Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

I spotted this poppet of a pink rose against the crumbling English church wall this week.  It reminded me of the song 'The Last Rose of Summer': 'Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone. All her lovely companions are faded and gone.' Thomas Moore Quite how this melancholy song slipped into  our normally upbeat,  think 'My old man said follow the van' , family singalongs, I don't know.  But since then, I've always looked for my last rose of summer! The last rose of Summer got me thinking how Winter has well and truly appeared in the United Kingdom. She slipped in unannounced after an endless summer. On the back of the gritter lorries, with witty names like Grittie McVittie, Brad Grit, or Spready Mercury ,  busy throwing salt to stop roads freezing over.  Wren's thought for the day: There  is a stoic cheerfulness here despite a gloomy outlook in more ways than one... Brexit remains a monumental looming moment

Melbourne Mum is unexpectedly back in town for Melbourne Cup week after a whirlwind of flights: HIM: Bolivia ---> Peru ---> Chile ---> MELBOURNE   MELBOURNE  <--- Bangkok <--- USA <--- Japan: ME My son and I converge at our Australian Doctors to discuss plans following him coming off the worse for wear having hit a puddle on a push bike in Bolivia. Death Road, Bolivia is sold as the world's most dangerous road on account of the treacherous descent from the La Paz mountains into the Amazon rainforest. The rocky shingle road hugs the mountain with a sheer drop where many have not lived to tell the tale.   It was a very expensive puddle, but it could be far worse! I'm guessing when your kids have been brought up traveling the globe, with two parents that encourage the go off and see the world adventures, it should come as no real surprise that from time to time Mum needs to get home to pick up the pieces. I did have a little rye smile when the

Ok, so I have now officially disgraced myself with the Americans… A little bit of backstory, I moved to Bangkok eighteen months ago. It was a tricky move coming from the eight times winner of the ‘World’s Most Liveable City’ Melbourne, Australia to one of the most polluted, congested and the world’s hottest capital city… I gave up a meaningful job that I loved, in the Not-for-Profit sector to become a lady of leisure.   I threw myself into life here. I enjoyed the travel and getting to know Bangkok, and we had loads of visitors, but this year everything changed when we moved into our forever place in Bangkok. Hated it, nothing worked, was miserable, so had a great summer traveling the globe visiting family and friends instead. Back in Bangkok, ready to immerse back into my Thai life, I am moving into a new apartment and ready to make some new friends, I joined a few expat organisations…   I know, I know being an Expat sounds glamorous, we have left the h

Hello dear friends in Blogland. How are you doing? I am pleased to be here for Friendship Friday I've had a great week and have well and truly settled back into my Asian life  where I am enjoying making new friends both locally and in here in the blogosphere. I've had fun, I have joined a new group - the American Women's Club of Thailand. Why the American's when you're a British Aussie? You may well ask. Well firstly they take anyone, these Expat women's groups really are not that fussy! Well, except for the ANZWG Group where you need to be closely associated with Australia and New Zealand. I am, I have the passport and I have a family, home and of course an Aussie Crazy Poodle Down Under and I miss my Melbourne life terribly,  but my life in Thailand is more about meeting women from around the globe. I have always had lots of American friends, I chat with many Americans via my blog... ...  anyway they let this little bird in and s

Dearest Blog friends I am sorry it's been a while. A one-legged soccer player and a three-legged crazy poodle have been taking up much of my time Down Under. The dog is off his anti-inflammatories and daughter number two is out of her moon boot and the crutches have gone. Roll on the end of the football season and getting everyone as fit and healthy as normal I say! August is a great month in Melbourne, the worst of the winter is behind us, the days are getting longer and the strength is building in the sunshine. Good news for Melbournians, bad news for the farmers of New South Wales and Queensland, who desperately need some rain to break our terrible drought. On a cheerier note, all around me, the yellow wattle trees are bursting forth. It's the Australian version of ' a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze'.  Isn't it gorgeous? My slower pace of life in Australia gives me time for strength and renewal after

The European Summer of 2018, just like the Summer of ’76,  will long be remembered as a great one.  It has been very relaxed.  Indeed perfect for eating outdoors, family get-togethers,  watching tennis and attending the Henley Royal Regatta. The Summer of 76 Club made me feel pretty old.  It was one of the driest, sunniest and warmest British summers (June/July/August) in the 20th century,  and those of us who remember it, do so with great affection! England had a welcome distraction from the politics of Brexit, by making good progress in the FIFA World Cup Football 2018. English flags fluttered across the land and Gareth Southgate’s young English team had us believing the impossible that like their win in  1966 ‘Football’s Coming Home’   Personally, it has been really exciting, we've been in Russia to watch the football.  Whaaaaat , I hear you say? You can read all about our adventures  by clicking on the links to each post below: