Yup, it has now been 12 months to the day since I started my new job here in South Wales.. it’s been one of the busiest and most hectic years in my life to date but I have to say so far I have no regrets, other than perhaps the lack of 2-for-1 indian takeaways around these parts. I’m now settling in to my new job and enjoying it, and living near the coast seems to be holding off my hayfever too (I’d say it’s around 50% as bad as it usually is this time of year). The new house is a lot easier to maintain than the old one was, and despite being bigger it costs less to heat. I think Vicky enjoying being near her family too as she spends most days (specifically lunch times) at their house, and Poppy almost certainly likes her new school, pond, and play area.. and as of two weeks ago Vicky came home to the new house for the first time not pregnant. As for our new back garden… that is Margam Park and all the hills and mountains further behind there, I haven’t explored it all as much as I want to. There are several things I want to walk to and see close-up but haven’t got around to it yet – I suppose I have many years to go for walks but I must cross as least one of those off this summer. So in summary, this last year I have left my old job and got a new one, sold a house, moved to Wales, bought a new house, had another baby. Here’s to a quiet next 12 months…. fat chance of that!

Welsh… it’s all bloomin’ foreign to me. Having got through pages 1-9 of Usborne’s “Welsh for beginners” I am now thoroughly confused as to how a language can get by without the letters J, K, Q, V, X, or Z in the alphabet whilst having at least three letters dedicated to covering my computer screen in spittle. I would like to say that I am now capable of advising people what my name is, asking them the reciprocating question, introducing other friends and greeting random Welsh strangers. But I can’t, the words went through my ears and never made contact with any brain matter along the way. I think I shall have to dedicate my car journeys to listening to the CD more, hopefully without being pulled over for driving with the book on the steering wheel (joke… mom, before you panic! I’d obviously put it on the seat next to me and keeping leaning over to read it). Further topics I shall look forward to include “Looking for things”, “Table Talk” and “Shopping”. The only problem I can see with my current learning methodology is it doesn’t include the most useful features of a language that everyone should have a basic understanding of: slang… I will need to cover that before Poppy starts learning Welsh at school so I can at least know when she’s added an expletive to whatever the translation of “that’s so unfair” is. The worst I can manage at the moment is calling someone a chimney.

In house news, I’ve just found out that our mortgage has been approved… just need to hope our buyer gets one too.