I Like A Bit Of Casual Alcoholism...

    This morning I was greeted by a friendly frost outside my window. It is actually the first piece of winter white I have seen since I have been here. The blue sky peaked out of the clouds for a few hours, and made our trip to Trentham very enjoyable. Lynne and I left the house around 11am for a wonderful day of shopping and errands. Our first stop was the local pet store, "Pets A Home". Of course I couldn't help but splurge on items for the cats, which I am sure they will love. Our next stop was the Trentham Gardens. There are actual English gardens there, but Lynne and I have yet to visit them. It would not be at all in bloom at this time of the year anyway. Along with the gardens, there is an area of outdoor shopping that we lingered through all afternoon. We headed home around 3:30pm, but made a quick stop at the allotment to pick up some vegetables to go with our pies for dinner. While there I met a very nice local gardener named Terry. While this day remanded very quite, I do hope Jess and I will be able to go to Shrewsbery tomorrow (there is a forecast of snow and rain). Keep your fingers crossed!!

My bit of English frost.

Trentham Shopping.

YUM! Pie Minister!

Brussel Sprouts at the allotment.

Lynne's Water has yet to thaw.

Lynne and her shed!

Leeks.

Terry!

  

One Hot Biscuit

     While yesterday was all together fun, I was unfortunately so busy that I complete forgot to post to my blog! Today, however, was much less…riveting, and I therefore now have time to blog. Yesterday I was suppose to go to Shrewsburry with Jess, but the weather was unexpectedly disastrous. Actually, I'm sure the roads were fine the longer the day went on, but in the morning the roads were slick. Only a thin layer of ice caused a 7 car pile-up, and the roads were completely shutdown.
     Needless to say, we stayed in all day. The day wasn't completely shot however as I decided to make delicious Southern Biscuits. They actually turned out okay when you consider that the oven went out as they were baking.

     Today was VERY rainy. Anne and I were suppose to meet at 11am to go to Market Drayton and see the Wednesday Open Market; but the rain never stopped pouring. Anne and I spent the day watching TV and chatting in front of the fire, and it was really lovely. I worked on my stitching all day, and now feel so refreshed. Hopefully I will have more to report tomorrow!

So Glad To Be So Cold

     Today was a relatively early morning for me. Before we all went to bed, we had planned to be out of the house and off to Birmingham by 10am. However, by 9am no one had even begun to stir, so I got on the computer and fiddled around, bought my text books, and headed into the kitchen. In the end, we left the house around 11:30am. It was an amazingly quick hour long drive to the city, but I think I am still being haunted by the ghost of jet lag, because by about 11am I am completely exhausted, even when I have had a full night of sleep.

     We reached Birmingham at half passed noon. I was amazed when Lynne and Jess commented on the amount of crime in the city, but once we arrived I could see what they meant. There were no robbers that I saw of course, but the city was a sharp juxtaposition of new and old which can often create a feeling of smallness among tourists. Still, I found many parts of the city to be beautiful. It was, like most big cities, very dirty and cram packed with people and gave off an almost palpable taste of electricity. Most of our day was consumed of wandering from shop to shop. I found some great baby clothes for little Casper, Jess and Lynne had a religious experience in Forever 21, and Dave bought a nice sweater from Gap. 

     The only draw back of the day was my being completely over-heated. Once we entered the huge 4 story mall, I was blasted with serious heat. While it felt good when I first stepped in, by the time I found I store I wanted to visit I was sweating profusely. I was so so so happy when we got to leave the mall. I stuffed my blue jacket in my shopping bag, and walked the rest of the day around Birmingham wearing just a turtle neck and thin black cardigan. Lynne seemed really concerned at first, because it was a very windy and cold day, but I reassured her that I was truly about to ignite; everyone else stayed huddled in their coats, gloves, and scarves.

    We came to the canals of Birmingham at sun set, and took a quick walk around a small area of these canals, and I took a lot of different photos of this interesting area. Unfortunately, they we underdeveloped, so I didn't post them. When the sun had set, we made our way to a good looking restaurant, a burger restaurant, and each had a wonderful meal. Lynne, Dave and Jess had burgers and I got a very tasty salad. At the end of our meal I was finally room temperature again, and willingly donned my jacket and gloves for the long trek back to the parking garage. 

Ugh, politically correct toys.

Las Vegas? Planet Hollywood? Who knew they had just copied this design?

The crowed four story mall.

The whole dollar pound store thing, really must be a universally loved idea.

  

Deep In the Dust

     As Jess had to go to work today at noon, it was just Lynne and I and what with the sun trying its best to shine out from behind the clouds, we decided to make our way over to the Dagfield Antique Market. Now, I have been to many large antique malls back home, but this definitely takes the cake. The whole area is actually comprised of five or so large barns, each one filled to the brim with antiques and junk. Neither Lynne nor I found anything we could not live without, but we had a wonderful time wading through the piles of history. After a brief stop in the tea room, Lynne and I were off to Nantwich, a small village just down the road from the antique market. Unfortunately, the weather turned cloudy as we were leaving the market, and the cold was beginning to set in with a vengeance. We didn't stay long in Nantwich as most all of the shops were closed, but we had a nice quick walk around the town square. It is certainly a place where I would like to visit again when the town center is more alive.

The following pictures are of Nantwich, enjoy!    

How funny is this? I was going to stick my head in (or Lynne's), but it has been locked so idiot tourists, like myself, will not do such a thing.

Cheerful Company Is Worth its Weight in Gold

     For those who know me best, you know how little I socialize with people my own age. Well, perhaps how difficult it is to find others who want to socialize with me. Anyway, this past twenty four hours has been filled with cheer and laughter. 

     New Years Eve consisted of much red wine, a glass of champagne and a generous helping of bourbon. As we watched TV, and counted down to the new year, I was lucky to be exposed to several great singers. If you have never heard of "The Secret Sisters", I suggest you check them out on itunes. Country fans will be amazed by the haunting voice of these two Alabama sisters. I find them incredible artists, and I'm sure you will too. 

     Watch them sing "Walking After Midnight", and I know you will be hooked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX4IiePdKgg

     Another artist I have never heard of, but is apparently quite popular here, is "Rumer". I only heard her sing one song, but her sound is similar to Carol Carpenter. Unfortunately, you cannot buy her CD in America without paying an absurd price. So, I plan to buy one here, and if you like her, I will certainly share my music with you.

     Watch her sing here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alhUv3qxhI8

     Unfortunately, my alcoholic overindulgence led to a very late morning. So late in fact that Lynne came in at 11:30am to check that I was still breathing. Embarrassed, I shot up and quickly and dressed and had a quick breakfast. About an hour later Jess and I headed off to the movies to see the most recent Harry Potter film. I was actually amazed by how good it was. I had stopped watching the films a while ago, because I thought there was too much being left out. However, I liked this film so much that I will most likely make plans to see the second part once it comes out. 

     The best part of the day was coming home to "Christmas" Dinner. Lynne spent her time in the kitchen while Jess and I were at the movies, and when we came home, I was warmly greeted by the comforting smells of a special winter meal. A golden chicken sat roasting in the oven, homegrown vegetables steamed merrily in the three story steamer, and Yorkshire puddings puffed up into light clouds of heaven. The meal was wonderful, but what made it even better was the company I was in. I feel so blessed to be here in England with… well, my family. I am a very fortunate person. 

"Crackers", which are a common British tradition. The name is actually is a misnomer however. I originally thought they were full of crackers and that I was going to have to eat all of them before we could get to dessert. But actually, they are full of presents and a paper crown. Basically, you hold you cracker in your left hand, and the person to your left grabs the other end. This goes on until there is a full circle made. Then each person pulls on the crackers and they break, making a large cracking sound, and reveal a small trinket inside.

     To top it all off, we were greeted by Jess's friends Jack and Ali who are very funny and kept me laughing all throughout the night. Jack was even adventurous enough to try some of the bourbon Dad had given Lynne and Jess when they visited us in America. I think he was quite shocked by the burn it left behind, but all in all was pleased with it. I hope to be able to spend more time with these two and Jess before I have to trudge by home. 

Jack savoring the bourbon.

Jess, Ali and Jack.