Car, and Week, Update

The car? Martin the mechanic guy came round, and it was merely flooded. He was very good at not making me feel ridiculous, and checked several things and ran it around the block a bit as well. All is well :)

Yesterday, we hopped into the car and took a friend and her daughter along to Norwich Castle Museum. Much fun for kids, all packaged in a 900-year-old castle.

Today, it's the morning social for squadron spouses. I need to get the crockpot crocking, me dressed, and laundry added to my carload o' stuff so we can get down there to set up!!

Best-laid Plans and All That.

We've had a really nice, quiet weekend here. Enjoyed the first day and a half of sunshine and outdoor grilling. Sunday and Monday were pretty grim and rainy, but we hung out and enjoyed the break.

Today brought a screeching halt to the rest of this week's mild plans for half-term fun, however. Lily's friend is over for a playdate, and because it's raining, my idea was to head to a local indoor play place.

Bad news? As I started out the driveway, the car just...died. There's no re-starting it.

Good news? It happened literally 10 feet from the driveway entrance so we could all easily return home.

Bad news? No idea what's wrong and the car is actually IN the road, although far enough to the left that cars can get around easily.

Good news? Our little lane is VERY lightly trafficked.

Bad news? I have car-inclusive plans for tomorrow AND Thursday.

Good news? The mechanic can come here and have a look today.

Bad news? Not until later...much later.

Good news? Kids are still happy to stay home and make/eat cupcakes and play.

Bad news? No more really. Just have to stay tuned and see what the problem is, and hope for the best...

Lovely Views

This is a pheasant's nest that Simon, the gardener, found. He's leaving that flowerbed unweeded until the eggs hatch. I saw the mother pheasant nesting this morning, but she must be off hunting for food now, so I got this shot. Aren't those eggs a lovely shade of blue?

And here's a view from the nest, across the garden. Check out that table and chairs...cute, no? Did I mention that I am blogging from that table at this moment? The wireless reaches outside...whoo hoo!!

Yarn Money

American economic stimulus package = yarn money. Right?? Kris at Sonny and Shear (my fave on-line yarn store) is very convincing about it. Here's her note, and a code to save 20% on your purchases from the shop until midnight on Friday:

In honor of our little economic stimulus checks that we’re all receiving here in the states, we’ve decided to have a little sale. If you’re anything like me, the first thing that came to mind when you heard about our stimulus package was “yarn money”. Therefore, what could be more perfect than a yarn sale??!!!?

For the next few days you can save 20% on all of your yarn purchases at Sonny & Shear by entering the code GeorgeGaveMeYarnMoney at checkout. The coupon expires at midnight on Friday, May 23, 2008.

Feel free to share the code with your friends, your Ravelry groups, your blog readers, your cat, whoever. The sale is open to everyone and anyone. Enjoy your “economic stimulus” yarn.

Things That Make Me Happy Today..

A post in pictures (and some words, too)...

First, no picture, but the knife grinder came back through town. He sharpened my short branch loppers and long ones (secateurs?), and showed off his lovely spaniels. All five of them. What yummy dogs... I didn't take a picture because it seemed rude, somehow.

This morning, after the school run, I went to the car wash. Parking under the horse chestnut tree provides wonderful shade, and protection from rain, but the down side is poop. Lots and lots of bird poop. You might as well paint a huge target on the car...it was encrusted with nonprecious gems. One Deluxe Wash later, it looks like this:

Those of you who've been here may note that Little Blue Pogo is parked off to the side, NOT under the tree. I think I will keep that up for a few days at least!

After the car wash, I had a quick wander through town and bought the cheap-o garden set that I thought about all last summer and saw again this past Saturday. It's plastic, but pretty, and for 29 pounds, I won't find anything nicer. Two chairs and a little table, perfect for mornings out in the front garden or afternoons in the main garden. It may have been plastic, but schlepping the box back to the parking garage from QS was a major pain! I should have brought my shopper to balance the box on.

Here's a chair, before assembly. Hmmmmm:

Now, here's the chair, after. Nice, I think...

Critical Mass

Be careful how you boast about your immunity to this season's allergen. Why? Because when the pollen count then skyrockets to One MILLION the next day, you will be the sheepish, drippy-nosed, sneezing fool.

Rapeseed - it's gorgeous, but deadly....

Mud Is Good

Today is the May bank holiday here in the UK, meaning the kids and I are home but David had to work. Originally, I thought of heading to Ely to see the cathedral and the haunted Pizza Express (Nell Gwynn, I believe) but it is sooo glorious out that we chose the beach instead. We drove over to Snettisham, which is the closest beach, since traffic was getting heavy. It's a bit stony, the tide was waaaaaaay out, and the black flies were incredibly heavy.

At first, I thought we'd have to turn right around, because Lily's Crocs caught some sand and gave her a blister and then she was flipping out about the flies. However, after she had some snuggle time with me on the blanket, she was ready to check out the mud flats where David was busily digging.

We had some snacks, lots and lots of mud walking, and an ice cream to finish up. The kids had a glorious muddy day!

Now that we're home, I filled a huge Rubbermaid container with soapy water so they could play and rinse off the last dried mud.

Too bad I didn't bring my camera!

A Pleasant Sunday, After All

As the song says, "Always look on the bright side of life..." OK. Lots of times, it's not what I do, despite my reputation for cheery thinking. Sometimes, I get wrapped up in the negatives and can't find the positives for my disappointment. Many times, though, looking at the good can make the rest of a day not so bad.

It's not that today WAS a bad day, as such, really. Kids got bathed and dressed, we went to church, the sun was shining. It was just little disappointments, like not really "feeling the love" for church today, not getting much personally from the messages, not having David there with us. Then, at home, he was feeling under the weather (allergies kicking butt around here, with both Davids, actually) and neither of us were at our best.

But lunch happened, D soaked in the tub awhile, and small D took an allergy pill (which zonked him so much that he's now gone up for a nap at 4:30 PM and may be done for the day, I'll bet).

And then we all went for a walk-about in the village. We stopped at Linda's and had some cake, then passed the newly shorn sheep and the big pigs on one of the footpaths. We found some "archeology" as Time Team call their finds - little shards of old blue and white ware. Then we looked for, and I think we found, the circle you can see on Google Earth in a local field - maybe it's a Roman remain! Then it was up, past the cricket pitch and the cricketers, to the bigger footpath. By this time, small D was very drowsy and rather cranky, but we still saw some interesting flowers and things and even answered a call from Grandma Doe!

Being outside, and being together as a whole family, just recolored my day in the nicest way. I'm so glad for it.

If the Queen Were in Charge...

No, I don't mean Me, the Queen. I received this tidbit in an e-mail from my blogless friend Carolyn, and it tickled me greatly. I think we Americans could learn a lot from this!

From Her Majesty The Queen


Just received this communique, FYI:
To the citizens of the United States of America

From Her Majesty the Queen of England

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, I hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. Count how many 'i's there are and start to pronounce it correctly.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without omitting half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix'-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as American English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.

4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

7. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

8. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you will cease to call gasoline) - approximately $9 per US gallon. Get used to it.

9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

11. Hollywood will be required only to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full Kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.

13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

15. An internal revenue agent (i.e., tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

16. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high-quality biscuits (you must cease referring to them as cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God save the Queen.

Guilty...

I'm feeling very guilty for neglecting this poor little blog and its faithful readers (reader? Heh). It's been a bit of a crazy week, with Lily's party (21 kids and a good time had by all, but exhausting), heading down to base a couple of times, hanging out at a craft morning, David's mom landing in the hospital (very worrying, but in the end a good thing as they fixed a misdiagnosis and are getting her back to fighting form), hosting a morning social today for some of the spouses of people in D's unit, and various other stuff. Somewhere in there, I attended the preschool's annual general meeting and agreed to chair the committee again this year. That's added a lot of little items to tick off my list as well.

I have pictures from the trip that I need to post or email to Susie (Other Susie) . I have fourteen gabillion blogs to catch up on. Our wedding anniversary is coming up tomorrow (12 years, amazing!) and I haven't even gotten a CARD for D. yet. I did book the restaurant reservation, though.

I miss you guys, and I hope to be a bit more scintillating next week. Maybe even with pictures!

Whoa...

Sorry for the incredibly long hiatus but David's return, combined with Susie's visit, has kept me happily overoccupied. Susie was here for almost exactly 2 weeks, and it was a complete joy to be able to hang out with her and talk to our hearts' content, and tour till our feet fell off. What a trip. What a friend!

The main event of her trip was my baptism on the 4th. She even spoke at the service, and I wish she were here to talk every week. Susie, you're a gifted speaker! Here I am, with Elder Anderson, who performed the baptism, right beforehand. The children were deeply amused by the immersion thing, apparently. It was a very moving moment for me, and I was overwhelmed by the emotions I felt afterward.

Between Susie and me, we took over 700 pictures during her visit. Kid ya not. There was much touristic goodness happening. Thanks to David's comp. time and some leave, Susie and I were able to do two trips, one for 2 days down to Salisbury/Stonehenge and then London, and a second trip to London for some additional sightseeing the day before she flew back.

Highlights of the touring? Hmmmmm...Castle Rising castle, Sandringham, Salisbury Cathedral, STONEHENGE, Parliament/Big Ben/Westminster Abbey/Trafalgar Square/Buckingham Palace/Piccadilly Circus, Tower of London, Globe Theatre, Covent Garden...I'm sure I missed some there. Oh yes....and we got to see Les Miserables in the West End. SWEET! We took some Traveling Socks along, and got some terrific pictures at SockHenge, Sockingham Palace, and even one of a beefeater holding my sock at the Tower of London. I'm not sure if I am allowed to publish that one :) - he was quite bemused, and amused, however.

Susie is blogging the trip, complete with pictures, but I am SO overwhelmed by how many photos there are, I'll just post this one of Susie, on a double decker bus in London, with that trademark awesome smile. I have so many pictures now of this smile, on this face. What a gift for both of us this trip was!! Thanks, Susie, from the bottom of my heart.

After Susie left for home, David still had several days of leave, and it was outstanding to be able to just... hang out together, recovering a bit from the kids' term holiday, the festival of touring, and everything. I'm so very, very glad he's home again. My evenings are filled with grownup conversation and time with my sweetie. It's like going from black and white to Technicolor. Very sweet indeed.

In other news, sort of caught up in the madness, Miss Lily turned FIVE yesterday! She celebrated with cupcakes at school and a cake last night, but the big party is this Saturday, so I will be sure to blog more then. She told me, "I'm a bit puzzled. I don't feel any different."

I'm Here

I'm here, but totally busy in a good way with returned husband and visiting friend. Pics will follow at some point soon!

Travel Plans: The Update

Well, as of right now, David's rebooked onto a flight that lands tomorrow afternoon. Heathrow cancelled 20% of flights today and who knows how well things will be running tomorrow? We shall see. We have the ride lined up for him, and he hopes to be home by dinnertime.

Me, I will be hitting the road around 2:30 AM here with kids and their pillows, to head to Gatwick to meet Susie's 6 AM flight tomorrow morning.

Directions are downloaded, car is gassed up and cleared out, guest room is ready, and the rest of the house is its usual self. Which is to say, pretty tidy, actually.

I'll be hitting the hay very early tonight, so I can be a spunky, sparky driver on the M25 in those pre-dawn hours. Wheeeee!!

T

Dominoes Falling...

So. David is due to fly into Heathrow's new Terminal 5 tomorrow night at 10:15. We've booked a car service pick-up so I don't have to schlep the kids to the airport in the middle of the night. Susie is due in just before 6 AM at Gatwick (other side of London) on Saturday morning. This means D. will arrive home around 2 AM, and I will leave around 2:30 to head to Gatwick. Yeah. Crazy welcome home, but we had it planned out, and it will all work.

At least....we THOUGHT it would. Duh duh DUH. Did anyone see the monkey wrench in that last paragraph? If you guessed Terminal 5, you win the prize. The brand spanking new international terminal at Heathrow opened today in utter chaos. Apparently, their spandy new baggage-handling system is completely nonfunctioning. Arriving passengers are waiting up to 2.5 hours for the bags. As of 5 this evening, departing passengers are not even allowed to check any baggage. It's carry-on only, or go find another way to get where you are going.

They promise things will be smoothed out "really soon" but meanwhile, we're all prepared for probable major delays. That'll mean David getting home Heaven knows when, me taking off 15 minutes after Heaven knows when, and Susie cooling her jets at Gatwick for a possible good long time. There's the domino effect. Good thing she's got her tunes and her knitting and her cheerful outlook on life to keep her company. Right, Susie?

How Could I Have Forgotten??

How did I forget to mention this?! That's right, 6 September in London it's "I Knit Day," starring the Yarn Harlot and workshops and vendors and knitters galore. I have my ticket, and I'm ever so very excited about it. Anyone else here in the UK going?

In other news, my head cold is heading (heh heh...) south to my chest. I'm now starting to sport a lovely cough. Hoping to nip it in the bud with positive thinking and vitamins, and an early night tonight.

Roooooooaaawr!

Today we headed to the Dinosaur Adventure Park with some friends. It was a wonderful day out, although it was mighty cold.

The silver lining there is that not many other people thought it was a good day to play outside, so we had the park pretty much to ourselves. The mini-golf, the go-karts, the dinosaur trail, the maze, trampolines, basket swings, giant climbing dinosaur, and all the climbing gear, all of it was ours for the playing.

The kids ran around nonstop for about 5 hours, and boy am I tired! How does that work?

Peep Art

One more thing, before I amble back to bed. This slideshow from the Washington Post is utterly fantastic. Whether you love or hate the lowly Peep, the creativity of the people who did these dioramas is worthy of admiration. Some are not entirely appropriate for kids' viewing, but all are great!!

Groan and Moan

I'b got a code id by head. Many thanks to Lily, who always manages to bring home a bug on the last day or two of term. She's feeling sparky now, if a little stuffy, but I have been producing way too much oogy stuff and using way too many tissues.

I even took a nap in the middle of the day. With two kids home. And no other grownup around. I told them to play quietly and come get me if they needed anything. After the second story that Lily asked me to make up for her book she drew, I invited her to nap with me. That got her back downstairs in a hurry! The house didn't burn down, and I managed to survive the rest of the day until bedtime, so that rocks.

Here's to Twinings' Lemon and Ginger Infusion, or whatever it's called. Perfect for stuffy heads.

Famous Kidz!

D. asked me to email in some snow pictures to Newsround (kids' news programme on CBBC). I did, and they called to get permission to post them. Fame, at least in the eyes of a 9-year-old...

Go See the Snow!

Check out the family website (usually sadly neglected) for some terrific Easter pictures.

May you have a wonderful Easter, wherever you are, Gentle Readers!