another update from me
 

haven't been here for a while, so I thought I'd drop by.

We're settling in well. It's been tight money-wise, but I've finally bitten the bullet and applied for some government help, as encouraged by the kind lady at Wiltshire County Council.

I am having no luck finding a job. I've applied for anything that makes sense and had one interview. I didn't get the job because I was overqualified. Um...I wouldn't have applied for the job if I didn't want it.:sneaky:

Our son is doing well at school. He had his first report card last week and we were blown away by how well he's doing. He loves it.

We collected our other cat from quarantine at the end of January. He has settled in very well, although I suspect the stink bombs he leaves in the litter tray are his revenge. :blink:

But, apart from the financial stress, we really are so glad to be back. I love it and I love the village we live in. I love the changing skies and seasons, the first hints of spring, snowdrops, birdsong. I can't believe it's nearly been 7 months since we returned. :eek:

Re: another update from me
 

Good luck, hope things work out.

Re: another update from me
 

good on ya :D

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I'm really happy for you and that you are happy with your decision to go back. Its a huge risk and very unsettling whilst you come to the decision to pack up and go home and i remember the emotions I went through to come to that decision, but once made it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm going home on 12th march!!:thumbsup:
I wish you luck in securing work i hear its tough there at the moment. Not sure of the job situation where we're going to but i'll try for part-time to start and take it from there.

Did you rent when you went back and how did that work. What about a vehicle? I'm going to have to use public transport for now as we can't afford a car, which will be a novelty for us as there is no public transport in our town in Canada so we drive everywhere!

I'm looking forward to spring there too, i miss that. We've got snow here again in Canada and I'm so tired of the cold temperatures...the kids will be doing their paper routes in -28 this week!! That's no joke!
Great news though and glad its all coming together :thumbsup:

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Hey...it's lovely to hear from you again. I am so pleased you are happy to be back in the UK...even though things on the job and money front are proving to be a problem. Hopefully everything will all work out in time.

All the very best to you and your family...thank you for taking the time to update us. Good luck.

Re: another update from me
 

Good to know it's going well!

Did that cat recognize you or was it like starting all over again?

Re: another update from me
 

Thanks!
We didn't really have a choice. I lost my job before our Green Cards were approved.

We're renting. There was only one house available for rent in the village. It's quite pricey but we should be eligible for housing benefits. I'm just waiting for the letter regarding our Tax credits. We are entitled to those, but they screwed up so I'm waiting for the revised one.

As for a car, we had enough saved up that I could buy a car outright. We live in the country so we need that car.

Thank you! :wub:

Although it's been a rough couple of years, I think coming home was the best thing that could've happened. Everyone I know says I'm happier. My blood pressure has dropped to "perfect" (according to the nurse at the local surgery)

Thank you all for your good wishes. We'll get by and it's great to be back where we belong and have rights. :thumbup:

ETA: Tigs settled in incredibly well. He recognised us and, after a day of spats with our other cat, they finally remembered each other and are back to squabbling and chasing each other around the house. He's always suffered from separation anxiety and 6 months in quarantine has made him even more affectionate.

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Aw i remember your problems when i first joined this forum. So happy that you are happy to be home and I wish you lots of luck finding a job!!

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Aw that's great. I may have missed this, but why did he need to go into quarantine when the other cat didn't?

I don't mean to be nosy - just have 4 cats myself and trying to decide the best course of action.

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No problem.
We had some serious visa issues the year before last and it looked like we were going to have to return to the UK then. At the time we had three cats. We made the decision to bring Bluey (the one who didn't go into quarantine) and our old cat. We started to try and find a home for the other. So we started the ball rolling on the pet passport stuff then. Thanks to very high level intervention, the visa issue was resolved.

When I lost my job, we were initially only going to bring Bluey with us, because Maggie, my old cat, had died. Then, we realised that we had to make the move as easy as possible for our son, so we brought Tigs back too. Because we hadn't started the passport process for him, he had to go into quarantine.

It was worth it, because when we got him back, we were all back together again.

Here we are:

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...catpics002.jpg

Re: another update from me
 

Awww. They look so happy! They also look like they're not letting you get away again :lol:

Thanks for the explanation. Two of my cats have chronic nasal infections. They're not particularly ill, they just sneeze and sniffle a lot. We've tried tons of vets and never been able to get either a diagnosis or a cure. I am worried that if we tried to take them home, they'd be stopped and put into quarantine and I wondered if that had happened to you. I can't find any answers about whether cats with illnesses are allowed into the UK.

Anyway, thanks and they're cuties!

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You could always contact DEFRA, via their help line. I found them very helpful and efficient.

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Those are two really pretty cats
How much did it cost to have him in quarantine for 6 months?

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I'm pleased to announce that I FINALLY HAVE A JOB:eek:

Part time admin job at a care home for the elderly. Perfect for me and my family. I start in a couple of weeks and I can't wait.

It's been a long time, until last year, I've never been out of work for more than a week or two in thirty years. So I'm a happy bunny.:D

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Congratulations...excellent news. :thumbsup:

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:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Well done lady!!:D

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congrats happy for you :thumbsup:

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Woo hoo, great news G&T! I think once you have your foot in the door of something, it is always easier to move on if you need to.

Re: another update from me
 

Great news!! Congrats :)

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Congratulations on the job front!

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wow!! congratz on the job front!!!

I have my first interview this week, but i have only put out 2 applications...I am a little scared about going back to work.

Have you managed to get your tax credits sorted? I am still going around with mine, gonna check on it Monday am to see how they are doing with the processing.

I understand if you work 16 hours or less a week it will not affect your tax credits. Also i was amazed when i applied for tax credits they tried to push other stuff on me. Council tax help, child benefits, and job seekers. I guess i must be in dire straights?!?! Weirded me out, lol. Needless to say it is all too confusing and i haven't done anything other than fill out the tax credit form.

Did they to push more stuff on you too?

Anyway i am glad you have finally settled! Our kitty is staying with my hubby's step mom and he has just started his Quarantine time .... but in a family members house. we will see how that goes.


all the best

reeni

Re: another update from me
 

Ha! tax credits! it took 4 attempts to get the right amount sorted out. The main problem was that I could only provide an estimate of my last year's salary, based on the dollar/pound exchange rate. Once I'd explained that and learned that my redundancy money didn't need to be factored in, it was sorted. I have to say, they were quick to fix things. I've found them really friendly helpful.

Child benefits was very very straightforward. We don't qualify for anything else.

But it is confusing dealing with all these different organisations and departments :eek: It's great to have that safety net though.

Thanks everyone for your congratulations. I am just so relieved. i was beginning to think I was unemployable.