Thursday, April 30, 2026

The Next Big Project

 Here we are on the last day of April. We know how we're spending May as our next big project commences. Not sure exactly how it's going to go, but I guess we'll find out. It starts this weekend as I get some books boxed up so they'll be ready to load into my friend's car and brought to what will be our new home in Killybegs. Our lease here ends at the beginning of June and we'll be out of here by then. I gave notice today, but we've known for a few months that we'd probably be going. To be honest, I was not letting myself get too attached to the idea until recently, because this wasn't imminent and stuff happens, so I waited patiently. My friends here were puzzled about my lack of excitement at first, but they kept telling me, 'I'm excited for you.' I will miss being around them and I will miss the yarn group at the library. 

It was all quite unexpected. We weren't planning to move, nor were we looking for a place. My friends were concerned about the damp in this cottage, and expressed their concerns to me repeatedly. One even started looking on our behalf, although I didn't know this at the time. It's not like we had options so we just dealt with it and although we would have pursued any possibilities as they arose, we weren't actively seeking anything. But after we got back from taking care of our furry friend in February, another friend brought up the possibility of us moving into a property she owns. We jumped at it. So now we'll be neighbors with our furry friend, Finn, and when she needs someone to care for him, we'll be right there. 

When we moved here, we didn't know we'd be taking care of him so we signed the lease which was very clear that we were not to have a dog. After we went to his house for a month to take care of him and knew we would be caring for him again a couple months later, I contacted the manager to ask if we could have him here on a temporary basis. He checked with the landlord, who wouldn't allow it. So we went back to Finn's house for a month. Shortly thereafter, our friend offered us her property to live in. We've lived in that neighborhood before and I have always loved it. I would've never left, but there were circumstances involving the landlord at the time and his manager that made it difficult to live there. That won't be an issue this time. 

There will be a few things I miss about being in this area, but overall, It'll be much better for us there in so many ways. I'm looking forward to being there and being with my friends there once again, both human and canine. Not sure exactly what the move itself is going to look like, but we start this weekend! I'm excited now, even though I'm not looking forward to moving. I'm greatly looking forward to having moved though. Off we go into a new chapter!

2 comments:

Jeanie said...

Congratulations, Shari. How far are you going to be from where you are now? Hopefully back for a visit now and then (or maybe even teach a weekend workshop?) It will be so much nicer to be near your friend, near Finn. Bill has often shown photos labeled Killybegs on his blog, so I have a sense of what that will be like. Packing can be tough but you've done it before and hopefully once you settle, you'll be good for a long while, friend and pup close at hand!

Shari Burke said...

Thanks, Jeanie! It's about an hour and a half away by car. The bus would take longer, but my friends are planning to come visit and we've talked about meet-ups in other towns. There's a community center there where I might do some teaching--my friend has spoken to someone there about this already. I love Killybegs and am thrilled to be going back :-)