I have lived for two-and-a-half years in Germany, and for six years in England, as an Air Force wife.
I thoroughly enjoyed living in both Germany and England. We had the best of both worlds as we had the advantages of an American Air Force Base in both places, but we also had the experience of the local people, shops, scenery, weather, and history. I wouldn’t change any of it for any reason.
Call this a check-in on my New Year’s Resolutions (that I didn’t even make formally).
1. Sell my house in Dallas.
2. Move to Franke Tobey Jones in Tacoma, WA.
3. Lead a Bible study with Presbyterian Women on Facebook.
4. Lose 20 more pounds (really lose about 100, but let’s have reasonable goals.)
5. Write in this blog every day.
6. Pay off most of my credit card debt.
7. Visit my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren in south Louisiana.
8. Take a long train trip.
9. Go to a conference at MoRanch.
10. Be more regular in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, and Bible study.
Misty rain, 60 deg., no wind. Think England or Seattle!
Cool enough to need a sweatshirt and appreciate a blanket at night, but not so cold your nose freezes.
We very rarely get this in Dallas. That’s why I’m dreaming of Tacoma, WA.
Are you sensing a theme here?
Seattle/Tacoma – Cool weather, proximity to military health care, great scenery, easy access to Amtrak
Charlbury, Oxfordshire, UK – Cool weather, great scenery, laid-back lifestyle, good public transportation
Lucerne, Switzerland – Cool weather, beautiful scenery, easy public transportation
I wish it wasn’t but I’m afraid Dallas is known for two shootings.
President Kennedy’s
and J.R.’s.
Letter out of grandma’s photo box
Probably the last handwritten letter I received via snail mail was in 1990 or 1991. It would have been from my mother who was a wonderful correspondent and wrote interesting, funny, and heart-warming letters. By 1992 she was showing enough of the effect of advancing Alzheimer's that she quit writing. That was probably when I quit writing letters, too.
I HAVE gotten handwritten thank you notes from grandchildren, and nieces and nephews, and from the church for particular donations, but real newsy letters have been missing from life since the late 20th century.
…I would go to the Butcher’s Arms in Priors Hardwick, South Warwickshire, England.
I would have dinner with my husband, after a lovely drive through the English countryside. From Whitney, near Oxford, you drive north to Banbury, and turn right at the cross. Through the lanes for another 4 or 5 miles and arrive in Priors Hardwick.
For Starters, I would have Homemade Pâté – A smooth homemade chicken liver pâté served with rustic toast and plum chutney, and Big Al would probably have Fresh Asparagus – Poached and served with parmesan shavings and hollandaise sauce.
For the Main Course, I would have Roast Saddle of Balmoral Venison – Sliced and served with redcurrant jelly and roast new rosemary coated potatoes served with seasonal vegetables, although it would be difficult to choose between that and Rack of Cornish Lamb Dijonnaise – Lamb coated with mustard and herbs and served with creamy mash potatoes and gravy and seasonal vegetables. Big Al would have a hard time deciding between Baked Fillet of Salmon – Served in a creamy asparagus sauce and new potatoes, and Grilled Dover Sole – Served on or off the bone with new potatoes, both served with seasonal vegetables.
For Dessert, Big Al would have a selection of freshly made hot and cold desserts from the trolley, and I would have a selection of cheeses from the trolley – served with biscuits, celery and grapes.
Then we would go sit in the Orange Room (with potted baby orange trees) and have coffee and brandy.
You can find the menu and directions at http://www.thebutchersarms.com/index.html
I guess you can say I’m fairly eclectic in my choice of news media.
I find that most of the news I get is on Twitter or Facebook first. Twitter often “scoops” even MSN.com or Yahoo.com. Once I’m alerted to something happening, I usually read more detailed information somewhere on the Web following links provided by Twitter and/or Facebook.
I get alerts on my phone, but prefer to read longer articles on the computer.
I do try to watch the national and local news at 5:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. most nights, although I admit what I’m most interested in on the local broadcasts is the weather. I also check Sports Center most evenings, mostly because my husband chooses to catch the scores.
I try to watch Rachel Maddow for political analysis once or twice a week, and I enjoy the in-depth coverage I get on NPR on Morning Edition, and All Things Considered.
I've seen several celebrities in my life, but the absolutely top was at Royal Ascot in England in 1978 when I saw the Queen! She was returning to her box after inspecting one of her horses before the race.
She was wearing a beautiful bright yellow suit, and an emerald broach with a stone the size of a large hen's egg, surrounded by diamonds. I was so busy looking at the broach, I almost forgot to look at her!
There's a Rest Area on I-20 west of Weatherford, just at the foot of Ranger Hill. You can really escape the ambient light of the cities there. It's far enough off the road that the lights of the trucks and the cars don't interfere either. I was lucky to be traveling that road at the perfect time to see Hale-Bopp Comet!
An Aging Liberal Hippy from the Left Coast 