Wow, time is flying

It seems as if I have been waiting so long for my Visa, that now that I know when I get to go back to England, the time is FLYING by...  I have been filling my days with mundane activities like scanning in paperwork and going through clothes still in my parents house...  I have fit in a few fun activities as well such as playing with my nephew and watching Pirates baseball.

PNC Park: a beautiful ball field even with a slightly compromised view

I think this fan has it summed up perfectly, no one ever expected the Pirates to perform above 300 let alone above 500.  The city is showing their support by selling out a number of the weekend games.

Reminds me of Field of Dreams,
"If you build it they will come!"

I have also managed to go to the gym nearly every day this week and hope to continue that routine until my departure (even the morning of my flight) I am really hoping I can keep this trend going when I get back into the English Countryside  as well. I might not be in pillates or aquafit classes daily, but if I can get in a brisk walk or a bike ride on days we don't go to the gym I am hoping to successfully take off the weight I put on living in the middle of rural England...in the worst winter on record... with no car... My big activity last winter was walking to the out house (shed), filling a bucket with coal, and walking back into the house to keep the fires in the house warm!

Winter sky over the River Swale,
not a welcoming sight for an outdoor work out.

Here is to hoping I bring the sunshine back to England with me!  

Happy 4th of July!!

Hope Americans everywhere are enjoying their July 4th celebrations!

We celebrated with a TON of food, friends, and family!

My husband even celebrated in England at work in their respite (cafeteria)!

Have fun and be safe!



America has gone Mad for the Royals

Photo by friend Sandy K

It has been over 2 months since the Royal wedding and America has not lost interest in the Royal couple.  Their current visit to North America is only adding fuel to the fire.  The Duchess of Cambridge is certainly delighting all of the fashion magazines and retailers as her clothing sells out within minutes of her appearances.  She also continues to grace the cover of numerous magazines, however, not always without a bit of added help with her appearance (as if she needs any help)


The Duchess of Cambridge is a natural beauty, she works hard to keep fit and trim, however someone felt her waist wasn't small enough and airbrushed some of her wedding photos that appeared on the cover of various magazines.  On TV in the States an industry insider was spilling the beans on a variety of shots that have been touched up, I am not sure if it was this one of not, but I think her waist is more than slim enough

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As if being in the public eye and many comparing the Duchess to her husbands late mother, Princess Diana this week Newsweek has done the ultimate comparison and photoshoped an image that appears to be The Duchess and The Princess walking down the street together and they have aged Princess Diana to look as she would today at 50. 



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She however has been coached well and always appears with style and grace...

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Praised for both wearing new local designers as well as a few classic staples from her own wardrobe she is becoming a style icon in her own right.  Hopefully she will learn about the airbrushing and take a stand about her published photos. 

Girls and women around the world are under such pressure to look like a certain size and shape.  It would be nice to see people as they really are, not as the publishers want them to look. 

In the mean time another great series has made it to America from across the pond... My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding!  I watched with my husband while in England and have enjoyed it a second time around (with new narration and the occasional subtitles!) in America.  I laugh even more the second time around and have enjoyed translating and answering questions for my friends back here in the States.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it, the season finale is this weekend with the gypsy version of a royal wedding...  Jersey Shore ain't got nothin' on the Gypsies!

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Doc Ford

When my father-in-law knew I was heading back to the States he requested some new books.  While on Sanibel we introduced him to Doc Ford's Rum bar and grille.  The restaraunt was inspired by the characters of the novels of Randy Wayne White. 

The latest Doc Ford Novel

Doc Ford is a former government agent who wants to enjoy the pace of life on Sanibel Island while working as a marine biologist. Unfortunately drama and the job follow him there and take him on dangerous and exciting excursions.

I have read 2 books so far, 10,000 Islands and Tampa Burn and I have raced through each one reading them in less than 2 days.  I was on vacation, which makes it ok to read for long periods of time through the day, however the action and the pace keep you eager to turn each page. 

While there are 18 books now and I have not read them in order, I have managed to keep up with the action and the characters.  I intend to go back and start reading from the beginning as my father-in-law has the first and fourth and I have ordered the second, third, and fifth.  We may be downloading a few to the ipad to keep my Doc Ford fix going if I continue to plow through the books at my current pace.  Otherwise, they will have to wait for our next trip to the States in November.

An added bonus to the books, I lived in Florida for 15 years and have been visiting for over 20.  I am familiar with a variety of the landmarks described in the books.  I can see the action unfolding in my back yard or a stretch of beach I have frequented.  Its like bringing Florida home with me. 

The American Suburbanite counts down the days until she returns to Rural England

As I was driving across the causeway from Sanibel to the mainland I received a phone call from my Mom.  She was home in PA and I had just received a UPS delivery from the British Consulate.  I told her to open in right away and let me know what it was.   


After a few tense moments she said "I think it is good, there is no letter"

I quickly asked her to look in my passport for a visa, and sure enough it was there.  I  was so excited I called my husband 3 times until I got a call back.  

He was in a meeting for work and didn't pick up the phone right away.  He called a few minutes later after the meeting adjourned and the two of us were so excited we didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  I think we did a little bit of both!   

21 Days until I depart for England to be at our home!

Doc Fords

After all my walking on the beach, I built up a healthy appetite.  I went to Doc Ford's, one of my favorite restaurants, for dinner.  My husband and I found it on our first visit to Sanibel and ate there several times because they aired the world cup matches.  We loved the food, it takes the best of fresh Florida ingredients and puts them together in an interesting way.  We enjoyed the menu so much we replicated some of it for our wedding menu. I had an idea of what I wanted before I got to the restaurant.   When I found out my salad did not come in a small portion it helped me finalize my decision.

Captiva Style Crab Cakes

Sorry about the blurry picture, I took the photos with my phone.  These are some of my favorite crab cakes and the spicy remoulade is a great contrast to the cool and sweet apple cider slaw.  I came into the restaurant knowing I was ordering the crab cakes.

Tropical Salad

For my main I had the tropical salad.  I was unsure if I would have a variety of appetizers or a main course.  I chose a main course and I love the tropical salad.  It has such a mix of flavors, dried cherries, tomatoes, spiced pecans, mandarin oranges, mozzarella cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette.  I love the mix of sweet and savory, crunchy and juicy... just what an entree salad should be.

Drunken Parrot Carrot Cake

Gossling's Black Seal Rum makes this carrot cake super moist.  It was such a big piece I ate it in 3 separate sittings.  I figured I had to get some rum in if I was eating at a Rum Bar and Grille!

Sands of Sanibel

Whilst stuck in America, I decided to make the best of it.  I have been in Florida for the past week and couldn't fit in enough of my favorite things so I extended my trip for another week.   I will continue to blog about my favorite things while here as well as some favorite things from PA before I head back to England.  

This weekend I went to Sanibel Island on the way back from Kissimmee, yes Sanibel is quite a diversion from Tampa, but felt it was necessary.  My husband and I got married here in November and there is so much about the island that I love, I couldn't get this close and not visit.  The beaches here are absolutely chaca with shells, and not shell fragments, whole shells, and nice ones at that.  I walked miles a day, even in the 95+ degree weather and enjoyed every step of it, that is until I realized I forgot to reapply sunscreen on the return part of one of my walks...

OK, so this one is alive, but there are hundreds that are not.

Sea turtles also use the beaches for nesting.  Monitoring sea turtle nests was one of my first paid jobs in my field after moving to Florida and the little guys hold a special place in my heart.   When I first walked out onto the beach I noticed 2 nests flanking the area where we had our wedding ceremony, and the next morning, another nest was deposited there as well.  I will attempt to following the progress of these nests to the best of my ability from the UK.

turtle tracks returning to the Gulf

Sanibel is teaming with wildlife, here are a few more pictures:

A brown Pelican

A great blue heron

An Ibis

A green anole

An osprey nest



Beach Sunflower



ghost crab

grasshopper

And what would a weekend at the beach be without a beautiful sunset.  Gulf coast sunsets are some of the best I have ever seen: