Sweet

As in "home, sweet home."

It's 11 pm London time for us yet still just dinner time in Connecticut.  We're zonked and will be glad if we're awake until sunset.  And then not up at 3 am CT time!

But we had a wonderful, fantastic, awesome, cool vacation and I look forward to telling you all about it.

Later.

Last Stop

Oops, Forgot These

Highlights Cont.

Yes, Lambeth, you, too.  I was saving that til I wrote about the trip.  We've loved spending these days together.

More Teasers ...

....for when I eventually write about our trip.  Afterwards.

Teasers

Blog Hiatus

A delay in blog posting, either for a few days, maybe longer.

You know why.  :)

Spring Fling

You would think that 40 and 50Fs was summer here in CT the way we've moved outside!  The kids have had snack outside after school and have even done their homework sitting on my favorite rock!  We've looked at budding flowers and marveled at the return of all of the singing birds.  Bud has been practicing his kung fu moves and we've played basketball.  Sis has made the most extravagant mud pies, even describing the "single origin" of her "chocolates"--some from under the porch, some from under the playhouse.  And then there are the edible flowers.

Day is Done

We were eating dinner and I looked out of our west-facing kitchen sink window.  It was golden yellow, but not much else; still, pretty.  A few minutes later, "Yellow . . . pink.  Purple!  I'm going to look at the sunset if anyone wants to join me."

I picked up my camera phone and headed out the front door, two kiddos behind me.  We stood admiring the colors which were rather quickly deepening.  As the sunset continued, we headed up the hill, taking pictures and enjoying the view as we went.  Though, as the kids hadn't put on shoes before we left, they were also thinking about their cold bare feet on the street (we don't have sidewalks . . . and there's no real grass yet.)

It was one of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen here.

So I sang as the colors faded into night.

And Bud said, "And now someone else gets to enjoy it, too."

Snow in the Morning, Flowers in the Afternoon

The sun came out just hours after the snow...and so did these.  Too bad if we miss the blooms.

NOT April Fool's!

Okay, even I'm shocked that it's snowing outside (for more than 2 hours now!)--and you know how I look for snow!  Love it, one last little winter's gift.  We called Gommie, way too early, but she was happy to hear from us, and Pop, but his phone was off (he's out of town helping my aunt.)  It's very icy, though.  so I've delayed my morning plans a bit.

NB:  I LOVE my bumper stickers!

Say No Evil

I first heard the questions, or "three sieves," as "Is it true?  Is it kind? Is it necessary?"  But the Pinterest version above adds letters and colors. "Inspiring" and "helpful" are good, too, but probably not, well, necessary.  Buddhists also know it as "right speech," or

"abstinence from false speech, abstinence from malicious speech, abstinence from harsh speech, and abstinence from idle chatter.”  In the vernacular this means not lying, not using speech in ways that create discord among people, not using swear words or a cynical, hostile or raised tone of voice, and not engaging in gossip.  

I've been working on this recently, the right speech.  And have had a few challenges, on at least three recent occasions, when I was bothered (read:  indignant, hurt, and/or angry) by something people had said. Of course, blogging about it is not really different than speaking about it, so I won't give the details.  Besides, I've dwelt on it repeatedly in my head--you know, making up mocking comebacks, sarcastic retorts, withering replies.  I was terribly vested in the stories I was telling and retelling myself--Buddhists would say "unskillfully"--and, in doing so, keeping quite alive the hurt and angry emotions that had arisen.  But, I didn't respond.  And in doing so, this post to the contrary, in many ways divested myself of those hard emotions.  Now I'm just looking back, thinking, "Wow, maybe there is something to that right speech."  I just have to include that small voice in my head next time.

Amazing Rain

Amazing rain,
how sweet the sound,
that hasn't been here in months.
I love the snow,
as all of you know,
but I love thunderstorms as well.

--Mommy Hungry

Just Can't Stand It

We're going to England!!!!

Not long now.

And amid all the buying of stomach remedies and packing extra socks, I just keep thinking of the plans and possibilities:

• Hampton Court
• Harry Potter Studios
• Cardiff--Doctor Who Experience and Cardiff Castle
• Viking exhibition at British Museum
• "Downton Abbey"/Highclere Castle
• Stonehenge
• Winchester
• St. Pancras and Platform 9 3/4
• Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and brass rubbings at St. Martin's in the Field (also tea)
• Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye
• Evensong at Westminster Abbey
• Tower of London
• St Paul's 
• Museum of London
• Globe Theater and Southwark
• afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason's 
• lunch at Cheshire Cheese
• Harrod's
• Victoria and Albert Museum
• yes, the food:  scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, Earl Grey tea, Ploughman's lunch, Branston pickle, Cornish pasty, wonderful Indian food, traditional English breakfast, chocolate refrigerator cake, yogurt and marmalade, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, treacle sponge/summer puddings, digestive biscuits, steak and kidney pie, bubble and squeak, fish and chips, lemon curd, shepherd's/cottage pie, flapjacks, elderflower drinks, etc etc etc
• The kids have even been practicing the lingo (boot, biscuit, bobby, petrol, lorry, tube, pounds, pudding, trousers vs. pants, chips, crisps, dustbin, loo, chemist's shop, car park, car bonnet, lift, post, Wellies, brolly?, etc) . . . 
• and trying to keep a hold on the history (Celts, Romans, King Arthur, Vikings, Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, Pilgrims/Puritans, Victorians, WWII . . . yes, there are some holes, but they're 8!)
• and, last but not least, Lambeth and Mrs. Lambeth!!!

Ya-hoo!!!!!

Not Much

Beyond the really big trip coming up, I don't have much to report.  There haven't even been too many funny stories from the kiddos.

But we're here and doing well.

Getting ready.

Yay, Crochet!!

My wonderful PT has approved testing out my right arm (with compressed radial nerve) with some crochet!!!  I have missed it so much and was so glad to pick up my hook and yarn again.  I did half a row on an existing prayer shawl, just to see.  And it was exactly what I'd missed.  My arm is a tad sore today, to be expected, and I'll keep trying a bit until I can do more (or the PT says stop for a bit.)  Yay!

No Snow

I was so looking forward to the forecast--there was snow!  Not much predicted, at first 1-3" then a coating to 1".  I'd be happy either way.  I love snow.  It's my happy place.  Perhaps I'm making up for those first 22 years without any.  Perhaps I like it because I don't shovel it, nor have to go out in it usually.  I love it.

And I said so on FB.

And mercy, all the flip-flop-wearing, beach-loving, sun-worshipping snow-haters went nuts, just like they've been calling for the execution of Phil the Prognosticating Groundhog!!

As if I had some kind of direct line to the weather gods . . . .

Which I obviously don't because it didn't snow.  It just got cold and blew hard all day.

The snow sure would have been pretty in the wind.  And what use is plain ol' cold?

I miss winter already.

No Fat Ladies

In excitement over our upcoming trip to England, we've been watching some British tv, like "Rosemary and Thyme," "The Catherine Tate Show," "Michael Wood's Story of England," and of course "Doctor Who."

And our first favorite, "Two Fat Ladies."  We love their crazy motorcycle, blunt talk, literary references, breaking out into song, on-location trips, and, of course, their food.  So entertaining, so fascinating, so funny.  We haven't ever cooked any of it--I've read that their recipes don't often work--it's more like how I like to read cookbooks rather than repeat it myself.  And I did read Clarissa Dickson Wright's book on the history of the food of England--witty, erudite, obscure. fun.

And then last week, Clarissa died.

(Jennifer Patterson had died years ago)

And so we're watching our way through the series again, in their honor (I got the dvd set for Christmas) and for our trip.  When we get to London, we'll raise a fork in their memory.

-=-=-=-=-=-
Raspberry and Strawberry Shortcake

12 ounces fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries
7 ounces self raising flour
1 ounce ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons/2 ounces butter
3 ounces caster (superfine) sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 pint (1/2 cup) milk
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1-ounce icing (confectioners') sugar
1/4 pint (1/2 cup) double cream
DIRECTIONS

Thaw the frozen raspberries, if using.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift the flour, almonds, salt and cinnamon into a bowl and rub in the butter, mix in the sugar. Add the beaten egg and milk to make a scone-like dough. Divide the dough in 2 and gently shape each half to fit into greased 8-inch sandwich tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. When cold spread one of the layers with raspberry jam, then generously with the double cream and raspberries. Sprinkle raspberries with icing sugar, cover with the second layer and top with more cream. Decorate with a few raspberries. Best eaten when fresh.

© Recipe courtesy Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright

The Hockey Conundrum

We've been to a few hockey games in the last few weeks.

Mama and I have also had to referee a few disagreements at home.

So when the crowd at the hockey games began cheering on hockey players hammering on each other, "Fight!  Fight!  Fight!", and then they showed fight highlights on the big screen, I leaned over to the kids, "If you try that at home, we won't be cheering."

They were very confused that hockey players were not only allowed but encouraged to slug each other.  "Why do they need to hit, Mom?"

There's no simple answer for that, is there?    Men out of control?  Gladiator/hockey enforcer sports culture?  The love of violence in America?  Brain damage?

None of those would fly at our house.

"Potatoes!"

We got the giggles something fierce last night playing the Game of Life.

You know, the one with the rainbow spinner and the little cars with pegs.  My paternal grandmother had the game at her house, but we didn't actually play the game so much as play with the pieces.  So I hadn't realized there were lots of fun mini-challenges among the action cards.  Those are my favorite part--describe a cake you would make, play a rhythm on pretend bongos, show off your skateboarding moves.  It's sorta like my favorite if-questions games.

And last night, we got "tell your best joke."  I blanked.  So Mama told one for me.

Three space aliens are hiding from humans on a freight train, very nervous they'll get caught.  And then they heard a conductor.  What should they do?  So they hid in some nearby crates just as the conductor entered.  The conductor walked up to the first crate and kicked it.

"Woof!" barked the first space alien, panicking.  That was odd, the conductor thought, but kept going.

He kicked the second crate.

"Mooo!" bellowed the second alien, hoping not to be caught.  That was strange, the conductor thought, but walked to the last crate.

The third space alien was very scared and wasn't sure what to do.  The conductor kicked the third crate.

And the third space alien whispered, "Potatoes."


Sis and Bud cracked up; we call did.  And "potatoes" became our by-word.  Later, when the challenge was to make someone laugh, all we had to do was say the word!