Praying for you. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Very best of luck to both yourselves and your sister. Everything looks yummy. Hugs.

Elaine, I hear you and support you. 🤞 hoping all goes the way you, Darren and Max want it to. All the best.

Stay strong and good vibes sent your way. 🧜‍♀️🌻

Thank you so much for sharing with us… Many blessings for you and for the resolution of your residency application in Portugal… Everything will go well with the grace of God… Strength and courage that everything will work out… 🙏 💖 🍀

Thanks for your candour Elaine, I think lock down affected us all in some way or other, we were lucky too in as much as we weren't I'll in any way, but my son almost lost his small joinery business, but luckily they survived by the skin of their teeth, but I think my biggest problem now is motivation, I don't seem to have the motivation I had before, I have to really push myself to do things and get out there, as I think to myself why bother, but I'm working on it! and to be honest I quite liked the comfort of not having anything to do but stay at home, my saving grace was having to walk my dog everyday as I still saw people albeit at a social distance, I think I got lazy in all honesty, but I'm slowly getting back to normal, you'll both get there, just give yourselves time, just think what you've achieved this year, you have done the van conversion, and that's fantastic, I wish you and Darren and all your family all the very best for the future, in whatever you do 🌞🌞🖐

Praying for you all and positive vibes sent your way!

Hi Elaine, I hope you realize that your subscribers only want the best in life for you, Darren, and your family. We are sending positive energy that everything works out nicely with your residency in Portugal. In the meantime, do whatever you need to do to feel grounded and safe. Your health is important. Blessings.

I do understand the loss of confidence through Covid. I totally lost mine but I got over mine by being thrown in the deep end by an emergency. I had to leave my farm in my sons hands and go over to Costa Branca last Ocober to take over my brothers farm while he was in hospital for 4 months and I'm still here as he is still recovering. Residency is not a problem for me as I'm dual nationality. Best of luck with your plans and returning to a normal way of life.

Sending positive vibes, love and light from Cape Town, South Africa x you have a lovely calm disposition and we wish you the very best for Portugal 🇵🇹 praying every success for you both 💜

You have come throug some of the hardest times, there is light now at the end of the tunnel, and I hope all goes well in Portugal take care see you again soon cheers

I wish you all the best with your residency application. This pandemic has played havoc with everyone the world over.

Good luck. I wondered what happened to your Portugal life.

Brave family! I hope and pray that all will go smoothly. Love dear Max. Stay safe. Greetings from South Africa

Thanks for the update, always look forward to hearing from you and Darren. Will keep our fingers crossed that you get good news. Take care Bob from Florida

Hope that everything will go as you plan👍 It's good for you to travel and see Portugal again. All the best, Mirja 🇫🇮

Oh that was such a eye opener. I can only wish you all the very best. Portugal 🇵🇹 is amazing and I hope all will be well. 🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹😻😻😻

It certainly has been a tough stretch we've been on . We all have to stay positive and build that bridge to get to the other side of Life. (Good). Hang in there. Harriet and I support the hard work you're always doing. Our Thoughts and Prayers are always with you Elaine, Darren and Max. Be Well. Stay Safe my friends.😍😍😍😍rom Harriet, Jim, and Yuki. Richmond. Va.

Elaine, thank you so much for updating us your viewers. I appreciated your creativity in weaving a lovely cooking segment through your message. What's unsaid in the cookery visuals says as much about your nurturing family 🎂. Oo, but did the mushrooms & leeks become pie filling? a quiche? 🤤

You did say before you'd let us know your thoughts & plans once you could speak about being long parted from your Portugal life. And you've done so with gentle strength from being centered and feeling more confidant again. I'm glad you're flying back to see about your residency certificates and seem accepting about moving forward with visa application if needed. Your life there will be there again sooner than it seems 💗.

I, too, feel pandemic life kicked my hiney… i lost confidence, too, and was forced to also narrow my tasks to one at a time to retain any forward momentum. I struggled, tho worked hard with what i could to recover any footing. Things have improved slowly tho steadily so far this year, and i feel better sticking with my limited tasks for now.

Wishing you and Darren so well in reconnecting with your Portugal dreams. Thanks for sharing them with the world.

Yes Elaine, fingers crossed for you. All the best in Portugal. By the way…delicious cake!

For me it feels more like age, than Lockdown-related, but who knows?!? Definitely also am not able or willing to even try to take on half as much as I used to. Sending you empathic thoughts and encouragement for the tougher days — they do pass, and we can still enjoy nature’s beauty, the love of family and friends, and the excitement of new adventures! Keeping fingers crossed that your residency is still all approved and just waiting for you to pay the fee and pick it up! Even if there is a “hitch”, at least you can enjoy a brief visit back and the renewal of your dreams / plans. BTW, it looks from the outside that you two are doing great — just look at the new van you designed and built!! Wowser!!! Hoping for great news from your upcoming trip, and that no matter what it gives both of you a lovely boost from the isolation / general life weirdness blues!!!

Ahhh don’t be so hard on yourself not being able to multi task
Take it easy one thing at a time and do it all with love
Brexit and covid what a nightmare
Wishing you both success in all you plan to do

Be kind to yourself Elaine.
When we teach our kids to be independent & do their own thing it’s wonderful & we all should be proud…. But as a Mum it can make us feel like we are no longer needed, we feel obsolete and that’s huge. Of course we’re not but it’s a tough. It’s a catch 22, the kids are also in a spot, they want us to be doing the things we have planned to do because ‘ you deserve it’ you’ve worked hard all your life it’s ‘your turn now’ so everyone wants everyone else to be doing their ‘thing’ but at the same time we all want to be near each other. It’s a tough one to let our hearts & minds know it’s ok to choose you. So choose you Elaine because if you don’t you’ll never get out from under the cloud. If you move to Portugal & you miss your kids too much come home. It doesn’t matter, you gave it a shot. But the truth is you’ll probably love it & your kids will visit & they’ll love it too. But please be kind to yourself it’s so important 💜💜💜

So sorry that you have lost so much confidence through lockdown and I wish you all the best in recovering it. Keeping everything crossed for your residency and look forward to hearing the news. Xxx

Hello…I am Maria from Portugal what you need is to come, and feel our sunshine in our heart. Everything will be fine again