Farewell and Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II – Addio e RIP Queen Elizabeth II


Very sad news from England. I got married the year of our Queen’s Silver Jubilee. I remember the street parties, such happy times. Queen Elizabeth II, was a devoted public servant, and genuinely loved her country.
Back in the early eighties, the queen visited the British Army, in Dortmund Germany. They threw a garden party for her. Hubby was stationed in Dortmund at the time. Of course I wasn’t invited to the garden party, but I was there when she was driven through the army base in a modified Landrover. She was elegant and graceful as she smiled and waved to us all.
Queen Elizabeth II was human, so she wasn’t perfect, but she was was smart, hard working and had a great sense of humour.
Another era over. RIP Queen Elizabeth, we’ll miss you.

She kept that smile for 70 years!

Bye Bye Brexit

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Brexit is going to be stopped by Uri Geller famous Illusionist!
Its True!
Uri Geller was rather famous in the late sixties early seventies. He performed some spectacular illusions, but what I remember most, is his bending of spoons. Sounds silly doesn’t it, but it was quite intense to watch. I attempted it myself several times, but with no luck!
Yesterday, I came upon an article in the London Evening Standard about Mr. Geller’s threat to stop Brexit.
Apparently he’s written a letter to Theresa May, warning her that if she doesn’t put a stop to Brexit, he’d intervene and stop it telepathically.
We’re all tired of the ridiculous mess that has unfolded over the last couple of years, but now it may be worth tuning in again. If Brexit is actually halted, will it be telepathically by……URI GELLER FAMOUS ILLUSIONIST?

Whether you are for, or against Brexit, this new turn of events could prove entertaining!

Dipping in the Frying Pan

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In 1962 I lived with my mum in a small farm cottage in Summerhouse, county Durham. We were poor. The cottage came with the job, along with a meagre wage. Bacon was a luxury, and usually given to us by the farm mum worked for. End pieces that didn’t sell! It was delicious. Mum made it last. When the bacon was gone, she’d save the fat and many days I went to school after a breakfast of stale bread dipped into bacon fat. I didn’t complain, I LOVED it.
When I cook bacon now, I look at the fat left in the pan, and remember.
Mum, wish you were still here!

My Addiction to Travel – Piercebridge

PiercebridgeCottagesMy addiction to travel surfaced when I was ten years old, it would hit me in about March. I’d get itchy feet. You can’t go far when you’re ten, but I’d take off on my bike, usually on my own, and have a little adventure. I’d visit villages I’d never been to, or just pack my lunch and enjoy the countryside. I lived in a picturesque little village in Northern England called Summerhouse. It was safe to be on your own back in 1967.

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My first solo trip found me in Piercebridge and brings back happy memories. It was quite a ride! I should go back and visit, see how things have changed, but its a long way from Colorado, and this is where I ended up. The travel bug was a family affair!

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Elegance at St. Ermins

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A little pricey, but well worth the experience. Beautiful, elegant and in Westminster so convenient for everything. Lovely!

A Politically Correct Christmas (I don’t think so)

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A Politically Correct Christmas
~ Anon

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck…
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to “Elves”,
“Vertically Challenged” they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole,
were alleged by the union, to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,
released to the wilds, by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear,
that Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh,
because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA,
And millions of people were calling the Cops,
when they heard sled noises upon their roof tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his workers quite frightened,
and his fur trimmed red suit was called “unenlightened”.

To show you the strangeness of today’s ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.
He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation,
demanding millions in over-due workers compensation.

So…half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife
who suddenly said she’d had enough of this life,
joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz,
demanding from now on that her title was Ms.

And as for gifts…why, he’d never had the notion
that making a choice could cause such commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur…
Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot,
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific,
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets…they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth.
And fairy tales…while not yet forbidden,
were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden,
for they raised the hackles of those psychological,
who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football…someone might get hurt,
besides – playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist and should be passe.
and Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed,
he just couldn’t figure out what to do next?
He tried to be merry he tried to be gay,
but you must have to admit he was having a very bad day.
His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground,
nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might,
give to us all, without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy – with no indecision,
each group of people in every religion.
Every race, every hue,
everyone, everywhere…even you!
So here is that gift, it’s price beyond worth…
“May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on Earth.”

A Traditional English Christmas!

As I count down to my trip to England, all I can think of are Christmas Carols. Nowhere in the world does Christmas better than England. I know I deserted the homeland from the USA over 20 years ago, and would never move back, but I do miss a traditional Christmas. If you listen to this beautiful rendition of “God Rest you Merry Gentlemen” you’ll understand.

 

Wotunny?

Grandma!

Wotunny?

I love you Grandma!

I love you too!

Wotunny is of course “what honey?”

My mum was born and raised in the North of England, and although not quite a Geordie, she was close. I used to make fun of her accent, but I miss it so much. She’d play tirelessly with my daughter when she was a little girl. They’d sit in their make-believe airplane (under the table) and pretend they were flying to Barbados. My mum was in her eighties at the time. It couldn’t have been comfortable sitting on the floor. She didn’t have much padding on her bones as she got older. I’d prepare dinner and smile as I listened to them talk.

Grandma!

Wotunny?

I love you!

I love you too pet!

Miss you mum!

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The Big Adventure!

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It all started in March of 1994! My daughter watched a show on TV called “Wish You Were Here.” It was presented by Judith Chalmers and was all about a train ride through the Rocky Mountains from Banff to Denver. “Oh mum, what a great place to have and adventure,” she said. She was eight years old at the time.

As a family we loved to travel, but we’d never been to the US. “Looks like fun,” I said, “Lets talk to dad when he gets home from work.

We moved to Denver in January of 1995, less that a year later. My husband left a great career with the Bank of England and started work as a consultant with a company in Golden. He travelled with work so through him, my daughter and I travelled too!

The first six months were rough. We were living on one salary instead of two. I had to make new friends and the culture in Denver was much different from what I was used to. So was the language (believe it or not) and the food. Now people knock the food in England, but I missed the Indian, French and Italian Restaurants, which weren’t so good when we arrived in Denver. Denver has come a long way since then and the restaurants are great here now, but back in 1995, that wasn’t really the case.

I couldn’t work for the first couple of years because my visa wouldn’t permit me to. I couldn’t even do Charity work. How ridiculous is that!

Here we are in 2017. I live in Franktown, a beautiful rural area, with a view of Devil’s Head Mountain and Pike’s Peak. My daughter is happily married and lives in Dallas, she’ll most likely have a family of her own soon.

I still strive for adventure and love finding new places to explore, but I guess moving to the US was my big adventure, and I’m still enjoying it. Maybe one day soon we’ll actually take a ride on that train, after all, it’s what brought us here.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

The CrownWhen I was young I needed only my dreams and ambitions. As I aged I needed my husband and my daughter. I still had dreams and ambitions of course.

Now as I’m approaching old age. Yes, I said approaching, I’m not quite there yet, I need my old friends. Those folks I haven’t seen in 30 years or more. Is it because as I stroll towards my sunset years I need to say goodbye? I don’t think so. I just want to reconnect with the people I had so much fun with before responsibility took over.

I’m taking a trip down memory lane this year. Visiting my old haunts, rekindling my teen age years. Names have changed, people (like me) have moved far away, but hopefully one or two of my old friends remain.

Can’t wait to introduce my daughter and her new husband to faces and places. London, Birmingham, Northumberland and North Yorkshire.

It’s not to say goodbye, but to say “hello again.”

If anyone out there remembers me I’d love to see you. I’ll be in Richmond, North Yorkshire December 26, 27 and 28th.

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