A very special Christmas present

I’ve been very excited about bringing you this post for quite sometime. Since Christmas to be exact.  It’s about another present, and yes it’s from Mr M again. I know, I know, he’s a good guy; I guess I just got lucky.

So, today’s story goes like this. We’d been in our new home for five days before I came up for air and away from way too many packing boxes.  We’d moved from a smaller rental, so on removal day boxes came from storage, the rental and just about everywhere else it seemed. Unwrapping the storage boxes was fun actually and not unlike Christmas day itself, as I rediscovered family gems and precious photos wrapped in tissue paper for safe keeping.

And so it was on day five as I stood at the kitchen sink dreaming of what was to come in our latest adventure, that I saw something odd. And big. And I had no idea what it was because all the big things now had a home.  I realised that on day one I had certainly walked past it at least a hundred times directing removal men backwards and forwards with our furniture and belongings. On day two I had placed hot coffee on it whilst I pondered the creation of the vegetable garden. On day three I had moved wheelie bins in front of it and on day four I’d worried about the protective black plastic blowing off it in the wind and rain. It was December and it was of course dark, cold and pretty grim.

I called out to any one listening “what’s that big thing outside the kitchen window with black plastic on it?” They all smirked, looked knowingly at each other and began nodding and winking in a strange manner. Too busy for silliness, I carried on washing up and continued to unpack endless boxes and as night began to fall I realised I still didn’t have my answer.

On day six Mr M caved in and said it was my Christmas present but I couldn’t have it until Christmas day and I was to stop trying to guess what it was. Christmas was two whole weeks away though that didn’t stop me guessing and pestering. Something that big can only be a few things and apparently it wasn’t any of those. So I waited… not so patiently, until Christmas morning, until everyone else had opened their presents. I waited rather a long time and I thought I might burst and then I was offered this…

and I remember unrolling the smooth brown paper, my mouth gaping wide open and there were a few tears. This is what I saw…this was my Christmas present. My very own Shepherd Hut. Just for me.  A Shepherd Hut to go in my garden. Near my fruit trees. Even as I sit writing this today, a long time after Christmas, I still can’t believe it. You see its like I told you at the start, I got lucky, very lucky.

Of course there are many more stories to come with lots of beautiful photos from both inside and out of the Shepherd Hut. Next week I’m going to tell you why I got it and where it lives now. And soon I’ll reveal an eBay steal that fits just perfectly inside it. There’s also a post for a 10 minute DIY sign coming soon which I’ve already made and looks perfect on one of its walls. For now though it needs a name. It is so much more than a Shepherd Hut and every name I’ve tried is just missing a bit of spark. That spark feel you get when you name something you can’t quite believe is yours. If you have any ideas, please let me know.