in search of family history we found rain

Today we went on a rainy jaunt to the border of England and Wales.

I woke up to my radio, the DJ stating that the weather was atrocious, and I slept a little longer…instead of 7:30, I got up at 8:30. When I told mom and dad, they were still asleep and surprised that it was so late. We could all hear the rain. It was a noise that stayed with us all day.

The tomtom (Kate is the UK voice we use) estimated 2 hours for the trip to Hay-on-Wye. This is a town right on the border of Wales, up north a bit. It is close to Michaelchurch-Escley – where my very great(several greats) grandparents had the Peny Park Farm. Whenever I mention Hay-on-Wye here, people say “Oh, the town of books.” Getting there wasn’t too hard – just noisy. The windshield wipers were on the whole time as the rain tipped down. We parked and grabbed the umbrellas (luckily we all had very waterproof jackets). We at lovely sandwiches for lunch and then explored the town…lots of bookshops. Lots of water. After an hour or so, we got back in the car and told Kate to take us to Michaelchurch-Escley.

The trip was supposed to take 22 minutes for 9.1 miles. I quickly discovered why it would take so long (and even longer). The road was windy, hilly, and about 1 foot wider than my car. I had to back up twice for other cars, once down a steep hill covered by a lot of trees. The roads were pretty consistently the path for a lot of runoff…so it was slow-going. I kept telling dad that it couldn’t possibly be like this the whole rest of the way. It was. Then I said that we weren’t going back that way – no matter what. I kept expecting to get to Michaelchurch and seeing a decent road. It wasn’t to be. Michaelchurch was a church with a cemetery – that’s it. The road was the same.

I was thrilled when Kate plotted a path home that didn’t have us turn around. I shouldn’t have been. I was on equally skinny, windy roads (I guess not the same number of hills, but a lot more cars and standing water) for at least another 15 miles – like 45 minutes. Plus – there was a cow loose on the road (the rest of the herd was on the other side or the big hedge, the fence down the way was shut). Poor thing. It was so upset. Luckily it just seemed confused – not angry. We went super slow, and were able to pass it without incident. After the cow, there seemed to be a lot more cars in the oncoming lane. We imagined they were on their way to rescue the cow.

Driving back to Swindon the radio kept telling everyone to stay off the roads. I guess there has been a lot of flooding. Traffic was not good…but we made it to a nice pub (with a salad bar – and early bird pricing) for dinner. Then we headed home for another Doctor Who episode (I am sending home DVDs).

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to ease up a little – which is good, since we are heading into London. I hope that driving there won’t seem as bad after the white-knuckling I did today. I know that dad was grateful not to be driving – I guess he had a couple of rough days in Ireland…a particularly narrow stretch of the Ring of Kerry in particular.

A couple of questions for Aunt Sue (who gave me the Michaelchurch info)… How did you get there? (We wouldn’t have made it without Kate, the tomtom.) Was it raining? Who drove? We’ll have to talk through what we were supposed to see next month at Daniel’s wedding. Hopefully when we search for signs of John Foulger in Islington tomorrow we’ll have better roads, less rain and a bit more luck.

a blethering blog - about Scotland

Now I can kind of – just kind of – understand everyone’s disbelief at the thought of driving to Scotland for the weekend. I am so tired from all of the driving. The drive up on the M6 isn’t bad – except in traffic. It just seems like a normal freeway. But then in Scotland all of the roads are pretty small and quite windy – especially in the Highlands. We drove on numerous 1-lane roads. It was an adventure.

We woke up at a normal time on Friday morning, and had the car packed and ready for us to leave just after 8. We had lunch at a service stop (very like the roadside stops on the Turn Pikes back east – not a real exit, just a place for gas, expensive food and a hotel) around Lancaster at 1ish and then folded ourselves back in the car to head up to Scotland. The most prominent thing in the British Countryside is sheep – loads of sheep. We also saw several old ruins, stone walls and towns (but at a distance).

The lowlands of Scotland look just like England – sheep and green. Not many fir trees, just hardwoods. We got into Edinburgh around 3, but then drove around for a while looking for a hotel. With good luck, we found the Travelodge right off the Royal Mile in the center of old town. Mom and dad talked the receptionist into putting a rollaway into an available room so we’d fit – they didn’t even charge extra… at 80 pounds, we’re told it was a very good deal. Still seems a bit steep to me. The search for a hotel stressed me out, so I called ahead to a Travelodge in Inverness and sorted out a proper “family” room for Saturday night.

We headed out to walk the Royal Mile. Very quickly we made a return trip for umbrellas and for mom to change out of her crocks – we stone walkways + Crocs = slipping. This whole process actually at up a lot of time. By the time we were back out walking (and looking for a tour bus) it was nearly 5. The Castle and the Palace at Holyrood House both closed at 6, with final admittance at 5, so we knew we couldn’t make it. We just walked the main road (the Royal Mile) between them. Edinburgh is very old, jammed with tall stone buildings. It felt very heavy and dark to me. I am sure that the rain only enhanced those feelings. There was an event called Castle Rock going on at the castle grounds, so we couldn’t get in to walk around that night. However, we did find a shop with 2 smashed pennies – yay for me! One is of William Wallace and the other says something like “Bonny Scotland”. We shopped for wool – saw all the clan plaids. Mom is a Hunter, so that was exciting for her. I meant to buy a blanket, but it just never seemed to happen. For now I’m thrilled with the pennies. We saw someone heading up to the rock concert that was dressed just like Captain Jack Sparrow, except without any color, just grungy greys...but the hat, hair, and coat were a match. It was a hoot. I n Edinburgh we had a yummy dinner at a pub, and then continued exploring. Dad’s feet were really sore when we made it back to the hotel. Mine didn't feel great either. And I think mom's knee was sore from her earlier croc-slip.

One thing that is interesting in Edinburgh are called closes. There are many little alleys – kind of wide doorways – off the main road…tucked between shops. You walk back into them and find yourself in a courtyard, garden, staircase to another road…all sorts of things. Mom really liked one called “World's End Close”. They are all named. I just thought they looked like places to avoid at night.

We woke up knowing that we had the drive to Inverness ahead, so we didn’t have much time to spend in Edinburgh. We walked to Princes Street to see when things would open and ate some quick breakfast. We also went to the Mark’s & Spencer’s (a nice supermarket) and picked up some things for lunch for the car (salad/sandwich). We checked out and ended up basically doing drive bys of the castle and palace. Hardly saw the palace at all.

I think that was actually a good decision, because the road into the Highlands was windy and slow. We turned off slightly before reaching Inverness to visit Cawdor Castle. I had set up the route in the TomTom to direct us to the village of Cawdor. When we turned off the main road and found ourselves on a 1 lane, hilly, puddle-y road, we weren’t sure what Kate (the British voice in the tomtom) was thinking. (Side note – the TomTom has a lot of voices pre-installed. The default was a US English voice. When I was testing it out on the roads around my house, I quickly realized that I had to switch to a UK English voice. The US voice couldn’t say Round-about without a big hitch in the middle. That just wouldn’t do. Roundabouts are the most common traffic control in the UK.) Back to the road to Cawdor Castle. We made it to the end of the road, where there was a bigger road and a brown sign indicating the direction to Cawdor Castle. Kate agreed with the directions. We made it there without any problems. There was a little 9 hole golf course next to the castle, the rates seemed quite reasonable (even to dad, who thinks that everything is half the size but costs twice as much here).

The Castle is still a sometimes residence for Lady Cawdor, so the overall feeling of the castle is much warmer than Windsor (where I am sure the queen’s actual rooms are lovely, but we didn’t get to see those). We liked it. The gardens were extensive – including several mazes. I like hedge mazes. The weather was not totally reliable, but it wasn’t bad either.

After Cawdor, we got back on the road and went to Culloden Battlefield. This was where Bonny Prince Charlie and his Jacobite Rebellion were squashed in 1746. 1200 (I think) people were killed in 45 minutes, ending the rebellion. It is the most recent battle site in the UK. It was rainy, so we spent some time in the shop. Mom found a wool blanket that she loved, and also bought 2 spirtles (they look like mini wooden baseball bats) that are used to stir porridge (Scottish oatmeal). The rain eased just before 4 (when the site closes) and we wandered a little way through the fields. I made everyone leave because I wanted to go to a kilt maker exhibition in Inverness…it only took about 5 minutes to get to Inverness, and the we learned that the kilt makers don’t work on the weekend. Too bad.

The town of Inverness is small and quaint. I loved it. The river Ness runs through it, and the ocean is very close.

On the way into town, we spotted a 24-hour Tesco Extra – a good site to fill up gas and get some ice for the cooler, so we planned on a drive down the loch (yes, Loch Ness) in the evening, and then to check into the hotel back up in Inverness in time to make it to the Tesco – I have learned that 24-hours is a subjective term on the weekends.

Loch Ness is long and is the largest loch (by volume). We drove about ½ way down it to the town of Drumnadrochit (Drum-na-draw-kit) where there are 2 Nessie Exhibits (one is “official” one is “original”). We decided that we didn’t need to go through the actual exhibit – I have seen it on the travel channel… We did shop. I bought a big wand of Nessie Rock. (I saw a show on the food network about Blackpool Rock – a kind of sugar candy made in Blackpool (a beach town like Santa Cruz – very boardwalk-y)). The way they make the candy allows for words to be “written” in the middle of the stick – readable the whole way through. I was shocked with how big the candy is. Mine is about 1 inch in diameter and 10 inches long. Red on the outside, white in the center, with Nessie Rock detailed in the middle in red. I haven’t tasted it yet, I am not sure it will be good. (http://www.blackpoolrock.com/) People can order it personalized for all sorts of things.

We ate at a small diner – not really a pub. Mom wanted to try haggis, so we got a very small appetizer. It came with toast points and butter, and about ¼ c (maybe) of haggis. It is kind of similar in appearance to cooked ground beef – maybe a little smoother. Mom asked what it was and the waitress said “Sheep, oats and spices”. We didn’t have her detail what parts of the sheep…we wanted to want to try it. We all had a bit, and it wasn’t that bad. But since I know it is the heart, lungs & liver (cooked in the stomach for extra tender tastiness) – I don’t think it will ever become a craving. You can buy a haggis packaged and ready to cook. After all the sheep I have seen – I can’t possibly eat it again…but I understand how they might have come up with the disk…they have so many sheep after all. I think more sheep than people. We also saw a couple of Heiland Coo ("Hee-lan coo" = highland cow). Mom loved them.

After dinner we drove to the hotel (the only thing the tomtom couldn’t quite find – it is on a new road…luckily I made a right guess (or a wrong turn) that took us straight there). I was shocked when the receptionist said that the Tesco never closes – even on the weekends. Inverness just got that much cooler! We went into Tesco and ended up spending some time. Dad’s heels were sore, so we looked at the pain remedies… we found some ibuprofen topical gel. So far dad is tending to think that it helps a lot. Excellent news. It was even cheap. (1.25 for a good-sized tube).

Sleep was difficult in Inverness – it hardly got dark. I think it is close in latitude to Anchorage, Alaska. While preparing for bed, we decided on plans for Sunday – and we actually stuck to them. We went back to Loch Ness and took a 1 hour cruise. The weather cooperated. Blue skies were a welcome start to the morning. The cruise took us to Urquhart Castle – which was blown up in the mid 1700’s to prevent Jacobite occupation – and is still in ruins. It used to be the 3rd most strategic castle in Scotland. If we wanted to pay a few more pounds and spend another hour, we could have been dropped off at the castle site – we didn’t.

After the cruise, we kept driving down the loch – saw Urquhart from the road, and drove west toward the Hebrides Islands. After many twists and turns, and a few more 1-lane roads and bridges, we stopped at the Eileen Donan Castle, just across from the Isle of Skye. This was probably my favorite stop on our trip. The castle was rebuilt in the 1920’s and lived in by the MacRae family. The history of the castle was displayed very well. Again, it felt much warmer than a royal residence. The setting is so picturesque – it sits on a sea loch, with big green mountains on the waters’ edges. Another plus – there was another smashed penny. We also had lunch here. I think that everyone really enjoyed it.

We had a Bed & Breakfast booked just north of Fort William – the last stop on our itinerary. Unfortunately, our timing was poor – Sunday afternoons don’t offer a lot besides pretty scenery in Fort William. But the scenery was spectacular. The town sits at the base of Ben Nevis – the tallest mountain in the UK (not a great feat at just 4500 feet). The area is known for outdoor sports – mountain biking, hiking, sailing, etc. We enjoyed a traditional Sunday meal in a pub – roast, potatoes & Yorkshire pudding. Not quite as good as what grandma would make, but basically the same food. We checked into the B&B at around 7, and were directed to a few more local sites – since we had a lot of sunlight left. We drove to Glen Finnan. On one side of the road is a monument to Bonny Prince Charlie (it is where he landed for the last doomed rebellion), and the other side of the road features the steam train viaduct famous from Harry Potter. We also had our first encounter with midges here. Icky little ant-like biting flies. We were told that we probably wouldn’t react to any bites – it takes your immune system awhile (like a season of bites) to realize it is being attacked. They were gross though.

On Monday we woke up early and had a 7am Traditional Scottish breakfast yummy porridge, an egg, sausage, bacon and toast. Oh, and broiled tomatoes – I gave mine to mom. The tomtom said the drive home would be over 8-hours, so we had to hurry to beat the after traffic crunch. The drive was mostly encumbered by fog and rain, but what we could see was gorgeous. The Glencoe valley was so pretty. Dad may have gotten some pictures with his camera while I was driving, I didn’t. We also spent about 45 minutes on some really nasty road right on the shore of Loch Lomond (largest by surface area). I really didn’t like the road – very skinny, very windy, and too many oncoming cars. When I could sneak a glance at the loch, it did seem lovely. The sun had come out and was bouncing off the water…it was very bright through all the foliage on the road.

The rest of the drive was pretty. We drove through Glasgow, but didn’t stop. It seems like a fairly large, modern city compared to the rest of Scotland. I hope to plan a trip to visit before I leave…maybe a day trip from a close airport or something.

Last night we got home and did laundry – had to wait for the load to finish so we could get it all hung up to dry. Then we left for dinner and a movie. We saw Harry Potter. It was great. One of the best movies so far (I really like the Prisoner of Azkaban). It was funny because this is the first time dad had read the book before seeing the movie…so he was surprised at how much was different – either changed or omitted. I guess mom and I are just used to that – or have worse memories. I really need to re-read the books. I am very excited for my copy of #7 to appear on my doorstep early on Saturday morning.

Today mom and dad dropped me off at work. Armed with the tomtom, they set out for Salisbury to see the cathedral. Tomorrow they fly to Ireland for a couple of days. I think that we’ll spend Friday in Wales, Hay-on-Wye and Bath (if there is time for all of that) to see some family history spots. Then Saturday and Sunday are for London. Dad leaves early Monday morning…then Kathy arrives on Saturday. Then Kath, mom and I take a ferry to Normandy for a couple of days. I can’t wait.

the recommended way to turn 29

A request has been made for a new blog - just to move the spider a bit down the page. I also thought I'd thank everyone for their birthday wishes. It really was a great birthday. I woke up quite early and went into the office about 7:30...I had a few things to get done before I could leave for the airport - including getting embarrassed by about 20 people and a card. Just about 9:45 I felt a looming presence behind me (we don't have cubes here, and my back is to a wide open space when I sit at my computer). I was leaving at 10 to pick up mom and dad, so I was really close to getting away without any birthday to do. But it was nice - just embarrassing.

I got to the airport quickly and figured out where to park. The parking is quite expensive (2.30 for 0-30 minutes, then like 3.60 for 30-60 minutes). I was hoping to get out in under an hour. Mom and dad seemed to arrive very quickly. They looked very tired, but apparently should have looked more rested. They got upgraded to business class on Lufthansa and had fully reclining seats. However, this was too exciting - they didn't hardly sleep on the plane at all.

I still took them to Windsor Castle for the afternoon. There was quite a queue to get in, but then the castle ground open up, and we were fine with our audio guides (that is what mom and dad are holding to their ears in the picture. The castle is super old, but it's claim to fame is that it has the most continuous royal occupancy of any castly in the world - 900 years. It is apparently where the queen likes to spend her weekends. She was not there yesterday - you'll see the union jack is flying above the tower. When a royal is in residence, the royal standard flies.

We got to see the State Apartments (not the current queen's rooms). This is where all of the queen/king dining rooms and reception rooms and bedrooms are all decorated in the old style - like how Charles I would have done. We also saw the Garter Room, which is where all of the new knights of the royal order are knighted each Garter Day. Highlights of the state apartments was Queen Mary's Dolls' House, the royal gallery (with DaVinci & Michelangelo drawings) and lots and lots and lots of weapons on display. Mom said they reminded her a lot of the Palace of Versailles in France (just minus the rain, rain and more rain) from our trip last summer. Mostly it all makes me very glad I am not royal. :)

We also saw St. George's Chapel - the choir stalls were cool - I bet the accoustics are phenomenal. I think the highlight of Windsor Castle is the grounds. The moat has alway been dry, but it is a spectacular garden. Plus just the structure it self - so old and so imposing. It is up on a rock outcropping, the view is really spectacular.

On the way home we went to the Costco in Reading (v. exciting, I know) - just to pick up some essentials. Then home for dinner, then off to Tesco to get a few more essentials (like produce) and give mom and dad an idea of how grocery shopping is here. Dad is still a bit floored at the cost of everything. Really it hardly phases me anymore.

I had to work today - out of the office. We had a Q-Do (what they call a quarterly team building activity - Intel has them everywhere). We went to a Garden Therapy Center for Mentally Impaired Youth, called the Root and Branch Farm. We built a path and some planting tables for the greenhouse. It was a nice activity. I stayed until 2. Mom and Dad decided to stay home and get some more rest.

I came home and baked a quick cake (a victoria sponge - lovely) to take for pudding (what the brits call all desserts) to a friend's house for dinner. Before dinner, I took mom and dad to Avebury to quickly see the stones and sheepies. We'll probably go back again - it seems like there is a lot more to explore there than I thought. :)

Dad drove us to dinner - through mad traffic. He did well. I have him insured on my car while he's here so he can help with the driving. Tomorrow morning we leave for Scotland. :) Everyone here thinks we are nuts to drive - and all 7 hours in 1 day. I think it is funny. We look forward to seeing the famed countryside of Braveheart. :) Our plans are to see Edinburgh, Inverness (and Loch Ness), Fort William (and Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Scotland - maybe the UK), and Glasgow. Navigation provided by my new TomTom...it is fab!

We'll have pictures and a story next week. We'll be away until Monday night. Then mom and dad will probably take the car to explore Salisbury and maybe Stonehenge while I work on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday they fly for a quick 2-day stint to Ireland. I am jealous. Then we'll spend the weekend in London - dad hasn't been there, and there is a lot that mom and I would enjoy seeing.

We meant to see Harry Potter tonight, but got too caught up at dinner to make a reasonable showing...we'll have to do it another time. My copy of the book will be on my doorstep next Saturday morning. :) I can't wait.

the most exciting (eek) part of the weekend that I forgot

I forgot about the hugest spider ever that was on my couch, and then the return of the biggest spider. I have been brave twice and caught this humongous visitor in a cup and took it outside to fling into the bushes... if it comes back again I might have to kill it. Check it out. Huge. I put the picture with the love seat in the bottom for scale.

the National Health System...not too bad, just don't take the co-codamol

In my last post I mentioned that I would be going to Wales last Saturday and into London for church last Sunday. Both plans changed. It was so very rainy that I didn't want to drive to Wales, and the rain continued on Sunday - as did a few terrorist activities in the UK, so I decided to stick to Swindon for church. A pretty uneventful weekend.

I had to save all the excitement for the week! On Sunday night (well, 3:30am Monday morning), I woke up needing to go to the bathroom. There was enough time until my alarm at 6:30 that I decided I should go downstairs. Big mistake. Huge mistake. I slipped on the stairs and landed on my right shin, my foot tucked up under (behind?) me. I am still not sure exactly what happened. I guess I was pretty asleep. It was a very shocking way to wake up - missing a couple stairs. So, I hobbled to the bathroom and ended up on the floor - just focusing on breathing. The bruising at the base of the toenails was immediate (sorry about the blury picture, it is only about 30 minutes after I fell). Plus the middle toes bled from under the nail a bit - ick - you can see where the nail bent. (in all subsequent pictures, ignore the icky nails - I was planning on a pedicure on Monday after work and had just removed all my polish on Sunday night). Now no pedicure. :(

I was a little bit in shock. It was a scary thing. I realized that I could have ended up a crumpled pile at the bottom of the stairs - found days later by my boss (who worries). My cell phone was next to the door in my purse, no one has a key to my house, and only my boss would think anything was wrong if I was incommunicado for a couple days. Troublesome.

Well, I emptied my ice tray into a few zip-locks and grabbed some tea towels and went back to my bedroom. I grabbed a couple of pillows to prop my foot up on. Then I orchestrated the ice packs and tea-towels so my feet had a layer of cloth between skin and ice, and the whole contraption was tied to my leg. They I laid down - and totally whacked the back of my head on my rod-iron bed. So now I was worried that I might have a concussion. I made myself stay up for like 45 minutes just be be sure that my pupils were normal...and then (around 4:30) went to sleep.

At 7:30 I got up and sadly I had 2 very purple toes, and a big carpet burn/welt on my shin. I didn't know what to do. I waited until 8:30 and called my boss at work. She gave me the number for an advice nurse, who advised me to go to A&E (accident & emergency) the UK equivalent of the ER. Luckily I could drive the 3 miles to the hospital.

The hospital was interesting - I have pictures of all of this, but don't have the cable with me at work today...I'll post the pictures soon.

At A&E I had to pay to park - all of the hospital parking is this way. So I limped to the kiosk, and then back to the car, and then into the reception area. I got checked in - gave my friend April as my next of kin in the UK. I sat down and waited for the triage nurse. I called April - who laughed in shock when I said I was at the hospital. She offered to come sit with me - but it didn't seem busy and I thought that the sign saying to expect a 1-2 hour wait was exaggerating. Plus, I had a book. Within minutes (yes minutes!) the triage nurse (and a trainee) came to talk to me. They just talked. Didn't take my temperature, blood pressure or anything. They didn't even touch my foot - just looked at it as I held it up. Weird. They told me a Nurse Specialist would see me soon.

It took about 10 minutes and then my name was called. I went back into an exam room (have a picture of that too). I sat in a chair and the nurse looked at my foot as I explained what happened. He grabbed my leg (of course, right on the carpet burn/welt/now bruise) and looked a little closure. Then he said - we don't do anything for toes. Broken or just bruised get the same treatment, so there is no need for x-rays. He told me just to go on normally, and if I had the time and inclination, I could elevate and ice if I wanted to. He said he'd prescribe me a painkiller. He was gone for a couple of minutes to get the script. Then I was on my way. The pharmacy was on the 1st floor (not the ground floor - a major difference between the UK and the US) - but apparently in a totally different part of the hospital than A&E (looking back, I just should have gone to Tesco or something to get the prescription filled). I had to drive around to the main hospital entrance - I still had enough parking paid on my receipt to re-park... I found my way - a very long way - to the closet that was the pharmacy. Then I had to wait about 45 minutes for my prescription - which cost 6.85 (GBP).

I was prescribed Co-Codamol (basically codeine and Tylenol). The pills came in blister packs in a box - not bottles and loose pills. Weird. I didn't want to take any until I was settled wherever I would be - just to be sure that I wasn't affected so much that I couldn't drive.

I called my boss and took the rest of Monday off. Then I called April again. She invited me up to her house to convalesce. I at a quick lunch, drove up to April's, took the codeine and settled in for a nice relaxing day. The codeine seemed to help with the pain - no more throbbing, just pain when I touched the toes. But, my stomach was a little uneasy. I must have been a little out of it, because I didn't relate the stomach to the pain-killer. I took a second dose with dinner. April made Chicken Korma. After dinner I decided to go home - I was quickly fading. I went home and called mom - I couldn't get skype to work until 1/2 way through our phone call. While we were talking my stomach started to hurt more and more. By 10 I was exhausted and had a very sad stomach. I went to bed thinking that sleep would help. It didn't.

By 11 I was back downstairs in the bathroom. I had horrible stomach cramps and kept getting that pre-throw-up throat tickle. It was horrible. I threw up a little twice - but not enough to get relief. My body just refuses to throw up. I was so pathetic. Lying on a towel on cold bathroom tile all night long. I would nod off for like 30 minutes and then wake up in a wave of cramps and nausea - and a lot of whimpering. The whole ordeal tapered off by about 4am.

No more co-codamol for me. I have been sticking with my Advil Liquid Gels with no problems. My toes are still quite purple and the pain is often a surprise after I've been sitting at my desk for a while. I still ice and elevate in the evenings, and am hoping for a quick recovery so I can walk around easily on all of my planned weekend trips. Mom and dad arrive in less than 1 week.

I hope that you all enjoyed the 4th of July! I heard the weather in Portland was fantastic. I had a 2-plus hour ward council meeting to attend. Very celebratory, I know. But, I did make fairy cakes (yes, that is what they call cup cakes) and placed them on a tray and decorated the whole set like a big american flag. There were a few of us americans in the meeting - the Sunday School President, 2 Elders, and me. Everyone ate them up quickly and were happy to help celebrate with refreshments. We missed out on the nice weather though... it has been raining. If you have watched any of Wimbledon, you've seen how crazy the weather has been. Here's my foot after a few days - this morning. Doing much better, but quite ugly.

I have been thinking about home a lot. Longing for my dishwasher and clothes dryer - and garbage disposal. Just the little things. Oh, and a full size fridge. I think that will probably be one of the first things I buy when I return next year - a shiny new & big refrigerator.

Camping in Herefordshire

Last Friday I had the opportunity to go camping with the Mormon women in the area - a Relief Society fireside and camp out. I was hesitant at first - all of my camping gear is still in the US, so I'd be very dependant on others. Add to that, the high probobility of major rain. Storms were in the forecast. However, I was talked into going. The location was Gadfield Elm. It is the name of a farm in Herefordshire, about an hour or so away from Swindon. It also is the site of the first meetinghouse owned by the LDS Church in the world. Here are some pictures of the chapel. It has recently been restored. Here is a brief history of the site:
The United Brethren owned forty-five home licensed for preaching but only one chapel, at Gadfield Elm, to which John Benbow held title. When nearly the entire membership of the United Brethren were converted to the LDS Church, Brother Benbow gave the title to Elder Woodruff, making this chapel the first LDS chapel owned by the Church in the British Isles, and the oldest LDS meetinghouse still standing anywhere in the world.

When Brigham Young and Willard Richards came to visit Elder Woodruff and work for him for a few weeks, they both preached at Gadfield Elm.

In recent years the chapel has been abandoned and used by local farmers for equiptment storage. Most of the roof was gone and one wall was opened to allow the building to be used as a garage.

In the early 1980s, Elder Bruce R McConkie held a session of an annual mission presidents' seminar for all missions in the British Isles at the Gadfield Elm ruin. Again an apostle of the Lord preached the gospel in Gadfield Elm, for the first time since the days of Brigham Young and Wilford Woodfuff. Those who attended that meeting will never forget it.

Since that time, the chapel was bought by a group of Saints and the Gadfield Elm trust. During renovations, the site was used by the stake for campouts and firesides. After 70,000 pounds of work, the trust regifted the chapel to the church. President Hinckley came to Gadfield Elm to re-dedicate the site.

As part of the gift agreement, the Gadfield Elm Trust asked to be able to continue to host stake (and regional) activities...including campouts in the adjoining field and a useable firepit. :) Now the site is managed by local missionaries who welcome visitors and share the history of the site. Also, many stake activities, including our fireside/campout last weekend are held at Gadfield Elm. It is a nice site, and has a lovely feeling of heritage and faith of the early Saints of the Church - many of whom came from the UK. The people here love it.


This is a picture of the field after we had all packed up. I am afraid the couple that live in that house must have been annoyed with our campfire songs...maybe they were old and deaf. Who knows?

The weather stayed mostly dry for us (just 1 shower between the fireside and campfire). I was lucky that I waited to set up a tent until after the rain. My tent was blissfully dry the whole time. My Eddie Bauer ankle rain boots were a huge hit...mini Wellies. :) My feet stay very dry.

I met a lot of great women. These are the Malyons - Teri, Kate and Hannah. The drove me to Gadfield Elm. Hannah Malyon Hurley is expecting her 3 child just 4 weeks from when this picture was taken. She was so brave to camp. We all had directions to the nearest hospital.

The drive home included a road closure due to an accident, and no marked "diversion" (detour). So, we skirted around the SW corner of the Costwolds until we found our way home.

On Sunday was the blessing of another friend's baby boy - Joseph Slade. After church I helped set up and then enjoyed a lovely buffet luncheon. Costco was the source of the food - the croissants were SO good. And the all-american chocolate cake is shorter, and I liked it. So I think it is better - the one at home is too rich.

Mom and Dad arrive in 2 weeks. :) They are bringing me cinnamon - the real kind. My friend Jennifer looked in wikipedia (after remembering an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats featuring cinnamon). There are actually 3 distinct types of cinnamon. So I feel very justified in thinking the cinnamon tasted wrong. Later in the summer I will make another batch of snickerdoodles - 1/2 with US Cinnamon...then I'll have a taste test.

Also, thanks to everyone for clearing up the Wild Dog question. It is a fox...just a normal english fox. I have been assured that I am in no danger - especially since I don't raise chickens. I'll just read Roald Dahl's, Fantastic Mr. Fox, with an even bigger smile now. :) It's a great book.

Coming Soon: Wales Castles - maybe this Saturday. London for church on Sunday (oh - I forgot to mention my new calling as Swindon Ward's Activities Chair - I am my own committee. So if you have any brilliant activities to share PLEASE email me.) Then the next weekend (the only one left before mom and dad come and we head to Scotland) might be filled with Shakespeare's birthplace and Warwick castle up near Birmingham.

Everything is great. I am happy. I still miss Pippin, but I will see him in August. :)

Love, Becky

Cinnamon and Wild Dogs

I made snickerdoodles last night. I had no cinnamon in my spices (I ran out just before coming - I suddenly remember). I was freaking out - I had already been to the supermarket twice and it was nearly 8pm. I was hoping that the village Co-op would still be open - so I ran out the door. In my pajamas, flip-flops and a coat. (I had barely changed into PJs (which are not exciting - trackees and a t-shirt) I had been in a skirt all day). Turns out the co-op was open till 9pm. It took me SO long to find cinnamon. I thought that I might have to leave snickerdoodle dough in the fridge all day - and come home early today to bake. (I am going camping tonight and wanted to take cookies - and no one here has heard of snickerdoodles). But I did find cinnamon. I thought. I cooked the cookies, and they taste a little wrong - the cinnamon is different. It almost has a bit of a savory taste. It is different. I took a couple of cookies into work to discuss the difference in cinnamon and they think I am nuts.

Another way they think I am nuts is about this wild dog in my garden. I think it is too big to be a fox... what do you think?