Some amazing weather!

I know! I usually complain about the English weather, but the weekend has been glorious and there seems to be more of the same for the week!

I spent much of the weekend outside digging up one of the flower bed by our deck. We had some unruly shrubs that I am going to try to replant out front ion the cobbles in an effort to continue to claim a bit of space in front of our house. Really if we didn't have the barrels out there people would park right up to the front door I think. As it is people still walk their dogs and let them leave some unfriendly gifts at our doorstep. Hopefully the plants will take and I can create a bit of a hedge. Next year I am hoping for a bit of a cottage garden within the hedged area. Curb appeal to help it sell!

I spent a little time indoors yesterday to cook a lovely Sunday roast. It would have been nicer if my husband didn't have to work, but we had some quality time once he was home! I think the next time we have the G family over for a Sunday roast we may have s roast potato competition between my husband and myself. On Christmas, he claims turkey and potatoes as his jobs, but I think my potatoes are better, even if I am an American!

Today my husband had a conference and was meeting the carpool in the next town. I drove in with him and we window shopped until the carpool arrived. Once he was on his way, I hit the charity shops (thrift stores) and antique shops. My big finds of the day were a wooden bracelet and little hold all. I spent £1.38 on my treasures and could easily fit them in my hand bag...after I ate my banana.

Good thing they fit as I was cycling home. It is mostly flat and just under four miles. I was glad to have the ride one way as the bikes are in desperate need of a tune up. I still have mud caked on my bike from the last time I rode in the fall, I can't shift gears or I pop the chain off, and today I broke one of the reflectors as I tried to take it out of the TT. I may cycle into town on Thursday and meet my husband at the gym after work. If I can get into town early enough, I can leave the bike at the shop and for £20 it will get a tune up! I think it will be worth the piece of mind as I use it as my main source of transportation while my husband is at work.

Oh well, time to get a little more gardening in as I procrastinate from doing any indoor chores! At least one of them is fun, pack for a day at the Cheltenham Race Festival!

The American Suburbanite has returned to Rural England

(c) ASRE  My favorite oak tree in the village

Wow it has been a long time coming for this post.  In all I guess it could have been worse but I was gutted when I said good bye to my husband at the airport when he left America in May and my new visa application had not yet been submitted.  Not because we were not finished, but because it had taken another few weeks for the lawyer to complete his portion of the application... Two weeks exactly after my application was delivered to the British Consulate in New York, we received my approved spousal visa.  Although it is good for 27 months, I couldn't return to England for another month based on my travel itinerary submitted with the application.

Enough about my visa application, I am with my husband in jolly ol' England again and very happy to be home (although I did cry when I left my parents and nephew behind at the airport, I have a theme going!)  We have had a great time in the week I have been home.  My husband was able to take three extra days off work when I first arrived back in the UK, it was great to have some time with him after 9 weeks apart. 

We went to Scarborough and visited his parents.  While there, I traded the Doc Ford novels I had read for two that I have not yet read!  We did a 7.5 mile walk around the North and South bays and back to the house.  And even explored a little of the seashore during the low tide.  The water was much colder than when I was in FL so no swimming for me although there were a few guys out there surfing!

(c) ASRE surfers in Scarborough

Friday after going to the gym and swimming in the morning, we went to the races at York Race Course for the evening portion of the Music Showcase weekend.  Our friend Ms. V came along as well and we all had picked at least one winner.  A night at the races is always better if you win at least one and Ms. V won a few!  After the races, Blondie performed for about 90 minutes and it was great!  We were not that close to the stage, but we could see the stage as well as a few big screens they had positioned around the course. Being further back gave us plenty of room to dance!  She sounds great for 66 years old, and still putting out new music.

(c) ASRE Blondie

(c)ASRE A gorgeous sunset for all at the Blondie Concert

We took it easy on Saturday and slept in after our big night out.  We stayed with Ms. V and family and just relaxed until the early afternoon before heading back home.  After showers and a quick nap for me (5 minutes, a true cat nap!)we headed out to do some car shopping.  Now that I am able to start looking for work, I need to make sure I have a vehicle to get me to and fro.  We are looking at the Vauxhall Corsa, although it appears an American driving license, though legal for a year, is not an easy one to get insured. 

On Sunday we made up for our laziness and walked another 7.5 miles for our lunch.  We walked the back side of the village along the footpaths through the fields to a neighboring village and stopped at the pub for a pint and a sandwich before walking back.  It was interesting to see all the different crops.  We noted two types of grain, guessing one is wheat and the other might be barley, sweet beet root, and maybe even asparagus plants.  We had another lovely sunny day, nothing like the summer sun in PA or FL lately but it was nice enough for me to wear sandals and a t shirt!

(c) ASRE Sporting my Chaco's with a little hitchiker! Ladybird beetles (lady bugs) were everywhere!

Monday my husband had to go back to work and I started some of the mundane chores like unpacking, laundry, and weeding.  Our front cobbles had dandelions bigger than me and the cobblestone was nowhere in sight.  With a putty knife and some nimble fingers I have excavated a large portion and now only want to do a length about one foot wide in front of our flower barrels before I call it done.  three days of work into it so far and probably one more to go.  It may have to wait until the weekend though as tomorrow I have scheduled myself a busy morning.  Pilates at 10 am and then a driving lesson at noon for 2 hours.  We figured if they won't inure me on an American license, they will have to when I get a full UK license!

(c) ASRE 9 weeks of no weeding

(c)  ASRE part of the finished product