Giggles and Tears

Here's a book that I think you should read. Unless you are married to a fighter pilot. Then, no, don't read this.


The title makes it sound funny. It's not all comedy. It's not really a drama, either. It's just a narrator telling a story about her life as a young Air Force wife stationed in England in the 50's, and her husband was a fighter pilot, and all her friends were pilot's wives.

It was especially captivating for me because of the many similarities (except for the fighter pilot part, and the "Future Homemakers of America" part!). I know this was the Air Force in the 50s, but a good portion of her story felt very real to me 50 years later. I made the mistake of reading it in the waiting area of the mechanics, though, and got to a not-so-happy part and was just sobbing like a baby. Right there in front of a whole bunch of manly-men. :o)

If you are looking for a new book to read, pick this one up at the library.

Purple it is.

You Are a Purple Crayon

Your world is colored in dreamy, divine, and classy colors. (such as cardboard tan and mountain dew green) You hold yourself to a sky high standard, and you are always graceful. (yes, and um, graceful? Hah!) People envy, idolize, and copy you without realizing it. You are an icon for those who know you. (an icon. suwheet!) And while it is hard to be a perfectionist, rest assured it's paying off! (and it's about time, too!) Your color wheel opposite is yellow. While yellow people may be wise, they lack the manners and class needed to impress you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Welcome to the family!

I would like to introduce everyone in Bloggie World to a new addition to my family.

My brother, Rob, just brought home my new little niece, Penelope.

He says she is holding her own against her big brother (aw, she takes after her Aunt Melissa!)

I think she looks like Rob.

(He always did have big feet and droopy ears.)

Apparently, though, the nickname "Miss P" has little to do with her name being Penelope, if you know what I mean...

I can't wait to rub that pudgy puppy belly!

OrganiZed!

Well, at least I'm making a valiant effort!

When we moved here 3 years ago, I bought a plastic file that held all my important papers, and, for about a month, I took it everywhere I went. After we got settled here, I filed it away.

My Move-Me file has made a return to popularity of late, and I've added a little jazziness to it this time. :o)

I've purchased a Dymo LetraTag machine, and I'm having WAY too much fun making fancy-pants labels and tags and things!

Wanna see?


I knew you would! If you look real close-like, you can even see that I've added little symbols...like cats, and cars, and aeroplanes, and compooters. :o)

If you happen to see Dave with a little white label on his forehead, you won't have to wonder why.

I'm Knot So Crafty...

Yesterday, Miss Tink challenged her fans to be creative, and blog about it. Well, I had already had my turn at creativity for the week, and this is what I came up with:

A (true) Hobo Bag. Made out of a scarf I bought at the Oxfam charity shop. It's fun. And funky!


I've also included the instructions in case anyone wants to make their own. :o)

Downright Cccccold.

59.

Degrees.

Fahrenheit.

Today.

I've got the heater on.

I'm wearing a sweater and a down vest.

And my fluffy, mid-calf, slipper-boots.

And I've just finished my 3rd cup of hot chocolate.

And I'm still cold.

Here's an interesting thought...since we haven't had much of a summer here in England this year, I wonder if there will be either more, or more intense cases of S.A.D. here this year. It is a very real condition, that usually goes away in the spring, and doesn't return till the winter...but maybe that won't be the case this year. Who knows.

All I know is that I'm tired of being cold.

Dangit.

Looking Forward/Looking Back - part 2

Here we are again -- a day spent in sweats and boxes. Yay! And on the phone (boo!) My To-Do-Monday list is as long as my leg, but I'm plowing though! It's a really good thing I don't get charged for every phone call I make to another land-line here, otherwise my phone bill would be ginormous!

Anyways, here's another list of forwards and backwards for your viewing pleasure:
Looking Forward to what I can't wait to have or experience in a couple months:
1. Shopping after 5:30 pm. (Dave promises me a midnight Target run first thing!)
2. Being able to listen to a true variety of songs on the radio.
3. HUGE craft stores!
4. Good water pressure in the shower.
5. Getting to see my TV shows when they actually air, and not 6 months later!
6. A large capacity washing machine, that doesn't take 2 hours to run!
7. A large capacity dryer. With a buzzer to tell me when it's done. And varying temperatures.
8. A garage I can walk right into from the inside of the house and not have to go outside.
9. Our big 60 CD-juke-box-style stereo.
10. Being done with this move. Seriously.

Looking Back at what I will miss about this place:
1. My houseplants, but they will go to loving homes, I'm sure.
2. Being only a train-ride away from London, and Kew Gardens
3. Kew Gardens (very few people actually understand my passion, my love, my devotion to Kew)
4. The slowed-down lifestyle (barring PhD work, of course).
5. The "conservation of environment" attitude...like the people that iron their washcloths because that's the only way to kill the bacteria because you shouldn't wash them on high heat.
(shocker, I know!)
6. Ah, my Victorian Airer. I think I'm gonna try to buy one and ship it back. Yeah, that would be good.
7. My huge clothesline (not guaranteed enough space in LA)
8. "Comfort Pearls" which are little pouches of fabric softener sewn up in water-soluble plastic.
(hmm...there's a distinct laundry theme going on here, isn't there? Can you guess what I've been doing today?)
9. The Mains switch (each electrical outlet has a flip-switch on it that you control from that point. It's cool.) (Unless you forget and can't figure out why the TV won't come on!)
10. My adoring British fans. I miss you already! I love you!

I'm off to check more things off my list.

Over and out.

Fresh and New

I did something today that I'm pretty sure I've never done in all my born days.

I think my mother might be horrified (but secretly proud and jealous all at the same time that I've never before felt compelled to do this).

I know my grandmother would be horrified and wonder if somehow I got adopted from a pack of wolves one spring day back in 1972.

Except for the fact that I look a lot like my mother.

Who doesn't look like she came from a pack of wolves.

Because any grand-daughter of Shirley's would clearly have done this loads and loads of times. Each year. Since she first started living on her own.

AND, guess what, guess what? I have to get to do it eight (8) more times in the next month! No, wait, make that 10.

Dying with anticipation? And curiosity? What, oh what, could be so appalling as to never have done it before, and yet so captivating that I would feel compelled to blog about it?

Are you ready?

Really ready?

I washed my curtains today!

Woo. And. Hoo!

(I also have to get to iron them before I hang them back up)

Oh, the joys of moving. Next week, I get to crawl around on my knees and scrub the base boards.

Ah, doncha wish you were cool like me? :o)

Dim and Grismal!

Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other month!

Seriously.

It is COLD today. Sometimes I forget to turn my calendar over...so maybe that's the problem. Maybe I forgot to turn all 9 of my calendars from AUGUST to, oh, I don't know, November? Did I sleep through summer? Oh, wait, summer happened last Thursday.

Current temp (8:17 pm, GMT): 64°F.
Today's High: 67°F
Highest predicted temp all week: 68°F

And in case you are wondering, today I wore a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater, thick jeans, thick socks, and my Land's End All-Weather Mocs. And, yes, the fleece jammies have made another appearance.

Saturday I opened my box of summer clothes (the one that has been mournfully collecting dust in the corner of my bedroom since May). I solemnly removed each piece of clothing, systematically shook it out, meticulously folded it up, and begrudgingly placed it back in the box. Maybe I will actually get to wear my cute summer clothes when we move to Cali. Is it warm enough in LA in October for cute skirts and flip-flops?

Summer, Oh, Summer, Wherefore art though Fair Summer?

This Week In Numbers

Black bags of trash = 3
Black bags to charity/thrift store = 2
Loads of laundry (for 2 people) = 10
Meals eaten out (including lunch) = 4
Books read = 1
TV Shows watched = 3
Credit reports requested = 2
Highest temperature = 77*F
Pieces of junk mail = 13
Miles driven = 334
Girlie weekend of fun = 1
Phone calls to America = 18
Skeins of yarn bought = 2
Stitches actually stitched = 0
Updates to blog = 2
Scrapbook pages worked on = 1
Scrapbook pages finished = 0 :o)
Photos taken = 83
Pints of milk = 10
Loads of dishes washed by hand = 6

This is the day...

...that the Lord has made...



...for laundry!

This is the day...

...that the Lord has made...


...for convertibles!

Of course!

Looking Forward/Looking Back - part 1

Well, the time has come for me to roll up my sleeves and get started preparing for the looming intercontinental move, and I've been thinking a lot about where we live now, and where we are going to be living. I am "certain" (as certain as any wife of the AF can be...) that we'll be moving to Los Angeles, but the actual where is known only to God right now. (As is the actual when, but that's a different story!)

So here's a little list of the things I am looking forward to in our next home:
1. A dishwasher (that's not attached to the end of my elbows!)
2. A garbage disposal (that's not attached to the garbage can!)
3. An ice maker in the freezer.
4. Built-in closets in each bedroom (as opposed to wardrobes, which I don't really like)
5. Two places to bathe or shower.
6. A 2-car garage. With a door that opens via remote. Where I could actually park my car.
7. Storage space. Seriously.
8. Screens. On doors. On windows. Fresh air is nice, indoor-cats getting out through an open window is not.
9. A puppy dog in the yard.
10. Air conditioning. Inside the house. (It will be LA, you know!)
11. TARGET!!!! Shopping at, living near, reading about...I can't wait!

And, to balance it out, here's a list of things I will miss:
1. Leerdamer cheese (a yummy-yummy-yumsters Dutch cheese)
2. Being able to walk everywhere.
3. Our wonderful neighbors, and our very cool neighborhood.
4. The oldness of things, like cobbled streets that have been here longer than most evidence of civilization in the US.
5. Our big back yard (back garden)
6. How lush and green everything is.
7. Salt & Vinegar Crisps (a.k.a. potato chips)
8. Fruiting apple trees in our back garden
9. Not needing air conditioning in the house 45 weeks out of the entire year. :o)
10. My vacuum cleaner. I love my vacuum cleaner. I will try to buy a similar one in the US.

I'm sure I'll come up with more for both lists as I go. For now, though, there's a bunch of boxes of books I need to sort through.

Have a great weekend!