Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Creating........ a CAMPERVAN

Where did September go? 

For me it was a month filled with frustration, with measures of patience and persistence that I did not know I possessed.  The promise of a campervan never materialised.  We made so many trips to the converters that our car eventually drove itself, and Mr Converter commented ‘if I see any more of you Sandie we’ll have to get married’.  My LSNED pages lay empty on my workspace, and most days were filled with the mundane and mediocre, exhaustion and exasperation.

But there were sprinklings of special days of course.... such as my husband & granddaughter's shared birthday.  So there was a gathering at the weekend and then a lovely day spent with my daughter, followed by roller skating after school.  And our much enjoyed holiday to North Wales.  Even the wind and the rain could not temper our spirits!

And while thinking about how to write this post I visited Julie Ann Shahin's blog.   And I wondered about serendipity again because she relates a wonderful story told by Andrea Scher, which I thought was just beautiful.  Andrea says that :


 "Buddists believe that when a lot of things are going wrong all at once,
it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born,
and that this something needs for you to be distracted so that it can be
                                                                born as perfectly as possible"

Did this relate to our Campervan?

Because with September's passing we FINALLY have possession !!

And I can reveal the story of it’s making...





Take one van and dismantle........

Cut strategic holes

Spray colour of choice










  
          Then start to assemble.....

          Line with carpet for insulation
          & comfort

          add windows

          flooring










and a roof.








                Build furniture......

                add a sink,

                water,

                toilet and

                electric.


                                                
                                                                                                  And finally...........       
 
           fit seats, newly
           upholstered in rosy red. 










                                                                           
                                                                                And here it is!  


I could come up with a string of metaphores to describe our experience, and truth be told, this has been like a bad pregnancy and difficult birth.  But most parents eventually forget the trials and tribulations and soon become besotted with their new off spring.

At the moment I am trying to think of a name for our camper.  Something that will roll off the tongue and give rise to interesting ideas and projects.  I've already mentioned that I plan to have a Log Book to record our overnight trips and camps.  I'm sure a name will spring to mind when my mind is quieter.  But if you have any suggestions they'll be greatly welcomed, because I know there are a lot of creative and clever minds among my blog readers and friends.  And I will offer a small giveaway if I choose one of the names suggested.

We finally accepted the camper on Saturday and we lost no time in having a night away.  Hopefully we can start to get back into a normal routine again, and catch up on all the other things that have been neglected along the way.  At the moment our excitement is still slightly marred by exhaustion and the amount of effort needed to bring this together, but like new parents, we will soon catch up on sleep and I'm already making plans of where we shall go and what we will do.

Oh, and by the way, I'm making space for some creative stuff to take along.... of course!!


14 comments:

  1. Oh, my, it was worth the wait! I have camper van envy! I wish you and your family many happy miles in her ~ she is a she, isn't she?

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  2. Don't think about all the waiting, think about all the good times you're going to have. Love the red seats :)

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  3. Wow!!! That's some transformation! how about naming her Rosie ... to match the colour of the seats? x

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  4. Wow! that is some transformation! How about calling her Rosie .... to match the seat colour? x

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  5. Wow - it looks fabulous - wishing you many happy travels in it :0)

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  6. She looks beautiful and well worth the wait.

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  7. Oh my goodness Sandie, this is just fantastic!
    Congratulations on this amazing transformation.

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  8. So pleased for you - she looks fab.

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  9. I have camper van envy too! I have been looking forward to seeing the photos, and they are fantastic. I hope you have many happy years crossing the country (globe?) in her (or him?)

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  10. Well Sandie what a fab van! You will have so many wonderful holidays in it. I shall get thinking of a name. Looking forward to seeing you at Bellars! M xx

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  11. What a great job..well worth the wait, I would say!
    Alison xx

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  12. How brilliant is this! I've always hankered after one ... Does it have any beds? I love Sarah's suggestion of Rosie. I can see a log book entitled A-Roaming in Rosie. :)

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  13. Alexa, the campervan has 2 double beds, believe it or not! The back seat folds down into a bed and we found it more comfortable and spacious than expected. There is another bed that is in the roof space. So it sleeps 4 adults, and we also have a drive away awning that sleeps another 4. Great for if we want to take friends or family. My granddaughters will probably love the roof bed as it has windows and is very cosy.

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  14. How exciting that must have been - hope you are still enjoying it!

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