Tollerado

Sunday, 1 January 2012

Happy New Year - or Time to Say Good-Bye

I have been at work until 11.15pm last night and was in the house by about 11:30pm. That was just in time to watch Dinner For One on DVD before the old year came to an end. It's a tradition in Germany and one I uphold, it's also a very funny sketch... With a glass of Asti mom, Jens and I started the New Year before going to bed.

This morning it was time to say good-bye as their stay was over and they had to go back home :( When we got to the airport at 10am, we found out their flight was cancelled and they got booked on a different flight leaving at 5pm, so we went back home and then back to the airport at 3pm

at the airport going home

Saying good-bye initially was easy but I was and still am rather depressed since I got home. It's strange, since I remember that it was never this bad 10 or even 5 years ago but the older I get the more diffcult it gets. I am feeling rather lonely right now but I know this will go away in a few days time but it's another reason to move back to Germany one day.

Once I got home I took the dogs to go for a walk to clear my head. It was a beautiful afternoon/evening and the sunset was amazing. Now I am at home, trying to distract myself... I will post my goals and resolutions for 2012 in a few days time

sunset 01.01.2012

Saturday, 31 December 2011

The Year is coming to an end

2011 is coming to an end and what a year it was… lot’s of changes, opportunities and chances to reflect upon...

dawn 31.12.2011

6 month ago I was made redundant from Convergys, this was difficult for me as I always saw myself as a Convergys child. It was the first company in the UK I worked for, I felt at home with Convergys, the people have been amazing and the opportunities that I have been given have been great, my personal growth was amazing and the opportunities that were laying ahead of me where great too. That all changed with the redundancies and while I was off the market within hours of being made redundant and had a new job, there is still a hole in my heart.

But the this was also an opportunity to look at my life not just my work life balance (which was shocking, I was reading and responding to work e-mails at midnight, 5am, 10pm etc was just the norm) but as my life as a whole which I would have not done otherwise. I realized that maybe it is time after 8 years to pack my bags and move back to Germany. This has been something I have thought about for the last 6 month (back and forth) and truth is, I cannot see myself raising my children here in the Newcastle area. The mentality is so much different then what I want for my kids. I know I am an odd-ball here, I don’t have a TV, I knit and sew and garden. Most importantly though I wish for my kids to grow up with their grandma and in the country and so I am thinking about moving back to Germany within the next 24 month. I mentioned this to my mom just a few days ago and she was very pleased with this. It’s a decision made for a quieter, slower country lifestyle that I so love and with my family being close.

So 2012 is going to be dedicated to plan for this move.

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

Quote

All Outside is dark and cold

But just beneath the earth

Sleep seeds from which new life springs

Bringing nature’s gifts to birth

– Betty Jones

Sunday, 25 December 2011

Quick change trousers

A few weeks ago I bought the book Handmade Beginnings, today I decided to try my hand at the quick change trousers for toddlers. I had a lot of fun and it was the first swewing project I did. It turned out pretty good and I will keep them for my own baby that I will have one day.