Originally Posted by Lorna at Vicenza (Post 10562658)

Broillies????? At Dawn????

I think Polly might win with her brolly :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by lf1 (Post 10562621)

I have PM'd Pollyanna and hopefully the matter will be dealt with promptly, unless there are some unexpected cyclones that need to be attended to. I am sure that my standing in society will ensure a swift response, otherwise, it is broillies at dawn.:lol:

Dowager Countess of Grantham

Originally Posted by trottytrue (Post 10562756)

Homeiswheretheheartis..I am truly sorry for you and the situation you are in. Children andn I am not sure how old yours are, are not so simple as people would think the older they get the more they need their friends and I am sure it must be difficult for them trying to learn such different histories. They have more than that to worry about spelling and many other things, being different is hard enough for us so you can imagine what its like for them. Perhaps if you explain to DD that once she gets over the next few months summer will be here and they have such long holidays here in no time she will be back home. Planning it will help her through some of the hard times. Have her start a notebook that she can take with home with her showing the differences between the two countries she could use it in school. I am sure all the children back home would love to know what its like here.

Have you thought what you will do once you return to the UK will you stay their and not move the children again. We cope much better than they do.

I hope it all works out for you.

Originally Posted by lf1 (Post 10562503)

For the Downton Abbey crowd and Pollyanna.

NOTE: DO NOT OPEN IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOST CURRENT EPISODE.

http://www.happyplace.com/21471/down...on-3-episode-7

Originally Posted by feelbritish (Post 10560812)

Hellooooooooooo I am back!! So glad I still had one of the old posts on my email so that I could catch up with you lot!!! Been away for two months holiday in Cape Town with my family! Wonderful happy holiday and so much better than even being in Canada, totally safe. I have noticed the change to over 40’s, and have spent an afternoon catching up on everyone’s lives etc. What riveting reading so going back a long way I would just like to mention the following:
Rodney sorry to hear about your mom and hope she is well on the mend now!
Fulwood, sorry about your brother
Celticspirit, hope you are feeling a lot better now
Sally, thanks for your blog, that I managed to read as it came through my email address, your new home looks stunning and I will enjoy more of your updates. Also some very good advice about attitude and perception when returning, and then your news of your robbery, how scary!
Perth.. you and I are so at the same place and Rodney I may also give Portsmouth a look into!
J.Josh loved your posts and your honesty about your life and the adjustment.
Trottytrue, thanks for the recap of your life and experiences – such true words spoken from your diary of expat, so pleased your husband came through his surgery well. Your decision to stay is a brave one.
Dunroving, I believe you are right about retiring in UK. We have realized that we would be better off financially in the UK rather than here in Canada. Travelling over to UK and South Africa to see our beloved families would bankrupt us not to mention the ill effect of long haul travel.

To sum up, I am back in Canada. I returned with a heavy heart but with a promise of a future in the UK. OH has finally agreed and will now discuss our leaving here in 2015. In the meantime I am going to get myself involved in some activities, and enjoy our last couple of years in Canada! I will also now start looking into our options for returning. Perhaps even do some studying, lose loads of weight and de-clutter everything that will not be needed.

Ps. Our youngest granddaughter made her acting debut in “Call the Midwife” as a baby in the baby competition they had and with my step-daughter as an extra. She has also been featured as a baby being examined in the clinic. We have yet to see the second episode here in Canada but we have some wonderful photos of them both 

Originally Posted by windsong (Post 10560678)

I think you did, Rodney, and I think it turned out to be a fabulous move for you :D

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool (Post 10561667)

I went to boarding school with the mum of the bloke who won best British male solo and breakthrough artist - Ben Howard. Fabulously talented.

When I heard about the Las Vegas shootout, I thought of you immediately...and then I thought of Jackie :eek:

Originally Posted by trottytrue (Post 10562650)

NON Returning Ex-Pat Diary.....

Today was a really hard day. I finally called the movers to set a date for the furniture in storage to be brought to new address. That was really hard I am afraid I ended up in tears I just felt that it was the last straw that broke the donkeys back.....to me its the end of the dream and that's a 30 year dream. So much more is packed in those boxes than family items its a way of life and a sense of belonging. Its being independent and enjoying all those things we spoke about years ago on here. I started packing those boxes nearly 7 years ago just before we put the house up for sale, the estate agent thought it would be a good idea to get rid of the clutter:). We had an attic ladder installed and most of the boxes went into the attic. I think I counted over 100 boxes I think the oldies Jasper and so many others would remember that. I was reminded on here after we had discussions that it was not a good idea to take back alot of junk. So upstairs I went and waded through all the boxes and got rid of half of them. (That's a tip to all those planning to go home, before you box your items leave them out for a few days and make sure you really need and want to take those things with you). Then when we finally sold the house all those boxes had to be brought down and gone through again and I had a big garage sale and lots went to Salvation Army and charitable organizations. Electrical goods and items I knew I could buy cheaper in the UK rather than pay to have them shipped.

Unpacking those boxes is going to be even harder. I remember the thrill of packing the boxes and putting them away and saying to myself next time you open this you will be back in England I will be in a familiar place with people who I feel at home with no longer standing out as someone different. I will have my small home and be able to do so much more travel to the continent I was looking forward to that and all the museums I had those all ready to go.

Telling friends and relatives that I am not coming home has been even hard I feel like a failure or I have the idea that they think I was never really serious about going home.

The reality is and I will keep drumming this into you all well those who are not sure what to do, I should have done it sooner. I kept making excuses and listening to others. Your destiny is your 'own' you have to do whats right for you otherwise it gets taken out of your hands.
When you decide to sell your home don't try to go for the highest price go for a sellable price don't look at what's going on in the UK it doesn't matter that was our big mistake we looked at the UK housing market which had not fallen like the US and thought we had to ask a higher price for our home to be able to get one of a similar size in the UK. That simple fact is a house in the US is vastly different than one in the UK. In most cases much bigger my OH kept comparing the size of a house in the US to one's in the UK. Houses here are mainly built of wood not brick so they are bigger and cheaper to build but they also cost more to heat and maintain.
Its like comparing Apples to Oranges. Very different in all ways.

End of todays rant......

Originally Posted by trottytrue (Post 10562777)

Cheers... I downloaded Hola and had nothing but trouble my computer froze and I could not do anything so I uninstalled it and went back to my ex-pat shield.. It does get adverts that annoy me at time but apart from that I have no problems with it, I connect and disconnect when I want to watch something or else I cannot open my mail. But is does me fine.


The two shows I watch here in the US are NCIS and Big Bang Theory apart from that its mainly PBS British Shows or computer Tele. My daughter bought Roko and I am going to get it when we move. We also have Netflix which I watch on my Ipad but when we move I will be able to watch it on my TV. I dont find a great many progams I like. Even UK shows I have to decide which I like. Vera I love Lewis I loved I was sad to watch the last one and then I loved New Tricks, Midsomer Murders and Downton Abbey but I was sad that they killed another of the cast off. But it is coming back.
Did someone say that they are doing another Foyles War. Will this be new episodes or repeats. I suppose if its new it will be after the War. Like someone said they could have gone on with more taking place during the War.

I am now going over to the Pub to get drunk:thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Homeiswheretheheartis (Post 10561766)

OMG did you hear the latest news flash? today there was a big three car shoot out in Vegas, las vegas blvd & flamingo, right in the heart of the strip, then the shoot out caused cars to collide into each other, a car went into a taxi and it burst into flames, there calling it the die hard shootings, four people dead, as you all know Vegas is my town I came from, Hmmmm seems to be getting even more dangerous there now, ---- me thinks maybe I got out of dodge just in time!!!![/QUOTE]

Wish I could say the same, I'm still stuck here in Vegas until Christmas and really struggling at the moment:(

I've obviously been here too long already as the news today didn't seem that shocking:eek:

Maybe, because this month so far on the strip there has been a stabbing, resulting in death and a shooting, resulting in two deaths. Also, a work friend of my husbands was mugged last week. That's only the strip, like many on here, reports of daily shootings/deaths are common place.

It takes all my will power to not grab my kids, tuck them under my arm and run to the airport as fast as I can.

Originally Posted by Montfan72 (Post 10562025)

Ooh, thanks so much! This is where we dream of moving back too, if we can find jobs that is.