We are the sort of family that unexplained things happen to. Some would call them fantastic coincidences, others luck. And still others might conclude that some higher power is at work .
We have our own explanations of it.
However you see it , our call to America felt pretty much like the Pevency children’s call to Narnia from the train station. One moment they were about their normal business and the next they were sucked into a different world.
One moment our settled life of twenty three years was normal . Suddenly a disconnected meteor of a thought - “ we should go to America and Ian should do a Phd”. Within twenty minuets our whole mind set was changed. Like Lucy . Edmond and Peter our life totally altered. They entered their new world within moments. . We however, took six action packed months to achieve it. They were carried on the winds of a higher power. We were carried on the winds of the Pacific by good old Air New Zealand.
Now while unexplained things might happen to our family often, in every other way we are your normal Kiwi family. Well almost normal. If you don’t count living in the weekends without electricity or a bathroom for fun , or home schooling.
There is Ian ( the dad ) and me , Wendy ( the mum ). A short staircase of kids. Eighteen, sixteen, twelve and ten.
Two girls, two boys. Usually barefoot, all good with number eight wire and used to empty beaches.
When we brightly announced to our family and friends we were moving to America their mouths dropped open. ( I used to think that was just a line in many books until I saw it.) Some didn’t believe it until they witnessed the frantic culling and shedding of excess stuff. Like a cicada sheds its old skin.
There is something about reducing your life down to two suitcases each that brings your whole identity into focus. All you truly are is compressed into two succinct blocks.
Ian’s bags were mainly filled with textbooks, Cds, laptops and computer paraphernalia .
Ruth tenderly packed her violin, sheet music and horse quilt.
We had a bit of trouble persuading Paul that he couldn’t take all his stereo motors, old batteries, tin cans, cogs, wheels and wires. He settled eventually for just his recharger , video camera battery and multi colored rubber band collection.
John modestly packed his school books and soft toys.
Rachel however had her fiddle, favorite books, brown monkey, two first aid kits, a fist aid book and her CPR dummie.
I scorned to pack the frivolous stuff the rest of the family had, and packed the really serious essentials to life. My rotary cutter, cutting board and a stash of fabric.
We poked in clothes around these necessities as best we could. Sold the horses. Rented the house and were ready for our new adventure into Quilt Land.