city living

Thank you so much for your comments on my last post. Such lovely long ones too, I really enjoyed reading them although I've yet to find the time to completely digest. It was good to hear such impassioned endorsement of the places where you live and one thing strikes me as very clear: You all seem blissfully happy with wherever you are and I love that.

Missy mentioned how she felt her children were much more savvy about different cultures because they had grown up in the city and it's very true that my children have no idea whatsoever about anything that might be construed as anti-racial as I am sure few small children do. Obviously they learn about different cultures and religions at school but because they learn alongside children from these very same cultures and religions, they just don't see any differences at all, be it in colour or creed, and I absolutely love that too.

From the age of seven I grew up in Penzance, which is beautiful as I'm sure anyone who's ventured down there will know. But it's beautiful because we're grown ups, for rest assured as a teenager I had very strong feelings about the place, something that Jane reminded me of, drawing comparisons between both herself and me at the same ages. Pz was the best town in the world during the Summer when life became very outdoorsy, the beach was at the bottom of the road and there were plenty of foreign language students to provide a little bit of 'eye candy on the prom'! But when those Winter months arrived it was as dull as ditchwater and that's the reason I couldn't wait to pack my bags and leave for the bright lights. I also think that growing up in the sticks gave me a naivete that took a lot of adjusting when I moved away from home and I suffered terribly with home sickness.

However, at the end of the day I believe it's the school situation that will really make or break a decision. Like anyone else we want what's best for our kids and when you hear of yet another teenage stabbing it brings it all much closer to home and the desire to move away from it becomes more urgent.

I expect it's being on holiday that has brought this subject right to the forefront (although it has been on and off the agenda for a while now), you see had the children still been at school I dare say I would be putting most of my energy into trivial matters such as whether or not to line some garment or other! But I need to set the record straight, that nothing gets done that quickly around here. Life is hectic and we have adopted an almost manjana attitude about most things sadly until something is pressing, at which stage it's all systems go and overdrive kicks in.

By the way, there is (sort of) a point to these gratuitous photos. The painting on the table is my latest acquisition, one I'm rather pleased with which won't have escaped you, not least because even with the inflated London pricing I feel I got it for a quite reasonable sum.

Have a wonderful weekend, all x