Friday, 27 July 2012

OLDER POSTS...

Detroit - Summer 2009




The 'new' Tiger Stadium is truely OTT, but give me the old wooden stadium anyday!



The Renaissance Center
Auntie Sue and Halley enjoy a spin on the newly developed riverfront.

Halley's first 'real' merry-go-round experience!
And with whom better to share the excitment?









This is the face for the next minting of the silver dollar!




Sheer joy...






and exuberance!


What a glorious day!



Fulfilling one of Paul's lifelong dreams... The Motown dream!!!

Detroit Industrial Gallery
Permanent exhibit, but is anything really permanent?















































Would have liked to have spent more time there, perhaps next time. Artist, Tim Burke, putting his potential in motion.
Check out his bio/work at www.detroitindustrialgallery.com
There's more to this guy than meets the eye.

















Summer Pow Wow in Michigan - 2009

 

We thoroughly enjoy the summer Pow Wows, especially if we get invited into the inner circle. Nothing unnerves Paul more!!!






The Brits still call them 'Red Indians'. So un-PC!



































There's a season for everything in Michigan. I doubt any of these were road kills.




Trying our best to look inconspicuous and failing miserably.

















It was 100 degrees outside. This guy probably didn't make a lot of sales that day.




Decorating ideas!
One pissed-off little warrior!

Michigan - Summer 2009

Connie and Kevin's dream house. Designed by Connie. Built by Josh. Five acres nestled in the woods, bordering a nature preserve. The lower level walk-out (not pictured) leads to their own private lake. A natural paradise, pure and simple.




Nearing completion, Kevin is doing all the finishing work inside and out. What a talented family I have!

 











Watching the deer at 6am near the remnants of last night's campfire.

 



I've made a routine of an early morning canoe trip in my pyjamas with a cup of java!









Beaver dam





Far in the distance I hear the tinyest voice calling for MUMMY!








Halley fancies a 7am cruise in her PJs






Paddling skills start early












She's caught on quickly!




































Wild turkeys










Auntie Sue and Aunt Connie cleverly hid countless fairies in the woods for Halley to seek out!



















Recalling her pacifier days















It was really, really great seeing Oma Janet again!











Kingswood - Summer 2009

Showing the family my old stomping grounds.

There's not a place I've travelled where the architecture inspires me more than here and, to beat all, it is right back home!














One last jelly with friend Vanessa before heading off to America!
Mummy wants a castle!
I don't know what it is about castles, but the lure is irresistible! I've got my Prince Charming, I've got the princesses, now mummy wants a castle!


Warwick Castle...Well, one portion of it anyway.

 

 

 

 

Halley checking out the trebuchet. She seems to be contemplating something...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Clowning around in May
I can't quite find the words... I guess the picture speaks for itself!









Phil & Hettie's July 2009


A cold spell didn't stop us from visiting Phil & Hettie's, our favourite retreat.






Hanging around












Time to check on the sheep



The trout whisperers












Having a wander






Peter, Lucy, and Spotty







Waiting for mummy to catch up






Height check... OMG my baby's just four years old!

 

Paddling pool June 2009










It's hot, hot, hot! Time to break out the paddling pool!















 

Halley's Nursery Sports Day 2009



The pep talk






GO!
Lightning fast!



Leaping over the finsh line! Hurray!







The cheering crowd




Wellie toss







Egg and spoon race















Egg and spoon race












Sizing up the competition in the parent race.



Good form, Daddy!




The award ceremony






My little olympiad :)




Forest Walk Jan 2009

A brisk woodland walk with friends Phil, Hettie, Peter, and Lucy.























Getting cosy with sis.


Delicious hot chocolate! Just what we needed!










May Picnic

A week of gorgeous weather during May half term break meant picnics, picnics, and more picnics! The grounds of nearby Hughenden Manor is a great place to cool off in a gorgeous setting.

Halley loved shooing the cows away from our picnic blanket! They are ever-so-nosy animals!






























































 

 

Easter at the Seaside

It was a chilly morning at Milford-on-Sea. The afternoon, however, brought a welcome dose of warmth and sunshine. The smell of the sea makes my top ten list for sure!




Although Halley finds the kayakers quite charming, mummy's banned any boys over 4 feet tall and 4 years old!





Cousin Jake and Hannah strike a pose with the English Channel.





Halley giving her best shot at whistling.



The Needles, off the Isle of Wight, are in the background.

Halley throwing stones at the waves.




Beach huts





Brother-in-law Neil and Jake





Hannah and Jengo try their best not to stay dry!





Throwing more stones... Mummy's new addiction.


Spending Time with Matilda and Friends




Daddy and Halley share a moment with Matilda.




Boys and their toys






Halley and friend Amelia










Trains excite daddy too!


A moment of pure joy captured.

The Railway Children

Can't remember all the train names... Mummy's having a brain fart.



This Past Week

Paul and I finally get out of the house. These clothes haven't seen the light of day since our last date! Actually, we're on our way to a Beatles soiree. It was silly, silly evening for sure and a load of laughs! We won first prize in the Fancy Dress competition!



 
 Two very groovy and happening people!
 Miracle of miracles, Hannah's cooking something healthy!
Halley's Sunday afternoon kip in mummy's bed. T.C.F.W. 
The Balloon... Memories from Michigan 2007
Auntie Sue makes everything spectacular!










Snow days in Princes Risborough!!!

A freak snowstorm out of Russia blew in and shut down England! All the buses in London stopped running for the first time in history and 6,000 schools have been closed for most of the week. Excitment levels were off the Richter Scale for the children!























Paul makes a start on Frosty...
He said he's never known snow to land
on pre-existing snow in this part of the country!


Welcome, Jonas, our German exchange student!
In spite of all efforts to ship Hannah off the Germany, she wouldn't have any part of it... Ugh, kids!!! So instead, 14 year old Jonas joined us for two weeks at the end of November.
They sure do make them tall in Germany!
Needless to say, Jonas was quickly assimilated
into our family. The girls loved having an older brother to knock around with. Paul certainly enjoyed having a bit more testosterone in the house too! If you count the cat and the hamster, it was the first time the boys outnumbered the girls!
Jonas was so very patient with Halley who wanted his undivided attention every minute of every day!
What a lovely boy! Perfect manners, polite, tidy, and always willing to lend a hand. It was too good to be true! This kid will always be welcomed back!
Christmas in Portsmouth with HMS Victory...






Our German exchange student, Jonas, enjoyed the spirit of Christmas with us in, of all places, Portsmouth, Home of the Royal Navy!







The highlight was seeing HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship and the remains of The Mary Rose, Henry VIII's ship. Both were very cool. I felt like I was in one of those old swashbuckling movies!

 







The Victory fought in the American Revolution...


Back in 1765, 850 men lived on here for months at a time. Whew! It must have been stinky!!!


The Victory is the longest serving naval ship in the world. Really! It's still a commissioned warship and can be called to duty in a moments notice! Imagine 104 cannons firing away at an aircraft carrier!




Crazy Brits...









The Mary Rose 500 years ago and today.


The remains of the Mary Rose is enclosed is a huge glass room and under a constant spray of a waxy preservative. It's amazing that so much has survived intact after 500 years!

The Girls, More girls, and Still More Girls...

Lots of cuddles and tickles from the aunties-






The sisters...





And the sisters.
Quibble comforts a sleepy Halley...
I think it's time mummy turns off the TV...
I cannot do it... It will be a cold day in hell before these locks meet a pair of scissors!

Sherry's Sisters Invade England!

The snowbirds from Michigan brave a brisk day in a nearby village.






Chillin' with Auntie Connie, a.k.a. Nonnie, and Aunt Susie.












This puddle and the lolly have met their match...









Much to Paul's horror, Connie never hesitates to intrude upon perfect strangers! Ballsy American!


Halley's 4th Birthday
Pre-party warm up with big sis.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Making tiaras...

 

 




12 little princesses boogie in between crafts...






Mummy finds the hiding princesses!














A puppet show keeps them captivated...






Decorating felt handbags....




 HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK!
HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK!

Diwali celebration with my Guides

The Guides were bustin' some moves during our Diwali celebration. Watch out Bollywood!

I finally got to wear the saree that Paul brought me from India!




Thank God for Rekha's skilled and nimble fingers!
Mid week antics...
Halloween practice. Paul doesn't make a very convincing wizard!




Mummy caves in to Halley's pleas to make a banana cake, mid-week no less, I must be crazy!

Note that dinner has not yet been started! Some headless woman once said, "Let them eat cake!" So we did.




Daddy cuddles...

And kitty cuddles.
Fungi exploration...
Another exciting weekend here in the Chilterns... Fungi hunting! Halley's enthusiasm just cannot be contained... Nor mine.






How many different varieties of poisonous shrooms can you spot in these photos?

Ah, the first toadstool! Good eyes!




Lesson #1 in 'Becoming a Lady'.... Never enter the woods without your lip gloss!
Who would have thought a field of stubble could be of so much interest, but here Halley explains to Paul how the wheat has been cut, sent to the bakery to make bread, and this is the stuff that's leftover.

Sheer brilliance on her part. Paul remains perplexed.






Listening to our echos in the trees....





Negotiating a stile.







Still time to check the lippy!
Rest Home for Horses
A hop, skip and jump from our house is the Rest Home for Horses, our most recent weekend excursion. Each stall door in the stableyard posts the history of the horse and a photo from its 'hay days'. Ha, ha. Some are the Queen's retired coach horses, ex-army and police horses, race horses, beach donkeys, and of course, the enormous shire horses!




I know what you're thinking...
No, that really is his foot!

Halley sports her scary tiger face paint, which explains the terrified look on this fella's face!



Not a bad place for an old nag to retire to... I think Paul's already added my name to the waiting list!




Hannah wants to take this one home.



The girls get up close and personal...




Halley cannot wait to go back and get covered in horse snot again!
Hambledon Valley walk
Here's a few views from one of favourite walk in Hambledon, along the River Thames, last weekend.



























Miscellaneous pics of the girls

 

 

 

 

Lollipops in Oxford with friend, Lucy.


 


 



 

 

 

 

 

Modified hopscotch near Windsor Castle.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halley giving Sammy a nice, loving... head lock?...uh, cuddle. That's a lot of love there, sweetie, but let's not break his little neck...

 

Kenilworth Castle - Our last summer outing

I’m no history buff, but I love castles and their history! So when local Kenilworth Castle had one of their history weekends reinacting the War of the Roses, we were there! It’s a great way to expose the kids to anything historical and certainly my preferred way to learn history!
Knights in shining armour, maids and mistresses, Lords and Ladies all dressed in period costumes for the entire weekend, sleeping in medieval tents and eating only foods served at that time and even cooked over open fires! They stay in character all weekend and welcome everyone to approach them to talk, ask questions, or just timidly gawk.


I’m Paul’s perfect woman, if I do say so myself... I have about a 10 minute memory anyway, reduced to 6 minutes for history. So Paul can ramble on endlessly about anything historical and I listen enthusiastically as if I’m hearing it all for the first time! On occasion, I even manage to spout out some random fact that dislodged itself from the deep recesses of my brain, surprising not only myself, but Paul too!
As usual, women get on with the real work while the men stand around farting...













 

Like father, like daughter.


 

 


 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

Paul catches two guys fighting over a Dr. Pepper.




 

 

 

 

 

I think Paul would look mighty fine sporting a codpiece (which I mistakenly thought was called a cock piece...oops) and tights! Mmmmm. Perhaps it's time for some early Christmas shopping on eBay!

 

 

 

 

 

 


Cyndi visits too this summer!

Incredibly, it's been five years since Cyndi last visited us in England! No sooner had Laura and Amelia caught the train to Paris, a quick change of the bed linens and towels, and I was off to the airport to pick up Cyndi! Whew! I got a taste of what it's like to run a B&B!
Hello Cyndi! Long time, no see!... In fact, it was just last summer when Cyndi flew in from Texas to meet us in Michigan!
Armed with a suitcase full of arts and crafts, is it any wonder where Cyndi's first two days in England were spent?


The mamby-pamby Americans bundle up against the British summer!








...and then PARIS!!! Oui! Oui!










Cyndi finds a french pooch to pamper... Love transcends all languages!

The rendevous... Sacre Coeur Sunday 4.00pm.

After a thousand flights of stairs up to Montmartre, who do we meet up with??? Laura and Amelia! What jetsetters we are to meet up in Paris for dinner! We dine at a charming fondue restaurant, sitting at a table that opens onto the sidewalk. After a few minutes, 'Whew! What a stench!' Laura, who speaks fluent French, asks to move tables on our behalf, all of us thinking the smell was coming from outside. The waiter was quite obliging. After awhile, it dawned on me that we were smelling the cheese in the restaurant! How embarrassing! Once we stopped thinking about stinky feet and starting thinking cheese everything was fine. Our meal was delicious and, sadly, by no means lo-cal!

Walk in the Woods


We are fortunate there are lots of beautiful wooded areas around Princes Risborough. It's so nice just to dash out of the house for a quick nature hike.


Hill tossing. If that doesn't bring up Halley's lunch nothing will!


Halley closely inspecting her found artifact. No doubt daddy will rush it over to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for appraisal! Ooops. Just another piece of flint! That's OK sweetie, mummy thinks EVERY piece of flint looks like a neolithic tool!


Finally mum comes out from behind the camera!

Laura & Amelia finally visit us!

I suppose it took the chilliest-British-summer-in-recorded-history to lure them away from sunny Boston, but at long last they are here! It seems like ages since we've seen each other, three years in fact, but we picked up right where we left off as good friends always do!
Laura, armed with running shoes, gave Paul the ideal running partner he'll never find in me! Thanks Laura, you can happily fill those shoes for me anytime!!!Our time together went all too quickly for before I knew it, they were headed off to France and continuing their journey.





Hannah and Halley loved having Amelia here to pal around with!

Family Feline



Paul finds himself one rung lower on the household hierarchy ladder now that Sammy has moved in!

The Sammy Saga.
Day 1: Paul discovers a white cat trapped inside our trampoline by the net enclosure. He scares cat half to death trying to free it.
Day 2: With Halley's little friend and mum over for a play in the garden, a white cat pesters us for love and attention for hours and hours. Cat is quite thin and covered in car grease, but has on a collar with tag. I expect the cat to eventually go back home, wherever that is, but it stays in our garden sleeping on the bench for the remainer of the day and night.
Day 3: Cat still in garden and begs for, and subsequently gets, attention all day from Hannah, Halley and myself. Too skinny to bear it any longer, I succumb to feeding the cat a can of tuna fish. I check ID tag. 'Sammy' it reads with an address just up our street! Sammy stays outside for the night, free to return home at anytime.
Day 4: Cat still here. All of us girls in the house completely smitten for Sammy. Paul apprehensive. I continue feeding Sammy everything I can get my hands on which he devours ravenously. Sammy stays outside for the night.
Day 5: Sammy taking up seemingly permanent residence in our garden. I inspect Sammy's house up the road which has well-manicured lawn and garden and appears to have elderly people living there. Sign on front door reads' Beware of Cat'. Sammy surely must be theirs, but why isn't he going home? Sammy once again stays outside for the night.
Day 6: Paul warming up to Sammy's presence. Girls over the moon and want to keep Sammy. I continue to run possible scenarios through my head. Did somebody move and forget the cat? Did somebody die and the family forgot the cat? Is someone suffering from dementia and forgot the cat? Sammy sleeps outside that night and is still there in the morning.
Day 7: Concerned that someone may be worried about Sammy's sudden diasppearance and wellbeing, I muster up the courage and reluctantly march up the road to make an inquiry. The extremely nice elderly couple indeed had a cat but it certainly wasn't missing and certainly wasn't white as their black cat scurried past our feet. They, being self-professed cat people, claim to know every cat for miles and have never so much as seen a white one in their 12 years of living on our street. Yipee! Sammy is one step closer to being ours! The ID tag info remains a complete mystery. Sammy still outside and free to leave anytime.
Day 8: I ring the local vet . They have hundreds of cats named Sammy in their database. After a bit of pleading, the vet patiently reviews the files and after some time comes back with good news... None of their Sammy cats are white. Additionally, no cats have been reported missing. Yipee! The girls and I make a celebratory dash to the pet shop to by a new hot pink collar for our new girl kitty. Sammy is still put out for the night.

Day 9: The girls and I take Sammy to vet to check for a microchip, my last ditch effort to find her owner. Yipee! No microchip and after a very thorough feel around, Sammy turns out not to be a 'she' afterall but a castrated male! Paul will be happy to have a little more testerone (very little) in the house, I thought, but the hot pink collar stays! That's it! Sammy has officially adopted us... But stills sleeps out at night.

Paul accepts his fate...

Halley practicing for her monarchy...
'I've whooshed away the Royal Crown Courier for being late, now wipe the schmootz from my slipper or it's the guillotine for you!'

The Madamoselle

 

I will now tell your future...
LLLOOOOOOOOOKKK into my eyes.....
You will give me sweeties ! Lots of sweeties!!!

Brussels for two? What, no kids???!!!

In Feb, we got a free trip to Brussels, compliments of Barclay's Bank! When Paul told me we were going, my first thought was, 'Great! The kids will LOVE it!' He was quick to set me straight and said that it would be a romantic and welcome getaway for TWO! What? I can't do that! What kind of lousy mum would I be to leave the kids behind? Well, that thought lasted for about 8 minutes or so, followed by a sprint to the phone to ring Paul's sister, Fiona, to babysit! It was my first time on the Eurostar, the high speed (200 mph) train through the 'Chunnel' (Channel Tunnel) to France. Very cool!


Sporting the chic-est bits from my predominately mum's-wear wardrobe, we were off to brave the cobblestone streets.
Shoe count:
high heels...4, sensible flats...0. Dumb.
There were some other people from Barclay's on the trip too, so our very fun-loving group of 10 made the most of our time abroad... sans kids!
Highlights: Beer, chocolate, crepes, more beer, waffles, even more beer and best of all, the prized Moules en Frites (mussels and french fries)!
It's fair to say that nobody in our party pack, apart from Paul and myself, were culture vultures, so we took on the role of tour guides. Everyone quite happily followed us around the city, on foot, to catch the odd glimpse of something historial as our meandering trek lead us from restaurant to restaurant, pub to pub, dance club to dance club.
I was quite happily relieved to find that they spoke French in Brussels and not Flemish! Not that it mattered in the way-too-crowded dance clubs... We were quite clearly the most popular items on the buffet! I haven't been 'hit on' and groped by so many people in my life, by both men and women! If Paul was dancing 6 feet on front of me, then whose hands were these on my 'pom poms'??? Well, it was all laughable to say the least!






All in all, it was a terrific trip. I'm happy to say that I managed the whole trip without a hangover or spraining my ankle on those damned cobbles! The Gods must have been smiling!!!

Ah, wintertime in Southeast England... Still green. Here's a January view atop Whiteleaf Hill overlooking our town of Princes Risborough. That's not smog, just good, clean, brisk country air!
Did I mention BRRRRISK?

 

What now?



In the final days before summer break, the Poxy Princess paid us an unwelcome visit... She was so damn cute though we decided to take her to Wales with us anyway.  

Time away in Wales

We had a dreamy week in Wales in spite of rain for the final few days. Waterfalls, sandy beaches, mountains, steam trains, thousands of sheep and a log cabin in the pines. What more could one ask for to kickstart summer? In case you're wondering, Paul was rambling on with his Winston Churchill quotes... 'We will fight them on the beaches. We will fight them on the landing grounds. We will never surrender to the advancing tide!' As you can see, Paul did his best against THIS advancing tide!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blogging once again!

Wales 2008

After a very long hiatus, I'm back to blogging! It may take me awhile to get back into the swing of things, but here we go...

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