EVERYTHING NEW

New Baby, new day, new computer, new blog.

The Apple arrived while we were down in Ft. Lauderdale waiting for Smith's arrival. We stayed down there for 3 days and I didn't have the energy to write. I promise to include pictures of the new little guy just as soon as I can figure this new system out. So far it is AWESOME!

But not as awesome as our new grandson. He arrived on Tuesday rather than tomorrow because the doctor said he could. Good thing too because he is a nice big 8 pounds 2 ounces. He is doing fantastic as is his mom and dad and he even got to come home from the hospital with mom and dad on Thursday! Can you believe he is 2 days old and his mom has had a C Section and they both got to leave the hospital ! Kristen was feeling good and Smith was doing well, in spite of a scare of the pediatrician hearing a heart murmur. They had a cardiologist in to check Smith out and he is fine !!!!!

I promise to write more one of these days but things are pretty busy around here and daughter Keri and her family are arriving on Sunday so you may not hear from me for a while. Even though I have this wonderful new computer to write on.

The GREEN ONE

My daughter in law, Kristen, has a blog on which she will occasionally do "Roses and Thorns". Here she lists things that she likes and dislikes or things that are going on in her life, good and bad. I have decided to do something similar and name it "Stupid and Stupider". This will be a list of things that husband says and does that I just stand and wonder at. I have been told by many persons that IT IS NOT ME ! who is crazy. I know that when you are the crazy person in the room you are the one who absolutely, positively believes you are SANE. Well, after 41 years of thinking I was the crazy one I have it on good authority that I am not nuts!
But then let me share with you some of the stupid and stupider things that I encounter in a day and you be the judge.
Today's exchange went something like this . . .
Ger and I are in the kitchen. I am making breakfast and he is watching.

GER . . . "Your plant is dying".
(We live in South Florida. My house is filled with potted plants and the yard and patio are covered with potted plants. All of which are presumably "mine" since I bought them, potted them and care for them.)

CATH . . . "Which plant?"

GER . . . "The one outside"
(This now narrows the choices down to about 40)

CATH . . . (who by now knows I should just stop here but can't help myself)
"Which one outside?"

GER . . . (ARE YOU READY FOR THIS . . .) (he answers in dead seriousness)
"THE GREEN ONE"

(As opposed to what . . . the pink with purple polka dot one?) THEY ARE ALL GREEN !! (Except for the BROWN one that is dying!)

I kid you not . . . this was an actual exchange that went on here today. After the response of "The Green One" I stopped playing . . . I just gave husband an "OH" and left it at that. I usually don't bust out laughing but rather walk away to a quiet room, shut the door, put a towel in my mouth and SCREAM! I really do need to just start laughing but that would hurt his feelings because he is dead serious when he says these things and finds nothing odd in them. In fact he thinks it makes perfect sense and he is perfectly sane. And yet I am the one in therapy and taking drugs. I wonder why?

AEROBICS

I always thought I had rhythm. As a kid my parents always had the radio on and when a favorite song would play they would grab hold of each other and dance their way around our ever so small living room. I remember watching them in awe, the way they could move together so smoothly, fast, slow, never stepping on each others feet, never loosing that graceful rhythm. After a while they would swing me into their dance, in their arms or standing on my dads toes and I would twirl around with them lost in the beat of the music.
So, naturally, when aerobics made its appearance in the late 60's early 70's all of us young wives and mothers saw this as a great way to loose that extra 20 pounds. The local high school offered evening aerobics classes so a group of us signed up. The gym was huge so there was plenty of room for all to spread out, dressed in our finest aerobic outfits . . . baggy sweat pants and an extra baggy tee shirt. (This was just the beginning of the fitness craze and we did not yet have a wardrobe of "work out" clothes.) This was just a bunch of young moms, out for a free night away from the kids and looking to "bust some moves". Visions of the not so long ago dating scene at some disco we were ready to move and groove. Fortunately for all I chose a spot at the back of the gym. NO one going to watch this fat ass moving and grooving, thank you very much. And then the instructor turned on the music and off we went.
And a one and a two and a three . . . step step right, step step left, turn, slide step step back, step step forward, turn slide . . . OH GOD . . . what am I doing here? Everyone was going right and I was going left, everyone was going forward and I was going back. Yes, I had rhythm but I lacked coordination! It wasn't pretty. After the first session I never went back. I just didn't fit into the whole aerobic culture.
Until today! My next door neighbor invited me to join her at water aerobics at our community pool. Thankfully without music and in water up to my neck water aerobics is much easier. If you fall over you just get wet and you don't take down the three people around you. It was a great hour of exercise run by a young thing with a killer body but all around me were other women of a certain age who have had hip and knee replacements and were just out for an hour of exercise. I LOVED IT! No sweating to the oldies, you're in a pool so even if you are sweating you don't know it. No music to distract me from remembering which way is left and which was is right. When I lost control and my body got moving in directions I hand no control over I just floated till I came to rest. (Think a boat that looses it's engines or rudder. Not very poetic but you get the picture.) It was GREAT! I actually had a few laughs with the other ladies and at the end of the class I felt so good I dove under water to celebrate, much to the horror of the other women who couldn't get their hair or makeup wet. Can you believe wearing make up and your gold jewelry to go exercise? I guess I just don't really fit in here either.

Minor League Baseball

For Ger and I one of the great perks of living in South Florida is the abundance of baseball. I am not a great baseball fan who has to faithfully attend all of my favorite teams games. In fact, I don't have a favorite team! At least not in the "Big League". Being a displaced New yorker I do HATE the Yankees and I like the Mets. I have been known to attend a few Mets' games and cheer the team on but I am not even close to being the Met fan that our son Kent is. His dog is named Mookie after player Mookie Wilson and there was some concern that his soon to be born son would be named Shea after the old stadium in Flushing, Queens where the Mets have played for years.
Rather, Ger and I are Minor League baseball fans and our team is THE JUPITER HAMMERHEADS !! When we moved to South Florida we found ourselves living down the street from a wonderful, new, little stadium called Roger Dean Stadium. It is the site of Spring training for the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. March baseball madness hits our area when all the Cardinal fans come out to see their team practice for the season opener. All the Snow Birds flock to the stadium wearing their red shirts and hats to cheer their team on. On days that the Marlins are playing there are fewer fans but the stadium gets about $30 a ticket so they manage to stay in business.
Come April the BIG TEAMS leave and in come the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals. Once again the Cardinals have the greater following but the Hammerheads are still our favorites. Every day for the months of April through September there is a game to be seen. some days the Cardinals play the Hammerheads. Other days they are playing the various other Florida minor league teams but who ever is playing you know it is going to be fun. These young men are playing a game they love with all the energy and enthusiasm they have. Each minor league team has a mascot . . . Robbie the Red Bird for the Cardinals and Hamilton the Shark for the Hammerheads. These characters wander the stadium during the entire game sitting with the fans, taking pictures with fans and entertaining the crowds between innings. There are also sack races, water balloon baseball and other crazy stunts for the kids in the crowd to participate in out on the field between innings. All this adds up to a great evening or afternoon out. Most games are at 7PM when the sun is cooling down and there is some shade to be found to maximize the breeze that is blowing in off the ocean. Could life possible get better than this? YES !!! A year ago the promotions group for the stadium hit upon a sure thing. The SILVER SLUGGERS were introduced to the fans. The stadium already has The Knothole Gang for kids, Dog Days of Summer for the pet owners, (Once a month dog owners bring their dogs to the game), and a few other gimmicks to get the fans to attend the games. But the Silver Slugger was a stroke of genius. Sponsored by Humana Health Care persons over the age of 55 can join The Silver Sluggers for $20 for the entire season. This entitles you to one ticket for EVERY Wednesday night game, (that would be 20 games) for the season, a FREE hot dog and a FREE soda. That is 20 baseball tickets, 20 hot dogs and 20 sodas for the unheard of price of $20. AND they play baseball bingo every Wednesday so you have a chance to win movie tickets and restaurant coupons! It's a deal you can't refuse. It was such a hit this past year that the stadium decided to do it again this year. Naturally the price went up to $25 for the season but come on, it is still the best deal in town.
And so we are now FANS ! OH, did I forget to mention that last year we got free seat cushions and this year we got a free hat? Be still my heart. There is nothing that a Florida Senior Citizen loves more than two for one coupons than something for FREE! PLAY BALL !

Movies & .Blood

These are not related so don't look for the Freudian connection in my psyche. These topics are just 2 of the things that have been in my life these past few days. (I apologize for not blogging as often as I did in England but until the new computer arrives I am doing as little as I can on this little note book.)
Starting with Blood . . . ARE YOU A BLOOD DONOR? I wasn't for years and years and then some how or other got "sucked" back in. Our church has a blood mobile parked in the parking lot every couple of months and I was feeling guilty over being so blessed and not doing anything to help others, so I signed up to donate a pint. A lovely lady named Evelyn entered my life as a result. She works for the Florida Blood Bank and calls me every so often to get me to donate. Then one day while I was giving my pint of blood I saw something about donating PLATELETS. It takes about an hour and you can donate every month. The platelets are used for so much more than just blood so they are in greater demand. I usually end up donating every 3-4 months just because of our busy schedules but at least I feel that I am making a contribution of some sort to those less fortunate than me. Donating platelets involves something similar to a blood transfusion. They take my blood from one arm, filter it through a machine to take out the platelets and then return it to me. There is no light headed feeling involved but it does make you cold so it is the perfect thing to do on a HOT day in South Florida. Considering the heat wave that is sweeping the country you just might want to consider donating some yourself.

Having spent the morning giving platelets Ger and I took the afternoon to relax in style and go see a movie with our free tickets. (A story for another day.) When I went to Curves on Tuesday I overheard some women discussing the movie INCEPTION. It sounded like something I would like so that was our choice. My brain is still spinning from this movie. As I said to Ger, "It hurts my brain to try to think about this movie." Not to mention the ending that I thought was perfect. But you have to see it for yourself to understand what I am taking about, Just know it is VERY confusing at first but pay attention and you'll get it. It is very different from the usual sappy love story or bloody shoot-em-up. It's got something for everyone. Ger really enjoyed it which I didn't really expect so that is a good endorsement. It is not a movie to go to if you want to relax. You have to think and pay attention but it is worth the effort. I give it a 4 star . . . must see !

Back in the States

NO jet lag !! How is that for a big surprise !! NO jet lag going to England and none coming home. What ever is going on? We arrived at Heathrow on Saturday morning for our flight to Philly on British Airways. I will NEVER fly any other air line across the pond. British Air was FANTASTIC ! The seats are comfortable, large, spacious from your neighbor and lots of leg room. The food was fabulous and I got to watch 3 movies for free so the flight went so fast I couldn't believe it. I have never been that comfortable on a plane before. Delta take note . . . you SUCK ! Take some lessons from the Brits and get your act together. We arrived in Philly early, breezed through customs, collected our bags, turned around and rechecked our bags FOR FREE, walked to the gate that our US Air connecting flight was leaving from and relaxed. NO hassles, no rush, no panic. US Air flight actually left early and we were in Fl 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Not even my favorite air line, Southwest, is that good.
If you remember, our Delta flight to England was delayed 3 hours, was crowded, uncomfortable and just plain nasty.They charged us for our extra baggage TWICE! Once from West Palm to Atlanta and again for Atlanta to London! Going home was wonderful, Thanks to British Airways. Unfortunately for Kyle and Abby, they were flying Delta from London to Atlanta, leaving an hour after us on Saturday. We talked to Kyle last night and his flight was a typical Delta fiasco. Plane left late, was packed to the brim and Abby and Kyle were in the VERY LAST ROW with another person. The plane took off and then informed everyone that there would be NO FOOD SERVICE on the NINE (9) hour flight because there had been a fire in their food distribution center. But (GET THIS . . . ) food would be available FOR PURCHASE ! What kind of bull poop is that ??????
OH, but when Kyle got off the plane he was given a $200 voucher for future travel to compensate him for the inconvenience. (He also received one for Abby and then a man at the baggage pick up gave him his because he said he would never use it.) Was not having any food for 9 hours worth $600 ? NOT TO ME ! I HATE DELTA !!! Always have and always will!

But now we are home and it is GRAND ! We have fallen right back into our old life and it is GOOD ! The pool is about 92 degrees and fabulous! The sun is bright and the air is hot but it is NOT humid so it is delightful to be out side. From what we hear from all of you in other parts of the US we are cooler than most.
We will see Kent and Kristen tomorrow to see for ourselves how our grandson is doing inside poor Kristen's belly. The poor girl is so bloated I think if she was pricked with a pin she would become a human sprinkler. She looks so uncomfortable, my heart goes out to her. But in a week and a half little Baby Boy Lawlor will enter the world and hopefully Kristen will begin to return to normal. The day after Baby "S" is born Keri, Steve and Kaelin will fly to Florida to spend 2 weeks with us so Kaelin will get to meet her new baby cousin just after he is born. Kaelin is also going to get to see Abby and Roman for a day up in MD before she comes to Florida. Bridget is flying with Abby and Roman to Richmond to see her parents for a few days and they plan on a get together with Keri and Kaelin. I can't believe the kids are spread all over the world and yet they manage to get to see each other.
Bottom line . . . It's good to be home!

The Last Day

I have gotten more cards from people over here because we are leaving than I get at home on my birthday. I guess they are really glad to see us go! Ger and I got another card today from Abby' s friend Savanna and her family. They wished us well and a safe journey and asked us to keep in touch. I guess we have become ambassadors for American Grand parents and need to stay on the road for the rest of our days.
Today we spent the day cleaning and doing laundry. We took a break and drove out to the Windsor Royal Farm Stand where we found they were having a BEER FEST for the weekend . . . and we're leaving town! OH NO ! Talk about poor planning! Kyle was quite disappointed when he heard about it and I think he has noted this weekend on the calendar for next year. Because we had to pick up Abby in a short time we did not partake of the 40 different types of ale from local brewers but instead had a nice lunch in the coffee shop. It is a great farm shop with amazing produce and meats that all come from "The Queen's Farm". Although I can't quite picture Her Majesty milking a cow.
This afternoon we all spent quiet time playing and hanging out getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. Next time you hear from me it will be from Florida. Don't expect a blog tomorrow though because we will be getting home to Florida at 2 AM England time and I plan on sleeping most of Sunday.
It's been fun! Thanks for traveling with us and safe journey where ever you are going for the weekend.

Counting Down

One more day! I'm ready to go home and today I just threw up my hands and said, "ENOUGH!". I just could not wake up this morning. I could have stayed in bed for the entire day but that was not an option. I thankfully had a last chiropractor appointment this morning and when I tried to get out of bed I knew I needed it. Every inch of my body was in pain and I just didn't want to move. Ger was very good and took Abby to school for me so I didn't have to walk there and back. When I got to the chiropractor she performed her magic and I felt much better. Not only did she make me better physically but she and her office gave me a lovely thank you card for choosing them for my chiropractic care. But even with all that nice TLC I still couldn't get my act together to do anything for the day so we headed back home for a quiet breakfast and a nap. We did get some more packing done today and are close to being ready to leave.
As a finally farewell to Windsor Ger, Abby and I drove into town tonight to meet Kyle when he got off work at 5. We then all walked up to the castle to attend evening service in the
St. George's Chapel. It is a short service with BEAUTIFUL music sung by a small male choir who sat in right in front of us. We couldn't take pictures but I am sure they wouldn't do justice to the beauty of the chapel. It was magnificent! Right in the center of the area where we were sitting there is a huge plaque on the floor stating that the remains of Henry VIII are buried there. Who Knew? Now I have to research to find out how Henry made it to being buried in Windsor.

After church we all walked down to a little Italian restaurant that Ger and I had just discovered a week ago. We had a nice dinner and then came home to get Abby to bed. Kyle spoke to Bridget who is in Atlanta with Roman. They arrived safe and sound last night and made it through customs in one piece. They have already applied for Roman's US passport so they are on their way to getting him set. Abby is all excited that she will see her BROTHER on Saturday and we are all excited that we will be home in our own bed in 2 nights.

Birthdays, Boats and Ice Hockey?

TODAY IS GER'S 71st BIRTHDAY ! Happy Birthday Husband. His birthday gift from me was that I let him live another day. Being here in England we had decided to forgo gifts and cards and that is exactly what I did. Abby made Ger a card yesterday that she couldn't wait to give him so he got that at dinner last night. This morning Kyle and Abby gave Ger 2 tickets for the Windsor boat tour of the Thames. So after we got Abby off to school we headed into Windsor to sail up river for 40 minutes. It was a cool, cloudy day that threatened rain but the ride was enjoyable and we, and the 3 other people on the boat, gathered all sorts of trivia about the area and the river. Did you know there are 44 locks on the river Thames between its beginning and its end? Did you know that Eton College is the second greatest land owner in England? Did you know the river is actually quite clean up here? It just appears dirty because the river bed is clay. I could continue but I don't want to bore you any more than usual. After our sail we walked over the bridge into Eaton and had a nice lunch at "The George", one of many pubs that line the street. We then stopped to pick up a few cupcakes for the birthday boy's celebration and headed home for a short nap before getting Abby from school. The timing was perfect because just as we entered the house with Abby the sky opened and it poured. In the six weeks we have been here this is the first real rain that we have seen. In order to entertain ourselves during the rain storm Abby and I got playing ice hockey in the kitchen. We had started our game this morning before school. There is a long center island in the HUGE kitchen and Abby and I had gotten to hitting a bottle cap back and forth with our fingers. That progressed to using pencils to hit the cap, which then progressed to a game with rules and scoring. Because it was morning we didn't have that much time to play so as soon as Abby returned home this afternoon the game was on. The pencils were replaced with Hockey Knives (the dinner wear knife is the perfect shape for a hockey stick) and the bottle cap was replaced with an ice cube. INSTANT ICE HOCKEY !! The game was on . . . complete with a dish towel Zamboni to clean the surface when it got too wet. WE HAD A GREAT TIME ! The kitchen floor and counter are the cleanest they have been in 6 weeks and grandpa got to celebrate his birthday with a second nap on the couch.

I am going to miss this when I return to my quiet life in Florida.

England And The World Cup

This would be a very short blog if I were writing about England's bid for the World Cup but as it turns out the whole debacle has worked in my favor. I, and every other bargain hunter in this country, have been getting fantastic buys on "football", (soccer to us Yanks) paraphernalia. (Beware my grandchildren for you will all be showered with English football jerseys and such.) I mean, when I go in a shop and a soccer jersey is selling for 1 pound how can I not buy it? If Aunt Ann Marie were here she would be going crazy buying for all her grand kids.

It seems that since the English made such a poor showing at the World Cup they are anxious to rid themselves of all reminders of the embarrassing show. Selling EVERYTHING football for almost nothing just to get rid of the abundant supply. I guess they thought they actually had a shot at winning this competition and so were prepared for the entire country to be wearing the red and white proudly. I will say there were many many people cheering their team on with football jerseys and flags and banners but apparently not as many as the merchants anticipated. And so we have the sales of the century. With each passing week the prices are dropping lower and lower and lower. But how many jerseys, shorts, under pants, socks, hats, scarves, etc. can one person use?

Today Ger and I went into Windsor once again on a shopping spree for the family before our Saturday return to the states. Kaelin, you will be able to play on mom's soccer team because you will now have a soccer jersey. (or 2) Abby is shown in the above photo wearing her jersey, which she put on immediately and has not taken off yet. We couldn't find one in Roman's size so he may be the only lucky one in the family. Even our yet to be born grandson in Florida will be sporting the English colors. Not only will the grand kids get jerseys but they will also get a small English soccer ball to play with. Abby almost had a "Viking" soccer hat but the checkout couldn't confirm the 75pense price that was on the sign. (Abby is a "Roman" this year in school and next year will move up to "Vikings" so grandpa thought she needed a white and red Viking hat.) Thankfully there was a very impatient man in line in back of us so I chose to not wait for a price check.

We are wondering if there is as much of a surplus of American Soccer souvenirs in the states. My guess is you probably couldn't find an American World Cup Soccer jersey if you tried. And if you did manage to find one it probably cost and arm and a leg.

And now on a totally random note . . . There are many Muslim and Indian women shopping in Windsor. They are all dressed in their native costumes. My thought is ""Who are they shopping for? If they are wearing their native garb why are they shopping in the women's department in all the stores?"

Question 2 of the week . . . We passed a truck the other day that advertised pet food. Under the sign was the statement, "Not tested on animals!" Who then is the pet food tested on? People? Is there a guy some where forced to eat dog and cat food in order to find out if it is safe for animals?

Question 3 . . . If the pilgrims came from England how come we Americans drive on the right side of the road when our forefathers drive on the left? I know we didn't have cars way back then but when did the switch happen and why?

Nothing New

It was a quiet Monday in Windsor. The morning was quite cool and misty. A "Soft" morning as our Irish pastor back in NY used to call rainy days. We walked Abby to school after checking on the Internet to see which animal has the longest tail. (Care to guess?) I had made a scarf for Bridget and this morning we woke to find Abby wearing it as a tail, which then prompted Abby to ask the "animal tail" question. Isn't the Internet amazing!

After Abby went to school Ger and I walked down to the Bodega to get Ger his paper and then returned home for a nice quiet breakfast. We have to start emptying the fridge as we are all leaving on Saturday. After breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen Ger vacuumed while I did a couple of loads of wash and started to pack. It is strange to think we are leaving this place. It feels so natural to be here and yet I know I want my own bed back so I guess that means we have to leave and return to the states.

The day did include some reading, (still reading "The Pillars of the Earth". I remember the characters from the last time I read the book but I don't remember all the wonderful plots that intertwine throughout the book. It is a GREAT read!) And what would a quiet day be without a nap or two? We did manage to sneak in a few ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's. When it was time to pick up Abby the day was much warmer and sunnier. When we came home we got talking with one of the neighbors and invited her and her 15 month old little girl in to see "The Manor House". People are fascinated with this house and all want to get a look inside. I could sell tickets at a pound a piece and make a small fortune. As usual she was quite taken with the size of the place. She said her husband had gone to school here when it was part of a boys school. We haven't been able to figure out just how it was set up as part of a school but the entire manor house certainly is big enough.

After the neighbor left Abby, Grandpa and I put some of the many apples in the fridge to good use. We went on line and found a recipe for apple cake. Together we baked the cake and prepared the potatoes and the burgers for dinner. Kyle arrived home to a busy kitchen and a hot apple cake right out of the oven. Abby suggested we skip the burgers and go right for the cake but we out voted her. Dinner and dessert were delicious and now Abby is sound asleep, Kyle is working and Ger and I are getting ready to call it a night.

Tomorrow may bring an adventure. We have a couple of things we would like to do before we leave so depending on the weather we may check out some gardens or take a boat tour of the Thames. You'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out.

Things The English Got Right

So we have been here 6 weeks and I have done my share of complaining about the British. I must say that the longer we are here the less the culture shock and the more we are adapting to some of the differences. Over this time we have also come to appreciate some things and would like to suggest the US of A adopt some of them.

FIRST and foremost . . . I Love English/British/European public toilets ! (Not enough to want to spend too much time in them but they have got it RIGHT!) Consider the toilet stalls in US public bathrooms. All over the country it is the same. They give the illusion of privacy when it fact you are doing "your thing" for all the world to see thanks to the HUGE GAPS in the walls and doors of the stalls. I have been in some public toilets in the US where the gap between the wall and the door is large enough for a small child to squeeze through. We are supposed to be so technologically advanced that we can split an atom and yet we can't build a bathroom stall where the door and the wall actually meet? In England (and other European countries) you go into a ROOM. The door closes and you are in a private room with no spectator viewing ports. (Not that I want to watch some one peeing but there are people who stand outside your stall to wait and actually stare at the door/gap.) I like my privacy and these toilets are great for providing just that.

SECOND . . . even though I have been complaining about the grocery stores I have to give credit where credit is due. The check-out isles are double sided and there are ALWAYS many many checkouts open. All stores provide plastic bags but almost all customers bring their own bags. Part of the check out procedure is to ask how many bags you brought and you get some sort of credit for each one.

THIRD . . . I hate to admit to this one but I must confess I LOVE the round-a bouts ! OMG did I just say that ? It is true. After driving here for 6 weeks I finally GET IT! The traffic keeps flowing and when you don't know where you are going you just keep going around and around until you figure out which exit you want! So simple and no idiots coming to screeching halts and backing up because they have missed their turn. It's a great way to see the country but you do tend to get a bit dizzy by the 6th time around.

FOURTH . . . THE PARKS ! OH MY, the parks are wonderful and they are everywhere. Within walking distance to Abby's house are 3 parks with the most amazing play equipment. I guess the English are not "law suit happy" like the Americans because I cannot imagine some of the play equipment making it in the US. One park has a ZIP LINE, another has a simulation of a skate board on a rail, all sorts of climbing things, and best of all a swing that looks like a birds nest.

I guess they don't have to worry about insurance coverage because the play grounds are FUN!

Remember being a kid and having FUN on a playground? Well, the English playgrounds are plentiful and FUN! I wish I was a kid again. But even besides play grounds there are PARKS. Just lots of green, grassy open areas where people bring their lawn chairs and picnic. There are toilets and often a snack bar but little else, depending on where you are. Today after church we stopped at a restaurant across from the River Thames and then went a bit further down to river to a community park in Runnymede. (I love that name, Runnymede) The park was a huge open area, a wading pool, 2 snack bars, a play ground and a small amusement area with a bouncy house and a carousel. The rides cost a pound but entrance into the park and parking was free. There were hundreds of people there with their children and their dogs and everyone was having a good time. The river had ducks, swans and geese to feed and house boats to wave at.

It was a wonderful day and we had a grand time, especially when we ended the day with a delicious soft serve ice cream cone with a "chocolate" in it.

Which brings me to the last thing that the English got right . . . Clotted cream and tea cakes. Unfortunately I have been enjoying the English pastry and dairy products a bit too much. They may not be able to make a decent pizza or anything that resembles a bagel but they sure did get the pastry and the dairy products right.

Play Date, Pizza and Pancakes

Good Morning ! It is actually afternoon here in Windsor but it is only 9 AM for all of you back home. Last night got away from us. After we got Abby to bed I crashed for the night and did not move until there was a little girl trying to wake me at 7:45 this morning. Right now Abby is watching a video so grandma has a few minutes of quiet. We tried to get Abby to take a rest on her top bunk but that wasn't happening. So we will settle for some movie quiet time.
Yesterday turned into a busy day. Abby went to school and grandma and grandpa went to the town of Slough to do some more shopping at the "big" Tesco. I wanted to find something special for Abby. These past several weeks have been very hard on her with mom and dad being away so much and all the changes happening in the family. Abby has been BETTER THAN FANTASTIC ! She has accepted all the changes and frayed nerves and emotions of all the adults surrounding her with her usual easy manner. She has continued to laugh at grandpa's singing and silly jokes and put up with grandma's groggy mornings and less than tasty cooking. So she deserved a little something special to let her know how much we appreciated all her help to us. The drive to Slough is short and simple, the parking lot at Tesco is a NIGHTMARE ! But we got in, got gas and purchases and got out. After school we stopped at the bake sale at school and picked up a few little items. (I do mean little. The cupcakes were the size of golf balls.) Then we came home for some milk and a snack (guess what we had for a snack) and then rested for a while. AT 5:30 it was time to clean up and walk over to Savannah's house. Savannah and family are the fellow Americans in the neighborhood and they had invited us all to come over to see their place, have some pizza and wine and let the girls play. Mom, Heather was concerned that the pizza was cold but it was the best pizza I have ever had in my life. I think it had something to do with the 2 glasses of wine and the enjoyment of talking with other adults, rather than a 5 year old and Abby. ER . . . I mean a 5 year old and Ger . . . It was such a nice evening talking with Savannah's mom and dad. The girls managed not to kill each other and kept themselves pretty much entertained. By 8:30 everyone was wilting thanks to the wine and the very hot day (with NO air conditioning) so we said our good-byes and walked home. I didn't know if Abby was going to make it home or not, she was EXHAUSTED !

Once we got home it was straight to bed with barely a tooth brushing. Even though it was HOT and she was sweaty there was no way she was going to stay awake for a bath or shower. Abby conked out by 9:15 and grandma was right in back of her.

Today dawned with a nice breeze but it has warmed up as the day has gone on. We went out for breakfast of pancakes at MacDonalds and then a stop at the park on the way home. Since then we're just hanging out till we head to the airport at 5:30 to pick up dad. FINALLY . . . dad is coming home to stay, leaving mom and Roman in Keiv. They hope to leave there on Wednesday to head to Atlanta where we will all meet them a week from today.

It doesn't seem possible that our stay in England is just about at an end. It seemed like we would be here forever and it is gone already. I guess what they say is true, "TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN" and pizza and wine.

WELCOME ROMAN

IT IS OFFICIAL . . . ROMAN LAWLOR IS NOW PART OF THE FAMILY ! B&K called this morning to say the judge gave them final custody of Roman and they were headed to his home town to pick up his birth certificate. They called again this evening so Roman could say hello to his sister Abby. Abby has not had too much to say about all of this. I guess it is all rather obscure to her but she does know that Roman is now a permanent part of the family and she will be seeing him back in Atlanta in about a week. Bridget and Roman will return to Kiev for Roman to have a physical exam and to get him a passport so he can leave the country. They hope to fly to Atlanta next Wednesday. Kyle is planning on returning to Windsor this Saturday and then he, Abby, Ger and I will all fly to Atlanta the following Saturday. Our holiday will be cut short by about a week and a half but since our soon to be born grandson in Fort Lauderdale seems to want to arrive well before his August 12th due date I think I would be delighted to be in Florida sooner rather than later. (Baby "S" is measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule so he may arrive by C section on the 31st.)
I will miss Windsor, as we have gotten into a comfortable routine and are enjoying our circle of "friends". Today Ger and I went into Windsor to do some souvenir shopping for family and friends back home. Kaelin made out the best because she will be visiting on the first of August and she just loves EVERYTHING ! Baby "S" got a few lovely hand made items and a few other things and even Abby got a couple of things. I told Ger that the way to get me to go walking with him is to take me shopping. We walked from one end of town to the other and had a great breakfast at a little Italian place on the walking street. It was a wonderful day and I think it will be hard to go back into our Florida routine. But then I doubt it will take me that long to return to sitting at the pool, reading, napping and having a "Drink of the Day" !

A Quiz for You

My Florida daughter-in-law is running a contest to guess the birth weight, day and name of her soon to be born son. It gave me the idea to quiz all you wives out there and see how well you do.
Only one question tonight . . .(besides the one asking "what the hell was I thinking when I married this man?") . . YOU ARE STAYING IN YOUR MOMS HOUSE AND YOU ARE EMPTYING THE DISH WASHER. THERE IS A PAN THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES. YOU:
A. Leave it in the dish washer
B. Take it out of the dish washer and leave it on the counter top.
C. Open cupboards until you find one that has similar items and put the pan in there.

WRONG !!!!!!!! If you are me you pick up the pan, take it into the living room where my husband is watching TV and smash him in the head with it !!!!!!!!!

I feel so much better now, thank you for listening! It has been a long evening and,YOU GUESSED IT!, husband has done little to nothing to help. When I returned to the kitchen from tucking Abby into bed it was half cleaned up. Food still was out, counter filled with odds and ends and the dish washer standing open. (Ger helped by "cleaning" up the kitchen after dinner) I am now supposed to thank him profusely for all his help. There are a few choice words I would like to use profusely and they aren't "thank you".

In spite of this minor set back to my happy mood and good day, all has been going quite well. Talked to K&B tonight and it is court day tomorrow with a possible end to all the proceedings. Fingers are crossed and prayers are being said. We may talk with them in the morning before Abby goes to school and know the final word on when everyone is leaving the Ukraine. K&B are pretty excited that the end may be in sight. Abby is excited with the hopes of seeing mom and/or dad in the next couple of days and grandma and grandpa are just excited that everyone else is excited. Abby is doing great and she and I are having a wonderful time together. I wonder if she will remember these weeks? I sure will! I am so blessed to have had this opportunity to spend this time with her. Living a distance from our grandchildren we don't get to see them on a daily or even weekly basis so this time has really been special.

Yesterday Abby had a friend from school come over. Charley is in Abby's class and is apparently known as "Charley Girl". (Don't know if there is a "Charley Boy" but our visiting Charley is a girl.) The two little girls had a great time but had grandpa convinced we would be arrested. All was going well when the girls were on the play ground but then Charley wanted to see Abby's house. We came back to the house and the 2 girls took off to explore. Charley was fascinated with the place and kept running from room to room to look in all the closets and corners. The discovery of Abby's "dress-up" bag of clothes brought squeals of excitement and the plan to "dress up" and have a play. The preschool teacher in me kicked in and we all came down to the living room with the floor to ceiling curtains that can be opened and closed with the pull of a rope. It made the perfect stage, the bay window area behind the curtain was the perfect dressing room and the show was ready to go. (I closed the blinds on the bay windows so the girls could dress in private.) They had a great time, thanks to Abby's other grandmas sewing skills. There was a multitude of "old" Halloween costumes that Grandma Mary had made for Bridget when she was a child. They were the perfect size for Abby and Charley who produced and presented "The Rabbit and the that both little girls were fully dressed when Charleys mom came to pick her up. His concern was "half naked little girls and a camera" would result in his arrest and detainment in the Tower of London. If I had thought about it earlier I would have notified the police that there was a strange man with a camera and had the next 2 weeks with Abby in peace and quiet and a clean kitchen!

ADOPTION

As a kid growing up there was always one kid in the neighborhood who was adopted. He was "different" in some strange way that we didn't understand but we all wished we were him. It was so cool to think that his parents had "chosen" him. None of us really had a clue what adoption was all about but it just seemed like the greatest thing.
I have now come to realize that I still did not have a clue as to what adoption was all about. We have a beautiful niece and nephew back in New York who adopted 2 little boys from Korea, at two separate times! That is HUGE now that I am seeing just what the whole adoption process involves. To have gone through this once is one thing but twice is an act of sainthood. God bless you A&T, you are truly special people and I know your two boys are the luckiest little guys in the world.

Most of you know we are here in England to help Kyle, Bridget and Abby get to the final stage of adopting 10 year old Roman from an orphanage in the Ukraine. I looked at our 2 month journey to England as an adventure and a rare opportunity to spend some quality time with 5 year old Abby. Little did I think of the roller coaster of emotions that is involved. When we first got here things were going along as "normal", Abby in school, Kyle going to work, Bridget keeping us all under control and organized. Ger and I got to go on holiday to Stonehenge and do some touring of Windsor. THEN the envelope arrived and K&B were set to go to the Ukraine to get the adoption wagon rolling. The flights were set to fly to Kiev, a court date was set to see the judge in Kiev and the travel dates to Donets'ka were set.(This is the largest town near the orphanage that K&B could fly into. It was then a 2 hour drive from there to the orphanage.) There would be translator/facilitators waiting at each town to walk K&B through customs, into their "hotels" and to the courts. It sounded easy. IT WASN'T ! The trip to Kiev went smoothly and the city was a pleasant surprise. Modern and clean city and accommodations. Translator was right there to meet them and get them settled and tell them there was a problem with the court date. It had been postponed 2 days which would delay their arrival in Donet'sk which would delay the court dates in the town near the orphanage, etc. etc. etc. My son Kyle is truly a product of his dad and I. The anxiety that plagues us has been passed on to all our children and as soon as things start falling OUT of place that anxiety kicks in. Not only is Kyle now dealing with all sorts of complications with the adoption but the BIG JOB that brought him to England is now demanding attention that he can't give because he is being run around the Ukraine.
In the end there were delays and excuses and changes of venue. Roman wasn't at the orphanage when K&B got there but at a summer camp 2 hours drive into the country. Suffice to say K&B are NOT IMPRESSED with the Ukrainian government, towns, roads, food, people, weather (hot hot hot) or pretty much any other aspect of the country. Most of the country is third world Russian ruins. Cement block building mostly in disrepair and roads that are more pot holes than road.
K&B have spent a small fortune. Kyle has flown back and forth between London and Donet'sk to get some work done and to see Abby, all of which has set the stage for endless ulcers and emotional break downs on all our parts. Abby has been FANTASTIC! Even though she misses her mom and dad she tells us how dad has to leave again so she can have her big brother come and live with them. How any one would choose to do this is amazing to me. I am so proud of my son and his wonderful wife for seeing this through, for taking Roman into their hearts when they first met him back in December, for not forgetting that Roman deserved chance in life and for providing that opportunity at such a cost.
A year from now I'm sure we'll all be looking back on these months as a blur of emotions but I know I won't forget the respect, pride and admiration I have for this family and for every other family who has chosen to adopt. God Bless You All.

PICKLED WALNUTS ?

NO, this is not a reference to husband getting drunk, that would be "Pickled Numnuts". I have discovered another new, (to me), and odd food item here in Jolly Old England. Ger happened to be reading the food section of Sunday's paper, (he must have been desperate) and he came across a recipe that called for, yes, PICKLED WALNUTS! Never in all my life have I heard of this strange food and so naturally I had to find out first hand what this was all about. I did look it up on the Internet AFTER I went to the store and bought a jar of the mysterious things. To save you the time of an Internet search of your own I'll fill you in on what I found. It seems that these peculiar treats are well know to the English and are often part of the Christmas feast. Walnuts are taken from the tree before their hard shells form, (some time at the end of June), and are punctured and soaked in brine for several weeks. They are then drained, dried for a couple more weeks and then they are PICKLED ! Along the way of this process they turn black. This just intrigues me more and more. Since we just happened to be going to the grocery store YET AGAIN (remember it is one of the few places I can get to and back from without getting lost.), I added Pickled Walnuts to my shopping list. Not having a clue as to where to find them or what I will do with them if I do find them, the search was on. Low and behold there they sat in the Pickled food section. Now incidentally, on my list I also was searching for Sauerkraut to go with the fresh pork roast for dinner. Having not yet determined the rhyme or reason to the British grocery store I thought perhaps pickled cabbage,(as in sauerkraut) might be found in the same section as pickled walnuts. No chance! Silly me, the sauerkraut was in the "POLISH" section. That discovery was made by my assistant, Ger, and 6 employees of the grocery store. As we have often found in this country the first response is,"We don't have that." but if you persist they usually hit upon someone who can find what we are looking for. Along the way of our shopping adventure today we also picked up a very sad replica of a coconut. It is about a quarter of the size of the coconuts we have in Florida but I thought it would be fun for Abby to try.
Once home from our adventure to Tesco I had to check out the strange new walnuts. Sure enough they are soft, black, walnut sized things floating in a black malt vinegar. I tasted one and the texture is sort of like that of an olive The taste is fabulous! If you like pickles and walnuts. They are used to accent the taste of beef roasts and cheeses and I can see how they would make both taste wonderful. As with the clotted cream I think it is a good thing that these are not common in the USA because they are just more things my chubby body does not need to add to the menu. As for the walnuts I am now planning a beef stew with pickled walnuts for the end of the week.
OH, FYI . . . Abby had a great time smashing the coconut but does not like the taste or texture. I wonder if I could pickle coconut?

New Bunk Bed

Tonight Abby is sleeping in her new bunk bed. Daddy and grandpa spent the afternoon working on putting it together and getting it all set up for the girl. The bed had arrived LATE Thursday and sat in its packing boxes till Friday night when Kyle started putting it together. Kyle is a "Lawlor" which means that he does not read directions until all else fails and the project is an a thousand pieces all over the floor. At that point the Lawlor will call for their wives who step in, read the directions and get the project put together in no time. Staying true to form Kyle set out to put together the frames for the top and bottom bunk. When we all went to bed Friday night there were 2 bed frames ready to go together and add a railing and a ladder. Yesterday was a busy day so the bed remained in it's half finished state. This morning we went to church, had a lovely lunch out and returned home to complete the bunk bed. I decided that the best way to help would be to occupy Abby with something so she would stay out of the way of dad and grandpa. Abby and I were busy out in the hall way unloading slats from a box and stacking them when we heard a discussion coming from her room. Seems that the beds had been put together with the wrong sides on each bed. An hour later and TWO (2) changes of sides the "boys" once again had both frames put together, this time in the proper way. (Mind you, they have yet to read the directions) Suffice to say that the "quick" job of assembly took 2 days, several left over parts and some carpenters glue to finish the job.
The bed looks great ! Abby loves it ! Grandma vacuumed up the 12 tons of Styrofoam. And hopefully Abby is sound asleep in her new bed with Jilly the "ZuZu" pet asleep in the top bunk. Sure hope Jilly doesn't snore.

CAMP JELLO

This evening was just too good not to share and since Bridget remains in the Ukraine away from Abby and Kyle I thought she could use an extra chuckle over the antics of her girl and Kyle.
Kyle and Abby spent the day out and about. They set off this morning on their bikes heading for Windsor and didn't return till about 4:30. Ger and I had a FABULOUS DAY. We napped and read and relaxed for the entire day. (I did do a little laundry and ironing just to validate my existence.) Once K & Abby returned we started to think about dinner. At some point of their adventures today K&A went to a farmers market and one of the venders gave Abby a carrot to eat. In return Kyle purchaced some beans from the man and Abby decided we would eat the beans raw. I have never seen beans that huge. They looked like lima beans but were the largest lima beans I have ever seen. They tasted awful raw and were so well handled at that point that we decided to exclude them from our menu. Not wanting to be left out of the picnic planning Abby decided to contribute 6 containers of jello that she got from the bottom cabinet in the kitchen. She put the jello into a pastic bag and brought them out to the picnic. We had a disposable grill which did a fabulous job roasting the salmon, a bottle of wine and some home made biscuits. Our picnic was completed by smores. Abby and I have spent a day or two playing "Girl Scout" so naturally the topic of smores has been discussed. Abby has never toasted a marshmallow over a fire so this was a big event. Sadly we are in England where we could NOT find LARGE marshmallows or graham crackers or Hershey's chocloate bars. EVERY Girl Scout knows you need these 3 EXACT ingredients to make the perfect smore. But we made due with mini marshmallows, bakeers milk chocolate and some sort of tea biscuit. It was a pitiful substitute but then we were camping on the lawn of a Manor House rather than in the middle of a forest. The toasting of mini marshmallows was an adventure in itself. There were no small sticks to be found and the closest we could find for a substitute stick was half of a chopstick. Picture this . . . chopstick - mini marshmallow. It was amusing but served the purpose and the camping adventure was almost complete. The only thing left for a true camper is the "sleep over". Off went Kyle and Abby to find a nice spot in the sun and there the 2 of them settled to digest the picnic dinner. As I was gathering the remains of our picnic I looked over and there sat Abby with her 6 containers of jello neatly set out around her. NOne of them were ever opened but they gave a name to our English camp site . . . CAMP JELLO.

Saturday

Abby and Kyle have just left on their bikes to go to the castle for the day. It is 11:30 AM here and a beautiful day. Kyle arrived home Thursday night and went into work yesterday. He seems tired and distracted but being home with Abby is good medicine for him. Last night we all started putting Abby's new bunk bed together but had to stop at 8 to get Abby to bed. She got to sleep in mom and dad's room because her room looks like a tornado swept through it. (Abby discovered she can break up the Styrofoam packing pieces and make them fly around like a snow storm.) Let me just say that my children are better parents than I ever was. I would have been crazy with my kid making such a mess. But as a grandma I think it is WONDERFUL!
Today Abby got to choose what she would like to do and her choice was to go tour the castle again. SHE LOVES WINDSOR CASTLE ! Ger and I suggested to her that just she and dad go and Abby jumped at that. It is a win win day for everyone!
Last night we had a surprise Skype call from K&K in Ft. Lauderdale. Our not so little, yet to be born grandson is doing great, as are mom and dad, in spite of the worse than usual Florida summer heat. We are hoping baby will stay where he is until we return to the states on July 27 but for Kristen's sake baby "S" can arrive when he is ready.
We have become "natives" here in England, in that we have a daily routine. It is feeling like "home" and I am happy to have the day "off" today. I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this very special time in England with Abby. I wonder how much she will remember as she grows older. Hopefully all the pictures Grandpa and I are taking will help remind her of her time here with us.
For those of you who have inquired about Abby's school . . . the first 2 pictures show you the front of the building. (All the buildings over here look ancient) It is a one story building with nooks and crannies and passageways leading off in every direction. I would be lost in it in a matter of seconds. I can't figure out the floor plan and tend to think it was originally a small building that has been added on to again and again over the years. Abby's class is at the far right with the small blacktopped area in front. No play equipment, just a sand box and some old tables and rubber tires. The school is building 2 new additions in the back that will be a cafeteria and classrooms. IN the back of all the buildings there is a large field where the children play after lunch. This is the field that housed "SPORTS DAY" last Thursday. The entire school participated and all the parents and siblings were innvited. Abby ran 2 races but did not win either one. She was a little disappointed but told us she could beat 2 other children in her class but she wasn't teamed up against them. (It seems that Abby takes after her dad when it comes to sports. We always refer back to the phone call from Kyle's gym teacher when he was in Kindergarten. Mrs. Weed was very concerned about Kyle's inability to skip and so he had to attend remedial skipping classes. My BFF Sharon always said her son Rick was the athlete and Kyle was the brains. They made a good team and were the best of friends for many years) If the amount of dirt were a factor in how good a time Abby had a Sports Day I would say the day was a huge success.
Abby is still fighting her nose and I think her nose is winning, although today it does seem just a little better. I am still amazed at the allergies over here and will never complin about the US allergies again. I guess living in the country has it's drawbacks.

The Taxi Queue

In England we do not wait n line, we QUEUE. (Well, actually many of the people don't bother to queue or wait, they just push ahead.) But one is supposed to queue when waiting to pick up your child from school, buying groceries and getting on the bus. The children queue, the buses queue and the taxis queue. This is all well and good as long as I am not IN the taxi queue, which was exactly where I found myself last night at Heathrow Airport.
Ger, Abby and I left to pick up Kyle at the airport on his return from the Ukraine. I had googled the airport lay out, directions and parking information. WE made a stop at Mac Donalds in Slough to fortify ourselves for this adventure. This is where the trouble began. Ger asked Abby what she wanted for dinner, Abby replied that she would decide after she went to the bathroom. Steam seeped from Ger's ears and his face turned an odd sort of purple. Sensing an imminent eruption I whisked Abby off to the bathroom where she innocently asked."Is Grandpa grumpy again?" I explained that he was just hungry so she should do whatever and we would get back out to dinner.
The mood has now been set and it just went down hill from there. WE had K&B's "GPS" but Ger couldn't figure out how to use it. I had to go back to Windsor to find the road to the airport and there was a ton of traffic. The trip TO the airport was uneventful and we still had an hour before Kyle would be through customs. (Ger rushed us out of the house 2 hours early for a 15 minute drive.) We arrive at Heathrow which is like every other HUGE airport I have ever been in. It is a maze of roads chris crossing with exits shooting off in every direction. Add to this the LEFT HANDED driving and it was a lot to manage. Abby was excellent in the back seat. She KNEW to keep quiet. I was doing well following the signs for Terminal 1 parking when I suddenly found myself in a corral. A narrow, one lane road with fences on both sides preventing me from going anywhere but forward. I WAS IN THE TAXI LINE! er,... queue ! Taxis in front of me, and just as I decided to back up and out, taxis in back of me. I thought this was a riot . . . Ger found nothing humorous in it. He fussed and fumed, muttered and mumbled till a little voice from the back seat said, "I'm bored back here". That did it for me and the giggles erupted which only made Ger angrier. There was nothing to do but wait for the queue to slowly move forward as each taxi filled and moved out. I had Ger take Abby and go into the airport to wait at arrivals (something that he would NEVER have done if Abby wasn't with us but since we wanted her there to see Dad as soon as he came through customs) Ger reluctantly got out and took Abby inside. I continued to wait another 10 minutes or so, got near the front of the queue and squeezed my way past the last 4 laughing cabby's.
Bottom line, Kyle arrived about 15 minutes after I got into the airport and all was well for the rest of the night. When I asked Ger if he knew we were going into the taxi line he said "Yes" but didn't think to mention it to me.
Abby is delighted to have her daddy home. The two have snuggled through the night and now Kyle is at work and Abby is in school. Bridget remains in the Ukraine watching over Roman and Kyle will return to be with her on Tuesday of next week. Hopefully today with be queue free and Ger will calm down.

No Post Tonight

It's late! The bunk bed just arrived . . . 9:30PM. WE have been to the airport and back picking up Kyle and have a great story for you about that but it will wait till tomorrow. Abby will be up at 7 for school and since I am back to sharing a room and bed with husband I will probably have a lousy night so I better get a start on it now.

See you in the morning. YAWN !