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!