The kettle, teapot and cups are due to arrive with the rest of my possessions on Monday. Like the painter and the carpenters, I get by with a water bottle until I get too hungry to pretend I’m not, at which point I down tools and go for lunch.

Speaking of Monday, the house will be a zoo. Eli has yet to tackle the baseboards and window frames, or the insides of closets, so he and the movers will be stepping over and around each other while my furniture and boxes get deposited only approximately where they are supposed to go.

People keep asking me whether I’m excited yet. I consistently say No, probably because I expect something to go wrong. If we get through Monday without incident, I might relax a tad.