Swan Song...

So much has come to a head since my last post..

First decision of the New Year was to lose weight, well 7kg and counting, second was to admit I need to divorce my husband and stop fucking around, not literally I might add. Thirdly, I'm going home, as in the UK, to London, with both kids. Fourthly, I discovered just how behind on the rent we are and we have an enforced, interim move into the basement, yes, the BASEMENT, of our current building...we can't move back until him in Spain has some cash and that is likely to be June, so in the meantime three of us will live in a studio..yay..

This last has been the hardest. Packing up and disposing of eight years of life here and no confirmation of when we can go home..It's killing me a little piece at a time. So far I've disposed of hundreds of books, sacks and sacks of clothes, furniture, toys..our life here in fact. I know it's only "stuff" but having the disposal enforced does not make me happy. It's desperately sad.

To get me through the tough times I've developed an unbelievable obsession with a certain Mr. Tom Hiddleston...Yes, hook, line and sinker! I watch all his films, I tumblr him endlessly! It's childish and idiotic but when the alternative is sobbing in a corner...what prompted me to blog today though was listening to his thoughts on risk taking, having no regrets etc. Initially some of these things made me cry as I feel  like one big regret right now...then I thought it through. 8 years, in a foreign country, two kids, no husband, always short of cash, now finally saying enough, time to move on...hmmmm. Probably quite a big risk taker when you look at it that way. So, here's to moving on, forward and to better things! From where I'm standing the only way is up..I've a feeling there may be a few more levels down before the ascent begins but it will.

So expect a few more ruminations before we get there and if you're lucky maybe a few gif sets of Mr. H... ;)

Time to return...to blogging that is!

My life here in Florence has changed a lot since I last wrote. I now have both kids at home, one studying for A levels via the internet, the other home schooling with me, well if you call watching the Cartoon Network home schooling...I'll go into the why's on my school blog.

I stopped blogging because everyone said that pictures are what people want but I'm now seeing a trend away from that. It seems, like children who start with picture books, that blog readers are progressing too, so expect words!!!!

Did I have 4 cats last time we spoke? Pretty sure I did. So my life, 24/7, is now 4 cats, 2 kids and the occasional husband. I'm saying it here, where it's unlikely my kids will see it, we've agreed our relationship is finally past its sell by...we just have to work out the disposal now.    That's all I'm saying for now, other than its been going off for a loooong time. So he's mainly in Spain and returns here just to see the kids. Their antipathy towards him speaks volumes. My son is 18 and my daughter now 9, they aren't stupid. 

Anyway, my son is basically a vampire...sleeps all day and is awake all night, with very few real friends here but when I suggest returning to the UK he doesn't want to! His first love is Anime/Manga. Here it is both cheaper and more widely available than in the UK. He collects models of his favourite characters. They would cost twice as much, even if he could find them, in the UK. Obviously, to him, this is a good reason to stay here!!

My daughter knows no different now. She speaks good Italian and passable French but I think the French will disappear as she knows no one that speaks just French now. For now she is happy. Whether she ends up back in school here we shall have to see.

Me?? Hmmm...hating being pre-meno. Also I feel so tired and constantly lacking in energy. I'm hoping writing here will help, even if no one reads it!!!! Life as a fifty year old single mum is HARD! I know I'm failing on so many levels...I just can't be bothered. A little is depression, a little is being unfit and a lot is having no real support network close by. Sometimes just living in a beautiful city isn't enough... life has a way of intruding..

It's been a while....

I really wasn't sure if I wanted to resurrect this blog or not. So much has happened since that last post, most of which won't be going on here I admit! Anyway, I'm here now. I'm just going to keep it pretty general from now on. I guess it was anyway but I'll come on when something exciting is happening and that will probably be pretty much it!! My kids changed schools, both are at school together now. It's a French school which is interesting but it does mean they will be following the IB rather than the Italian Maturita which for them is a better option as it opens up Unis all over the world if they decide to go that route. We also have 4 cats now!!! Totally unplanned but we decided to keep the kittens our two had...maybe not the best idea but hey!! Anyhow the sun is shining and it's lunch time! :)

Time Passes!!

Good grief! I can't believe it has been 7 months since I last posted!! Thing is once summer hits it's way too hot to do too much and typing becomes an effort!! Not much has gone on either tbh...Antonia started Prima which is going okay. The homework is heavy at the weekends and neatness in writing and colouring is expected from the start, which I find incredible! That said her reading and writing in both languages is coming along well and she finds maths fairly straightforward so far!!

I'm not going into the details but we will be on the move again soon. Various forces have come together and we won't be renewing the lease on this place, so we need to find a new place before the end of January. I was hoping to be gone before Christmas, so we could decorate our new place with the tree etc but Italy being Italy this is probably not to be.....So we will have to make the best of it here, surrounded by cases and boxes!! It's not very conducive to the seasonal spirit but hey ho! Next year will be different.

Alex is here too at the moment. He is taking some study leave before the pressure of next years exams plus he wants to be here when we move - hoping this will be possible!!

To say my love of Italy is being tried at this time is an understatement but I can't imagine it being any different in any other country right now. Once I am resettled I'm sure it will return but in the mean time I remain frustrated and fed-up!!

Happy Christmas! ;)