Neil and I meet when I started work at a Structural Engineering office in Blackpool back in 1999.  I was the office junior and he was an Engineer and working towards his Chartership degree.  Now of course he is a Chartered Stuctural Engineer.   We married in 2004 and are still growing stronger today.

Harvey was born in 2000 and we brought him in 2001.  Harvey is a very bossy Labrador and his favourite pastime is nicking socks and ripping tennis balls apart, oh and of course his walks.  Sadly though he is prone to minor fits, we have no idea why he has them but as they are so far between we have not put him on any medication for it.  The poor lad also has artheritis in his front legs which he does have injections for.

I lived in Blackpool and Neil was from outside Preston before we moved to the lovely Ribble Valley, so pretty here.

I have had lots of jobs ranging from working in markets to admin.  I opened a Wedding Planning company around 2003 but unfortunately it didn’t take off due to the lack of customer interest.  I did organise a wedding fayre by myself at Blackpool Football Club which I am very proud of.  The business gave me so much confidence, it really did change me for the better.  I am now a housewife but I will get a job if we move to Canada, I think it would be the best way for me to intergrate with the community and make friends.  It would be great to work as a wedding co-ordinator in a hotel or my second love ski and become a ski instructor.

I don't know who wrote this but its good.

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

Your life today is the result of your past attitudes and choices. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and choices you make today.

We live in a location within the Ribble Valley and the house went on the market in November.

We have had about 10 viewing so far, but just like many on British Expats struggling to sell because of the credit crunch, high interest rates and the bloody BBC worrying everybody that is looking to buy.

We did have one viewer that came to look for a second time but unfortunatly did not put in an offer.  We have had no offers so far but no rush at the immediate moment in time.

I will proceed with the constant battle of cleaning the bloody house and keeping the garden looking nice

I am forever going into the estate agents just to give them a reminder and to check they haven't forgotten about us.

Just a little update on the house selling front we have had to reduce the house twice and now we are looking at a total reduction of £20,000, sickening!

Neil had his interview in London on 23rd April at Canada House.  I think the interview went o.k but could have been better as my husband isn't very good at selling himself very well.

While we were there the company that interviewed Neil introduced us to another company so he managed to have two interviews in London after that, which was good.

We have to sit back and wait now for a phone call to see if he is through to the next stage. 

We have had a company come back to us from one of the London interviews.  They have requested a telephone interview with Neil apprently this is procedure before they ask any possible candidate to go over for a face to face interview.

This interview is dated 6th May 2008 fingers crossed, I will keep you posted.

Canada House