This is it...

It's happening. We're farmers. Well, not quite yet, but we will be. Himself will even have a certificate to prove it - he's started his Green Cert and even bought a pair of wellies. Proper ones. I bought myself an Aga teapot, and cookbook and oven glove. I can't quite afford the Aga itself just yet, and we haven't got a house to put it in. But we're getting there. We met our architect, plodded through the fields, picked out the best site and he's gone off to draw up plans for our dream home. Apparently planning permission will take at least four months but still, the wheels are in motion and the next time we move, it will be into our forever home. Finally. Of course, there's the small matter of securing a mortgage, and given that I'm self-employed that may be a tad challenging. But in the mean time, I've drawn up my wish list for the house and it includes a walk in pantry and a gigantic laundry room that means I won't to see another bloody clothes horse clog up my landing again. I want proper home office so I'll no longer have to take important Skype calls sitting on the bed in whichever room happens to be the least messy on that particular day. A playroom will be a must given the kids' ages. And my gorgeous free-standing kitchen with an island, with the Aga at the heart of it. I'll bake bread every day, make home-made granola, pickle vegetables I grow in the garden...To anyone who knows me, this may sound a tad unlikely, given that every single potted herb I've bought never seems to last beyond a week, and I'm not exactly the type of person who likes getting their hands dirty. And even though I spent 13 years living in the city and working as a hack before moving to the countryside, I really feel at home here. Breathing in the fresh air, looking across rolling countryside, imagining our children growing up with an appreciation for the land and self-sufficiency...It's happening. This is it. The beginning of the rest of our lives. And I can't wait.