Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Important to the Mum
I meant to mention this earlier ... this is such a small detail to many people, I'm sure. But, when we went to our new church last weekend and met the pastor, we learned he had a wife and five children. One of those children is a 15 year old girl. Named Katherine. She LOVES to baby-sit. And the family she baby-sat for before just moved to Germany a couple of weeks ago. I said, Was that Tina Cox? Yes, she replied. I told her we had bought their car from them when they left. Small world! And more importantly, I have a baby-sitter!!!!
Refugees
We have left Chelt. and are staying in a Crown Plaza in Leeds for three nights. Where there is a huge indoor pool and jacuzzi area. Woohoo! Oh to enjoy the water. 350,000 people are without running water in the Gloucestershire region. We have no running water but do have electriciy. Although after several days of no showers, no ability to do laundry and no way to wash dishes we had to escape. The prediction so far is it will be at least 14 days before the water pump is working again.
Thank you all for your prayers, please pray for all the people of our new little town. We finally have phone service as of today, but my internet connection will not be official at the house for 5-10 business days. And here at the hotel it costs $30 for 24 hours of service ... will take advantage of it as much as I can!
Thank you all for your prayers, please pray for all the people of our new little town. We finally have phone service as of today, but my internet connection will not be official at the house for 5-10 business days. And here at the hotel it costs $30 for 24 hours of service ... will take advantage of it as much as I can!
What an Adventure ...
This post was written at our new home before we even got telephone service hooked up. Thankfully we have electricity, if not much else.
I’ll begin this story with last Friday, the day we got the keys to the new house. Everyone was so excited to be moving to our new place. We drove to the rental agency at 9 AM sharp to pick up our keys and promptly drove over to the new house. I must mention that it had started raining the night before and had not stopped pouring buckets.
We knew that a truck from the base was going to come by the house at some point in the morning to bring us our temporary furniture to borrow until our household goods arrive. When we got to the house, it turns out we had missed them. Patrick called and fortunately, they had not gone back to the base so they were able to come back and bring us a couch, coffee table, a couple of chairs and tables for the living room, a dining set, a bed for each room, and a nightstand. Oh, and a couple of lamps. And a clothes dryer -- have I mentioned before that this house does have a clothes dryer -- it’s just that it’s out side the house in a little shed-type room that you have to walk to. So we got a dryer from the base and it fits perfectly in the utility room near the washing machine and the dish washer. When I run the dryer I have to open a window and stick the tube vent-thing out the window, is all. We’re pretty innovative around here!
So we have our furniture, and in the meantime Joshua and Patrick are making trips back and forth between our two homes to retrieve all the luggage and boxes we had acquired since arriving here two weeks earlier. Pouring rain, even worse, it seemed many of the roads were becoming flooded and even impassable. Which is when we realized we didn’t have sheets, blankets, towels, dishes, or cutlery as part of our temporary furniture package. Patrick made a few phone calls, and it turns out we should have had those things, but the proper arrangements hadn’t been made on our behalf. And the “Lending Closet” was closed for the weekend. People from Patrick’s office promised to get back to us. They were going to get other folks to chip in and gather things together for us to borrow. Whew! What a relief.
Well, time passed and we did not hear from anyone. We both had our mobile phones, but service seemed very iffy here in our new home. We had to go upstairs to the bedroom to get a good signal, and even then service would cut out in an instant.
I spent about three hours on my phone on hold with the water company, gas and electric company, and the worst, the phone company. I was on hold with them for at least two hours, and by the time I got through to a person to help me, it was 3:30, past the time cut-off of 3:00 to have our service turned on Monday. Now it was going to be Tuesday. And we cannot help you with Broadband internet service until your phone line is hooked up. After that happens, and only THEN, can we help you get your internet service hooked up, which will only take another 5-10 business days.
By this time I was done for. I didn’t want to be here. I had thoughts of going back to the rental house because at least there we had sheets and blankets and dishes and internet service!!
Then Patrick came back from one of his trips out with some sheets and a four-person set of dishes. And glasses. And silverware. Thank you, Patrick!
Here were the blessings that I haven’t mentioned thus far that occurred that day:
1. We all had our pillows because we mailed them to ourselves before we left Maryland.
2. The children all had their fleece blankets that Grandma made them for the same reason as Number 1.
3. We had a big new house with a bedroom for each child and a bed to sleep in.
4. We had electricity and running water.
5. When the packers packed us out of our house in Maryland, they failed to pack the drawer in the kitchen containing all the utensils I used on a regular basis - my spatulas, tongs, favorite knives, etc. So we had cooking utensils, if not pots or pans.
Still, it was a rough night. We had a frozen pizza and amazingly, the owners of the house had left a cookie sheet in the oven, so we had a baking sheet with which to cook the pizza on. And then I thought, I don’t have hot pads! Or a towel, even, to take the dish out of the oven with! But then I remembered, I DID have hot pads - they were in the same box with all my utensils. Thank you, Lord.
So we had a hot meal that night. But because of all the rain, it was chilly cold in the house. It is normally chilly here, to us, but we didn’t think much of it because it is usually warm enough during the day to keep the house relatively warm at night. But our first night in this house was an entirely different story. The children had their fleece, but Patrick and I had no blankets - which we thought we would be fine with. But I have to say, I don’t think either of us slept more than about two hours total. It was freezing. And not knowing the house at all, we didn’t even know how to turn the heat on, yet. Rest assured, first thing we did Saturday morning was figure out the heating system. Each room has a radiator, but the system has a centralized on/off switch you have to turn on, first.
So Saturday was hard. It wasn’t raining much anymore, so I went back to the rental and e-mailed everyone that we would be off-line for at least a week. And then I walked downtown and bought a duvet and cover for Patrick and myself. And I bought some towels. And an alarm clock. And I stopped on the walkway and sat down and looked at my phone thinking, No one ever called us back about providing us with help. And I decided to check my voice mail on a whim: FIVE new messages. All sent the day before from people at Patrick’s work who wanted to help us. And my phone had never rung. Apparently the storm caused cell phone service to be so iffy that I didn’t even know I had missed phone calls. I nearly cried.
Saturday I really struggled. I know a part of it was just that I was tired. But I was fed up already - I wanted to be on-line. I wanted to have a TV to watch. And I wanted our stuff to be here from the States. More than anything I wanted to be settled - for the children to be settled. And to be able to cook something that didn’t have to be prepared from frozen or in the microwave.
We have been church-shopping since we arrived in England. Our first Sunday we went to an Anglican Church of England church with our friends who live here. It was a wonderful service and reminded me so much of my childhood - growing up in the Episcopal Church. But we wanted to see what else was out there. So we tried another church - an evangelical church. Most people were very friendly and the music was rockin, but still, we didn’t feel quite right there. We knew it wasn’t where we wanted to be. I cried during the service a little - happy to be worshipping but sad because it was so different than what I love. So this past Saturday night I decided, We are going to try another church - no matter what our weekend has been like, we need to get out there and find somewhere to worship. I got out the phone book (no internet, still) and looked up a few churches. I had decided on one that was nearby but I didn’t know their meeting times, so I called. And every piece of information you could possibly want to know about that church was left on their answering machine except what time church services were.
So I pressed on and found Cheltenham Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I had looked this church up on the web before but was a little wary because it is a brand new church with small membership, and I really wanted to make sure it was a church at which we would all be fed. So I called the number listed in the phone book, and someone answered! It was the pastor! And he was an American. From Alabama. But he’s been here six years so he has a slight British accent. Can you imagine? An American southern British accent. And it turns out he was sent here from MTW - Mission to the World - through the PCA church of which we belong in the states! Wow - I was uplifted immediately, and was excited about trying this church.
It meets in a school, and there were only about 40-50 people, but immediately we felt at home here in this church. We knew this was it. Wonderful Bible preaching, and even a little Sunday School for the children. Afterwards people shared biscuits, tea and coffee. We fellowshipped, and it was such a blessing to be with people who love Jesus like that.
So even after the rough weekend we had, God was totally faithful, as He always is, even through my self-centered pity party that I had been holding for myself all weekend. So Monday morning when we woke up and had no running cold water, I was still relishing knowing the comforting hand of God’s faithfulness to us. And it wasn’t going to faze me.
No Water.
So, I called the rental agency and said, “We don’t have running cold water. Should I just let you know about this or should I go ahead and call the water company?”
She kind of tittered at me and said, Haven’t you been watching the telly? I wanted to reply, if ONLY I could watch the telly. If only I had internet service or a RADIO!! But I just said, Um, No, haven’t seen anything lately!
And apparently, because of all the rain there had been major floods, and a main water pump in Tewkesbury had broken. And it was surrounded by waist-high water. The men couldn’t even reach it, yet. And I said, Well, I have hot water. To which she replied, That is probably just whatever is left sitting in your tank. Once that runs out ….
Ok. Well, I thought, this might be my last chance for a shower for a while. So I ran upstairs and took a quick 4-minute shower. And still had plenty of water. I almost scoffed - we DO have water, it’s just the cold that’s broken! And I went ahead and made coffee and washed dishes ….
Only, it really didn’t last. By late afternoon we had trickles flowing out of the faucets.
I told the kids to use wipes after using the bathroom. And don’t even try to flush.
We had one bucket. A bucket that I just bought last week when we moved in - knowing I would want to scrub the house my own way the day we moved in, which I did. So I took the bucket up to the tub and went to fill it. That’s when the water ran out. I got it about half full. That was it.
Patrick called from work - it was raining buckets again. He said they didn’t have water there and they were sending non-essential personnel home. Since he’s still in training he’s considered non-essential. Woohoo for me!
Still lacking pots and pans and food, and no water with which to wash our four plates, we decided to hit the pub for dinner. And I had my first fish and chips - what a meal! But the waitress said they were using the water in their reserve tanks and the business wouldn’t be open much longer. The entire city is without water. The Prime Minister flew in yesterday and declared a state of emergency. Roads are closed, people are without water AND electricity.
When we drove home we saw big blue cisterns set out by the water company full of water - not drinkable - it must be boiled. Patrick made about six trips down to the cistern with our bucket and we filled the tub about 1/3 full when he stopped. We have neighbors who need water, too.
I had gone to the grocery stores with the children earlier only to find the shelves bare, people running around franticly and the lines to be long. I got two containers of milk, lettuce, tomatoes, a cucumber, and beer. We would survive.
Today is our second full day without water. My hair is nasty and we are all getting stinky. Patrick borrowed some travel books from our friends, the McMahans. We might be going out of town …. I hope so. I really need a shower!
I’ll begin this story with last Friday, the day we got the keys to the new house. Everyone was so excited to be moving to our new place. We drove to the rental agency at 9 AM sharp to pick up our keys and promptly drove over to the new house. I must mention that it had started raining the night before and had not stopped pouring buckets.
We knew that a truck from the base was going to come by the house at some point in the morning to bring us our temporary furniture to borrow until our household goods arrive. When we got to the house, it turns out we had missed them. Patrick called and fortunately, they had not gone back to the base so they were able to come back and bring us a couch, coffee table, a couple of chairs and tables for the living room, a dining set, a bed for each room, and a nightstand. Oh, and a couple of lamps. And a clothes dryer -- have I mentioned before that this house does have a clothes dryer -- it’s just that it’s out side the house in a little shed-type room that you have to walk to. So we got a dryer from the base and it fits perfectly in the utility room near the washing machine and the dish washer. When I run the dryer I have to open a window and stick the tube vent-thing out the window, is all. We’re pretty innovative around here!
So we have our furniture, and in the meantime Joshua and Patrick are making trips back and forth between our two homes to retrieve all the luggage and boxes we had acquired since arriving here two weeks earlier. Pouring rain, even worse, it seemed many of the roads were becoming flooded and even impassable. Which is when we realized we didn’t have sheets, blankets, towels, dishes, or cutlery as part of our temporary furniture package. Patrick made a few phone calls, and it turns out we should have had those things, but the proper arrangements hadn’t been made on our behalf. And the “Lending Closet” was closed for the weekend. People from Patrick’s office promised to get back to us. They were going to get other folks to chip in and gather things together for us to borrow. Whew! What a relief.
Well, time passed and we did not hear from anyone. We both had our mobile phones, but service seemed very iffy here in our new home. We had to go upstairs to the bedroom to get a good signal, and even then service would cut out in an instant.
I spent about three hours on my phone on hold with the water company, gas and electric company, and the worst, the phone company. I was on hold with them for at least two hours, and by the time I got through to a person to help me, it was 3:30, past the time cut-off of 3:00 to have our service turned on Monday. Now it was going to be Tuesday. And we cannot help you with Broadband internet service until your phone line is hooked up. After that happens, and only THEN, can we help you get your internet service hooked up, which will only take another 5-10 business days.
By this time I was done for. I didn’t want to be here. I had thoughts of going back to the rental house because at least there we had sheets and blankets and dishes and internet service!!
Then Patrick came back from one of his trips out with some sheets and a four-person set of dishes. And glasses. And silverware. Thank you, Patrick!
Here were the blessings that I haven’t mentioned thus far that occurred that day:
1. We all had our pillows because we mailed them to ourselves before we left Maryland.
2. The children all had their fleece blankets that Grandma made them for the same reason as Number 1.
3. We had a big new house with a bedroom for each child and a bed to sleep in.
4. We had electricity and running water.
5. When the packers packed us out of our house in Maryland, they failed to pack the drawer in the kitchen containing all the utensils I used on a regular basis - my spatulas, tongs, favorite knives, etc. So we had cooking utensils, if not pots or pans.
Still, it was a rough night. We had a frozen pizza and amazingly, the owners of the house had left a cookie sheet in the oven, so we had a baking sheet with which to cook the pizza on. And then I thought, I don’t have hot pads! Or a towel, even, to take the dish out of the oven with! But then I remembered, I DID have hot pads - they were in the same box with all my utensils. Thank you, Lord.
So we had a hot meal that night. But because of all the rain, it was chilly cold in the house. It is normally chilly here, to us, but we didn’t think much of it because it is usually warm enough during the day to keep the house relatively warm at night. But our first night in this house was an entirely different story. The children had their fleece, but Patrick and I had no blankets - which we thought we would be fine with. But I have to say, I don’t think either of us slept more than about two hours total. It was freezing. And not knowing the house at all, we didn’t even know how to turn the heat on, yet. Rest assured, first thing we did Saturday morning was figure out the heating system. Each room has a radiator, but the system has a centralized on/off switch you have to turn on, first.
So Saturday was hard. It wasn’t raining much anymore, so I went back to the rental and e-mailed everyone that we would be off-line for at least a week. And then I walked downtown and bought a duvet and cover for Patrick and myself. And I bought some towels. And an alarm clock. And I stopped on the walkway and sat down and looked at my phone thinking, No one ever called us back about providing us with help. And I decided to check my voice mail on a whim: FIVE new messages. All sent the day before from people at Patrick’s work who wanted to help us. And my phone had never rung. Apparently the storm caused cell phone service to be so iffy that I didn’t even know I had missed phone calls. I nearly cried.
Saturday I really struggled. I know a part of it was just that I was tired. But I was fed up already - I wanted to be on-line. I wanted to have a TV to watch. And I wanted our stuff to be here from the States. More than anything I wanted to be settled - for the children to be settled. And to be able to cook something that didn’t have to be prepared from frozen or in the microwave.
We have been church-shopping since we arrived in England. Our first Sunday we went to an Anglican Church of England church with our friends who live here. It was a wonderful service and reminded me so much of my childhood - growing up in the Episcopal Church. But we wanted to see what else was out there. So we tried another church - an evangelical church. Most people were very friendly and the music was rockin, but still, we didn’t feel quite right there. We knew it wasn’t where we wanted to be. I cried during the service a little - happy to be worshipping but sad because it was so different than what I love. So this past Saturday night I decided, We are going to try another church - no matter what our weekend has been like, we need to get out there and find somewhere to worship. I got out the phone book (no internet, still) and looked up a few churches. I had decided on one that was nearby but I didn’t know their meeting times, so I called. And every piece of information you could possibly want to know about that church was left on their answering machine except what time church services were.
So I pressed on and found Cheltenham Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I had looked this church up on the web before but was a little wary because it is a brand new church with small membership, and I really wanted to make sure it was a church at which we would all be fed. So I called the number listed in the phone book, and someone answered! It was the pastor! And he was an American. From Alabama. But he’s been here six years so he has a slight British accent. Can you imagine? An American southern British accent. And it turns out he was sent here from MTW - Mission to the World - through the PCA church of which we belong in the states! Wow - I was uplifted immediately, and was excited about trying this church.
It meets in a school, and there were only about 40-50 people, but immediately we felt at home here in this church. We knew this was it. Wonderful Bible preaching, and even a little Sunday School for the children. Afterwards people shared biscuits, tea and coffee. We fellowshipped, and it was such a blessing to be with people who love Jesus like that.
So even after the rough weekend we had, God was totally faithful, as He always is, even through my self-centered pity party that I had been holding for myself all weekend. So Monday morning when we woke up and had no running cold water, I was still relishing knowing the comforting hand of God’s faithfulness to us. And it wasn’t going to faze me.
No Water.
So, I called the rental agency and said, “We don’t have running cold water. Should I just let you know about this or should I go ahead and call the water company?”
She kind of tittered at me and said, Haven’t you been watching the telly? I wanted to reply, if ONLY I could watch the telly. If only I had internet service or a RADIO!! But I just said, Um, No, haven’t seen anything lately!
And apparently, because of all the rain there had been major floods, and a main water pump in Tewkesbury had broken. And it was surrounded by waist-high water. The men couldn’t even reach it, yet. And I said, Well, I have hot water. To which she replied, That is probably just whatever is left sitting in your tank. Once that runs out ….
Ok. Well, I thought, this might be my last chance for a shower for a while. So I ran upstairs and took a quick 4-minute shower. And still had plenty of water. I almost scoffed - we DO have water, it’s just the cold that’s broken! And I went ahead and made coffee and washed dishes ….
Only, it really didn’t last. By late afternoon we had trickles flowing out of the faucets.
I told the kids to use wipes after using the bathroom. And don’t even try to flush.
We had one bucket. A bucket that I just bought last week when we moved in - knowing I would want to scrub the house my own way the day we moved in, which I did. So I took the bucket up to the tub and went to fill it. That’s when the water ran out. I got it about half full. That was it.
Patrick called from work - it was raining buckets again. He said they didn’t have water there and they were sending non-essential personnel home. Since he’s still in training he’s considered non-essential. Woohoo for me!
Still lacking pots and pans and food, and no water with which to wash our four plates, we decided to hit the pub for dinner. And I had my first fish and chips - what a meal! But the waitress said they were using the water in their reserve tanks and the business wouldn’t be open much longer. The entire city is without water. The Prime Minister flew in yesterday and declared a state of emergency. Roads are closed, people are without water AND electricity.
When we drove home we saw big blue cisterns set out by the water company full of water - not drinkable - it must be boiled. Patrick made about six trips down to the cistern with our bucket and we filled the tub about 1/3 full when he stopped. We have neighbors who need water, too.
I had gone to the grocery stores with the children earlier only to find the shelves bare, people running around franticly and the lines to be long. I got two containers of milk, lettuce, tomatoes, a cucumber, and beer. We would survive.
Today is our second full day without water. My hair is nasty and we are all getting stinky. Patrick borrowed some travel books from our friends, the McMahans. We might be going out of town …. I hope so. I really need a shower!
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Random Things and a Dumb Drivers Test
I know people say England is cold, and it IS, really, compared to say, Maryland in July, but I haven't stopped sweating here. I know it's gross, but it is clammy, and I wake up sweating. I hope my body adjusts to this, because it really is gross.
All I needed was a new bottle of body lotion. I usually use the Johnson & Johnson brand. So we were passing by a little pharmacy on our street right up the block and I popped in to buy some wipes and some body lotion. They had ONE kind of Johnson & Johnson. It was "Holiday Johnson & Johnson Body Lotion." And it cost almost 5 pounds. So I bought it. And only this morning do I look closely at it and realize that it's called "Holiday" because it is a self-tanning lotion ....
So, Patrick and I have to take this open book drivers' test in order to get our licenses. You would think, just by the mere fact that we get to take the test at home with the book in front of us that it would be simple. Not really so. Example question:
Warning signs are : a. Circular
b. Triangular
c. Square
d. Generally triangular.
Generally triangular?
What is the correct sequence of traffic lights:
a. Red, red and amber, green, amber, red
b. Red, amber, green, amber, red
c. Red, amber, green, breen and amber, red
d. Red, red and amber, green, red
It's taking us a while to get through this test ...
All I needed was a new bottle of body lotion. I usually use the Johnson & Johnson brand. So we were passing by a little pharmacy on our street right up the block and I popped in to buy some wipes and some body lotion. They had ONE kind of Johnson & Johnson. It was "Holiday Johnson & Johnson Body Lotion." And it cost almost 5 pounds. So I bought it. And only this morning do I look closely at it and realize that it's called "Holiday" because it is a self-tanning lotion ....
So, Patrick and I have to take this open book drivers' test in order to get our licenses. You would think, just by the mere fact that we get to take the test at home with the book in front of us that it would be simple. Not really so. Example question:
Warning signs are : a. Circular
b. Triangular
c. Square
d. Generally triangular.
Generally triangular?
What is the correct sequence of traffic lights:
a. Red, red and amber, green, amber, red
b. Red, amber, green, amber, red
c. Red, amber, green, breen and amber, red
d. Red, red and amber, green, red
It's taking us a while to get through this test ...
There IS Walmart in England
Okay, this is the second week of our new life in England, and after a Monday full of "What should I do with these children?" I decided to plan a day out of exploring that did not involve the tons of walking that we have done almost every single day. I knew that in the next town over, Gloucester, there was a Toys R Us. We needed a new stroller, and I thought this was a good excuse to get out and drive some more and prove my confidence on the road.
So this morning I got out the maps. I mapped every step of my way to the surgeon's (doctors') office to pick up our forms for the NHS. And then I mapped every step of my way to Gloucester. I realized at that point that I didn't actually have a map of Gloucester, but I knew what road to get on to get there.
And I thought, well we'll see what happens when we get there! Maybe we'll just run into it! I also knew what street the Toys R Us was on.
So we actually got to Gloucester! I followed my maps and the signs on the A40. I drove on a multitude of round-a-bouts, as scary as that was. The kids were great - they were mostly quiet!
And then we were in Gloucester and there was no sign of a Toys R Us. But I saw a sign for "Superstore" with an arrow. And I thought, let's check it out! And there, lo and behold, was a gigantic shopping store that said, "ASDA, Always Low Prices." I couldn't believe it! I said "Kids! Look! There's a Walmart here!" So in we went in search of a map of Gloucester.
It looked like Walmart, it felt like Walmart. It had Walmart brands, and Walmart prices. So, needless to say, not only did we get our maps, but we got several clothing items for the children.
So we got to the car only for me to realize that I still did not have a street map of Gloucester, but a road map of all of England. Two of them, in fact. So I saw a lady in the parking lot who looked nice and had a little girl with her and asked her where I could find Toys R Us. She graciously gave us directions and we eventually found it!
It was JUST like at home - except everything is about twice as expensive. We got our new stroller and off we went to Burger King right next door as a treat for lunch.
Burger King in England .... now that's a different story altogether. The kids like it, of course. When we went in Aidan squealed with delight as he just knew - in his baby head - that we were in a fast food joint and he was going to get french fries! And enjoy them he did. I did not enjoy mine so much, but maybe it's because I really am still looking forward to trying my first fish n chips?
So this morning I got out the maps. I mapped every step of my way to the surgeon's (doctors') office to pick up our forms for the NHS. And then I mapped every step of my way to Gloucester. I realized at that point that I didn't actually have a map of Gloucester, but I knew what road to get on to get there.
And I thought, well we'll see what happens when we get there! Maybe we'll just run into it! I also knew what street the Toys R Us was on.
So we actually got to Gloucester! I followed my maps and the signs on the A40. I drove on a multitude of round-a-bouts, as scary as that was. The kids were great - they were mostly quiet!
And then we were in Gloucester and there was no sign of a Toys R Us. But I saw a sign for "Superstore" with an arrow. And I thought, let's check it out! And there, lo and behold, was a gigantic shopping store that said, "ASDA, Always Low Prices." I couldn't believe it! I said "Kids! Look! There's a Walmart here!" So in we went in search of a map of Gloucester.
It looked like Walmart, it felt like Walmart. It had Walmart brands, and Walmart prices. So, needless to say, not only did we get our maps, but we got several clothing items for the children.
So we got to the car only for me to realize that I still did not have a street map of Gloucester, but a road map of all of England. Two of them, in fact. So I saw a lady in the parking lot who looked nice and had a little girl with her and asked her where I could find Toys R Us. She graciously gave us directions and we eventually found it!
It was JUST like at home - except everything is about twice as expensive. We got our new stroller and off we went to Burger King right next door as a treat for lunch.
Burger King in England .... now that's a different story altogether. The kids like it, of course. When we went in Aidan squealed with delight as he just knew - in his baby head - that we were in a fast food joint and he was going to get french fries! And enjoy them he did. I did not enjoy mine so much, but maybe it's because I really am still looking forward to trying my first fish n chips?
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Driving Update!!!
After screwing up my courage, I have finally driven on the streets of England! After leaving the castle I thought I could try it, and I did! I drove on the tiny, skinny, scary streets where cars have to pull over to pass each other, and I drove on the highway. I drove from our temporary house to Patrick's office, to our new house, and back to the temporary house. I have to say it wasn't horrible. Patrick thinks I'm a curb hugger, but I say it's scary to be driving on the right side of the car on the left side of the road. It looks like cars are coming straight for you! But I'm now here to say that it can be done, with lots of concentration and quiet children. (Aidan was napping this whole time)!
Sudeley Castle
This past Saturday we went on a day trip to Sudeley Castle. We are certainly learning a lot about British history on our little jaunts. The kids each get to pick a post card from every place we go for a collection so they can remember all the places we will visit here. I'm trying to decide whether I'm going to collect Christmas ornaments or thimbles wherever we go. So far, I'm collecting both until I make up my mind!
I cannot figure out this picture posting business. Am still getting used to it, so sorry that you have to turn your head sideways to look at the last photo.
Henry VIII, Katherine Parr, and Elizabeth I all stayed at this castle. The history here is so rich - going back over the past 1000 years. We are enjoying all the new history we are learning. It is more fun when you can see it up close like we are here!
The most amazing part of this castle, I thought, were the gardens. They include a "Queen's Rose Garden" as well as a "Secret Garden."
Friday, 13 July 2007
I wanted to mention that when I say "We went to the Air Base" that we were actually driven there. It is the job of several people out where Patrick's work to just drive people around. I've never actually had a "driver" ever before in my life except when I've taken the occasional taxi cab. But here, we have had two drivers! One who brought us from Heathrow to our temporary home, and then yesterday, a driver came in a big Mercedes van to pick us up and took us wherever we needed to go! Now that's the life.
We Made it Through Week One!
Monday the children and I went to their new school to meet the headmaster and spend some time with their classes. http://www.stedwards.co.uk/junior/index.php
There are two classes per grade, and they move them together from year to year. There is one American boy in Joshua's class. I don't think there were any Americans in Gillian's class, but she made three friends right away. They loved it. And I really liked the headmaster. He was so personable. Gillian will be in "Year 2" next year, and Joshua will be in "Year 5." Aidan will start nursery school there next January. And yes, they will all have to wear uniforms - Joshua will have to learn to tie a tie, and Gillian will wear a hat every day.
Yesterday we went to the Royal Air Base, Fairford, where I obtained a military ID so I can shop at the BX and Commissary. I almost felt at home on base! Reminded me of my childhood ... Patrick has a badge from the building where he works, so he doesn't need the ID. So off to the commissary we went after that, and the children were thrilled to see their favorite grocery products - Kraft mac n cheese, frozen pizzas, KETCHUP, and even Morningstar corn dogs! We stocked up for the week.
This week we ate our first sausage rolls from a local bakery. I loved the pastry around the sausage, not too sure about the sausage. I also shopped at Marks and Spencer - a lovely department store. I took one afternoon on my own and wandered up and down High St., stopping in a shop here and there. I bought an iron, toaster, and alarm clock for the new house. I went into this store called Argos, and it has a shelf all around it with big, fat catalogues to look up all sorts of electronics, home furnishings, and household items. When you find the product you like, you type the catalogue number into a little machine by the catalogue to see if the product is in stock. If it is, you write it down on a little piece of paper and take it up to the register. You pay for the item, the clerk types it into his computer, and someone in the back brings it up front for you! The only downside to this that I could see was not being able to hold the item or see it up close before you purchase it. But still very efficient!
This weekend we are planning on driving around a bit and going on a picnic. I will be sure to take lots of pictures! And I will be going for my first English run tomorrow morning with my friend, Elizabeth. Looking forward to it!
Just for the record, I DID drive around our little courtyard yesterday - managed to get the car into first gear and reverse! Will be trying a little bit more out tomorrow.
There are two classes per grade, and they move them together from year to year. There is one American boy in Joshua's class. I don't think there were any Americans in Gillian's class, but she made three friends right away. They loved it. And I really liked the headmaster. He was so personable. Gillian will be in "Year 2" next year, and Joshua will be in "Year 5." Aidan will start nursery school there next January. And yes, they will all have to wear uniforms - Joshua will have to learn to tie a tie, and Gillian will wear a hat every day.
Yesterday we went to the Royal Air Base, Fairford, where I obtained a military ID so I can shop at the BX and Commissary. I almost felt at home on base! Reminded me of my childhood ... Patrick has a badge from the building where he works, so he doesn't need the ID. So off to the commissary we went after that, and the children were thrilled to see their favorite grocery products - Kraft mac n cheese, frozen pizzas, KETCHUP, and even Morningstar corn dogs! We stocked up for the week.
This week we ate our first sausage rolls from a local bakery. I loved the pastry around the sausage, not too sure about the sausage. I also shopped at Marks and Spencer - a lovely department store. I took one afternoon on my own and wandered up and down High St., stopping in a shop here and there. I bought an iron, toaster, and alarm clock for the new house. I went into this store called Argos, and it has a shelf all around it with big, fat catalogues to look up all sorts of electronics, home furnishings, and household items. When you find the product you like, you type the catalogue number into a little machine by the catalogue to see if the product is in stock. If it is, you write it down on a little piece of paper and take it up to the register. You pay for the item, the clerk types it into his computer, and someone in the back brings it up front for you! The only downside to this that I could see was not being able to hold the item or see it up close before you purchase it. But still very efficient!
This weekend we are planning on driving around a bit and going on a picnic. I will be sure to take lots of pictures! And I will be going for my first English run tomorrow morning with my friend, Elizabeth. Looking forward to it!
Just for the record, I DID drive around our little courtyard yesterday - managed to get the car into first gear and reverse! Will be trying a little bit more out tomorrow.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
We bought a used car here, but I am afraid to drive it. It has been sitting in our little driveway for three days. The gear shift is on the left. Can I shift with a left hand? Can I shift with a left hand with three children in the back seat? I'm not so certain ...
Patrick has been riding a bike to work. And it only takes about 15 minutes. I look out the window and many people ride their bikes to work. Many people walk - with umbrellas in hand, the weather here is truly unpredictable. You may wake up in the morning and think, Oh, what a beautiful day it's going to be! And then about an hour later it might be pouring rain. But it's still lovely. I love the rain here. It doesn't last too long, at least as far as I can tell. I can't wait to sit in our conservatory in the new house and read a book during a fantastic rain. What joy!
We got "take away" pizza last night that was actually delivery. We ordered a vegetarian pizza and it came with corn on it.
So we didn't know the gratuity traditions of England. Apparently, when they say Free Delivery, they mean free delivery! Our pizza delivery man was very happy to be here and will probably be happy to come back soon after we tipped him!
Patrick has been riding a bike to work. And it only takes about 15 minutes. I look out the window and many people ride their bikes to work. Many people walk - with umbrellas in hand, the weather here is truly unpredictable. You may wake up in the morning and think, Oh, what a beautiful day it's going to be! And then about an hour later it might be pouring rain. But it's still lovely. I love the rain here. It doesn't last too long, at least as far as I can tell. I can't wait to sit in our conservatory in the new house and read a book during a fantastic rain. What joy!
We got "take away" pizza last night that was actually delivery. We ordered a vegetarian pizza and it came with corn on it.
So we didn't know the gratuity traditions of England. Apparently, when they say Free Delivery, they mean free delivery! Our pizza delivery man was very happy to be here and will probably be happy to come back soon after we tipped him!
Well, here we are. I moved plenty as a child with my family - having a father in the Air Force. It is different when you are the mum. Now I am the one putting on the brave face and saying things like, "Come close to me, we don't know these streets, yet." And "Isn't this fun? We don't know much around here, yet, but we have each other."
We are walking to the super market for two days' worth of food and supplies. We are walking just to get out of the house. People here don't tend to look at you. They pretend they don't see you. Not everyone is like that - some look at you and smile. Especially if they hear your loud American children bickering at each other. Most English mums I have seen on the streets have quiet children who don't look at you, either. That, or they are throwing tantrums. This is when I look understandingly at the other mum and smile. They always smile back.
Joshua and Gillian argue at who gets to push Aidan in stroller. I don't mind either of them pushing, but when we come to the street I have to be the one pushing the stroller AND holding the hands of my children. It is very hard to get used to looking the opposite direction for traffic. And drivers here are not as "giving" when it comes to pedestrians. I thought Joshua was going to be hit by a motorcyclist the other day. And he's at the age that he doesn't really believe anything bad will happen to him.
At night my children are calling out the window, "Good night, England!"
We are walking to the super market for two days' worth of food and supplies. We are walking just to get out of the house. People here don't tend to look at you. They pretend they don't see you. Not everyone is like that - some look at you and smile. Especially if they hear your loud American children bickering at each other. Most English mums I have seen on the streets have quiet children who don't look at you, either. That, or they are throwing tantrums. This is when I look understandingly at the other mum and smile. They always smile back.
Joshua and Gillian argue at who gets to push Aidan in stroller. I don't mind either of them pushing, but when we come to the street I have to be the one pushing the stroller AND holding the hands of my children. It is very hard to get used to looking the opposite direction for traffic. And drivers here are not as "giving" when it comes to pedestrians. I thought Joshua was going to be hit by a motorcyclist the other day. And he's at the age that he doesn't really believe anything bad will happen to him.
At night my children are calling out the window, "Good night, England!"
Well here we are - after nearly a year in the making, this move has happened. We didn't really think it was ever going to get here. We were hopeful, excited, wondering if this is what God had in store for us. But no doubt, we are here, with so few bumps in the road we have no doubt that this is where are meant to be for now. The children are amazing. They have known for about eight months this was going to happen. They have been patient, asking questions from time to time, getting excited here and there. We moved our household items out of our house in early June while the children were still in school. We drove to Minnesota, Colorado, and North Carolina as a "pre-" trip to see our family, celebrate weddings, and generally say good-bye before we left.
They were amazing. What troupers - sitting in that back seat, entertaining each other, loving each other, fighting with each other, laughing together, singing - what joy.
And finally we arrive .... to Heathrow. No one bats an eye, we are at another airport, except this time we have to stand in line to get passports stamped. And then a driver picks us up and drives on the wrong side of the road to get to our new temporary home ....
They were amazing. What troupers - sitting in that back seat, entertaining each other, loving each other, fighting with each other, laughing together, singing - what joy.
And finally we arrive .... to Heathrow. No one bats an eye, we are at another airport, except this time we have to stand in line to get passports stamped. And then a driver picks us up and drives on the wrong side of the road to get to our new temporary home ....
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