Sunday 31st May 2009

What a stellar weekend....that is literally the only way to describe it.....you know the kind when everything goes right and you spend the entire time in a warm happy fug stupidly grinning to yourself and simply loving the life you are in - well that was me all weekend, and it wasn't that anything particularly spectacular happened but rather the people and atmosphere that made it all so perfect.

Friday dawned with magnificent weather so I decided to treat my children to a swim in one of the local outdoor swimming pools which have now opened for the summer and I think the massive increase in Vitamin D obtained by lying prone on a sun lounger for 2 hours has contributed tremendously to my overall state of well being.

There really is only one way I can think to describe the English reaction to hot sunny weather and that is to say it is absolutely identical to the way Durbanites react when it snows in the midlands and everyone takes off in a festive "party" mood and complete strangers smile at each other and exchange plesantries and reallity is suspended for a short time. Now I have to say I find this reaction somewhat strange as the sun certainly shines here A LOT more then it snows in KZN but yet the English are positively delightful to be around when the mercury rises and I find myself happily being carried along in this holiday atmosphere.

Saturday was Lindfield Village day (and yet more perfect weather), and as I strolled down to the park to take up my post selling hamburgers and hotdogs (pork sausages and onions in a roll) for the cubs I couldn't help a small smile as I thought back to the identical weekend last year, my first in England. Simon, the children and I had tentatively made our way to the park to see what the area had to offer and now there I was, just 12 short months later strolling through my new home with a place I needed to be and a guarantee of knowing at least a few people milling around during the course of the day....and for the first time in a very long time I felt like I truly belonged.

Saturday night Lisel, Kerry, Rob and their children joined us for dinner and as always it was a delightful evening filled with good friends, good food and lots and lots of laughter. Sadly for us, but wonderfully for them, Lisel and AJ will be returning to South Africa in July to resume their lives in Paarl - even though we haven't known them for long, we have spent an "orphan" Christmas together and we are going to miss them very very much....eish and I thought when we moved here we wouldn't have to keep saying goodbye to friends - seems like in this tiny global village we live in it is inevitable.

Today dawned yet another perfect day and as we were expecting friends from my NCT group for a braai / BBQ we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was fun for the men to get to know each other and nice for us all to spend time socialising together....the three babies were an absolute delight and crawled around in the garden very happily while the adults enjoyed Pimms and lunch in the glorious sunshine. Pure magic!