Originally Posted by dunroving

A lot of the houses in my street have done that and it causes real problems with water run-off - there's nowhere for the rain to soak through!

I live on a crescent on a slope and my house is at the bottom of the slope. Most of the rainwater that falls on my back neighbour's garden runs straight down and into/through mine. The neighbour across the street from him has a concreted front garden also, so I am getting three houses' worth of rainwater run-off!

On very rainy days the effect of all this sloped hardscaping is that the rain simply runs through the subsoil of my garden and down the side of my house in a river running down my front steps. The council has introduced regulations against concreting front gardens for parking - it has to be gravel now. There were several houses on the street that rushed to hardscape their front garden for parking before the regulation came in.

Originally Posted by windsong

I am SO glad they are being replanted. The hedgehog population has really diminished over the years because of the lack of hedgerows. Aside from the hedgehogs, what would Britain be without its marvellous hedges!

Originally Posted by windsong

Hi Celticspirit!

It's been 23 years since I was in the UK. I am not worried at all, though. I know it is bound to have changed but, while there is change in some things, many things never change.

Sounds as if you have made a decision to make moves to return. That's wonderful!! Do you have a timeframe in mind?

Originally Posted by Derrygal

That is something I didn't think of - nowhere for the water to run-off - not good! It's just as well some regulation has been introduced now.

Originally Posted by jasper123

WOW what a lovely post, it really is lovely how you describe the wonderful and beautiful places you have been to and the things you have seen, and the way you describe the hospitality of the people, I envy you having a job like that, I would have loved to travel around the USA as you have, and going to those out of the way places way off the tourist routes, how amazing your life must have been,
Yes your right, the U.S. is a beautiful country in so many ways, and many different kinds of beauty and splendor from state to state,
So your coming home, are you retiring in the U.K.? it reminds me of the film pretty woman ---- when the hotel manager says to Richard Gere ---- it must be very difficult to let something so beautiful go,
I think all expats who have returned home from America would agree that it wasn't easy to let such beauty go,
I for one have no regrets in coming home, and Ive said that there isn't a thing that I miss about the U.S.
but that isn't exactly true really, ----- really to be honest one cant paint that statement with such a big brush, in the whole picture there will obviously be many things that we all miss, especially if one has lived there for decades like many of us, ----- if we were to be honest with ourselves, and that goes for me too, the memories will last forever, and I wouldn't have changed a thing, I cant and wont knock America, I had a good life there for a long time, and Ive met some truly remarkable people there, Im just against the policies of government there now, and the in your face corporate greed,
but then we suddenly enter a new chapter in our lives when we get older, and for some of us the UK calls us back again,

Originally Posted by lf1

I finally made a Rhubarb Crumble. It was quite nice and OH really liked it, but we both agreed that it was a bit sweet. I like your idea of adding the oats. Also, the recipe I used called for sugar to to be sprinkled over the rhubarb. I think I might omit that next time as I like the tartness of the rhubarb vs the sweetness of the topping.

Originally Posted by windsong

Rodney, this is so true. As excited and thrilled as I am to be going home (finally!) I can never escape the memories of times in the USA. I am experiencing this even now.

The other night I had a dream that was mixed with scenes and people from the USA and the UK all in the very same dream. The scenes were woven together as if they all took place in the same area, but as I gradually woke up I was able to realize that some scenes were from the USA and some from the UK. It was the strangest feeling, as if my life was split. After all, how could the people who were dear to me throughout my life be so far apart?

There is not much here these days that I am sorry to leave behind. It is some of the memories, such as in that dream, that are tugging at my heartstrings. However, they are memories and belong in the past. Nevertheless, the dream was such that I could go and visit Target department store and Marks and Spencer in the very same town - such a weird dream!

There are some things I can't wait to leave behind, though.

I feel so lucky that I have a terrific old friend and sweetheart from years ago to help me through this adjustment. It's really going to help me because he has changed very little throughout the years, although we are both much older now. I am already getting acclimatized to the UK again because we talk about all things British on Skype for at least two hours every day lol! In talking to him, I have realized just how stressed and frantic I am over here. In the beginning, I couldn't believe how relaxed he was and then I realized it is the general pace of life that is different and it is something to which I am longing to return.

The biggest thing I will miss is the familiarity I feel here. I don't like it but it feels familiar because I have been here so long. I think that feeling will disappear as soon as I land on British soil.

Originally Posted by Cardienscarf

I had a dream the other night that there were a lot of people in my house that I didn't know. I took it as a sign of all the new characters that will be coming in to my life.

The familiarity of a place can certainly be hard to leave behind. I know how to live in Boulder, I know how things work, I know where to find what I need. I think that has kept me here longer than necessary. I realized, as I was making my final decision to go home, that I had become afraid of making the wrong decision and so I did nothing and then became more and more afraid to take a chance.

That fear seems to have crept up on me over the years here because I was never averse to taking a risk 10 or 15 years ago. I don't know if it's an age thing - that as we get older, we want more security - or whether it's that there seems to be a lot of fear in the US around work and benefits and healthcare, etc.

But then a bigger fear started to creep up on me - that I would do nothing and would never know what it was like to live in England again and to be English. A friend said to me that she thought it important to 're-pot' ourselves sometimes and I realized I had become quite pot-bound.

When I talked to my eldest son about it, he said "When you start thinking about doing something, it's only a matter of time until you do it." Whether he meant to or not, he helped me get on with it!

Originally Posted by Cardienscarf

And what a lovely post yours is too! I'm definitely not leaving because hate America. I've had some very hard times here but I have made some wonderful friends who have helped me through. And the scenery is spectacular, but I'm not a big fan of the culture or politics.

I'm not retiring but I approached my boss about working for them in the UK and he jumped on it! We already have a European rep but the territory is too vast for him to cover and he hardly ever makes it over to the UK. We already have a presence there so while I will be breaking ground with new customers, there are some who already know and love us! I know it will be different there than here and that I have a lot to learn but I am happy to be working for a company I know well and have respect for.

My boss has been wonderfully supportive, they've done their due diligence to make it happen and we're at the final crossing the T's and dotting the i's stage of the contract. I shall be an independent contractor which, in my mind, is far better than being an employee as it frees me up to pursue other things as well. He's being incredibly generous remuneration wise and has even paid for my airfare to go back to Heathrow, come back for a trade show in Houston in October via Denver to see my son and home via Atlanta to see my very good friend who is also moving from here to be closer to her family. He said he wants me to have a good and happy life so that I keep working for them!

So now, instead of driving all over CO, KS, NE, WY and SD, I shall be driving all over the UK and Ireland! I can't believe how lucky I am.

Originally Posted by Cardienscarf

.... A friend said to me that she thought it important to 're-pot' ourselves sometimes and I realized I had become quite pot-bound.

Originally Posted by cheers

The original intent of this forum, I think, was to give information for returning Brits.

So how about this one. In the US to dial a number locally you dial 7 numbers or if the phone you are calling is out of the area you may add 3 more numbers, so how is it in Britain? They seem to have about 9 numbers to dial.

I want to thank you all for your help to my questions that I posted recently.

Cheers




In Britain to become a city you have to have cathedral and in America to become a city you have to have a Walmart

Originally Posted by cheers

The original intent of this forum, I think, was to give information for returning Brits.

So how about this one. In the US to dial a number locally you dial 7 numbers or if the phone you are calling is out of the area you may add 3 more numbers, so how is it in Britain? They seem to have about 9 numbers to dial.

I want to thank you all for your help to my questions that I posted recently.

Cheers

In Britain to become a city you have to have cathedral and in America to become a city you have to have a Walmart

Originally Posted by cheers

The original intent of this forum, I think, was to give information for returning Brits.

So how about this one. In the US to dial a number locally you dial 7 numbers or if the phone you are calling is out of the area you may add 3 more numbers, so how is it in Britain? They seem to have about 9 numbers to dial.

I want to thank you all for your help to my questions that I posted recently.

Cheers




In Britain to become a city you have to have cathedral and in America to become a city you have to have a Walmart