I had two “pop in” conversations on Skype today, the main form of communication between us and our offspring, now that we are no longer State Side. Our oldest daughter calls each day on her way to work, or at the weekend, when she gets up.  Either time is a healthy afternoon hour for us…

My rocker husband, who also cooks, cleans and sews along with being a Southern Gentleman by the way, took our youngest and me to a club last night.  It was a sleazy little joint and many years ago we would have wafted in on the smoke but thankfully today the air was clear but the…

My cousin, Jonathan, commented that the dynamics between siblings change with the parents out of the mix.  Hubby and I hoped that when the three we’d left behind no longer had us at their beck and call they would turn to each other and draw closer.  We have been gone three weeks and true to…

Today was Friday, “At last! ” My beautiful daughter said. Since the funeral on Monday our week has been messed up as it is when there’s a bank holiday or some such.  We had been looking for Friday since Wednesday and today here it was!  It was also the first of July which meant a…

We went to see a accountant today who made me feel poor!  They are so sensible with their money.  No living on a wing and a prayer for these folks, thank goodness, for they are the ones we pay to look after our money. On the way to Bond Street we saw a shop selling…

Almost three weeks ago I landed in England on a cloud of disbelief.  For six moths I had been planning a move to here for at least a year to live with my mother, in her Beckenham flat, to care for her, keep her company and generally be there  whenever she needed me. But my…

June 27th, 2011 On losing Mummy, my brother and I gave each other a big hug and I whispered to him, “it’s just you and me now Bud…” yes, I actually said “Bud”, the American influence!  And he whispered back, “we’re orphans!”  Mummy took with her the last of the unconditional love I had been…

My husband and I drew up an agreement to cover ourselves when we rent our house to our son and four of his zoo keeper friends this summer while we high tail it to England to look after my mother. Already that sounds like a disaster just waiting to happen but believe me, we had…

Years ago when I was homeschooling four small children, my brother and his wife came to visit.  As a childless couple they were full of enthusiasm and patience to be the best Aunt and Uncle their American nephews and nieces had.  And they were.  They took them to the cinema and spent as much money…

I work a lot of shows with children and have had brief shoulder rubbings with Child Protective Services, an agency that sends shivers up my spine but shouldn’t because they help protect innocent children from evil adults.  I think the reason they make me shiver is because I homeschool and a neighbour who decides my…