I'm back!

Apologies for the longer than planned absence. Seems BT wasn’t as keen to get us online as we were.

Think I’ll just haveachat about what’s been going on as a catch-up.

We’re in our new home in Kings Worthy and it’s fabulous. Up until November 19 Hinton House was known as Health Etcetera, a Detox Retreat Centre. The karma is very powerful. We hope we can keep it LOL.

All the trepidation I chatted about in THINKING OF MISSM (Nov 3) have gone. She’s fitted in really well, made lovely friends, sung her heart out in Winchester Cathedral with her class mates, has earned both a Merit badge and a Courtesy badge and is keeping up with the work (other than math which we knew she’d be behind in)

MissM’s enjoying her weekly swimming lessons (as part of the cirriculum), PE, choir, art and scripture.

We’ve found a very good ballet school (Wednesday) and from next term, Tuesday afternoons will be Cooking lessons at school as an afternoon activity.

We’ve settled really well and are very comfortable here. You might recall in WHEN IN ROME, or YOKOHAMA or INDEED WINCHESTER (Nov 18) there was a list of expat to-do’s that we all do when we first arrive in our new home country. We’ve pretty much checked off everything.

• Establish a local coffee shop - done. The Good Farm Life is a delightful, local produce shop and plant nursery.
• Find a hairdresser, manicurist, beautician - DONE!
• Find a reputable chiropractor, masseuse - DONE!
• Locate supermarkets, butcher, fruit shop, fish monger, baker - DONE, DONE, DONE. In addition, rediscovered the pleasure of online grocery shopping.
• Find someone lovely to look after MissM when we got out - nearly done.
• Google Top 10 Things to do on weekends - way too many things to do in Winchester, Hampshire and farther afield. 
• Google International Womens' Club - Done. Will pop along to a few events in the NY before committing.

I made my first ever bread'n'butter pudding and it turned out!

The Christmas tree is up.

The Menorahs are out.

Christmas dinner is planned (think I mentioned my brother, SIL and kids will be here)

Christmas and NY cards written and posted.

Gifts bought, just need to be wrapped.

We've been very fortunate these past few weeks, and hope that our luck continues in our new home.

here's to our 3rd Adventure kicking off with fanfare in the NY

With friendship,

x