Wardrobe Matters

One of the major decisions we made before moving to the country was that I would work from home.  Fitting in with the norm of country ways by having at least two income streams to my name, I would run our (not yet built) country cabin retreat as well as my own creative business.  Finances aside, there are obviously adjustments to make and various things to consider when taking the leap - like space to work, discipline and, of course, wardrobe.

So how easy is it to adjust from working alone in a busy office, in a bustling environment, to working alone from home?  Forming a work routine has been an interesting experience, there are so many enticements to stop work and do other things.  Even when I am disciplined enough to sit at my desk and stay focused, I get visits from the blue tits tapping on the window, watching me watching them as they fidget on the sill.  I am getting used to it now, in many ways I have substituted distractions from colleagues with distractions of the feathered kind.  There are other diversions though: dealing with the pest controller, the tree surgeon, the biomass engineer and calls on the home phone.  Then there is always something to do outside.  I love gardening and there are so many garden projects beckoning me: painting the bench, weeding the embankment, shoring up the bank of the brook...... and that's not even mentioning what we need to do indoors.   I have settled now to a regular work routine, currently with two days set in stone and the others more flexible.  This way, if the sun is shining (or let’s face it, it’s dry), I can take the opportunity to get into the fresh air and get stuff done.  Quite how manageable this will be when the workload builds AND spring arrives is yet to be seen.

Distractions were always going to be a challenge, as they surely are for everyone who works from home.  There are other consequences though that I hadn't really considered until we moved – namely, my wardrobe.  Those that know me know that I love my clothes.  I also love shoes.  Living in the middle of a field with one neighbour and a few hundred sheep gives little cause to wear aubergine suede ankle boots with faux moleskin detail and two-inch heels.  Nor have my dresses and skirts seen the light of day since we moved.  Every year, around my birthday, I have a bit of a splurge - I take great pleasure in being able to find a number of bargains to pep up my wardrobe.  This year was different: I didn’t come home with two pairs of shoes, three dresses, a top and two skirts for less than £120 – just a pair of Dublin boots and a real raincoat for considerably more! My son and daughter-in-law also bought me my first pair of 'proper' wellies (don't underestimate the value and comfort of these!  Why did I wait so long?!).  No more style first for me - it's all about practicality (which generally comes in green, brown or dark blue).  Does it bother me?  Surprisingly, no.  There is something so satisfying about wrapping up warm, pulling on the wellies, donning the raincoat, flinging open the door and checking the boundary fence, topping up the bird seed or shifting the wood chippings - all while the dogs lollop around the garden or around my heels.  On Christmas day eleven of us donning our Christmas PJs, coats and wellies went for a walk in the field out the back.  Admittedly there was no one around to see us but it was liberating.  Another unexpected joy in the outcome of moving to the country.  So, what to do with that (not insubstantial) impractical wardrobe?  For now, it’s staying put – sharing space with my practical staples until I decide it’s finally time for a cull and for at least some of it to go.  

Did I mention my husband bought me the boots I had wanted for Christmas?  I love them – they are comfy, practical and.... red.  Hmmm, maybe I’m just a little bit bothered...?