Halloween Party!

Yesterday afternoon Mick and I hopped on the train to a little village called Aylesham. It's an eerily quiet little place with not much to do, as was made evident by the three young boys walking around with planks of wood, angrily slapping the grass. Hmm!
The reason for our trip was to spend the night at our friends' house. Rachael and Josh have a cute little house that was decorated very carefully for a good night. Even the giraffe statues by the fireplace had costumes, and the Audrey Hepburn portrait had vampire fangs. So with a great atmosphere and even better company, we consumed beer and sangria and had a cheerful night.
In case you're wondering what Mr. White and I went as, well, we played it safe and stuck to an American classic- cow folk.
It's looking beautifully autumny in Kent. As we left Mick's dad's house yesterday I couldn't help but be mesmerised by the dance of leaves falling from branches in a spray of feathery flames. It's beautiful, and the air has that thick, earthy and smoky scent that I've always associated with this time of year. To me, autumn is one last brilliant show of what mother nature is capable of before the cold and stillness of winter. One last display of gorgeous color and the power of secrets we humans can only begin to understand.
I am infatuated with it.

A very yellow tree in King's Hill

Yee-haw :)

An Altar for Autumn

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

 

-Robert Frost, October

 I think in this poem, Frost is wishing for autumn to slow down, to hold off winter for just a little bit longer, to let summer's fruits stay ripe and plump and not fade and shrivel away. He's asking the trees to not let the leaves fall quite so quickly, just a few throughout the day. But to me, "slow! slow!" means "hang on autumn, there's no rush. Stick around for a while and let us enjoy your beauty for more than just a month or two. Keep those jewels dancing from branch to ground all year round!" I won't miss summer, I just want to soak up the orange and crimson.

""Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.""

- Stanley Horowitz

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

- Albert Camus

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

- William Cullen Bryant

*these images are not mine. My dear friend Google image search helped me find them.

Truckin' Along...

Hello, all!

Not much to report around here. Mick and I are still house-sitting for his dad. During the day I help with the phones for the business and pretty much take it easy. This is due to what I’m pretty sure is a pinched nerve. I was having really random and harsh stabbing pains in my shoulder due to certain movements. This would then send a tingly, pins and needles type feeling down my right arm and into my fingers. Yesterday the stabbing pain was gone and I was left with a constant muscular ache from always having my shoulder tensed. And a few pins and needles. Today I’m feeling pretty much back to normal- whew! I think sleeping with a hot water bottle two nights in a row helped a bit! And thank goodness, because sleeping on my back was getting old.


Something about being in this village makes my creativity go all aflutter. I’ve been writing, cooking, and taking pictures. I think it’s just because everything is so picturesque.

The weather has been rainy, and every day the trees seem more yellow/orange/red than the day before. I can tell it’s trying to get colder, but the sun isn’t quite ready to go away for the winter. One day it’s in the high 50s, the next, in the mid 60s. One day the sky is blue, the next, grey. I guess that’s what autumn is, though- the gradual change and earth’s time to be a bit fickle about just how it wants to be.

Funny moment of the week-
Mick and I had finished dinner last night and were watching some television. We heard this really weird rubbing/scratching sound coming from downstairs. We'd heard it a couple times throughout the day but it never lasted long enough to figure out what it was. We went downstairs after it had stopped. You should know right now that I married the biggest scaredy cat of all time, though I'm only slightly better. Anyway, we got to the front door and it started again. We looked at each other in half amusement, half terror. I thought I heard a cat meow but we weren't sure. I figured it was probably the cat scratching at the door but it didn't seem to be the right sound. We decided I should text my father-in-law.

Me: Does Sox ever scratch at the front door?
Him: Yes, sometimes when he wants in or out.
Me: Are you sure it's not an axe murderer?
Him: Could be, but he tends to smash through the door.

I've been giggling about that all day.
And yes, we opened the door and Sox came struttin' in.

 I guess I’ll leave you with some pictures, as always!

Wrotham Church. It's old. And Mick used to sing there when he was wee. In the choir. Haha.

Fall colors at the park.

My father-in-law has this tree in his garden that's completely bursting with apples. The branches are really heavy and the weight of the apples is bending them down towards the ground. I've been instructed to use as many of the apples as possible, so we've been feasting on homemade, homegrown cinnamon apples. Yum!

My favorite Halloween movie of all time ever ever ever. And popcorn made on the stove with nothing but kernels, olive oil and a pan. This is new to me, and I'm so excited that I made it all by myself. Silly, I know. But every time I do it I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway when he finally makes fire and puffs his chest out proudly and cries, "Look what I have created! I have made fire! I!!!! (gesticulating madly) Have made fire!!!" It's the little things, you know?

This is Sox, my FIL's (way easier) cat. He's pure evil. But he's cute because he sleeps funny, with all his feet piled on top of each other. I'm not even really sure how it's physically possible, but he does.

Weekend recap

Packing, moving, a date with the husband for no real reason and a quiet night to myself with Sex and the City 2. Just a bit of what we've been up to around here. And some photos.

It's weird how different a house looks when it's nearly empty. And so echo-y, too!

A night on my own- my husband and his step-dad made another trip back to Bognor for one last load of things on Saturday. Mick and I are house/business/cat sitting for his dad this week, so I had the house to myself and enjoyed a bubble bath of mammoth proportions.

Dinner at a historic inn down the road in this darling little village. Good food, good wine, good times <3

Fresh autumn apples from my father-in-law's garden. I'm thinking some baked cinnamon apples are in order with dinner tonight :)

Still here!

It's been a very busy week! Mick and I were gone most of yesterday. We had to take the train to a little town called Romsey all the way in Hampshire so that I could get my biometrics done. Biometrics are digital photos and fingerprints for the UK Border Agency. Now my application is complete and all there is to do is wait to hear back from UKBA!
In other news, we are moving this weekend. We will still be living with my in-laws but we will be moving to another larger family house in Kent.

That's about all for now! I'll just leave you with a photo of mick in front of a tiny door of a tiny house in Romsey yesterday. It was a very cute little town and everything seemed so tiny!

A Morning Out & Exciting News!

It is officially cold in England, if you want my humble desert-rat opinion! Where I spent the majority of my life (Yuma, Arizona) there are very few days in the year, even in winter, when it stays below maybe 60F. But this is England. The evenings have steadily been in the high 40sF for the past few nights, which isn't all that cold. Except for when it's windy and you have thinned out blood from living in serious heat for 14 and a half years! I won't lie, I'm enjoying it, but my hands are really cold as I type this.

Mick and I went to a town called Worthing this morning on the train. It's about 30 minutes from Bognor. We had to go here because Mick took his written driving test today. He was a bit nervous about it (who likes tests, really?) I assured him he'd do fine, and I think he knew that, too. But still. We're a worry-wart couple. I wasn't allowed into the office where the test took place, so I sat in the stairwell to wait for him, perched on a very hard step. After about 10 minutes, my bum started to feel a bit worse for the wear so I searched google maps on my phone for somewhere to get a hot drink and sit on a comfy couch. Maps told me there was a place just around the corner, maybe 50 yards from where I was sitting. I sent Mick a text (he wouldn't get it until after the test, because he'd had to turn off his phone and store it in a locker before he was able to sit the exam) telling him where I was.

I rounded the corner and crossed the street and found a very cute little coffee shop called Fancy Coffee. I immediately liked the place as I reached for the doorknob. An Italian looking man smiled at me from behind the counter and offered me a menu. I accepted the menu and decided that a hot chocolate sounded absolutely fabulous. I chose the comfy red leather couch in front of the window and watched people walk past the shop while I waited for my drink. I noticed a little old lady walk past with some very metallic purple eyeshadow. I had to smile.
The man brought my hot chocolate. It was almost too pretty to drink !

...almost. 

After only a few minutes, Mick called to find out where I was. He crossed the street to join me. He passed! I'm sure a lot of you are thinking "what's the big deal, the guy's 25 and driving tests are easy." Yes, they are... in America. In England, driving is actually a really difficult process to go through. Not to mention expensive. This is the first time he's ever taken the written test, but that's because he never really needed to before, with friends and public transportation. He did really well and showed me the sheet with his scores on it. Now he just needs to book the actual driving test, which I'm sure he'll also smoke! He celebrated with some caramel shortbread.

How great is that funky cutlery?!

We enjoyed our treats and went out to brave the cold so we could walk back to the train station. It's too bad we don't really ever have any reason to go to Worthing. I really liked Fancy Coffee and would love to make it a regular haunt of mine.

Fancy Coffee.

On another note, our family has some very exciting news... my sister and her horse Big Tyme just competed in the Pan American dressage games in Guadalajara Mexico. It was a huge deal, a massive honor to even make the USA team. This weekend, my parents, brother and his wife, and my brother in law all made the trip to Mexico to watch my sister ride. Mick and I really wanted to go, but understandably, it was just a bit too far for us. As it turns out, the USA Dressage team won the Gold Medal! My sister also won 3rd place for individual medals. I don't think the competition is quite over yet, but I'm so very proud of you, big sister! It must be such a reward for you to work at something so hard for most of your life and then to get such an amazing reward. I've watched you work for this since I was just a little girl, and I couldn't be happier for you. You truly are an inspiration! I wish we could have been there, but I can't wait for you to get home so we can talk on Skype and you can tell me all about it!
Read about dressage here (most people don't know what the heck it is!)
And read about the Pan American USA team (and my big sister!) here.


I think it's time to take a nice hot shower to warm me up!

The hair band and the rings

On the morning of June 23rd, 2010, I was a bundle of nerves. I woke up in my best friend of 22 years' spare bedroom near Los Angeles. Tabatha was going to take me to the airport that day so that I could fly to England to meet the man (unbeknownst at the time) who would be my husband. We rushed around the house, kind of re-packing my suitcases. I was trying to do my hair and makeup in a way that would last 16 hours of travel (hah). As we talked about all the what-ifs and hopes and dreams, Tabatha said she wanted to give me something for good luck, but she didn't know what. After rummaging through he jewellery box, she pulled out a purple and teal hair band. "I just feel like I should give you something to keep with you through this." It went on my left wrist and stayed there through the whole month I was in England. I wore it for a while after I got back to America, but it started to stretch out and went into my makeup bag to live for a while. I've switched makeup bags a few times but never lost it. Seeing it now and then, peeking out from underneath a tube of mascara makes me happy. The other day I noticed it again and glanced at my left wrist, where it used to live. Traveling further down my arm and onto my had led my eyes to my wedding and engagement rings. I had to smile and felt a nice little warm feeling in my heart. I took the hair band out of my makeup bag and put it back on my left wrist. The past, present and future.
It's a good reminder of a few things: a good friend's love, the power of hope, and the love we all search for. And the love I found.

An afternoon in Chichester

Yesterday we were invited to a friend of my mother in law's for dinner. She is a really special lady and even read a poem at our wedding. Mick and I had some errands to run in the afternoon so we went into Chichester earlier on the bus and met his mom and stepdad at the friend's house in the evening. We wandered around the market because I really wanted to see it before we move. Here are some photos of the day from instagr.am. Enjoy!

Instagr.am

Some of my friends have been doing this instagr.am thing and I always thought it looked fun and cool. Since I just got the new iPhone (omg I love it!) I thought I'd download the app and try it out. Here are a few from last night and today.


Have a great Saturday, peeps!

Doing what I do, son!

Doesn't he just look like a rock star her? Love this.

Sasha's gorilla face!

Harley! He's getting so big and so flippin cute. He looks like a stuffed animal.

Why this fits

Things I love about being here:
-Waking up next to my husband and not having to worry who is going to fly where next, how we'll afford it, or if I can handle the distance.
-Sleeping with the window open and feeling the cool air flutter through the curtains and hit my face. I don't think I ever slept with the window open in Arizona. Even once.
-Being within a couple hours of one of the most famous and historic cities in the world. London is an amazing place, and so so so many interesting and significant things took place there. We haven't gone up there in a while, but I'm hoping we'll be going soon. And even when we don't go there often, almost every little town, city or village here has something worth seeing- like the other day when we were in Chichester and went to the cathedral.
-Public transportation. I hate having to use it, because bus drivers are stupid and don't wait until you're in your seat to start driving again, and so you're launched forwards. I can't tell you how many times I've nearly taken out an old lady with my handbag because I go flyyyying. But, it is nice to have it since we currently don't drive. Soon though!
-Real autumn. There are ACTUAL trees here, which means they change color.
-High Streets. High Streets are pretty cool because they're generally right in the center of town and you get all the mall type stores, right in the same area, within walking distance. Kind of like a Main Street, but with useful stores.
-Fish & Chips. Like, real ones that aren't from Jack in the Box and don't come with tartar sauce because salt and vinegar is how it's done, son!
-Reasonable phone prices. I'm getting the new iPhone 4S tomorrow and it's only going to cost me £35 a month. In America the iPhone 3GS cost me $108 a month. Even when you allow for currency conversion, I'm saving, like, at least $30.
-National Healthcare. I know this is a hot topic everywhere, but at the end of the day, I like knowing that even though I don't have a job or private insurance, if something happens to me, I'll at least get basic care and treatment and I won't be paying for it for the rest of my life.

That's all I got for now. That's not all I love about it here, but all I can think of at the moment.

Things I Miss...

Before I left America I made a list about the things I would miss about living in the Southwest. While some of these things have stayed the same, a lot of it has changed. I don't think you know how you're really going to feel about something before it happens, no matter how much preparation time you may have. I had time to think about this and prepare for it ( a little bit of time). I thought a lot about how hard it would be, yet how exciting. I tried to anticipate the things that would be difficult for me so that when the events occurred, I would be able to sit back and think "hey, it's okay, you knew this was coming." And for the most part, I have been able to do this without too much difficulty. However, there have been some things that I really miss that sort of surprised me.

-Commercialization. As silly as that sounds, it's true. I really miss how much we hyped everything up in America. Halloween, for instance. I loved how ABC family played family Halloween movies all through October, and how lots of people decorated with luminaries (I think that's what they're called?), scarecrows, pumpkins, witches, and all that stuff. It's just not that big of a deal here. They do have candy and costumes and a few decorative items in super markets and stuff like that, but it's just not the same.

-Being able to drive. Now, that's not a cultural difference. It's just that Mick is still working on getting his driver's license, and I can't afford to drive here because insurance is really ridiculously disgustingly expensive. Once I get a job I will take some lessons just so I can get used to driving on the other side of the road, and the other side of the car, and with the shifter on my left side. And round-abouts and narrow roads. All of that. But for the time being, if we can't get somewhere without walking, taking the bus, or getting a lift, we just don't do it. It definitely limits our activities, so I'm looking forward to Mick being done with all his lessons and tests and stuff.

-Family. I knew this one was going to be the hardest. Apart from the day to day stuff that I miss (having lunch with mom, catching a movie with dad, going to Stone Brewery with my brother and his wife, going shopping with my sister, or playing boardgames with my brother in law and niece) there are also the big things. Being so far away meant that the only family that could make it to my wedding were my parents. My sister qualified for a huge riding competition in Mexico this month and because we're so far away, Mick and I won't be able to make it and the rest of the family is going. That's been a bummer- I'm really proud of my sister and wish so much that I could be there to root for her. This family stuff has been the hardest thing. Most days it's totally fine, I talk to my mom on skype a few times a week and we facebook chat often, I talk to my dad once a week and to my brother and sister when I can. But there have been those moments that hit me like a train and I realize- "oh wow. this is permanent." And I'm left with this really scared and sad feeling. But it always goes away.

-Having a job. Now, of course everybody wishes they could just get money and not have a job. But I do miss working. I miss getting up and having somewhere to be, getting a paycheck and interacting with colleagues. Some days I even miss my students. But I'm hoping my visa will go through soon and then I'll be able to work and get going there.

-Yuma. Now, it's not so much Yuma itself that I miss. I just miss certain things about it. The sunsets, my parents' house. Kneaders and Buffalo Wild Wings. Going to visit Outback where I worked for so long. Target! Oh man, I miss Target so much! And Barnes & Nobles, too! Juliana's Cafe. How American Starbucks do Pumpkin Spice lattes. I've checked at one Starbucks around here and there was no Pumpkin Spice Latte :( I know these things aren't all unique to Yuma, but it all made up the whole. Oh and sushi! As far as I can tell sushi isn't that big of a deal here and I miss it so much!

-Friends. This one hasn't been quite as hard as family, but it's still rough. I do get lonely here, but I know once I get a job I'll make some friends, though they'll never replace the ones back home. Like Tabatha, Brittany, Celeste. The ones who've been through it all with me. I hope they can all come visit me soon. Because I miss them loads.


And as far as the picture goes... that's what they say, isn't it? "Home is where the heart is." I can't predict the future, but I have a feeling that Arizona/California will always be home. And because such a big part of my life was there, and so many people I love are still there, part of my heart will always be there. But England is starting to feel a bit like home, as well. And as more things fill my heart here- friends, a house, children- it will become home, too. And at the end of the day, that's two homes. Two sets of friends, two families, two places I love. How much luckier can a girl get?

Lunch

Well, now all we can do is cross our fingers and hold our breath. Today, Mick and I went into Chichester to have passport photos taken and to send off my application for the marriage visa. I'm so tired of visa stuff already. I hope they approve it without any further inquiries. It's nerve wracking to go through this stuff- though the first visa was the one I had a really hard time with. I didn't even know if I'd be getting married until they approved it. But, like I said, held breath, crossed fingers and maybe some lit candles from you guys. And now we wait.

We spent the majority of the day wandering around Chichester, just the hubbind and myself. After we left the post office we stopped and got sandwiches and drinks from a drug store and sat down on a bench to people and architecture watch. This was the view we had while eating our simple sammiches:

That's one of the things I love so much about being in England. I get sit on a bench and eat a tuna and cucumber sandwich and take in the beauty of a 900 year old cathedral*. I looked at the thousands and thousands of bricks and thought about the people who laid them, what they must have been like and what techniques they used back in the 1100s. I thought about all the weddings and funerals and prayers that must have been said in this beautiful place. After we finished up our lunch, Mick and I wandered through the cloisters and past the St. Voldemort Statue (okay, it's really a statue of St. Richard, but it totally looks like Voldemort. With a nose). We lit a candle and I said a little prayer for a happy and healthy marriage.

And then we went on our way, and as we continued through Chichester, I swear I could hear the clippity-clop of ancient horses winding their way through the cobbled city.


Where did you eat your lunch today?




*To learn more about Chichester Cathedral, visit their website.

The Daily Shoot- Technology

Wow- two posts in one day! I'm not sure that's EVER happened here! But since I took a bit of a sick day yesterday, I thought I really had to do today's assignment for the Daily Shoot.

October 5, 2011 (Day 689) Assignment:
Make a photograph that illustrates technology today

As you can see, it's a very gloomy day in West Sussex. The sun disappeared early this morning, the wind is blowing and it's feeling like autumn, for sure. And here we have it- a telephone pole. I imagine that the Victorians in England, those proper, overly moral people were very shocked when these things started going up (I'm only guessing it was the late 1800's when these bad boys started going up). But can you imagine how different that would be? To see these things going up all over the place? And not just the visual change, but the change in life, the beginning of the industrial and technological age. What a change!

Just some thoughts

Sorry I missed on yesterday's photo assignment and failed to blog. I was feeling pretty under the weather yesterday but by bed time felt like myself again. I plan to do a photo post later in the day, but for now I just want to share a couple things I've been thinking about lately.

The other night, I ordered a pizza for Mick and myself. I used my credit card with my maiden name, so the pizza was delivered to Aindrea Muldoon, not White. I can only imagine the confusion of the pizza delivery guy when he arrived at the house with a pizza for a person with a very Irish name, and someone with a very American accent answered the door, in an area of England with a large Polish demographic.
The world is such a melting pot, isn't it? This little thought made me smile.

Something else I've been thinking about... do you ever have those moments spent with someone very dear to you... you might be a bit annoyed with them or just feeling grouchy in general. But then,you notice a certain word, or look, or movement of their body so characteristic to them. You watch, observe, and take this in without their knowledge, and suddenly the essence of that person, why you love them, why they mean what they do is in that moment so completely evident, and you can't help but feel bad for being a bit annoyed in the first place. Does that make any sense? Do you know what I'm talking about?

Last week I was a bit of a grouch, and just short in general, especially with Mick. He hadn't done anything wrong, I was just feeling really down and homesick. And then we were in the garden, trying to outsmart the rabbits and get them out of the run and he just did something, I'm not even sure what. A certain movement, a look on his face, and I was just smacked in the face with all the reasons why I love this sweet guy so much.

And here's one of those reasons, right here in this picture. This is from last Christmas day. Let's just get one thing very straight- women are silly creatures, and we sometimes want to do things without much rhyme or reason. Well, I'm clearly a woman, and so I'm not immune to such whimsy. And Mick is just so great with that 99% of the time. Even if it does mean freezing his bum off in the snow because his desert rat of a (then) girlfriend who hasn't really ever seen it wants to throw snowballs and make snowmen.
And then, when the snow is nothing but melted and refrozen as ice... it takes a true man not to get angry when the outing becomes snow wrestling.

The Daily Shoot- Humor and Laughter

Today's Daily Shoot assignment was a tough one.

October 3, 2011 (Day 687) Assignment
Make a photograph that expresses humor or laughter today.

Now, I know I should have figured out a way to make Mick laugh and take a picture of it but I honestly just couldn't be bothered today, and he hates having his photo taken. So I cheated. This is an old photo I took a few years ago of a lawn gnome my mom has stashed in the house somewhere, and I'm not sure why. But seriously, who doesn't think lawn gnomes are funny? They make me laugh.

Not much going on around here today. It's finally cooled down a bit, my feet are actually cold as I sit here and type this. Just been doing little things around the house today, planning what to do for dinner tonight, finishing touches on wedding thank you notes. Can you believe the wedding was a month ago yesterday? It feels like so much more to me!

Have a nice Monday, folks! :)

Daily Shoot- Equinox? (not really)

I'm a little bit confused by today's Daily Shoot assignment.

October 2, 2011 (Day 686) Assignment:
It's the solstice. Make a photo that captures the day for you wherever you are.

I'm confused by this because I'm about 99% sure that the autumnal equinox was last week? It's always September 23rd, isn't it? And I'm not even sure that there is a solstice this time of year?
Anyway, the last thing it feels like around here is autumn. About 80F again today. As we walked along the beach, I couldn't believe the amount of people that were there day camping, BBQing, paddling around in inflatable boats, and watching their children splash around in the shallows. The water was really calm, with only a few tiny waves. It was so quiet and still, apart from all the people. It feels like July out there.
However, it is in fact autumn and one of my very favorite holidays is only 29 days away. Halloween! While Mick was mowing the lawn today, I wandered around the garden snapping photos for the assignment. I love how creepy this brick wall looks with the vines that seem to have died while creeping up the bricks. Feels very Halloween-y doesn't it?

Mick and I filled out the forms for my visa application today. We're basically done, we just have to call the border agency tomorrow and clear up a few questions then we can send it off, wait to hear about when my biometrics appointment will be, and then we're done with this step and I can work soon (hopefully)!

What have you done with your Sunday?

Daily Shoot- Communication (and weekend stuff)

Happy Saturday, guys! Hope you all have lovely weekend plans. I've got the house to myself for a bit this afternoon and I had glorious plans of hanging clean laundry out on the line and absorbing some beautiful sunshine. And then the spiders spoiled my plans. They are EVERYWHERE! Their webs are all along the back of the house and in the bushes and hedges out front. And there are loads of little webs all over the line outside, and I'm not about to clean it off, so the laundry went into the dryer.
Instead of soaking up sunshine, I decided to do today's Daily Shoot assignment.

October 1, 2011 (Day 685) Assignment:
Make a photograph that illustrates an aspect of communication.

Here's my homework...

I had a bit of fun editing this one with some basic software. If you love me you can buy me Photoshop :D I played with the saturation and contrast a bit and gave the photo a cool feel. Anyways, I figured everybody who posted for this assignment would be uploading photos of cell phones, Skype, and laptops and emails. I wanted to take it back a notch and focus on the original form of communication over the miles. No, not smoke signals, I don't have that kind of stuff lying around the house! But what I do have is a lot of handwritten correspondence. August and September were pretty busy months for cards- my birthday, the wedding, and Mick's birthday. The house is full of colorful envelopes with interesting stamps with Queen Elizabeth, Ronald Reagan, Liberty Bell, as well as some sort of bird?
Remember life before email and text messaging? It was always so much fun to find a brightly colored envelope with your name on it in the mailbox! Whether it was a card, a letter, or a gift, it was always so exciting, wasn't it?

In other news, today is supposed to be the warmest day in October in England, like, ever.

 Mick and I have the house to ourselves tonight. We're doing a pizza and movie night with lots of cuddles. Tomorrow we're going to get my visa paperwork started.

What are your plans for the weekend?