Sunday 27th September 2009

The weather has been very kind to us this weekend and it would seem that the Autumn has decided to be unseasonably warm which has been wonderful for Lynne and has allowed her to see England at its most glorious.




Saturday afternoon was spent relaxing in the garden with 5 friends and enjoying delish cakes and goodies for tea while the babies toddled around and played together and today we again took advantage of the sunshine and enjoyed a lovely picnic out at Bordehill Gardens.






I LOVE these long slow weekends and am feeling very ready to face the week and all it has to throw at me.

Saturday 19th September 2009

As the weather turned out to be lovely and warm today we decided to take advantage of the Indian Summer and head down to Brighton by train to show Lynn (Simon's mom) some of our favourite spots.

Due to the weather half the population of South East England seemed to have had the same idea but despite the crowds we wandered through the laines and then enjoyed a divine fish and chip lunch on the pebbles (can't come to England and not eat cod 'n chips at least once). Kids had a ball splashing around in the sea and they must be becoming very English as didn't complain about the cold water once.






Such a lovely day and one we will all remember with a smile for a long time.

Reflective thoughts

It would seem that the problem with the credit card has been sorted....well to an extent any way - we are having to close the account, and thereby cut off one of our lines of credit but at least the money will be refunded within 30 days and no further amounts have been taken at this point.

I have always been a believer that if something is meant to happen the doors will open easily and in the same vain, doors will also close where and when they need to. So by this I have to believe that what we are doing is right because over the last couple of months the doors to South Africa have been gradually closing, through no real action of our own, but rather a series of events which seem to me to be God's way of saying "Go on now, going back is not the way".

So with that in mind we are now establishing our real life roots here, we no longer look to our South African doctors for advice, and I took a huge step this week in finally releasing my link to Brian Williams in South Africa and taking Megan to see an ENT here about her ears - these are the HUGE steps of a second year of immigration.... if the first year is spent surviving, establishing connections and exploring our environment, it would seem that the second year is about releasing those last safety nets and finally learning to live with both feet firmly planted in our new home....almost as scary as leaving in the first place.

So it is onward and hopefully upwards for the Robertson family - 16 months after we landed in England we are still going strong and although I know a lot of people who wouldn't live here for anything in the world, and many who have left because they couldn't find their space, I believe England has a lot more to offer then people give it credit for and although I will always have a strong African heartbeat I am really really growing to love my new home.

Sunday 13th September 2009

A very very very lazy weekend....Si and his mom hit London yesterday for the day and by the sounds of it had a lovely time - the weather was gorgeous and it sounds like they certainly managed to get round and see lots of the sights.

Lindfield was a VERY different story however - I spent much of the day vegging on the couch watching episodes of all my fav shows which I have recorded during the week. Meg and Phil went down to Brighton with my neighbour and her son so it was just Nick and I and we really enjoyed snuggling on the couch and chilling.

Kerry, Rob and kids for tea today which is always lovely and then another week begins.

Thursday 10 September 2009

Whenever we have people in our home my blogging drops off considerably so please bare with me for a while as my mother-in-law arrived from South Africa on Monday and will be with us until the beginning of October.

A quick update before I start the ironing though.....both kids are doing well at school and although I think Megs is a bit overwhelmed by the work load, pace and expectations of secondary school she is happy enough and we will see her through the tough bits.

Phil is flying and has invited his first school friend home tomorrow so things are looking really good and I am very encouraged by his attitude so far.

As for Simon and I we are just going along riding the good waves when we can and holding on for dear life when the waters get a bit rough lol

In other words, life is generally good and we are happy.

Just a momento

I have seen this post on a couple of my buddies blogs and it got me to thinking....so here are my answers, mostly for me and mine to understand what all this was about in years to come, but if you enjoy it as well - great!

How long have you been blogging?
Since 26th May 2008, a day after we landed in England....I didn't have the Internet at that point but kept all the entries in Word until our broadband was up and running and I could upload

Why did you start blogging?
To keep a record of this amazing journey we have been on... and to allow friends and family to follow our adventure without me having to write a hundred emails a month :-)

What have you found to be the benefits of blogging?
I have found quite a few benefits to blogging, some of which have been rather unexpected....the fact that it has allowed my parents (and other readers) to stay up to date with our lives in a way I don't think would be possible any other way is probably the biggest benefit. The friends I have made along the way is definitely the most unexpected and the cathartic experience I have every time I write a post is probably the most fulfilling. Blogging has also filled the void left by scrapbooking in my life....I have an immense need to journal and I have discovered a joy in writing that I have never really experienced before.

How many times a week do you post an entry?
I try to blog a couple of times a week....more then that and I don't find I have too much to say.

How many different blogs do you read on a regular basis?
Not as many as I would like to, I have a few regulars I visit on a weekly basis.

Do you comment on other people’s blogs?
I do try to....sometimes it is a quick "howzit" visit which normally results in a lack of comment....but I try to have a good "coffee" visit a couple of times a month.

Do you keep track of how many visitors you have?
I do find it interesting, but I wonder how effective the visitor counter is as I def haven't had nearly as many comments as I have had supposed visitors.

Do you ever regret a post that you wrote?
I don't think so - I do try to think about the people who will be reading the post before I write it and try to be sensitive to their feelings as much as to my need to be honest and chronical my life.

Do you think your audience has a true sense of who you are based on your blog?
I think so, I am nothing if not honest on the blog and my readers have def been through the ups and downs of this journey with me.

Do you blog under your real name?
Oh yes

Are there topics that you would never blog about?
Oh yes, sometimes it is better not to write it down, especially if it is a negative experience which won't help anyone or teach you anything, then I let it go and do my best to forget about it.

What is the theme/topic of your blog?
Our life in England

Do you have more than one blog? If so, why?
I have a couple of blogs...Nic's pic so that my general readership don't get bored to death with a million photos of my littlest, but which some readers follow religiously. What I know about taking photos to scratch my itch when it comes to my first love and to share a little bit of what I know with anyone who may be interested. Pedal Studio which is linked to work and Tums 2 Tots photography to act as a portfolio for my studio shots.

Have you ever deleted a comment from your blog?
No, even the really really nasty ones from a while back are still there

Moment of True Bliss

After a quick dinner it was into warm clothes (the temps here are already going down to around 10 degrees at night) and off to St George's park in Haywards Heath for the end of town day and the traditional firework display to close the event.


We arrived at the park around an hour before sunset and as I sat on my picnic/friendship blanket with Nicholas listening to the live music and watching Simon and the older children playing in the playground I was able to truly reflect back on this time last year.

I realised that despite the housework and constant demand of ironing, despite the fact that we are so so far from just about everyone we love, despite the fact that we are driving a car older then all of my children, despite the fact that we don't own our own home we are, for the most part, truly and blissfully happy in England and for me definitely I have found my joy.


Looking at the rest of my family laughing and playing together I believe that they are on the way there as well - even Simon is settling down and said the other day he couldn't imagine going back, which for those of you who were reading at the beginning of this year will know is a HUGE step in the right direction.


After the most AMAZING 30 minute firework display (the English really know how to put on a show) the big children and I spent a fantastic hour on the field dancing to the music....I did the Macarana, flew like superman and danced the Timewarp with my big children while Si and Nick looked on and it was one of the happiest nights of my life, we laughed and danced and forgot everything....the joy in my kiddies eyes was something to see, and I know it sounds crazy that such an insignificant night could mean so much, but I guess life is like that sometimes.

Saturday 5th September 2009

What a lovely day....we awoke this morning to a gorgeous blue sky and positively balmy weather so it was a delish fry up eaten out on our terrace for breakfast before heading up towards London to one of the Royal Horticultural Society gardens to meet up with John, Fay, Andrew and a few of Andrew's friends for lunch.

Wisley Gardens are in Woking about an hour from home and well worth the drive....magnificent gardens with huge rolling lawns and lots of beautiful flowers were a gorgeous setting for our picnic and Nick really enjoyed playing with some of the other babies that were in our group - so sweet that he is starting to really interact with the other children.

John is a keen artist and much to Phillip's delight was happy to sit and show him some of his sketches before giving him a quick lesson on drawing trees.....I must say I was blown away by the sketches Phillip produced especially as until a couple of weeks ago he has never shown much interest in art.

A very good day which, with a bit of luck, we will finish off tonight watching fireworks at the Haywards Heath Town day.

Friday 4th September 2009

I can't believe it is the beginning of another academic year (can't get used to this whole changing standards in September thing lol) and that Megs is off to secondary school....seems like just the other day she was a tike of a thing with lots of blond curls off to her first day at Hillcrest Pre-Primary school and today I walked her into high school all smartly dressed complete with shoes with a heal and a shoulder bag, "coz backpacks just aren't cool mom".


Both kids seem to have had a lovely first day and are nice and relax at the prospect of the year ahead....I must say I am happy with the standard at both schools so far and am encouraged by the way the children have been treated and the fact that they already seem so settled - here's holding thumbs that the year will continue as it has begun.