, facial steamer, fabric (quite a lot of fabric), framed prints, glassware, handbags, light fittings, magazines, puzzles, sewing patterns, shoes, shoe laces, shoe racks, serving dishes, stationery, toys, utensils, wool (Erin estimates about five garbage bags), zippers ... and much, much more.

Close to 40 larger items have been sold or given away.  We've found appreciative new homes for the caravan gas stove, the old van door, a filing cabinet, a 44-gallon drum, a mattress, Nick's archery target ... the list goes on.  (Five pair of prescription glasses are set for delivery to one of the local optometrists, so they can be utilised by patients in developing countries).

You'd think there'd be nothing left.  Er, no.  Not yet.  The house is definitely emptier but there is still a fair bit to sort, cull and/or pack.  I keep hoping that very soon there'll be next to nothing left!

Nick moved more furniture into the container today.  Two tallboys from our room and a filing cabinet.  He and I have moved some clothes into large duffle bags.  Our camping fridge stands are being used as impromptu luggage stands.

My plan is to pack our summer gear into cheap zipped storage bags, then stash them under Erin's bed in the caravan.  I'm starting to ponder what else could go into the van - and how it might fit!

Baffled!

Nick and I packed more boxes last night - and still needed extras this morning to finish the first container section.

We were up early and had achieved a lot before taking a break and heading back into Bunnings.  After eating more sausage sangas (this time helping the CWA coffers), Nick and Vaughan were in charge of plywood selection.

Erin and I scored a bargain small heater (for the caravan) and a plastic box to house important documents while we are in transit.

Given the current state of chaos, I'll start filling the (brightly coloured) box with anything we might need easily over the next fortnight.

We met at the workshop area.  The ply sheets were a smidge too tall for the container, so we watched a very nice man trim them to size.

Once home again, Nick overlapped two sheets and enlisted Erin's aid to hold them steady while they were bolted along the join.  The "baffle" was tied down firmly - and now we are ready for the next section.

Nick has already started moving the first of the next items in.  The lounge and our beds are tagged for inclusion.

We've already started using our camping kit in the kitchen but now we'll be sleeping on our camp stretchers and using our camp chairs too.

It's been a big day.  As well as assisting the container packing, I've prepared Vaughan's clothing for a school camp - and tried to keep other household tasks semi-controlled.

We're going to indulge in some Chinese takeaway tonight.  I reckon we deserve it!

Strap in for the ride!

Erin and I were out this morning. We came home to more of Nick's good work (larger pic in the top collage).

We admired his fine efforts, then all headed into Bunnings for extra supplies and some research .  Of course, we consumed a few fund-raiser sausage sandwiches while there - just to help out!

Although we bought a few specialised moving boxes at the end of 2012, we generally use free resources.

We've scored some excellent boxes this move.  One lady gifted a huge box of white packing paper (which is a definite step-up from newspaper) - as well as wardrobe boxes!  How flash is that?!

We have a stack of newspaper also. Vaughan's teacher subscribed to one of the newspapers due to a special promotion. Rather than get issues per classroom, she received enough papers for every student!  It's not a big school but even so, there were many more newspapers than expected!  Bonus for us (because there are no local papers delivered here)!

I discovered last night that Bunnings have a range of moving/packing supplies.  The store we visited had a few other items not listed on the website. They were heavily discounted but even so, not much use to us.  I bought mattress covers though.  Naomi mentioned them the other day and I thought it might be novel to try some!  There were also pre-cut "moving blankets" but ours are of higher quality felt and only cost a few dollars more per similar size.

Nick selected some tie-down straps and priced sheets of structual ply.  Once the current packed section is complete, it will be secured in place with a "baffle" of the ply, firmly strapped using the tie-down points at the top and bottom of the container.  That's a mission for tomorrow!

Close to our chest ...

We've moved often, so are experienced packers - of boxes!  When you think about it though, a shipping container is just a box on a much, much larger scale?!

Nick started organising the end section of the container this morning while Erin and I were out. When we returned, he enlisted our aid to shift a large chest. Once (almost) in place, the chest was filled with many "fragile" boxes.

The chest is quite heavy even when empty, so required concentrated effort to shove into it's designated corner.  It's tucked in nicely now, using one of the felt pieces we cut.

You can't tell from the photos but various boxes are packed around the base of "Stumpy".  He's the protector of them all!

Several smaller cupboards will be packed into the same end section.  I'm thinking some more "fragile" boxes might be stashed within one of them.  I've been packing our everyday mugs and glassware this afternoon.  Hopefully the box I've chosen will fit nicely onto it's intended shelf!  We all have our favourite mugs but I've decided much of our other everyday crockery can be donated and we'll pick up replacements when we are settled again.  In the meantime we'll be using our camping or caravanning kit.

We donated another box today, bringing the op-shop tally to 38.  Erin re-organised her packing and was able to dispense with two boxes but I packed three, so the current score is 58 packed!  It's trickier to keep track of our other donations but the process of re-homing particular items is a pleasant diversion from packing.  When in NSW we were emergency WIRES carers.  There wasn't really a Victorian equivalent, so we've donated some of our surplus gear to the Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network, where it is set to be used by a possum carer!

Keeping score ...

We made significant progress today - hooray for us!  Moving our beautiful stump table was just the start of the day's achievements.

Nick dismantled a large desk and carted it's parts to the container. Erin set about wheeling boxes from the house, using the trolley.  She started with one and worked her way up to groups of three or four!

Once in the container, the boxes were grouped into "heavy" or "light" sections.  By the end of the day there were quite sizeable collections in each area.

Our packed box tally currently stands at 57, versus 37 donated to our local op-shops. (We've donated a lot more than that, via FreeCycle/FaceBook).

A lady collected 12 empty foam boxes today.  She managed to fit them in her car, along the back seat with a couple strapped into the front passenger seat!

I mentioned that at the end of 2012 we had 50 foam boxes (as well as many other varieties). 

All our culling has meant that 20 empty foam boxes have been given away!  But wait, there's more - or less, as the case (er, box) may be!  

Another 9 boxes have been given away, filled with various donations. 

That's right, I now have just 21 foam boxes - and may be able to reduce those even further! That score definitely warms my heart, even if Bandit might be a bit cooler in his sleeping chair!  

Stumped?!

I became very ill in the early hours of yesterday and spent the day in bed. My family checked on me often - from a distance! I'm up today but not necessarily at my best.

Recovery aside Nick had planned to shift our stump table, so a group effort was definitely required.

Over the years our various removalists have eyed off "stumpy" warily but he's more awkward than heavy - probably weighing in at a bit over 200kg, which is less than one might expect. The new dolly is rated to 450kg, so was well up to task.

It took the three of us to manoeuvre the stump table onto the dolly. In truth Nick did the hard work.  Erin and I held the wheeled base still.

Once on wheels, shifting the big tree stump was easier, accomplished with good humour and Bandit's barking! It's a great start. If the three of us can manouevre that, we are doing well - particularly in my low-energy state. "Stumpy" is a daunting piece of furniture, so he is a good one to start with to move (hah!) our motivation along!

Counting the years ...

I celebrated my birthday a few days ago. Well, I celebrated early and then spent the actual day in contemplation.

Birthdays are good for reviewing life and I took some time to appreciate all that my younger self had come through ...

I've mentioned this is our 7th move in 10 years and that every one of those moves involved acute stress, aside from the move itself.  I added all the notice periods the other day and the total was 400-plus days. That didn't include the couple of houses that were on the market before the notice periods kicked in - and I didn't bother trying to work out how long we spent unpacking/settling in the next house(s). I reckon it could easily be 18 months to 2 years of the past 10 that we've spent preparing to move, moving and recovering afterwards. That's a fair whack of life, eh?

The lead-up to this move has been a little easier as we've been able to (mostly) concentrate on - moving.  The lack of other drama is definitely novel and has enabled us to be pro-active about our current circumstances.  Rather than just find and secure another house locally, we've given a lot of thought about where we'd really like to live - and how to set about getting there.

"There" isn't a specific destination.  It's somewhere that offers opportunity for us to live happily in a home of our own, preferably with some space and freedom.  Warmth would be good, too!

So.  We'll pack all we can into the shipping container.  Our favourite furniture pieces will go in first.  Hopefully we've culled sufficiently for everything to fit but we may have to prioritise further.

The container is set for storage and at the end of the month after finalising our tenancy here, we'll spend a few nights in a caravan park before taking on a semi-local house-sitting position till the end of September.

After that?  We're not sure just yet.  That's more than six weeks away and anything might happen in that time.  Of course, we'd much prefer some exceptionally good happenings!

It felt good ...

I culled more stuff over the weekend.  Lots of bottles and jars were given away.  (I'd been saving them for jam and relish-making - as well as packaging for our home-made gifts).

Given we'll be in transit for a while, there didn't seem much point carting all that glass with us.

A lady will collect the tall pasta jars tomorrow. She wants them for storing goat milk and offered a sample of goat cheese as a thank you!

I gave away my fire-pit, too. We've had some fun use from it and I'm sure it's new owners will enjoy many good times also. (They're the same couple who bought several boxes of 4WD magazines a while ago).

I'd offered our vegie bed soil to Polly and she was able to collect her first trailer-load on Sunday.  She very kindly took a swag of extra gardening stuff, too - for herself and to share among other community projects.

Nick and I started cutting our packing felt today. It's 1800mm wide and we've cut five squares so far - before remembering Erin has a pair of battery-operated scissors!

Now she's home, the scissors are found. I'm hoping they make the felt-cutting job easier!

Nick's dolly!

We bought Nick a dolly today! As you can see, he likes it - a lot!

Last time we moved (in 2012), we bought a red trolley.  Between it and the blue dolly, moving furniture into our "new" container should be easy peasy!

That's right, we'll be packing the container ourselves.  I was somewhat daunted by this news initially but after pondering the logistics for a while I'm more comfortable with the idea.  Sort of!

Seemingly there are YouTube videos giving instructions in container packing!  How hard can it be?!  Heavy stuff on the bottom ...

Norm gave us a few pointers on packing yesterday.  After stopping at Bunnings this morning (and enjoying an early sausage sizzle) we ventured further to buy a roll of packing felt.

The felt is now safely stashed in the container.  It will probably be cut into more useable lengths before being put into service to protect various furniture while being transported/stored.

Containing our excitement?!

Today was busy and we achieved a lot. The former Fox-proof Fowl Fort was delivered to a private animal rescue shelter in the morning.

Deb greatly appreciated our help and we are very happy the fence is being put to good use.

Nick had cleared out the hire container earlier in the week.  How good is that?!  MT as Super Hubert would say.  (As an aside, Super Hubert used to perform at the Newcastle Show many years ago)!

We bought a shipping container on Tuesday night.  The hired one had made one trip from England before being delivered to us.  We couldn't afford the same level of quality but ours is guaranteed water-tight and vermin-proof - which is all we need.

Norm rang after lunch to give me two lots of good news - firstly that he was on the way with our container and secondly that he was the same truck booked to collect the hired container!

We tidied the vegie garden a bit while we waited.  All kinds of things have sprouted after the rain and Tea enjoyed a feast of unidentified greens!

It's 12 weeks since we received the Notice to Vacate.  It was a shock initially but we rallied and started scheming to make the move one that benefited us as a family.

Dramatically reducing our possessions is a significant part of the plan and we are well on track to achieving that aim.  We've now donated 37 boxes to local op-shops and increased our packed tally to 53!

Lots has happened behind the scenes in the past week or so.

Most importantly Erin's van was collected - and we received a bonus jar of home-made relish from the lovely new owners!  We waved them off last Thursday.  The van is set to become extra accommodation on their property, about 55km North of here.  (The caravan cash funded our container purchase, so that was a nifty swap-over).

We hand the keys back at the end of the month.  Our Plan A stalled during the week.  Rather than lock ourselves into another rental lease we are opting to live in transit for a little while.  Plan B is to pack the container with all that hasn't been culled and book a couple of nights in a caravan park after leaving here.  

I created a Mindahome profile during the weekend and we already have a preliminary house-sitting booking from 2 to 30 September.  All is clicking into place nicely at this stage, so fingers crossed for our next adventures! 

Re-couping the coop costs!

If the chookies were still here, we could have celebrated the first anniversary of the new girls' arrival. Instead, their Fox-proof Fowl Fort (FpFF) sold tonight on eBay - for $105 less than we paid for it more than two years ago.

We're pretty pleased with that outcome.

Given other fencing costs, we spent a bit over $200 all up on the FpFF during the time we/the chookies used it. That's $200 for more than two years of feathered friend fun. On a rough calculation the expense reduces to something like 25 cents a day, which is even cheaper than Erin's van/house extension!

It's almost 11 weeks since we received the Notice to Vacate - and a little over a month before our final exit date.  We've achieved so much in that time and are justifiably chuffed with our efforts. Our current tally stands at 35 boxes of donations versus 48 packed and stacked to come with us. More items have been given away via various FaceBook Buy, Sell, Swap pages - and quite a lot of rubbish has been culled also.

We've generated heaps of recycling, though some paperwork was far too sensitive for the bin. I've burned what seemed like several reams of horrid history. It's hard to describe how light I felt as I watched the paper curl in the flames. I expected to feel good but was unprepared for how free I felt. I was smiling for hours afterward!

Cheap rent!

One of our first missions prior to moving here was to buy a caravan for Erin - it was an instant (and cheap) house extension!

I think Erin enjoyed having her separate living quarters, though does appreciate the far warmer temperatures inside our house.  It seems she uses far less bedding since moving back in with us!

We've been clearing and cleaning the van these past couple of weeks.

I listed it for sale on two FaceBook pages on Thursday, where it received considerable interest.  One couple were set to view it on Friday morning but canceled two hours after making the appointment.

Another lady messaged yesterday and organised to view the van today.

She and her husband arrived on time and were obviously happy with their inspection.

They chatted for a while, left a deposit, took the previous VicRoads permit to arrange an updated one and will finalise their purchase soon - hooray! I love it when a plan comes together!

When advertising the van, I thought to allow some room for price negotiation. The agreed value means that we've paid around 50c/day for using the van during the time we've owned it. How good is that?!

Farewell, feathered friends!

I cried a few happy tears last night when Steven made contact to offer our girls their new home!

He was happy for "the gang" to stay together and promised they would be "very well looked after and much loved". That email made my day, for sure!

Erin and I were up early this morning to prepare the chookies and their coop for departure.

I cleaned the coop, scrubbing the removable parts with some hot water and disinfectant.

Erin, Vaughan and I then used the trolley to wheel the coop around to the driveway - which involved some giggling!

Steven and his young family arrived to collect the girls.  We loaded the coop first then caught the chookies fairly easily, packing them into "Fragile" boxes.

Nagambie, Pooh II and Mrs Floosit travelled in one box.  Judge Judge, Obsidian and Shadow shared the other box.

Steven sent a text message a little while ago to confirm the chookies were settling well into their new home - which is lovely news!

Now the girls are adopted, we'll sell their Fox-proof Fowl Fort (described as twenty temporary fencing panels).  Fingers crossed it will be re-homed just as easily!

Ticking boxes?!

Chaos reigns at the moment.  I'm trying to contain it but moving is a messy business - and we haven't got to the actual moving yet!  I'm still culling those foam boxes.  Many more have been emptied.  Hooray!

I offered the empty boxes on FaceBook buy, swap, sell pages and one guy collected three today which put a small dent in our stash.

Hopefully there will be a rush of interest in foam boxes over the week-end.  In the meantime Bandit is benefiting from the extra insulation around his sleeping chair!  As well as foam boxes, we've been given lots of lovely packing boxes.  They need temporary homes too and there are only so many that can be stashed behind Bandit's chair.  Consequently, Bandit isn't the only one feeling boxed in!

Our op-shop tally rose to 33 boxes today.  I've set up one of our camping tables near the front door.  There is usually at least one box on the table, gathering donations. The stacked baskets are home to packing tape "guns", extra packing tape, permanent markers and the like.  One tray holds bits to offer to Vaughan's school and other items awaiting MIA parts.  (The library books are on the table too, contained in a shallow tray - hoping to elude packing)!

It's a basic system but it's working successfully.  The camping table was only put into use this week, after I sold off the previous IKEA storage unit!

No drooling!

Nick and I are very chuffed with all we managed to achieve today - particularly as it was quite cold outside.

Erin's van has been moved onto firmer ground, ready for it's final clean and photo session.  That was a major mission and Nick did wonderful work, in spite of a few hiccups.

The largest pic shows the storage container this morning.  Compare that view against the pic at top right, which was that state of things in March 2013 after our belongings arrived from storage.  The two smaller pics are of our 50 foam boxes in storage at the end of 2012.  Nick brought 25 of those boxes into the house today and by the end of the day I had culled them heavily.  I have seven empty boxes.  Three are filled with op-shop donations, set for delivery tomorrow.  One is full of recycling.  Another is holding some of the rubbish (four large garbage bags in total).

Three boxes are packed and the rest require further consolidation.  Generally they are being used to hold sorted paperwork, so are not very full.  I'm very pleased with progress and for the most part enjoyed poking through and rediscovering all kinds of stuff.

What did I find?  Old cards and letters, examples of my schoolwork from early primary days (including artwork displayed by the NSW Correspondence School and Katherine School of the Air),   certificates from my Rural Youth stint ...  Lots and lots of memories.  One of the highlights was the house rules Erin, Nissa and I created many years back.  "No drooling on the table" is listed.  I can't recall drooling being a problem before the house rules came into effect but obviously someone thought it was important enough to have in writing!