News update

Hi all
sorry I haven't posted for a while, both myself and Hayzel were laid down with a bad flu (I was sick from last week Wednesday).  Hayzel has gone to the doctors this morning (eventually) to find out why she has such a severe cough all the time.  Every time she gets a bit of a cold it goes to her chest and because she's had double pneumonia twice, it's not something that she should be ignoring. Her immune system needs a big boost.

Big News
Most of you already know but Ally has secured a position (starts next week on the 7th July) for Norfolk County Council.  Her position is Business Services Administrator - it's a really good job by the sounds of it and we are all very excited for her.  She found this job only after two weeks (!!!) of serious searching.  Very well done, sweetie, what an achievement!

I will be able to meet Ewan's new teacher for Year 1 tomorrow - so that should be interesting.   Can't believe he's going to be in Year 1!      Faye is moving into Year 5 - wow.  She's got a couple of boy 'friends' - notably one called Louis, who follows her around like a puppy dog all the time.  It's quite nice here because the kids can play in the park opposite our house and we can see them, keep tabs as it were.  Louis calls to Faye from the pathway that goes around our house and she sits in her bedroom window chatting to him - it's like Romeo and Juliet.

Over in Hungary
My brother has got himself a lovely new car and is now busy preparing the place to start building a garage to put it in!  He's finished the bathroom (I think), what a massive job and not without its problems but he's conquered it and the results are really good.   Check out his renovations and news over at Hungarian Haven

Anyway, have to go and get on with it ... love to all.
xxx

Dave's new Cricket Kit

Awesome kit Dave and good going in the cricket this past weekend.
xxx

Allyson's employment searching update

I took Allyson into Norwich yesterday morning with Faye in tow - she was off school bunking because of feeling a bit poorly the day before.   Anyhoo ... we couldn't drive up to where Ally's interview was because of roadworks and a bus parked in the middle of the road which was not moving.  So we parked in Castle Mall and walked a couple of blocks down the road to where her interview was (Office Angels) on Prince of Wales Road.  The reason the bus was stuck in the middle of the road became apparent as we walked past, it was kinda parked on the drivers side of a car and they were busy administering first aid to the passenger of same car ... rule number one, don't pick a fight with a bus.

Anyway, we left Ally at Office Angels and walked back into Castle Mall and had a bacon roll and a drink for breakfast (only 2 pound each but we soon discovered why ... the buns were about a week old).
Later, Ally phoned to say she was finished with her interview and we walked back and met her at the back of the Castle Mall parking.  She walked across the road from the park to meet me and was crying - I thought they'd been mean to her at the interview and was giving her hug ... she blurts out between sobs, 'They treated me like a human being, not a number ... and they've already got work for me!' ... I think it's so sweet the way she bursts into tears whenever something good  happens here in ye olde Blightey!

Anyway that's a bit of nice news for her, Office Angels reckon they have temp work set up for her and that she must keep her phone at her side - they will probably be calling her early next week. They've given her a contract.  She gets paid for using public transport and she gets a lunch allowance ... bloody 'ell.

Hectic week

It's been a busy week for the kiddies.  Ewan had his trip to Wroxham Barns yesterday, which seemed like a lot of fun, although he was a bit scant with the details.  I know that he held guinea pigs, rabbits, fed chickens and sheep, saw turkeys, goats, baby chicks ... the usual stuff at these types of places. 

Today it is school photos for Faye and she insisted in sleeping in curlers so that her hair would be all curly wurly on the day.  She's lucky she has a professional hairdresser for a mother!

Ewan had to bring a bike or scooter to school today - so he naturally chose the most difficult thing for us to transport - his bike.  No problem putting it into the back of my station wagon for Kevin this morning but the back door must have jammed when Kevin closed the boot and I couldn't open it when I got to school. So had to pull down the back seats and drag it through, caveman style.  Again, no problem except for the fact that I sliced off the top of my thumb last night whilst making dinner and the wound opened up again as I was taking the bike out of the car, so there was blood dripping all over the place. Tomorrow it's school photos for Ewan - at least we don't have to worry about putting his hair in curlers ... well, i hope not.

Power-dressing
Ally went for her interview yesterday in Norwich at a Guest House and she thought it went very well.  They will let her know by Friday if she has to go back for a second 'training' interview, where she is there all day and they show her the ropes.  This is a part-time job leading to longer hours.

In the meantime, she contacted a firm of solicitors in Norwich telephonically yesterday afternoon and they are interested in seeing her, she will be called back next week if she is short-listed for an interview - they are still going through CV's - so that would be a much better job for her to get because it's permanent, regular office hours and easy to get in and out on the bus.

She also contacted Office Angels and is going to see them on Thursday - they are recruiters who she contacted in South Africa before she left Jo'burg and they are also keen to see her in person. 

Today I have to take her to Diss to Job Centre Plus to update her 'mentor' on the progress she's made since last week.  

Long Stratton Fun Fair

We all went to the annual Long Stratton FunFair yesterday evening after dinner ... lovely weather and this year, I actually had a few mates to talk to!    Hayzel and Allyson went on the Cage and were decidedly wobbly when they got off, Hayzel said it felt like her lungs were being compressed - I just wandered around being the bag lady and noshing spook-asem

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday Jean ... I hope you have a wonderful day today, looking forward to seeing you in September!

Pulling my wire ...

At the moment, I'm not in a position to do any abstract painting or anything involving canvasses - basically because my wee little 'studio' is somewhat cluttered ...

So I've been trying to learn how to do wire-wrapping.

Celtic style wrapped copper plated ring

Hemsby beach glass wrapped with silver plated wire

Nice to be able to turn ordinary beach stones into something unique. I take orders ... :) 

My two little dudes

Lovely pic taken today ... what a cutie pie he is in the tracksuit that his Auntie Ally bought him

Ewan in his England cap that I got down the OneStop cafe for a quid

Fun in the sun ...

We took a drive out to Great Yarmouth this morning to show Ally what a real holiday resort kinda looks like ... then we moved on to Hemsby beach, a lovely little place just down from Yarmouth, recommended by one of the mums at Ewan's school.  We spent quite some time there - I paddled a bit (forgot my bikini ... har har)  Ally swam in the North Sea!  I kid you not.

Faye never passes up an opportunity to swim, so she also had a go, as well as building a smashing sandcastle decorated skillfully with Ewan's plastic knights.  Ewan was brave and paddled a bit - he's funny when it comes to his reaction around the sea and incoming waves.  Speaking of waves, it was flat calm today, lovely lazy little lapping waves, nothing violent at all.  We all got quite sun burnt ... it was about 23 degrees there and I believe some parts of Norfolk got up to 26 today.  It's still lovely and sunny (7.30pm) with a few whispy white clouds blowing over. 

After we left Hemsby we took a drive out into the country and passed Horsey, where they have a Windmill pump house that you can walk around (no we didn't bother) and a 'tea' room ... there is also a mere there.  We didn't stay long as the tea room didn't have much in the way of lunch.  So we drove down the road to a local pub, tucked away down a little windy road.  It was well patronised and it looked like a lovely little place to pop in for a drink but once inside we realised that it was way too expensive for all of us to have lunch there, so we drove home, stopping off at the Co-op to get some provisions. 

Hayzel made us bacon and cheese rolls and we had some Pimms under the Norfolk sun in our back garden.  Lovely day today - hope everyone else around the world had a relaxing Sunday.   Here are some of my photos from today - Kevin took a video and Ally took thousands of photos - she's become the epitome of a Japanese tourist, snapping away at every tree and paddock we drive past and of course, taking millions of selfies for Facebook.

As per usual, click on photo to see full size better quality images

Even cobwebs on the beach stones ... :)

 

 These from Horsey ...

Ally's arrival

Hi all, this is a little video I took after Allyson arrived last Sunday - with everyone opening their gifts and saying thanks ....

Message to everyone from Allyson

Hi Hi to All, 

Great to be in the UK but a bit overwhelming from Day to Day. I am trying to learn the ways of the British which will take some time but with the guidance and care from me mum and Hayz, I'm catching on quickly. The flight with SAA was great. Didn’t crave or think of a cigarette once throughout the 12 hour flight. Didn’t even cross my mind which was a bit surprising. I was quite fortunate to have the opportunity to sit next to some English blokes on the SAA flight. The one chap was a Special Ops Sailor who has been all over the world particularly the Antarctic. The other chap was a Marine who works on Battleships. I was dumb enough not to ask their full names so that I could Facebook them hahahaha but the one guy was Chris and the Marine was Tim (but no surnames lol ). Oh boy but Tim was a handsome chap. All I know is that Chris, the sailor was headed to Devon…….wherever that is.*

Anyhow, there was a 2hour delay with our luggage coming through and this made me panic because I thought Kevin and Hayzel had been waiting for at least 3 hours for me. Because of a sleeping tablet I had taken on the plane which was too strong for my body, I was completely high as a kite and zonked out my brain getting off the plane. Hahahaha. Oh Joys!!!!!

So I caught a cat nap in the car on the 2 hr drive to Norfolk. Woke up as we were coming into Norfolk roads. How pretty the scenery was. I would say it's almost like Knysna or the Garden route in some ways.

After getting out the car and hugging Faye and Ewan, my mom came to my presence and I just burst into tears holding her for dear life……..

I have been on quite a few tours in and around Diss, Harleston and Norwich which is quite breathtakingly beautiful. I’ve uploaded quite a number of my own pics to Facebook for all the folk back in SA to keep tabs on.

I miss my friends in SA dearly and have been so overwhelmed with support, care and love from everyone wishing me well in my new adventures. I have an appointment booked with the bank tomorrow to open an account and on Monday next week, I will hopefully be going to see Job Centre Plus. Thereafter, I will have appointments booked with Recruiters in Norwich City who are waiting to see me. I had contacted them before I arrived in the UK.

Other than that, It’s quite heartwarming being with the family here and living in this beautiful house. I have bought myself a bed and a wardrobe. Have paid rent and trying my best just to fit in. I still do feel a bit out of place, but not with the family, just in terms of understanding some of the accents and rules and culture here in Great Britain. It’s all very new to me. But the weather does not faze me, as this far it's been lovely and I am quite comfortable.

I am a bit nervous for job hunting but will take it in my stride. I have had full blown bronchitis since landing and I am hoping to be better for the recruiters next week. I have an R8000 corporate uniform wardrobe sitting in my cupboard that was bought for me from my old employers in South Africa so I will be sure to look my best when I go in for the kill.

Thank you to everyone for the support, care and consideration from the time of my arrival. It means a lot.

Love Ally

*Shame and she's got a British passport but knows sweet fanny adams about Blightey (Janice's comment)

Broadband sorted. Belated Birthday wishes

Hi everyone, just to let you know that our Internet has been sorted out today. 

We believe that Jimmy was discharged from hospital just now - gave us all a bit of a fright yesterday and on his birthday too!    Anyway, he didn't have a stroke, he had an adverse reaction to the meds that he's on - so he's much better and what a relief!
Thanks Leigh and Andrew for taking care of him so well and for keeping us all informed - we hope to be able to SKYPE with you guys this evening when Hayzel and Kevin are home.

In the meantime,

Happy birthday for yesterday Jimmy from all of us at Lime Tree Avenue.

Allyson and the NHS

My biggest fear, as far as Allyson coming to the UK was concerned, has just been wiped away. 

She has just spent about 45 minutes with the doctor here in Long Stratton and … well, wow.

She was thoroughly checked over and because she brought a letter with her from her psychiatrist in South Africa, she doesn’t have to go for further psychiatric evaluation.  Her doctor will prescribe her EXACTLY the same medication that she was on.  Every 3 to 4 weeks she will be evaluated by her local GP and monitored to make sure that she is doing okay on her meds.  The GP also wants to see me for my feedback on her condition and mental state over these past 13 years. 

She was weighed, height taken, millions of questions asked about her condition – as she put it, ‘they are so First World! So professional and CARING! And knowledgeable’.   She was also given a brochure about alternative methods to stop smoking because she definitely can not use Champax or whatever it’s called to stop smoking because it will clash with her anxiety meds – how awesome is that. She has to phone them tomorrow and they will advise what system she can use to stop smoking. 

 

Ally has to go back to her GP about 3 weeks before her current stock of meds is finished (she has a month’s supply of Solian and a month and a half supply of anxiety meds) and the doc will write out her script that she can get at the local NHS pharmacy down the road. She pays a minimal charge for scripts – I think it’s 7 pounds or something like that (I don’t pay anything because I’m over 60).  How magnificent! 

I am so bloody relieved, you guys have no idea how much of a relief this is for me. I burst out crying when we got home and she told me what the doctor had said.  One of my biggest fears was that I’d made a huge mistake and that Ally would end up a vegetable or worse (committing suicide) because her medical care would be compromised. If anything it is far better and she was on a medical aid in South Africa that was costing her about a thousand rand a month and she was still having to pay for some of her meds.

 

She was also checked for lady things which will require some tests to do next week (nothing major) they are so jacked here, it’s ridiculous and the locals have the cheek to say that the NHS service/care is declining (I actually watched a woman in the surgery rooms saying this). Well I have to say that no, it’s not - compared to Southern Africa it’s flipping amazing! 

I personally thank God for making this so easy for my daughter. I’m now going to get piddled.

The bird has landed

Yep, she's currently on her way with Hayzel and Kevin back from Heathrow Terminal 1 ... note, not Terminal 5 as was told to us originally.  Please note that Terminal 5 is only for BA (like I said right at the beginning - oh well, we can't all be as great as me).
Anyway, I am waiting now with baited breath for her to be delivered safe and sound.  Hayzel took a picture of her as they were getting ready to leave Heathrow but because of bloody TalkTalk I can't get the pic to download from my phone so that I can post it here and the 3G dongle is really slow. 

Will send pics as soon as I can.
Cool beans

Update

Thank you to Ingrid, Eric and Oma for the lovely things you got all of us.  Thank you Dave and Mags for the gorgeous toys you got for the kiddies.  I did a video but it's too big to upload at the moment, using the 3G card, so I will do it as soon as we have full strength broadband next week.

Ally is having a bit of a snooze now and then we will be having dinner.  Ewan keeps wanting to know when Auntie Ally is going to wake up ... shame, she was shell-shocked when she arrived and it was very emotional for her when she got to the house, so it's not surprising that she's taking a bit of a breather, she also has a bit of 'flu and we dragged her to Tescos in Diss earlier on.  She's got a UK sim card and airtime now.  I will ask her to post her own comments on her trip and first impressions of the UK when she is up to it tomorrow.