Happy Easter everyone!

Hayzel started work yesterday and the kids began their school holiday break.  So first of all, here a few of the pictures that I took with the cell phone yesterday while the kids and I were doing arty projects.

Mr Scraps sock puppet - Ewan

Foil ball gown on mannequin - Faye

Ewans twophy that he insisted we also make  - so he had one the same (or nearly) as Uncle David's

Mannequin dress blinged up with some more material - notice plasticene Octopus, Spider and one of the three Easter Bunnys we made in background.   Plus Ewan's Easter Chick card that he made at school

Boiled Eggs - Easter style - Mine on left, Ewans in middle and Fayes with glitter glue on top on the right

I took some little videos with the phone as well, I don't know if they will load ... here goes.

Please let me know if you have difficulty viewing vids on Blogger.

Hayzel's first day at work went well by all accounts, she was very happy when she came home and is looking forward to getting stuck into her new career.  Anglian are a very big company - employing over 3,000 permanent staff and about 3,000 self-employed people.   

Today it has started off blue skies and sun, so I hope it stays like that for most of the Easter Weekend. Apparently March is the coldest on record since 1962 - typical, the weather goes into nose dive the minute the Scott-Meyers arrive here!
 
I have to say that I miss the family quite badly on public holidays like this one.    Hope I can have a chat with you at some point,  Andrew and Leigh have their first wedding anniversary on Sunday and it's also Sharon's birthday - I will post something separately about that!   Glad you guys all received the flowers and what not.

Lots of love to all of you - have a great holiday weekend and chat soon.

It was good while it lasted ... not

Well we took the Subaru back to the garage this morning, in the freezing gale force wind and snow.  We had about 3 inches of snow last night and the temperature has dropped quite a lot.   I don't know what's up with the Forester, it may be an immobilizer issue.  Sometimes she drives with no problems at all and then the next time, stalls all the way home and with power-assisted steering that's not funny because the steering locks and you could end up ploughing over a round about or into a bus.   I was livid on Saturday after driving back from Diss with Hayzel, and the car was cutting out all the way.  So I told them that I wanted my money back etc. etc. ... well, they aren't prepared to give me a refund, I have to choose another vehicle (that's the best option).   So we took it back today and I looked at a couple of other cars in the freezing conditions - maybe an A-Class Merc, SEAT Ibiza (only a 1.2L engine, although it will be cheap on fuel) or some other none-car ... I think it was a Hyundai Sonata or something sexless like that).
Hayzel and I will go back to the garage tomorrow after Faye has gone to school and see what is the best deal.  I think I will ask Hayzel to test drive it because she's had more luck than me so far with cars. 
Yes, I'm bitterly disappointed.  The Scubby had absolutely nothing mechanically wrong with it at all but it's no good keeping a vehicle that has major electrical issues - might as well not have an engine. 

I received an email from my brother this week and he looks to be settling into Hungarian life - hoping that he posts some photos soon of the neighbourhood.  I believe the internet is 'full' there where he is, so he has to go to the Internet cafe ...

Toni and Tim are heading off to warmer climes next week - hope you guys have a lovely time in SA and that you manage to see one or more members of our family and give them huge hugs and kisses from us.  

My Auntie Jean is having an operation on her hand next week (I think it's Tuesday), so I'd better make sure to phone her later on.   Both Ewan and Hayzel still have bad coughs, hope they both get better soon I hate hearing Hayzel cough.

Wow what a day!

Yesterday was quite an amazing, eventful one for the Scott/Meyers! 

First of all, the really cool news most of you know about already - Kevin and Hayzel both secured permanent positions within a half an hour of each other yesterday morning.  Kevin will be working for Richard Long Limited down the road from us - they are a big trucking company that distribute things like combine harvesters.   Hayzel got the job she really wanted at Anglian Home Improvements as a Sales Facilitator.  So congratulations to both of you!

I went to the dentist to have the second treatment done on the root of my tooth but the canal had calcified (cos I'm an old fart), so the nice lady dentist had to take it out, which is no problem for me at all.   However I had excrutiating tooth pain (well holey cavity pain) the rest of the day.   So when I got back from the dentist and there was no Subaru parked at the house (the chap had promised to deliver it, if it was 'right'), I was a bit miffed and depressed.   Also couldn't talk properly.   So Hayzel phoned the garage and upshot was that the car was ready for me - all I had to do was go and fetch it.

Weirdly, Hayzel and I were driving to go and fetch my Subaru and we passed a Richard Long Ltd haulage double bed truck and trailer parked in a laybye, the next vehicle to come past was an Anglian van!

My Subby is now sitting outside on our driveway, geselsing met the Ford and Hayzel's Citroen Xsara ... hope he had a nice night and the other cars weren't mean to him.     It looks like a motor dealership at our house!

I have secured a longer lease on our house to end May 2014, so that's a big relief.   

Later in the afternoon, Kevin and Hayzel went to Ewan's school to see the teachers for a parent meeting. Ewan is doing really well at school, his pen grip is very good, he is doing lovely drawings/paintings, gets on very well and plays nicely with the other children.  Teacher did say that he is a very loving child and likes to hug ... sometimes she has to tell him to calm down on the hugging!  Sweet.   He has a favourite little girl, called Harriet, that he is particularly fond of.  All in all he got a very good report - they take pictures of the children playing and build up a photographic history of what they are doing in class, that's so cool.     He will be starting full day Nursery school in September. 

Snowy Monday

Well good news is that Faye's trip hasn't been cancelled - even though it's been snowing off and on most of this morning.   Took some pictures in the garden - nobody really felt like making a snowman cos the wind is blowing a lot and it's quite bitter outside.

Waiting to go to school this morning

Outside in the street before leaving for school

Taken from my bedroom upstairs

Update from the Frozen North

In the UK it's  'Mothers Day' this weekend  (well, er today) ... so to all the mummy's out there, have a lovely one and hope you got spoiled.

We have had quite a bit more snow this morning, as well as rain and it's so weird seeing it melt on the paving stones in the garden, fill up with water and everywhere else is snow ...

Faye goes to Holt Hall tomorrow (well, we sure as hell hope so - she'll be devastated if it's cancelled because of the weather).   

We spoke to the Meyer/Bothas today over SKYPE - nice to see how well Eric is looking, keep it up you need your strength ... (wink, wink)

Congratulations also to Andrew for your news relating to work, that is very good and I'm very proud of you, sweetie.

I have organised insurance on the Scub and the chap at the garage, reckons they'll have it ready for me as soon as possible next week - so excited, I couldn't sleep at all last night!

Anyway, I'm just posting a couple of photos from this week and yesterday - nothing special just wanted to put them here for the folks back home.

It would be nice if Ingrid could get Whatsapp organised on her cell phone, then we can send little videos - like the one below - as and when they happen - maybe something to think about?

It still seems to be snowing off and on - so really hoping that this doesn't put a damper on Faye's school trip tomorrow, otherwise we'll never hear the end of it!

Soon I'll be a paid up member of the Six Star Club

Everyone who knows me will understand that I have wanted a Subaru since somewhere around 2001, when I went with Allyson for a Subaru drive-day at the Grintek race track just outside Pretoria.   It was such an exhilarating experience for me, I completely fell head over heels in love with all things Sub. 
Remember, Andrew and David?  How I had Subaru models on my desk at the house in Aquarius Street, Subaru caps ... etc. etc.    I have been devoted, obsessed and loyal to this brand for over 10 years but never had the pleasure of actually owning one of these vehicles.

I bought the Proton in South Africa but I really wanted a Subaru WRX ... two months after buying the crappy Satria Neo, I saw a secondhand WRX for sale in Randburg for just a couple of hundred Rands more than I paid for the Proton.  I was devastated about that but tough luck, hey?   When I eventually sold the slightly hail damaged Proton for only what I owed on it, I vowed to myself that the next car I bought would be what I really wanted and if it was going to be possible, then that would be a Scubby and I didn't give a damn how old it was either.

So ... wait for it ... to cut a long-winded story short, I dragged Kevin, Hayzel and the kiddies out in the rain, hail, snow this afternoon (we even had to do the Colin McRae rally stuff going through streams and flooded roads) to go and buy this:

I have just organised the insurance online ('Janice, you are so-o-o MoneySupermarket' .... only Brits will know what I'm on about here).    The Scub will be newly MOTed and serviced next week and then I will be able to bring him home.   It's going to be Legendary.   

Things you notice around Norwich - part the second.

Lots and lots of Crows - sitting in the tree tops as it starts to get dark. 

Wild snowdrops growing in carpets or clumps at the side of the main road. 

Wild crocuses – purple, golden butter yellow, white  ... also growing in clumps all along the roadside. 

Daffodils - yes Daffodils!  Growing all over the place in Norwich city.  Gorgeous. 

Fog - lasting most of the day, yet the wind’s blowing (huh?)
 

People telling their teenagers not to swear if they use the F word – I’ve witnessed this twice already –     

           once in Asda and once on the bus going into Norwich with Faye the other day.

Having to put a pound coin into the gizmo on the trolleys at the Co-op, otherwise you can’t unlock the 

           thing – but you get your pound back!

Posting a parcel first class on Wednesday to Wales and your Auntie receives it the following Thursday 

           morning. Not bashed in. Not opened.  (Containing chocolates, as well nog al) Wha?!

Being able to buy a decent roadworthy car for under R20,000 in most cases – huh? 

Going into your local shop to buy Tiger crust bread (yum), to be told by the assistant that it makes her 

            gag and she can't buy it. 

Buying groceries online at Asda and having them delivered exactly in the timeslot that you asked for, 

           with only two product substitutions  (that were acceptable) and no difference to the price. 

Getting an email two days before your library books are due to expire, so you have time to renew them. 

Women with pushchairs that can accommodate up to four children - crib for baby, seat for older baby      

          who can sit up,standing support for toddler, another seat for second baby (if they have twins).  

          Some of the prams resemble 3 wheeled mini-cars. 

And whilst on the subject of women and babies - God, there are a lot of pregnant chicks in this neck of 

           woods!  And when they've had the baby (usually delivered at home by a midwife), they are back

           the next day, pushing baby in a pram - and it's minus 2 - baby has one blanket on, hands exposed,

           little hat on ... there's no way your average Ousie would allow that to happen!   

If the sun shines (no matter what the ambient temperature is outside), daft blokes wander around in 

          short sleeved teeshirts, no socks and their Nike takkies on.     The Brits can't wait to strip off. 

Any colour hairdo will do.   Most women and girls have horrendous colour jobs - bright pink ends, 

         bleached white hair.  Or orange/red combinations.  

Tattoos are not a fashion statement in the UK, everyone has them.  From high school kiddies to grannies.