Category Archives: Family

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Taking To The Open Road With Jersey Girl

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When the rain of the last few days eased up yesterday we finally had a chance to do some bike riding and scooting around the village before our visit with Jersey Girl was over. Our little houseguest went home early this morning and John and I will be taking the next few days to pack and get the house in top order for the folks that will be here while we are away.

Before I begin tossing the contents of the frig and emptying dresser drawers for our housesitters, I wanted to share a few pictures from our last day with JG and her mom.

Jersey Girl gave me a brief tutorial before we headed out with our scooters. The most important thing I learned was how to use the brake. I had not even realized these things had brakes, (I think I had the Fred Flintstone foot-dragging approach to stopping in mind) but once we were shooting down a hill I was glad I had mastered slowing down and stopping in the proper way.

Here you see us demonstrating how braking works. See our back feet pressing down on those metal flaps … it’s easy-peasy.

John caught us pausing on the path across the village green.

Earlier in the day we took a ride on the Camel Trail. We all got pretty muddy, but we were determined to have a bike ride together before JG and her mom had to go home.

This is the bridge that leads to the buttercup field and even though the buttercups are long gone for now it is still one of our favorite places to walk. John took this photograph of his daughter Rachel and his granddaughter, JG today. It is difficult to catch her when she’s not pulling a face as they say here.

While reading a book together last night, JG and I were discussing rather sadly how long it may be before we see each other again and together we came up with the bones of a story that may turn into something sweet.

Since it falls to me to write it, I may work on it during the first leg of our journey next week as we will be in the air for 22 hours with one short stop for refueling. (That’s a big hint for those of you still guessing about the trip we begin next month)

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Skating Not Scooting – Our Day At Eden Project

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Two days ago I wrote this post where I talked about my plan to ride scooters with John’s granddaughter, Jersey Girl. We met her mom at the ferry last night and encountered so much traffic on the way back due to road construction that we were all late getting to bed.

Jersey Girl slept for a few hours during the drive home and seemed fine this morning, but John and I felt the fatigue of our long drive by mid-afternoon today. You would not have known it though to see us in action during our day out at Eden Project.

John started things off with a little hopscotch.

Sorry the hopscotch photos are a bit blurred. John and JG caught me by surprise and even though the image quality is not the best, they were too cute not to use.

We found the ice rink already in place for the winter and Jersey Girl was keen to have a go at it. John had never done any ice skating so guess who strapped on a pair of blades for a few trips around the rink.

This was only Jersey Girl’s second time on ice skates and she did very well. She fell a lot, but she always got right back up and was very determined that she would master the ice.

Before we hit the ice, we went to one of the Biomes and got friendly with a British Barn Owl named Richmond who was about fifteen according to his handler from The Screech Owl Sanctuary.

 

A last leap or two and we were done for the day. The house is quiet now and I am headed for bed. Tomorrow is another full day with Jersey Girl and I am hoping to get a bit of scooting in with some pictures to prove it.

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Lesson One – Jersey Girl Talks About The Tooth Fairy

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Tooth Fairy Talk

While I am always interested in learning new things, I did think that I had worked out all this tooth fairy business long ago until this morning when Jersey Girl gave me a lesson in what happens when one loses one’s teeth. It seems things are a bit different from what I was told many years ago and I am not sure how such misinformation was passed along to me, but let me share another viewpoint that was the topic of conversation over coffee and juice this morning.

According to Jersey Girl, each person has their very own personal tooth fairy who comes for your teeth while you sleep. If you are curious and have questions for them such as the name of your fairy or where they live, you can leave a note under your pillow next to the envelope holding your tooth and they will write the answers for you to read in the morning.

It turns out that Jersey Girl’s tooth fairy is named Tia while her friend Holly’s fairy goes by the name of Jemima. Annie is another friend who while she does not know her fairy’s name yet, she has been told by her fairy that she lives in the garden near Annie’s house. This name bit is all news to me and I was also surprised to find out that your personal fairy takes care of you and only you until you are no longer losing your teeth. After you have no more teeth to exchange they simply move on to someone new who happens to share your name.

After hearing this news, I wondered if perhaps my tooth fairy might have also been fairy to some more famous children named Elizabeth as in those who grew up to be known as Queen Elizabeth I and II. I wonder too if my fairy might have popped by to collect Elizabeth Taylor’s teeth or any of the women named Elizabeth who preceded me in my family.

One thing they do not have on Jersey (according to JG) or at least in her social circle are the small bags or tooth pouches that we have in the US to put teeth in for the overnight tooth collection and exchange. Armed with this bit of information, I suggested we make one during her visit.

I will be back with photos as our project unfolds and any tips you may have for making tooth fairy purses are certainly welcomed along with a link in the comments below.

 

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Jersey Girl Returns To Cornwall With Her Buddy Boris

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Jersey Girl With Boris The Bear

We are having a visitor this week with the arrival of John’s granddaughter from Jersey. She is crossing the channel by ferry today with her mother and will be with us for most of next week. You know how much fun we have when we get together and I do have a few things I am planning for her stay. While not as full on as the Pirate Party we had last time, I think we will manage to make a few more memories worth talking about when she goes back to school after the break.

Since she will be coming in a car, she will have her bike with her and I asked her mom to bring her scooter too. Back in 2009 when I was packing my things for the move from Atlanta to Cornwall, I found my daughter’s old Razor scooter stored in the attic and shipped it over thinking I might scoot with Jersey Girl one day. It is something I have looked forward to and should be interesting since I have never really used one before.

Warning: If you live in our village and are reading this now, you might want to give me wide berth if you see me coming down the road or perhaps help me up if you see me sprawled in it.

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Round The World – Tickets For Two

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We are pretty busy around here sorting out details for an eight week-long trip we have coming up. It involves two Round the World tickets, two backpacks, and two people with a passion for adventure. We will be in four countries during that time, but will spend most of it traveling in one country in particular. I am thrilled to bits to have an opportunity to go on such a lengthy journey with John and will be blogging about it as we go. Can you guess where we are headed … or do you need more clues?

As we will be gone for two months, we have been firming up house sitting details (my biggest worry) and are now just down to packing, cleaning, and prepping the house for the folks who will be watching over our home. It is never easy to have people in when you’re not, but at least our house sitters are family. After reading Donna Freedman’s post about house sitters yesterday, I hope that having family versus a friend of a friend as she has had in the past will make for a better return experience for us.

I am off now to read more of Carolyn Barnabo’s thirteen ‘Passion for Travel’ posts which have just the kind of information one needs when taking a trip like the one we have planned.

There will be loads of great photo opportunities over the next two months and if you feel like joining us on our travel adventure, be sure to stop by from time to time and see some of what we’ll be seeing.

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Dancing Ladies – Going Home

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Most of us have signs or landmarks that remind us when we are almost home. For me, it is this stand of trees on a hill not far from the border where Devon becomes Cornwall. I call them The Dancing Ladies and they are always a sign that in just a few minutes everything that is troubling or tiring will be neatly put to rest as we turn off the main road and point our car towards the narrow lane that leads home.

We took my sister Margaret to the airport this morning with John driving just under 500 miles roundtrip and I was delighted to see my dancing ladies on our way back. Although it was not a short trip, it is nothing compared to one she has before her with several plane changes and a long layover in Germany before reaching Alaska.

My sister and her family recently moved to a new location having lived near Anchorage, Alaska for many years. There is a bridge you drive under as you get closer to her former home and people often hang signs of welcome from it painted on large sheets with brightly colored paint making it seem like a perfect landmark.

Although we did not talk about it, I feel sure that since moving a few months ago she has likely found something that signals her new home is close by and her daily journeys are at an end.

I don’t know what new images mark her way home now, but I imagine that nothing could whisper or shout ” You’re home ”  better than the welcoming sight of her husband and children who will be waiting at the airport. It is the first time Margaret has been away from her boys for more than a week and I think after a month here with me, they will be all the landmark she needs to feel welcomed and at home.

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Twenty-Three Without Me

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Recently, while walking alone through the village churchyard, I came across a scattering of hearts left on the ground after a wedding. I snapped a photograph deciding that these hearts must have been tossed at the bride and groom as they made their way up the path past friends and family who had gathered to witness and celebrate their commitment.

While searching through photographs of my daughter Miranda to find just the right one for today, I saw this tiny heart and thought how perfectly it illustrated what I want say. Today Miranda turns twenty-three and like the last two birthdays, she is doing it without me. She’ll have other people sharing her day who love and care for her, but I will miss seeing her make a wish as she blows out her candles and digs into her cake.

I left a gift bag with presents and a card when I was in Atlanta last month and will hopefully have a moment to see her on iChat today, but I wish I could be there to give her a big squeeze and tell her I love her in person. Children grab onto your heart as soon as they make their way into the world and no one tells you how difficult it will be to let go after all the years of hanging on so tightly.

I’m still learning how to negotiate this shift in our relationship and sometimes I stumble. Well able to navigate her own way through life now she doesn’t need much from me most days except perhaps the sense that I am here along the edges of her life like the well wishers at a wedding who while standing close enough to offer loving support are not the main focus.

Last year and the one before I left a small scattering of heart stories about Miranda along with some early photographs that can be found here if you missed them. In rereading those birthday posts I see that my message hasn’t changed … it is still mostly about loving and learning to let go.

Born four days after my own birthday, my birthday wishes while blowing out my candles have included thoughts of her health and happiness for the last twenty-three years. This year was no different. I sure hope all of my birthday wishes come true.

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Saturday Night Fun

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This image was taken last night at an event in London that I have wanted to go to for a very long time. It was even more amazing than I had imagined it might be and I have some photos I think you are going to enjoy later and maybe a bit of video too.

I snapped the photograph above of John after dark with my new camera. That’s right … my new camera! John gave me a Canon G11 for my birthday. Can you believe it? What a sweetheart thing to do. I’m still learning how to use it, but I have already taken about 3000 photographs since opening it on Friday. I am editing the Saturday photographs down to a more reasonable level and should have them up tomorrow.

Can anyone guess where we might be  …

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Day One – Elizabeth Turns Fifty

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Infant Elizabeth With Dad

Fifty years ago today I made my way into the world at 2:02 am. Born two weeks before I was due, I was rooted out of the womb early when my mother’s doctor suggested I looked big enough to deliver and as he was going on vacation, an earlier delivery might work better for them both.

The photo above is one of the earliest I have of my newborn self and my dad happens to be holding me. I’ve no time to write this morning as Margaret and I are off to meet up with John for some fun around London, but I did want to say thank you for the sweet birthday comments you’ve left over the last 9 days.

I’ll be back in a day or two after I recover from our London journey with loads more stories and photos. See you then.

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Day Three – Margaret Breaks The Rules And I Get Into Trouble

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Growing up I always thought of my sister Margaret as the one who could be counted on the follow the rules and I think that is generally still true. You can reasonably expect her to be pretty well behaved until it seems, she has a camera in her hands. Now I’m not saying I’ve been embarrassed in any way by her public behavior, but she has been as they say here, ” told off ” quite bit. That said I want to give you an example of what I mean using a combination of our images.

Remember yesterday when I talked about our trip to Buckingham Palace … follow the picture trail below for the rest of the story.

We arrived a bit later than we should have for the changing of the guard and came right in time to be in the middle of a police officer on horseback working to keep the gates (that open) clear of people. She was not alone in this task. There were other officers on foot shouting to clear the path.

Margaret took this one of me (with the backpack to the left) as I sauntered across trying to catch a photograph of the guards at the gate without stopping. Be sure you click on this to see the police officer in the upper left corner trying to move a woman on who seems to be trying to take his picture.

Margaret managed to snap this one while the officer was shouting, ” Madam, Madam, MOVE ON Madam! ” I was watching thinking she didn’t hear him, but she later told me that she had heard him. This is where I began to think I might need to keep my eye on her.

Okay, I did climb up on the wall but lots of people do that … right?

The next thing I know Margaret is taking pictures like this one.

And a few more like this one.

Hmm, I wonder what she is thinking here.

Uh oh?

Why is she looking at this?

Margaret ?  Hello I think you’re being watched!

Pssst … I think that Guard on the right is looking at you!

Yes, I’m right he is looking at you!

Good grief, Margaret … you are so going to get us in trouble. I’m happy to pay the 17 pounds it takes to get the tour. Leave that lock alone!

One little push here and …

…. we’re in!

Seriously, this is the real way we took most of our photographs of the outside of Buckingham Palace, all except for the one after our tour where I got told off for taking a photo of her too close to the exit door into the garden.

I was so startled that it came out blurry. Hanging out with Margaret I may have to get used to being told off for trying to get the odd picture or two. Wait until I tell you what happened during our trip the V & A Museum yesterday. All I can say for now is, there’s a new way of spelling trouble and it begins with an M and ends with T.

* Update: Based on some on the concerned comments I received below and through emails, I want to clarify that this blog post was meant to be funny and in no way did Margaret do anything wrong at Buckingham Palace. She was not picking the lock at the gate, she was taking a photograph and the gate was open afterwards which enabled people to step up and pose with the guards and Palace directly behind them which the guards seemed to have no problems with at all. So as you can see, there is nothing to worry about it was  just me trying to make the story more fun than the typical series of tourist shots documenting the changing of the guard.