First Bath

Okay, so it's 5:40 AM and I start hearing yipping coming from downstairs.  AAAGGGHHH! Not so early, puleez!  I ignore it for a bit waiting to see if "you-know-who" would wake up, but NOOOOO. So up I get up to put herself outside.  At least she had the good grace to take a loooooong whiz before I emphatically put her back to bed in her crate.  Yip-Yap....NOOOO! I yell at her!  So I creep back upstairs and get nice and comfy back in bed for about 20 minutes when she starts yapping again.  Himself has been exhausted from work lately, so I get up and put her out again for another quick whiz. I get her her brekkie, but no she doesn't want to eat - yet. So I do my usual...make a cup of coffee for myself and settle down with the morning paper.  She seems to have learned that that means no playing, just settle down.  She wanders idly over and nibbles at her brekkie and then wants out again.  So I watch to make sure she does her "thing" and, both of us relieved, let her back in knowing that I can relax with the daily crossword.

Herself settles for a while, but then wants out again, so I let her out to run around and chase the birds.  Then I notice she's digging!  GASP!  It's wet out there and she's going to get filthy.  Ah well, himself said he'd be doing the bathing - outside with the hose!  Finally, "she" decides she's had enough and wants inside so jumps at the patio door with her filthy wet feet yapping loudly.  By now it's 9:30 am - I haven't been able to get dressed or even brush my teeth, let alone have any breakfast of my own.  I tried grabbing her as she came in and tried to wipe down her feet, but herself is so hyper she starts biting at me (in fun, of course). So I throw her back out and upstairs I go, leaving a yapping animal at the door and tell "you-know-who" it's time to get up because "you said you'd bath her outside with the hose."

So himself comes downstairs, takes a look at herself and says "I'm going to have a shower."

WHAT????

The neighbours are going to complain and I say, "Take your shower AFTER you bath the dog!"

So, grumble grumble grumble....he takes her upstairs (me offering to help, but getting an emphatic "Don't bother!")  He gets her all clean and then she runs around all excited again before I lock her in the office with me and get her calmed down.  Letting her up on the one nice soft lazy-boy chair with her stuffed dog Scotty, she settles down and goes to sleep.

By now, I'm half dressed and have managed to brush my teeth while himself bathed her.  Then "he" comes in and gets mad that I'm letting her up on the furniture.

I can hear him downstairs with her now and he sounds more like himself...lol...aha he's taking her for a walk!  Ah, peace at last!  Now look at this photo...how can I stay mad at her for long? I wish himself hadn't been so cranky when he was bathing her so I could have caught a photo!  Ah well, I'm sure there will other baths...soon.  *sigh*

G is for GUSHY and GIDDY

If you haven't seen my "Introduction" this week over on the ABC Wednesday site, the great news for me is that we have a new yellow Labrador Retriever puppy.  We brought her home on February 3, and both of us are exhausted!  Actually, she is pretty good at sleeping through the night (although our nights used to be longer) and tapping the door to go outside for her constitutionals.  She eats well and plays hard.  Then she naps hard, too!  She is our little darling, named Tegan (aka Rhossili Breeze) and after only 3 weeks, she answers to her name and brings us her ball - that is, if she wants to.  lol  We're like new parents who are giddy with excitement over the new arrival, gushing with glee at every little antic and kiss, yet gnashing our teeth over her needle-sharp baby teeth.  Every morning between 7 and 7:30, she wakes one of us up with a sharp yip-yap and we stumble down the stairs to let her out of her crate for her morning "run."  Then I make myself a coffee and let her gambol all over me until I bleed from her greedy little love bites.  Finally, it's "settle time" and she gets her breakfast while I have my own little "run." Unless she's busy doing something, or with Lorne, I can't even go to the toilet in peace!  Just like a real toddler!  I'm sure I'll be putting photos of her on ABCW frequently and here's the first slideshow all about our glamorous little goober!

Gargantuan thanks to the glamorous Mrs. Nesbitt, the founder and creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the gallant Roger, our administrator.  Also thanks to all the guys and gals who visit contributors each week to give great praise to everyone else.  If you'd like to join the team, just give old Roger a holler!

F is for FLOWERS

Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere usually find the month of February to be frightfully dismal. In some areas it's still frosty, and fancy snowflakes continue to fall.  In other areas, the weather is still ferocious and foul as our thoughts turn to fanciful delights of the first days of Spring.  So, as we watch the snowdrops forcing their way through the snow and we await the first signs of crocus, primrose, daffodil, and tulip, I thought you might be cheered by some of my floral fotos!  If it doesn't say "my" or "in my garden" the photo is from either around my neighbourhood or from my travels.  Regardless, all fotos were taken by moi!  So turn up your sound to "Here Comes the Sun" and have faith that winter will be over soon enough and then we'll all be able to enjoy the fabulous fruits of the summer season.

Huge thanks to Mrs Nesbitt, the founder of ABC Wednesday and to the formidable Roger, our current administrator.  They and the team fervently desire to faciliate and fine-tune the site so that contributors will be able to familiarize themselves with others, thus fostering friendships from far and wide.

E is for EYE

I had a really nice slideshow all ready to add to my E is for...post but my computer was hacked on Friday evening so now I have to wait until it's fixed by a professional before even turning it on.  What I originally wanted to show you was the town of Ely, just north of Cambridge, where Cathy and I met up with two extraordinary ladies. I had met Sally and Ellee online, and we had arranged to meet for lunch at Peacock's Tea Room in Ely. It was a lovely day but I forgot to take my camera! All the photos I have are from Cathy so I'll have to show you Ely another time. I have a smaller laptop that I'm using now to do a different post, but I don't have any photo software on it, so will have to do with just posting a few photos that I'd saved on a stick.

Most people are aware of the London EYE, but like me, I bet lots of you did not realize that there are EYES in other cities in England...and maybe even the world for all I know.  But when we arrived in Liverpool and settled into our hotel at Albert Dock, we were very excited to see the Liverpool EYE right next door.  Off we went to see about getting a ride, but alas, it was closed!  I had to make do with taking some photos of it, practising from different angles.  Standing more than 197 feet high, the wheel gives magnificent views of the city's World Heritage waterfront and the Albert Dock complex. It has 42 fully enclosed and air-conditioned capsules plus a VIP luxury capsule with leather seats, DVD player, and a champagne fridge. Also, in good weather, you can see all the way to North Wales and out to the Irish Sea.  These are a few of my shots.  Click on the photos to see them larger - they do look much better that way.

 

 

 When I was in London, I wanted to go up in the London EYE with Lorne, but unfortunately we didn't get the chance.  However, we did drive past it on our way to Heathrow on our final day.  It truly is a magnificent sight!   It is much bigger than the one in Liverpool, standing 443 feet high with the wheel having a diameter of 394 feet.  The London EYE stands in the heart of London on the south bank of the River Thames adjacent to the Jubilee Gardens.  I'll just have to return some day to this exciting city so I can finally have a ride on it. Here are a couple of shots I got from Google.  

Exuberant thanks to the founder and creator of ABC Wednesday, the ever enchanting Mrs. Nesbitt (her hens lay excellent eggs, you know!) and the enormously enthusiastic Roger, our current administrator!  Also, we must not forget the exemplory and essential team of assistants who give it their best effort to visit all the contributors and give feeback to your entertaining and eloquent posts.

D is for DEVILS or DEMONS?

No doubt, one of the most devilish excursions we had while in Wales was to the Skirrid Inn!  It is designated as one of the oldest pubs in Wales dating back over 900 years.  History deems it that the first floor of the inn was once used as a Court of Law and over a period of many years, as many as 180 prisoners were declared guilty of crimes serious enough to demand the sentence of death by hanging, a decree that was carried out at the inn itself. Judge Jeffreys is well known as the "Hanging Judge" because of his desire for harsh sentences to nearly all defendants.

After a night's dreaming of the delightful Welsh landscapes, we decided to have a down-to-earth day taking a drive through Abergavenny towards the Skirrid Inn. My friend Jane had disclosed to Cathy and me that we would definitely love the dwelling, so we were really looking forward to it.  We drove through breathtaking landscapes over the softly rounded hills until we were dizzy and desperate with desire to arrive!

My excitement dissipated at first sight of the Inn because it led me to deem it derelict, decrepit, dark, and dreadful.  So I was not that anxious to enter its depths as I thought it might be dangerous. It looked as though it might disintegrate with the entire roof falling down upon us.  I drifted across the street and had a nice dialogue with two horses who had some doubts about the strangers in town.  Finally, I approached the front door and dared to step inside.

A life-sized dummy of Judge Jeffreys greeted us in the foyer before we directed ourselves  into the pub. There we discovered a homey dining room with designs and displays on the walls about the history of the inn.  As we drifted around reading the signs in the dim and dingy room, my worries began to dissipate.  The inn was not in disrepair nor was it disagreeable.  The atmosphere was one of wholesome fun and we could hear the drinkers laughing and chatting as they devoured their dishes of fish 'n chips or meat pies.  Dropping my purse on the bar, I began to dally a bit with the innkeeper Geoff Fiddler who delights in his Inn's ghostly reputation. I told him my maiden name was "Jones" (how Welsh can you get?) and that I'd come all the way from western Canada. When he heard that, he asked if we'd like to see the lodgings that were available for holiday rent.  As he dived for the keys, a lady who lived in the district leapt up to say she wanted to come, too. She told us that the last time she'd climbed the stairs she'd sensed a ghost, so she desired to try again with others to drive on her courage. Oh, oh!

Pushing the swinging door, we entered a dark and dull hallway with stairs rising upwards.  I disguised myself as a daring day tripper and began the ascent.  Partway up the first section, I discontinued my climb as I detected the noose hanging from the rafters.  I shivered in disgust but decided to push on.  Just as I placed my foot on the middle landing beside the door to the "prisoners' cell," we all heard the most demonic and devilish howl!  I jumped and screamed with horror but was drowned out by the screams of everyone else who was on the stairwell.  Then came deafening roars of laughter as the owner of the pub dismissed our silly fears.  Apparently, he does it to all the gullible tourists! 

Determined to continue on, we peered into all three of the rooms. We were surprised to see that the owners had developed some very nice rooms done up with ensuites.  Each room was different with two of them having four-poster beds.  I decided right then that I would later return with Lorne to this domicile so he could have the same experience.

And we did.  Unfortunately, the owner wasn't on the premises that day, but as soon as we entered the first room we danced our way into the four-poster and Jane took our photo.  Lorne was dazed when he saw the ensuite and for a moment we deliberated about taking a holiday there another time.  We resumed our tour in the second room, but as soon as we stepped inside, all three of us felt a cold, creepy sensation!  Out we went, and descended the stairway, exiting via the closest door and ran for the hills!

Haunted?  Possessed by demons and devils?  Who know?  But we were very discomfited and disturbed by the experience!  I don't think we'll be going back to stay any time soon.  I defer to any other brave soul to dare to dwell there overnight.

Great thanks to our darling and dynamic Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the dapper and debonair Roger, our current administrator.  Also, thanks to the team who are dedicated to visiting all the dandy, dazzling, and deliciously devoted contributors to ABCW.  And now, on with my weekly slideshow!  Be sure to turn up your sound so you can be delightfully diverted.

C is for CHURCHILL's CHARTWELL

Last August, I had the privilege of visiting the family home of Sir Winston Churchill that is named Chartwell.  I could go on and describe everything we did, but suffice to say we spent the entire day there.  It was absolutely magnificent!  We were not allowed to take any interior photographs, but I did get lots of the exterior and the grounds.  I found the following online and it says it all, so enjoy reading it and watching my little slideshow that follows. And don't forget to turn up the sound.

Chartwell was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1922 until his death in 1965. The house is situated 2 miles south of Westerham in Kent off the B2026 road.

Churchill loved the house, especially the view over the Weald of Kent. He modernised the originally rather gloomy Victorian mansion by adding a garden wing consisting of three large and attractive rooms. Churchill's wife Clementine made her contribution by choosing the comfortable furniture and floral chintz curtains. The estate, consisting of 80 acres, gave Winston the peace and tranquility that he loved, and he relaxed by painting in the garden or in his studio and by transforming the grounds with new lakes, and robust brick walls built with his own hands.The Chart Well which rises on the western boundary of the site fed the existing lake and gave the estate its name.

During Churchill's first five years at Chartwell he was Chancellor of the Exchequer; this was followed by what has become known as his wilderness years in the 1930's when he was out of office and did much of his writing to keep the family finances afloat.
 
With the rise of Fascism in Europe, Churchill passionately argued the case for rearmament, and his inspired leadership during the war years are a permanent part of our history. Chartwell was closed up during the war years, except for the occasional visit. Despite his election defeat in 1945, when the public craved change and a new beginning, he was still widely acknowledged as the greatest living Englishman, and Chartwell soon became a shrine to to his wartime achievements. In 1947, a group of Churchill's friends purchased the house so that he could continue living there and, in 1966, Chartwell was opened to the public for the first time.

Churchill's beloved view of the weald of Kent from the terrace was spoilt when the great Storm of 16th October 1987 devastated the woodland landscape on the hillside directly opposite. It will be many years yet before it regains its original character.

Churchill was the greatest orator of his day, the greatest leader of the Second World War, the greatest statesman of his age, and the greatest Englishman of the twentieth century, perhaps of all time. The debt owed to Sir Winston Churchill by the free world remains immeasurable. (from here)

Thanks to the charming Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the charismatic Roger, our current administrator. Together with the team, they cultivate excitement among the contributors and communicate their caring and classy comments.

By the way, I am Canadian!

B is for BOATS

First of all, I'd like to put out a warm welcome to our "newbies."  The first week of Round 12 brought quite a few new contributors, and I hope they enjoy the challenge of ABCW, created by our beautiful Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by our brilliant Roger.

I don't know why I'm intrigued by boats because I've never owned one.  However, I seem to always be taking photos of them.  It doesn't matter if it's a cruise liner (been on 3 cruises), a sailboat, a fishing boat, a motor boat (used to water ski when younger), or a simple little rowboat.  My DL used to have a sailboat and would love to have another, but I'm a bit skeptical since we are "getting on."  But, look at his beaming face!  Doesn't he look brilliant - I know he's feeling blessed and blissful.

Anyway, I've put together a little slideshow of some of my photos of boats that I hope you enjoy.  Some are from when I was away in England and Wales last summer and some are from my own neighbourhood near Vancouver, British Columbia.

A is for ANDOVER

Welcome to Round 12 of ABC Wednesday, created by Denise Nesbitt and currently administered by our able-bodied and adorable Roger and his team of admirable assistants!  If you are new to ABCW, please be sure to read our guidelines (top left of the website) and link back to it so that others may enjoy our adventures!

This week, I'd like to introduce you to the town of Andover, which lies in Hampshire, England near well-known locales such as Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. Every time I've travelled to England, I go there to stay with friends John and Marion.  They kindly allow me to get over any jet lag before we travel around the area taking in the sights.  Last summer, they took us to Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill - I'll be showing you this awesome place in 2 weeks for the letter C.

Andover is also close to the New Forest, which "is a former royal hunting area in the south of England. It was created in 1079 by William I (known as William the Conqueror) as a hunting area, principally of deer.  It is a unique area of historical, ecological and agricultural significance, and retains many of the rural practices conceded by the Crown in historical times to local people. Principal of these is the pasturing of ponies, cattle, pigs and donkeys in the open Forest by local inhabitants known as commoners. The New Forest has also been an important source of timber for the Crown. It is an outstanding recreational area for walking and riding. It is now designated as a National Park."  

Once, we took a drive through the area and actually saw wild horses roaming the countryside and small villages!  It's a beautiful part of England! We stopped for lunch at a typical village pub that has a thatched roof and was called "The Hatchet."  I remember having a traditional lunch of crusty bread and meat paté with Branston pickle! 

The history of Andover goes back a long way to the mid-900's where King Edgar called a meeting of the Saxon parliament at his hunting lodge in the area.  At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Andover had a total population of about 500, making it quite a large settlement by the standards of the time.  By the early 19th century, it was a major stopping point on the stagecoach routes to London.  As a matter of fact, John commutes via automobile to London for his job.  

If I could afford to live in England, I'd be airborne right now!  In the meantime, it's awesome to have good friends who always give me a warm welcome every few years.  Enjoy the slideshow and don't forget to turn up your sound.

Z is for ZOO (London)

So far, I've managed each week to bring you a small part of my last holiday in England and Wales.  I was a bit stymied for the letter "Z" but I decided that even though I didn't have the chance to get to it, I would write about the London ZOO.  I did go past it on a canal boat on Regent Canal, but unfortunately my back acted up while I was in London, so a full day of being on my feet was not possible.  And on the news last week, it was mentioned that the ZOO has begun its annual week-long census of the 17,500 animals who reside there. "The zoological director, David Field, said it was vital the data they had stored on the animals was absolutely correct as the information forms the basis of international breeding programmes for endangered species."  Apparently, some species are harder to count than others.  For example, the endangered partula snails, because of their small size and camouflage techniques underneath leaves, must be counted by hand.  Also, the penguins tend to be uncooperative for photographers vying for position to catch a shot of them but the nine meerkats relish the attention!

"To be fair, the laborious count is not just a bureaucrat's idea of a joke. Precise numbers are needed by the International Species Information System, which oversees zoo breeding programmes to help save endangered species.  One species under threat is the Sumatran tiger, two of which are set to move to London Zoo when the new £3.6 million Tiger Territory enclosure opens this Spring." (from here)

Although I didn't visit the ZOO during my last trip to London, I will definitely go back to see it.  After about a half hour into our trip, as we drifted along Regent Canal in a canal boat, we saw the spot where you can get dropped off and picked up.  The birds were on one side of the canal, while other species were on the other.  It seemed as though the canal was winding its way through a thick jungle forest, even though we knew were in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world!  I hope you enjoy this short slideshow of our boat ride along Regent Canal on the way to the London Zoo.
Great thanks to our own zealous zookeeper Mrs. Nesbitt (after all, she has 6 hens + a cockeral, 3 dogs, and one cat) for creating ABC Wednesday for all of us to enjoy.  Hmmm....I wonder if she grows zucchini!  Also, thanks to our current Administrator Roger who hopefully won't turn into a zombie from all the responsibility he has each week as he minds the site.  If he does, we can always toss him into the tiger zone as a zesty treat.  (Just kidding, Rog!) Okay, I'll zip my lip for now...go watch the slideshow.

Y is for YORKSHIRE

Okay, I promised my posts to the end would be short, but I just did up a slideshow for you all about one of the most beautiful places in the world - YORKSHIRE - where our friend Denise Nesbitt lives, and I'm sorry that it's long, but it's worth it. You will not regret watching it as it just might spur you to consider visiting some day.  I know that I for one WILL be back!

Our visit began with Jill (see her blog here) meeting us at the Grosmont (silent s) train station.  We trudged up the hill with our cases, turned into "Institute Row" and arrived at our cottage.  It was amazing inside - fully fitted kitchen, laundry room, lovely sitting/dining room with TV and fireplace and upstairs the huge bathroom and two bedrooms with queen-sized beds in each!  Denise turned up with fresh eggs, which we cooked up for dinner...yummy!

The next day was cloudy and threatened rain, although it was warm.  We had been pleasantly surprised by the village with all it had to offer people, so we decided to poke around.  We passed the old schoolhouse that had recently been renovated as a cafe, the village church, the tunnel through which the steam trains chugged past a gorgeous garden, and ended up at the train museum.  Coming back, we stopped at the schoolhouse for lunch and then poked our heads inside many of the intriguing shops down the road.

The following morning, Jill phoned and offered to take us for a drive so we accepted.  What a wonderful and gracious hostess she was!  She took us all over the moors and to several neighbouring villages to show us the views, where her grandchildren go to school and church, and the famous village of Goathland where the British TV show "Heartbeat" was filmed.  That was especially exciting for me as I'm a fan of the show.  After that, we went to the North Yorkshire Visitors' Center and had lunch in the "Wooly Sheep Cafe."

We went out to visit Denise one day, too, and had a wonderful visit.  We strolled along the lanes near her home and saw lots of horses, geese and other water fowl, her church and had cuddles with Frieda, one of her German Shepherds and watched her chickens scarf down spaghetti noodles.  She served us tea and scones in her lovely and cosy kitchen and we got to see up close her new Aga!

I could tell you so much more, but I'll just let you watch the slideshow (and turn up the sound) to see for yourself that Yorkshire is a beautiful area of the world!  I'll leave you with one more thing:

!HAPPY NEW YEAR!

X is for XMAS

We who post at ABC Wednesday are lovers of the alphabet, and we are sometimes fascinated by the flexibility of the letter X.  It can be used to represent the sacred, the profane (X-rated), and the unknown (X-ray).

How many of you have ever wondered why "XMAS" is used as a short form for the word ''CHRISTMAS"?  How many of you really know the reason.  Have you ever heard the saying "Jesus is the reason for the season"?

The history of the word "Xmas" is actually quite respectable and predates by centuries its use in gaudy advertisements.   X is the Greek letter "chi", the first letter in the word Χριστός.  And here's the kicker - Χριστός means "Christ."  Using the letter X to represent Christ, known as a "christogram," has been an accepted representation of Christ for hundreds of years. 

Therefore, in order to fulfill my promise of a short post this week, may I wish you all MERRY XMAS! 

W is for Woodstock Terrace

I started planning my trip to England and Wales about a year ago.  My friend Cathy and I worked on our itinerary, making plans to visit old and new friends in both countries and on the Isle of Man.   In the meantime, my dear Lorne had been applying to work for the London Olympics and we were hoping that if he got the job, I'd stay on longer to be with him for a while before returning home to start the school year with my tutoring.  Well, it was all a whirlwind when everything started happening!  Within two weeks, he had everything arranged after one video interview and two long distance telephone interviews.  On May 16th, I drove him to Vancouver International Airport, kissed him good-bye and off he went!

I never said anything about it (except to personal friends) because of security clearances...everything he did in his job was on a "need-to-know" basis as he was dealing with extremely high level security for  VIPs, Heads of State, international Royalty, headline acts for the ceremonies, and more.  Read into this as you may but yes, he probably either met them or at least saw them go through his area.  Working under him were over 2000 British Army troops, 20 Met Police, 8 dog handlers, 3 Venue Managers, etc.  I was so proud of him but missed him terribly!

We had to find him a place to stay at the last minute so went online in search.  Luckily, we found a room that was located about halfway between the Canary Wharf LOCOG office and the Olympic Site in Stratford.  It was on Woodstock Terrace in a row of homes bordering on a park.  It was okay, but even though the weather from May to July was horrendously rainy and cold, the landlady wouldn't allow him to turn on the heat.  He used to huddle under his comforter fully clothed trying to stay warm during his "off" hours while he read and read and read.  There was no TV or radio and no internet access, either.  He'd go over to the library around 7pm every night and contact me at home (11am my time) and we'd "chat" online for an hour - the allotted time.  If he couldn't make it, he'd email me wonderful letters full of all the news he could give me - his emails were monitored for security!  I saved everything - printed out all the emails and the "chats" we had and now have a large binder full of our correspondence.  It'll be fun to read through it again one day.

Finally, the day came when Cathy and I were to leave on our holiday.  I could hardly wait because it was now down to counting the weeks and days instead of the months before Lorne and I saw each other again.  As you probably have been reading, we had a great holiday for 2 1/2 weeks until we got to Yorkshire.  He phoned to tell me he was in the hospital with osteomyelitis!  Several weeks prior, he'd tripped over some cables on site and banged his big toe on a stairwell.  Long story short, he had unknowingly broken it and a few weeks later, he started to feel really sick.  He was transported by ambulance to Homerton Hospital where he was admitted, put immediately on IV antibiotics to get the infection under control before undergoing a partial amputation.  The surgery was to be on the Friday so Cathy and I headed to London on Thursday and went right away to the hospital after checking in at our hotel downtown.

Two trains and a 15-minute walk later, the poor guy was quite the sorry sight all hooked up to tubes, unshaven and hair all tousled.  Once I was there though, he relaxed a bit and was ready to do whatever it took to get him better.  He insisted that Cathy and I do some fun things in London while he was in the hospital because he didn't want to ruin our holiday.  So we did.  Visiting hours were strange (from 11am to noon and then from 4pm to 8pm) so I usually ended up going around 4pm and staying until around 8 until it started getting dark earlier and earlier.

Once Cathy left to return home, I moved over to the house on Woodstock Terrace.  Although the location was great for Lorne regarding work, it was in East London - not the best place for a WASP woman to be staying alone.  Drug deals went on in the middle of the night below the window and I looked very out of place walking amongst the women wearing hijabs peeking through the slits in their masks and amongst the blackest of black Somalis.  Lorne worried a lot about me being alone there, but I reassured him that I always had my keys out sticking through my fingers as a weapon and I always walked as though I knew exactly where I was going.  I really didn't think the area was that bad because I always saw lots of families around.  It just wasn't what one usually imagines when one thinks about the city of London.

Here's a funny story about something that happened after Lorne got out of the hospital but before he was well enough to fly home.  In the slide show to follow, you'll see some security guards outside the library about a block away from where we lived.  They also roamed around inside watching for theft and any disruptions.  Anyway, as there was no internet access at the house, we had to go to the library in order to check out flights home, contact our travel agent and family, and print out boarding passes.  We're there one day trying to work when suddenly there was an eruption between two young men, both big and black!  I was rightly p***ed at all the noise they were making and their cursing, so started grumbling at Lorne to do something.  He just told me to mind my own business because these guys could be dangerous.  But I was so stressed out about everything that I suddenly erupted at them and said, "Will you guys PLEASE figure out who beats up whom somewhere else!  People are trying to work here!"  Well....dead silence....and then one of them said, "Oh, sorry Ma'am!" and they left!  No one could believe this old white lady standing up to these punks!  I started to laugh while everyone else just stared at me open-mouthed, including Lorne.

The day Lorne finally got out of the hospital he insisted on taking me out to dinner in the neighbourhood.  We went to his favourite Chinese food restaurant and I was very impressed.  After dinner, he said we had to keep going further down the street because he had a surprise for me.  We ended up at an old 50s-style diner where we ordered ice-cream sundaes!  I even had the waiter take our photo!  We were both so happy that day to be able to finally be together again, knowing he would be coming home early with me instead of staying on until the end of October. But before coming home, we went to Wales to visit my friend Jane. You might recall my post R is for Rhossili here.

Warm thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, the wonderful creator of ABC Wednesday and to Roger, our current administrator of the site.  Without them, we would not be here sharing all our witty and whimsical posts. We welcome all newcomers and would love our "oldies" to continue in the upcoming Round 12.  As well, we welcome anyone who is interested in participating on the team by visiting about 10 posts other than the ones you already visit.  Please contact Roger at ABC Wednesday here.

Enjoy the slideshow about my experiences living on Woodstock Terrace in London - I know it's long, but the next last 3 posts of the year will be short - I promise! 

Also, since next Tuesday is Christmas Day and in Canada Wednesday is Boxing Day,

I'd like to take this moment to wish everyone, wherever you are in the world, a very

Merry Christmas!

V is for VAULTS GARDEN CAFE

My friend Anne and I were valiant vagabonds as we strolled towards Radcliffe Square in Oxford. Suddenly, we came upon a couple of bicycles leaning against the stone wall.  Each had a basket full of colourful vegetation and a sign indicating a cafe that welcomed one and all - the Vaults Garden Cafe.  It is named the Vaults because of its proximity to the Radcliffe and Bodleian Libraries - an apt name, I thought. Although we didn't go in (no time), I did stop and take a few shots of the bikes as they were indicative of the area, the contemporary yet historic heart of Oxford.  The cafe opened in 2003 and offers unpretentious hospitality, local organic food, a vibrant environment, and affordability.  The cafe will provide picnic blankets so you can dine on the lawns or you can sit inside the "Old Congregation House" with its vaulted ceilings, which dates from 1320. Next time I'm in Oxford on vacation, I'll definitely pop in for a bite to eat, preferably on the lawns.

I played around with my two photos of the bikes and I hope you like them.  Sometimes it's fun just to see what you can do with colour and saturation even though the photo may not look "real."  They are vibrant, though, and I feel victorious about being able to do this! First, one original -

and then my vicarious thrill of changing colours.

Then the other original -


 and my other attempt at variety.
Venerable thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, founder and creator of ABC Wednesday and her valiant sidekick, Roger, who has taken over the administrative reins of the site.   We have been very fortunate in having voluminous posts on ABCW but without our volunteers to assist with the visitations, poor Roger and Mrs. Nesbitt would be vulnerable to virtual exhaustion.  So if you'd like to participate in visiting about 10 posts per week, please contact Roger here at ABC Wednesday.

U is for the UNDERGROUND

I had lots of practise during this past holiday in England using their Underground system of transportation.  Along with the Underground, I rode the Overground, the Docklands Light Rail System (the DLR), a canal boat and the trains.  Because I stayed in East London for 3 weeks, I always carried a convenient map that showed the routes so that I could plan my mini-trips.  I went to places like downtown London, Canary Wharf, out to Essex, up to Oxford, to Camden and Little Venice on the Regent Canal, and to Stratford where the new uber mall is located.  It wasn't long until I was boarding and unboarding like a native.  And I also learned why everyone ran to get the next underground, overground, or train.  Most people, and I got one too, have Oyster cards that are prepaid, so the longer your trip lasts, the more it costs.  Therefore, the sooner you catch your connection the sooner you get to your destination...thus, cheaper!

My travel partner, Cathy, was with me for 4 days in London at the Carlton Hotel right across the street from King's Cross and St. Pancras stations.  When we rode the trains together, we always got a seat even if there were none available - very nice gentlemen would stand up for us.  However, after she left I hardly ever got a seat.  She says it's because of her white hair!  Maybe so.  *Sigh*  We got there just as the Paralympics started and I must say the Stratford Station was a horror to get through!  But I was still in London when it was all over and travelling to and fro was much easier.  I have to admit, though, that I got turned around a couple of times and caught the underground tube going the wrong direction!  It's weird to descend so far underground, twisting and turning directions to find your track that you lose your sense of where North, South, East and West are.

After Cathy left, I moved over to Lorne's place and every day for 3 weeks, I travelled on the DLR and then transferred at Stratford Station to the Overground to Homerton to visit my dear one in the hospital, who ended up there after an accident while working in London.  He unknowingly broke his big toe, which ended up becoming infected and then it developed into osteomyelitis (infection of the bones) which went through his entire system.  The end result was a partial amputation which left him in the hospital for 3 weeks on IV antibiotics!  Good thing I was in the country so I could stay on with him until he was well enough to come home.  But before we did, we travelled to Wales so he could meet my unbelieveably wonderful friend Jane and her beau Neil.  We took the train from Paddington Station after getting there from the DLR to the underground Bow Church station and out to Paddington on the Hammersmith & City Line underground train.

I managed to get some photos of some of the Underground stations, the DLR, and other methods of transportation so I hope you like the short slideshow today. I have to tell you though that #5, 6, and 14 are from Google but all the rest are my shots.  Enjoy the ultimate in London travel.
Finally, thanks to the upstanding Roger for his unwillingness to desert the post as our current administrator of ABC Wednesday.  He and his useful staff of probably unqualified but undeniably eager helpers urgently encourage you to consider joining the team.  All that is necessary is to utilize a few minutes of time to visit a few blogs (usually 10) along with your usual favourites.  Since Round 12's new heading with soon be unveiled and will begin at the New Year, why not make it a resolution to just try it out for this Round?  You just might find it utterly uplifting!  Contact Roger through ABCW site here.