saturday morning musing

Its early and the house is quiet and I am wondering what to write about, I have noticed that I have readers from all over the world now and that amazes me. At first I thought that hopefully family will read this and really its like an online diary for me and then I found that other people are reading it too... and now I think, Is it even interesting?

We were driving home last night from a friends and I was thinking that now, 2 and a bit years in, we don't drive about in wonder, we don't gaze at the trucks in awe anymore, we don't have to think about where to buy paint. We are now comfortable and at home. And this home rocks!

I was watching a House Hunters International yesterday and an American couple were moving to London and they were politely shocked at how little they could get for their money renting near Clapham Junction.  For me, I couldn't imagine wanting to live there anyway, its busy, its full of people, theres too much concrete. The flats were small and sometimes dingy, there was carpet (shocker!) and the washing machines were in the teeny little kitchens (big shocker) especially to North Americans who are so used to (for the most part) laundry rooms, hardwood floors and space.

And I realised that I too have become used to those features of living here, I no longer am comfortable with my washing machine residing in my kitchen or of having to live in less than the square footage I am enjoying now. We are indeed fortunate.

Our children will grow up being able to play outside with friends and come in when it gets dark or they get hungry, whichever comes first. They think having a pool is a normal part of life. They have a dog. In a way (sans pool) their childhood is more like mine was. Its more than I had hoped for, for them.

They are also growing up with cellphones that play games, tour the internet and take photographs. They keep in touch with old school friends so successfully because of Skype. They expect to be able to see people the other side of the world when it suits them. Back in my day a letter sufficed and I have to say the pleasure from the pink or pastel blue or other colour envelope arriving with my name and address from my bestie that I have moved away from, was not to be under-estimated.

I could read and re-read the words as we kept in touch.

I had 35 years of living in England and I had a good life and now I am here and this is a good life too, I know I am lucky to be able to have both experiences.