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Day 8: Giving Thanks
I’m not much of an outdoorsy girl. My idea of “getting some fresh air” is reading a book outside in the sunshine with a glass of lemonade. It is because of this that I am very thankful for my very, very, VERY energetic spaniel and the need to wear her out take her for walks, especially on a dreary, cold, mizzly day. (Mizzle = mist + drizzle). If it weren’t for her, I’d miss out on all the beauty that surrounds me, even on a day that is best spent dozing on the sofa under a warm blanket, cup of tea and chocolate digestive on the table next to me.…
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Looking Back, in Thanks (Part 1)
So, November is upon us, and for my American friends, Thanksgiving Day will be one of the high points of the month: family gathered together, laughing, eating turkey and pumpkin pie, crashing on the sofa in a food coma and watching football. Not so much here. After cooking a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings on my first Thanksgiving here, only to have the (then) three-year old say “I don’t like turkey”, leaving the three of us to eat all the dishes prepared – that’s a lot of green bean casserole, folks. And since the Thursday that Thanksgiving falls on is a normal working day here, it tends to…
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Silent Sunday
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Fill In The Blank Friday
What a loooonnnng week it has been, and at the same time, look how quickly Friday has arrived! School started up this week after half term, and while we had the typical back-to-school tiredness the first few days, I think we all were glad to get back onto some sort of schedule. Anywhoo….enough moaning. Lauren‘s blanks always make me take a moment to stop and think happy thoughts, so let’s fill in some blanks! 1. My favorite thing about this week is going Christmas shopping today with a dear friend. I’m looking forward to the day! 2. Colder weather makes me crave warm soups and bread, pull out my favorite wool sweaters….and thick tights…and fun hats….and…
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Writer’s Workshop: Big Fat Focaccia Fail
I’ve been so good. Drinking my water and eating my veggies and fruit. Trying to stay away from the candy dish. Saying “NO” to the luring call of the afternoon cake or a biscuit (that’s a cookie) with my tea. Hopping around my sitting room to “Just Dance 2” (extra points for ducking behind the sofa to hide from walkers on the lane). But today at the Farmer’s Market, my self-control *gulp* failed and after nearly a YEAR of self-denial, I broke down. I couldn’t resist the call of feta-olive-tomato focaccia. Since I told myself I won’t regret it…Just Dance 2, anyone? Mama Kat offered…
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Halloween, Here vs There
Halloween in the UK (at least where we live) is very different from how it is celebrated in the US. In the US, it’s very much a commercial holiday. You’ll find rows upon rows of costumes at your big box stores, and your smaller stores as well. You’ll find AISLES in those same big box stores packed, from top to bottom, with bags of candy to be handed out. You’ll find costumes of the Power Rangers, princesses, Spider Man, Superman – you name it, they have a costume for it. Towns in the US have designated times for trick or treating. And, of course, there are rules: if the porch…
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Halloween Hell
Let me say, for the record, that I hate Halloween. Hate. It. It is my least favorite holiday, with Valentine’s Day taking a close second. (But that’s another post, entirely.) Why, you ask? Perhaps if I explain in the form of a haiku… Halloween costume Striking terror in my heart My ideas suck Yeppers. I hate the pressure of coming up with a really cool Halloween costume. Perhaps it was because so many of my childhood costumes…well…sucked. (No offense, mom.) To be honest, I couldn’t tell you what I was for many a Halloween. The costumes were either that unremarkable, or I’ve completely blocked it out. (I’m leaning towards the…
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Fill in the Blank Friday
I love Lauren’s “fill in the blank meme” and she credits this week’s blanks to Shaunie at Unknown Boutique. So without further ado, let’s go: 1. When I was a kid I wanted to be a teacher or an artist when I grew up. 2. As an adult, my dream job would be a children’s story book illustrator. 3. When I was younger I wanted to be just like my mom. (Although Vicki Stubing was a close second – I wanted to live on “The Love Boat”.) 4. The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was when I was a clown. Lordy, I hated that costume (clowns gave me…
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The Gallery: Faces
I spent part of this afternoon building a Lego set with my kidlings today. Together they sat, faces close together, working (companionably, no less!) to assemble the small pieces. Watching them, it struck me how much they both have grown – Pea’s not a baby any more! – and how much older they look – and yet, how little their faces have changed. Oh, sure, they have lengthened a bit and lost the baby squareness that they had (yes, they were blockheads), but Pea still has a glint of mischief and Boo is still, well, Boo. I’m a bit mad with my camera, my kids will back…
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Things I HAVE Done
On Thursday, I wrote a post about the things that I haven’t done. Perhaps some items were a bit tongue-in-cheek, some were things I’d like to do, some were things I have no need to do. But… That’s a bit negative, isn’t it. I’m forty-three years old. And I’ve: 1. Slept in a tent in the desert. By a river filled with crocodiles. And my tent zipper wouldn’t fully close. 2. Landed in a plane on a beach (and in the desert) in Namibia. 3. Rode in a helicopter and circled the St. Louis arch. 4. Eaten wiener schnitzel and apple strudel in Vienna. 5. Gone snorkelling in the Caribbean…