Smiles all Round

Today's been one of the best days in a long long time.

MissM and I had a super succesful shopping trip to Carrickmines. Howard's Storage (which is an Australian franchise in the UK, Ireland and Singapore) opened while we were here last time, and despite the economic downturn, is still there, full of incredibly clever storage and organizational things.

Our coats are now hung up on a coat rack as there's no coat cupboard. There's a small luggage style rack in the downstairs loo, which is such an odd place to hang coats, don't you think? Or is it just me?

One additional shelf has been magically created in several cupboards which allows the crockery (of which I have a LOT, but don't tell G I had said that) to not rest on each other and avoids chipping.

The pantry is sorted! The shelves are deeper than my arm is long. Why do kitchen designers do this?
Anyhow, with 3-tiered shelves no tinned food will go unseen.

Even the herbs and spices are happily sitting on their new shelf.

Found two fry pans for the induction hob. I chose Ruby Red for a change rather than the steel option. Add a bit of color to the kitchen. My pots'n'pans are just over 20 years old and are still in amazing condition so it's a bit annoying having to buy new ones, but it's also kinda fun!

TK Maxx is awesome. The small frypan has a RRP E71.95 and I paid E29.99. The girl couldn't find the price of the larger pan, so charged me the same price! BARGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the way back from Carrickmines, we popped into Meadowfield where we used to live.

We surprised MrsO'R and MissH - hugs and kisses all round. A quick catch up in the kitchen, mobile phone numbers swapped and a night out planned. Not bad for 20 minutes.

MissM was playing on the street with MissH and I popped over to No1 (gosh, after all these years I still don't know her surname) to say HELLO and again was greeted with hugs'n'kisses and huge smiles. Her No3 was just a new born ..... he's about to start school in a few weeks!

Two hours later, two cups of coffee later  I bid farewell, only for her to invite MissM to stay and play and have dinner.

Can it be this easy to slip back into living here?

IWCD Book Club met last night and it was like I'd been away for an extended vacation and not 5 years. A few new faces, lovely ladies, warm and welcoming.

I cried all the way back from leaving MissM in Meadowfield. They were happy tears. Tears of relief that this move is a good one. We're going to be a happy family again. MissM's HAPPY and laughing, and with a friend while I came home and did a few chores. How NORMAL!

On Monday (day of delivery of our shipment), MissM spent the day working at her old Montessori. She was collected by MsS, and dropped home at 5pm. No money exchanged hands. MsS said it was a 'welcome home present' and was 'delighted to spend time getting to know her all over again'. THIS is what friends are all about.

Appreciating ms-havachat's become more diary than blog, and I apologise, it feels like I've come a full circle, and not-to-soon.

I feel carefree and happy.

The house will be great once we're all sorted and things are away.

I'm feeling stronger every day, and happier.

My AHA Moment today is accepting (again) that expat life is full of ups'n'downs, of learning to fit in, being accepted, working out how to live in different social networks, meeting and making acquaintances some of which develop into friendships and others that don't, of saying hello and goodbye, of packing up and unpacking, making things fit and storing them when they don't.

Lucky for us, this adventure is full of the positive attributes of expat life, and it's not just because we've been here before. It was a great No1 Adventure all those years ago, and we're really lucky to have a second opportunity.

With friendship
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