Loving the time my daughters are sharing together. I haven’t seen my oldest two so close for years and our youngest is loving the constant interaction of having her older sisters around. Loving the natural flow of our days, where ‘fitness’ is a swim in the pool, a bike ride to the village or a […]
Californian Adventures 2013-2014
Prose for Thought | Gliding in with the Fall
Autumn in Santa Barbara is not like any autumn I’ve ever experienced. It feels like summer, minus the long, light evenings. But there is still a change in the air, however slight it may seem to this British born lass, used to living in windy Wellington, New Zealand, for well over a decade! There are […]
Back from our road trip to San Francisco
What a trip! Exhausting with three children and a husband working hard in the office Monday to Friday! It wasn’t a holiday, but most certainly an adventure and an experience – with some amazing sights either side of the working week and a couple of incredible weekends either side. The drive back, from San Francisco […]
New country, species and discoveries
We’ve seen the groundhogs, (also known as woodchucks), playing peek-a-boo, we’ve stopped in our tracks as a little (or not so little) lizard dashes across our path (or up a wall of the house) and we’ve noticed the colourful, varied birdlife and numerous damsel-flys and dragon-flys. Living in a new country offers great opportunity for […]
Silent Sunday
The Photo Gallery | ‘Selfie’
Sunshine smiles in California. This is me looking happy on a good day. A day before we started to try and integrate two, of our three, children into a new school, in a new country. A day after getting a lovely new vehicle to cruise around town in – a sunshine red VW Convertible. A […]
Silent Sunday
Prose for Thought
This week my ‘Prose for Thought’ contribution is derived from trying to settle two of my children into a new school, in a new country. Progress is slow and painful. My husband and I feel like we’re going through the early weeks with our first child all over again – such is the extent of […]
Things I’m Loving
Merry-go-rounds and sisters Sunshine and convertibles Pretzels and chilled drinks Shopping areas with architectural flair Sea creatures and an inquisitive child Water fountains and wishes New cafes, tastes and children who are willing to try (at least two out of our three are!) ____________________________________________ Joining in this week with the wonderful Meghan of ‘The Adventures […]
The Photo Gallery | World Photography Day
To my dear husband, A special photo I took today. A moment in time. The marking of a new chapter in our lives. We are going to have an amazing time here, I am sure of it, especially once we are properly settled. We are so fortunate to have been blessed with wonderful childhoods in […]
Prose for Thought | First Touch of the Pacific
It’s been just over a week since we landed in L.A. We are settling in, doing all the usual necessities of any new expat; setting up bank accounts, getting ourselves some wheels, getting to know the money, the shops, the food and become accustomed to the climate (which, as we already anticipated, is very favourable). […]
First Impressions on California #1
People are genuinely friendly here on the Californian coast – not a single, ‘Have a nice day!’, with a cheesy grin, yet to be encountered. People have time to help, and sometimes go out of their way to help with advice or assistance in a store or cafe – especially when they hear we are […]
Reality hits!
I’ve held it together for the day. In a strange house, with my three children, whilst hubbie had his first day in a new office. I’ve answered all the questions. I’ve calmed all the nerves. I’ve been a strong Mamma. I kissed my husband goodbye with a smile. I worked out the washer and did […]
Our adventure in California has begun!
Some might say, ‘Start out as you mean to go on,’ when they see the pics of us in a stretch limo driving from Los Angeles airport to Anaheim for a few days at Disneyland and California Adventures. But really, it was just a nice distraction from the reality ahead. We’ve left behind all we […]