London Adventures: Thurday, June 20th

Today we set out to see the Imperial War Museum which is a little ways outside of main London. It has lots of war memorabilia from World War I and II. There were several different sections and displays and the one Janie and I were most interested in was called "The Children's War". It was an exhibit chronically what it was like for the children of Britain during World War II. The pictures of mothers sending their children out to the countryside or to other countries for safe keeping were heart wrenching. I don't know if I could have done it. Some of them didn't see their children for five years by the time the war was over. We had a unique and special opportunity of visiting with a guide, a distinguished older gentleman, in the exhibit who was 9 at the time his entire school was sent on a ship to Canada to get out of the bombing. His parents chose not to send him and this was a miracle as the ship his friends were on was bombed and sank and only a few children survived. After this incident, the children were no longer sent abroad but housed in the English countryside. He told us what it was like to have the American soldiers there and how they loved to party. As we finished our chat with him, he told us "thank you" to America---we were so touched! After, we had lunch at "Nandos", a favorite rotisserie chicken place and then went to Burough Market where all kinds of food is sold in two big warehouses and on the street. We bought a special treat--chocolate almonds dusted with cinnamon---a favorite find of Janie's. The late afternoon found us shopping and then going home for a breakfast dinner of eggs and crepes.

London Adventures: Wednesday, June 17

Tea at Polly's with our guide, David StubbsThe treats at Polly's!A windy day at StonehengeAnyone for Bath?Oldest pub in LayCock after dinner


Today we had a guided tour through the south of England with a wonderful guide that has become our friend, David Stubbs. He took us to Polly's Tea House in Marlborough where we had scones and hot chocolate. The countryside was green and lush and we looked for "crop circles" along our way to Stonehenge. Just before visiting the Roman baths in "Bath" we had a "pasty" for lunch, a pocket meat pie that you eat in your hands. Then we visited "Pride and Prejudice" country, the little town of Laycock, that looks just like it did 200 years ago. This is where alot of the PBS version of the movie was filmed. It was charming! We had dinner at a local pub there---the best place to find great food at reasonable prices. It was such a wonderful day!

London Adventures: Tuesday, June 16

With the "eye" and Big Ben in the background
Inside the "eye"
Off to Hogwarts!Bob and Josh outside the "Treasures" room at the British Library

Today we went to Hogwarts via the 9 ¾ platform at the Kings Cross Station in London. It was magical! After our quick trip to Harry Potter land, we went to the British Library where we saw their literary treasures: a Gutenberg Bible, the Magna Carta, the original Alice and Wonderland and several other original works by British authors. They had an early religious text from every major world religion on display---except the truth! I found myself thinking they’re missing the most important book of all---the Book of Mormon! After a quick pizza lunch, we went to the National Portrait Gallery which was a bit of a disappointment. Later that night we rode the London Eye, the largest Ferris Wheel in the world. The views were amazing!

London Adventures: Monday, June 15

We were stylin in our 3D bug-eye glasses
Science MuseumDedicated to Ryan Jackson
Wicked! Best play EVER!


The first item on our agenda today was to go to the "Wicked" box office and get tickets for tonight's performance. Every morning 25 front row seats are released at less than half price. When we "queued up" we could see that we were about #17 in line---our chances didn't look good. But, when it was our turn, Janie knew to ask for "concessions" or discounts for students and seniors and so we ended up with fifth row seats, smack in the center for less than half price for three of them. The seats were fantastic!

The rest of the morning was spent at the Science Museum where we also saw an IMAX movie on sea monsters. Lunch was had at "Nandos", a restaurant that Janie loved that served rotisserie type chicken that is marinated for 24 hours. It quickly became one of our favorites, too!

That night, we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, "Pizza on the Park" and then went to Wicked. It was the best productions I've ever seen! We all LOVED it. The ending song where they sing, "I have been changed for good" held alot of meaning. I think about my own experiences and realize just how much my family and friends have helped me grow and added meaning to my life. Thanks, everyone!

Surprise!

Some London surprises:

1-Pink is the new black!

2-A shocking surprise happened when we had just left our flat to go to Peter Pan. Just up the road from us is a popular pub called the "Nag's Head". There were about 30 young people having drinks and chatting---a usual occurrence. Then, we glanced across the street and there were four old men, around 80 years old, standing STARK NAKED chatting in the street. Needless to say, we all did a double take, looked at our feet, and hurried as fast as we could right out of there!

3-On our London Eye ride, a young Oriental couple got engaged. The boy asked Bob to take a picture for him and then he knelt right down and opened up a ring box and popped the question!
She said "Yes"!

4-When we were getting ready to go to the London Eye, we found the Piccadilly Line of the tube was closed because there was a body under the train. We were horrified thinking someone had accidentally fallen onto the tracks. Our guide the next day, David Stubbs, said that it was probably a suicide and that this happened quite often. We never found any news of the event.

Mecca

These pictures are dedicated to those of us who love shoes and purses and a bargain! Shown here are just part of the offerings at TKMaxx .

London Adventures: Sunday

Isn't this a fabulous wedding gown?

Today was quite quiet. We went to church at the Hyde Park Ward and then came home and fixed lunch and waited for Bob to arrive. He got here safely, ate and settled in with a nap. Janie and I decided to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum and see the "Fashion Through the Ages" collection and the jewelry. Josh, who was absorbed in an exciting book, decided he had seen enough of this type of girl stuff and stayed home with Bob. So, off we went for mother and daughter bonding time in London. We loved looking at the fashions and jewelry and how things have changed over the last 200 years.

London Adventure: Saturday

Tea
Treats at the Orangerie
One of the debutante dresses. My favorite!
Baby Grand at McDonalds
One of the fun windows at the Harvey Nichols, a store in London


Today we had a taste of what it must have been like to live in "High Society" in London. We first went to one end of Hyde Park (it is HUGE!) and bought tickets for that evenings preformance of Peter Pan. Then we walked to the other end of the park to where Kensington Palace is. Before going on a tour of the palace, we went to the "Orangerie" a small tea house next to the palace set in what used to be a little orange grove. Although we didn't have tea, (juices instead) we had scones and felt very dignified during the whole experience. It is a fairly fancy place decorated in white with statues and miniature orange trees on each table. A scone here is more like a bisquit and I had one with fruit and the kids had one with cheese. They came with "clotted cream" which is more like butter than cream. They were very good. Next, we went to tour the palace. We saw some of the apartments but what really interested Janie and me were the gowns belonging to Princess Diana that were on display. Several of them we recognized from pictures of events she had gone to. Then we toured the exhibit, "The Last Debutantes", very interesting and fun! If you were of the "Upper Crust" in British Society you were "presented to the Queen" when you were 17. This meant you had an audience before her royalness and gave her a curtsey when your name was read. Then you had officially "come out" into society and so spent the following year going to all sorts of social engagements, teas, dinners, balls, etc... We read that it cost around 130,000 pounds to outfit a girl for "the season". (No small change in 1957!) But, 1957 was the last year for the 200 year old custom---the British people thought that it served no real purpose and that is was too elitist. How would you have liked to have been 16 that year and had this all taken away? We couldn't decide if you'd be sad or relieved! Anyway, the exhibit showed their invitations, their manners, their outfits and accessories and those of the young men. It was really fascinating!

After we then walked up to High Street where we had lunch at a Mc Donald's with a baby grand piano inside! They even have a Mickey D's for high society! From here, we walked up the street and did a little shopping at H&M, a wonderful store with low prices, and then TKMaxx (the same as our TJMaxx only with 10x the selection).

Peter Pan that evening was great! It is staged in a big tent that is like a theater only outdoors. It is significant that is being held in the very park where J.M. Barry first met the Darling boys and conceived the story. The flying episodes were fantastic and the scenery projected on the upper circle of the tent was amazing. You could see the London skyline and all the sites "in the round". "Nana", the nurse maid dog was done by a puppeteer and she was so lifelike. The crocodile, however, stole the show. The body was made of a bamboo-like frame with two men inside that drove it like a child's car, and the head was large and menancing but not scary. It had terrifically loud burps every now and again. The kids in the audience were half the fun! Their reactions were priceless.

Home Sweet Home in London

Our cute front doorThe living/dining roomOur tiny master bed
Kitchen

We are staying at #6 Kinnerton Street in Knightsbridge, London in a charming little flat. We walk down a narrow street lined with flats and a few shops and enter into a "mew" which is like a little secluded alcove off the street which has the entry doors for several more flats. We go through a narrow wrought iron gate to enter the mew and then it seems you are stepping into an entirely different world. We have a fairly good sized main room with two couches and a TV and then a large dining table that could seat 8 if needed. Our kitchen is the size of a large bathroom---but has every thing we need. The one bathroom here is actually larger than the kitchen! The kitchen doesn't have a disposal---which means you scrape your plates and throw the remains in the garbage or "rubbish" as a Brit would say. Hence, you take your kitchen rubbish out often.
Our flat has a neat washer and dryer---it's all one machine! You put your clothes into wash and set the drying time and when you come back you have a load of finished laundry! It's so convenient---you don't have to remember to put the wet clothes in the dryer!!! You wake up in the morning to a clean load or go off to see something and come back and its done. I am really liking this way of doing the wash! Fridges are small and so you go to the market often---but it's just two minutes away and so we don't mind. King size beds are a rarity---Bob and I will have to feel squished in our double bed. Most places don't have air conditioning but, fortunately, we are in such a pleasant time of year we don't need it. There are two water taps---hot and cold---but you adjust the temperature by adjusting each nob. Some times it takes awhile to get the temperature just right to take a shower! We are loving our flat and its central location and we would highly recommend staying this way in London!

London Adventures: Arrival and Day 1

I am pinching myself as I write this. Josh, Janie and I are together in LONDON! Josh and I arrived yesterday after our flight on Virgin Atlantic was delayed two and a half hours. This turned out to be a blessing because the flight didn't leave until 7:00 p.m. and so by the time we had our dinner and watched the movie it was our normal bedtime and we actually slept some on the plane. (Thanks in part to Ambien and an empty seat next to us!) We arrived in London around 12:30 p.m. and were met by a driver who then went to Jane Anne's apartment, picked her and her luggage up and then took us to the flat we are renting for a week.

Our flat is wonderful! It is in Knightsbridge, just a short walk from the tube, a grocery store just around the corner, and 2 minutes walk from the bus stop. It is close to Hyde Park and Herrod's---a nice part of town! We have two bedrooms, just one big bath, a nice living/dining room and a full (although tiny) kitchen with a washer and dryer. In short, a home away from home!

The afternoon we arrived, we felt good enough to go for a walk and to the grocery store. We went to the "WaitRose" market and stocked up. They have great homemade soups for sale and prepared entrees. Their produce is beautiful! After a short lunch, we went to the Science Museum for just a short time before it closed. Everything (including stores, close at 6:00 in London) and then we went to a creperie that Jane loved. We had the most delicious crepes---one made of a whole grain flour with applesauce, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and cinnamon! Yum!! The other crepe was milk chocloate with bananas---good, too! Then we came back to the flat and just started talking. Before I knew it, Josh had disappeared and I found him conked in his bed with all his clothes on, including his coat---I think he took off his shoes before he dived in. I managed to stay up until about 8:00p.m. and then slept for 12 hours and time adjusting is history!

The first thing we did today was to buy our "Oyster" card---our tube and bus pass that lets us travel for an entire week as much as we want on the tube and any nof the buses. Then we went to the British Museum and looked at the mummies and artifacts. After we went to Camden Market---a big flea market where you can barter. Janie bought the cutest purse and I got some earrings. We had lunch at a Subway---I know we should be eating at an authentic British cafe---but all around the market was Indian, Chinese and other ehtic foods being cooked in big pots and we just weren't sure we wanted to risk food poisoning. A turkey sandwich at Subway seemed comfortingly safe and satisfying. Afterwards we rode the tube and a double decker bus to get home. We cooked our own chicken dinner and had a feast. We are now just chilling in the flat enjoying reading books, talking and relaxing. It was a fun first day!

Pool House Project #3

The framing is going up!!! It's really on it's way!

"Betcha can't make just one"

A few days ago, I went to my friend Tiffany's house and we made the cutest magnet boards ever! All it takes is some cute papers, the board, and some modge podge. Tiffany got the idea at Swiss Days last summer. I love mine so much I think I'm going to have to make another.

Eagle Project Extraordinaire

Yes, alas, it is time for the fifth son's Eagle Scout Project. (When I was sent the fourth son in a row, I knew the Lord had a sense of humor! I can just imagine Him smiling and saying, "Just for fun, let's send her another one!") Seriously, I love all the men in my life---and their cute spouses and children. But, when we found out that our sixth child was a boy I came home from the ultra sound and my conversation with Bob went something like this:
Sue: Honey, it's a boy!
Bob: Do you know what this means... it means a mission, college, graduate school...
Sue: Honey, your daughter can do all those things!!! I'll tell you what it means... another Eagle Scout!
In contemplating another scouting career with another son, I consoled myself by immediately going to a wonderful fabric store and buying the cutest boy fabric I could find to make a smocked outfit for this new baby.

So, here we are... that baby, Josh, is now 15 almost 16, is a Life Scout with his remaining two merit badges almost complete and the much anticipated Eagle Scout project to do. Well, by the time you are my age, 53, and helping with your fifth Eagle Scout project, you are TIRED! So in contemplating Eagle projects, we needed something that wasn't too physically hard and that could be relatively easy and fun. Do such projects even exist? Yes, we found one! Josh is making quilts for Primary Children's Medical Center. They have a tradition of having a homemade quilt on every bed. Josh needs to make at least four quilts and get eighty hours of service. He completed the first quilt this week-end. He got the fabric ready and then had his friends come over to tie the quilt and had a party afterwards. It was awesome!!!

Homemade Oreos

I love Homemade Oreos just as much as Smart Cookies! (Blogging must bring out my snacking side!) These cookies are so easy to make and seem to be the favorite at any gathering. Everyone seems to want the recipe, so here it is:

1 box of Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
can of cream cheese frosting

Mix the wet ingredients. Add the cake mix and stir until blended. Roll and shape dough into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 until cracks start to dry---about 9 minutes.
When cool frost the bottom of one cookie and then place another cookie on the top. Voila!
Homemade Oreos! ENJOY!!!

"Cookie Fix"

There are days and moments when I just need a cookie! When Janie was here, I used to use my best "Cookie Monster" voice and tell her "I need coooookkiiees". Being the sweet daughter that she is, she would usually oblige me and make some. Umm! After my friend, Sherry Hurdle, introduced me to "Smart Cookie" sugar cookies, I WAS HOOKED! They make the most delectable sugar cookie with cream cheese frosting! Well, when I could, I would buy some and savor each one making it last as long as possible. I would eat one petal at a time! Friends gave them to me as gifts. They are heavenly! About a month ago, Janie called me to say that the Provo store was going out of business. Sad news to be sure! So, on the last day of business I ordered a dozen and a half and came home and promptly froze all of them but one. Now, I still have about 8 left and when I just have to have my "cookie fix" I take one out of the freezer and enjoy! (Most times I eat my first petal frozen--I can't wait for it to thaw!) They still have a store in American Fork---I'll have to replenish my stash from there. Now, I think I get one out of the freezer...I can't wait!