The largest single drop water fall in England. Can't remember what it's called, but it sure is gorgeous!

Martin and I have a mortgage!

We have finally taken the plunge and climbed onto the first rung of the property ladder. Martin and I signed the mortgage for the Fleetgate house in Barton. Now we are just waiting for the solicitors to finish off the various checks and contracts, and we are hoping to move in by the end of this month or the first week of May. This means we will soon have a guest room for anyone who wants to come and visit. I want my first visitors from home!

We are going to have so much to do it's almost scary. First thing is tearing out carpets and linoleum and cleaning everything from top to bottom. The people that just moved out of the upstairs flat had two dogs in there, and it reeks of dog pee. Icky! Then we are going to decorate our bedroom, knock out some walls in the front room and decorate that, then start on the other bedrooms. The house is going to occupy almost all of our free time for the next little while.

Anyway, I'm going to post a few more pictures from the lake district, and then I've got to get some dinner. I think it's going to be fish & chips or a chicken doner kebab--I'm a bachelorette tonight. It sounds a little better than "football widow."

My beautiful husband, enjoying the scenery.

This sort of scenery was common throughout the whole day. Every time we came to the crest of a hill we kept seeing more and more beautiful sights.

The day was spent mostly driving. The whole drive was only 104 miles, but it took us almost nine hours. We had some rain and some sun, and some serious fun! Even though the towns were packed with people, most of the roads we were on were practically deserted. England never fails to surprise me with its' beauty and variety. Most of it feels so cramped and over crowded, and then you go to places that are wide open and beautiful, and you almost feel like you're the only person on the island.

We got to our B&B in Hawkshead at about 6 PM, and had a lovely time strolling around the village. It's very small and picturesque, with plenty of farms and public footpaths. We watched some adorable lambs playing in a pasture, then had dinner in an old pub. Guess what Martin had to eat? Lamb!

After the hair raising trip up the passes, we had to go down them. If anything, it was MORE terrifying. However, we did get to stop at an old Roman fort. It's only ruins, but it was still an impressive sight. Plus, it made an excellent pit stop. Martin and I both peed on athousand year old archaeological site, but I guess that's no worse than the sheep who shelter there in the summer months.

Once on the level again, we drove to St. Catherines church and got out for a little stroll beside a random river. That's were I saw one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen...

The picture doesn't capture the vibrant green of the moss and the water. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Can you see that tiny ribbon of road to the left of the gully? We drove up that! Well, Martin drove up it while I closed my eyes and prayed!

We drove to Preston that night and did that whole temple thing--it was nice, and I remembered to bring my recommend this time! We slept in temple accommodation on Friday night and got an early start Saturday morning. Destination: Ambleside.

First, however, we made a quick stop in Kendal for a famous Kendal Mint Cake. Basically, it's sugar, peppermint oil, and more sugar. Good for hiking, says Martin. Good for a sugar high, says Jamie. Very tasty, and Kendal is quite charming as well.

Ambleside was the beginning of our tour, and we only drove through it very quickly to get to the fun stuff--Wrynose and Hardknott passes. These are two of the steepest mountain passes in the country, and they were a little bit tense, to say the least. As you can probably see by the picture above.

Nice wheels! We were only able to put the top on the car down for a little while, but it was fun all the same!

The Lake District did not disappoint!

Martin and I just spent a delightful weekend up in Cumbria, and I have fallen even more deeply in love with the area. We drove around and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and I suddenly remembered why I wanted to move back here (besides the baby thing, I mean).

The weekend started with our car rental--a fire red Renault Megane convertible...

In other very quick news...

Martin and I have made an offer on a property in Barton--the two flats that are being sold together. We want to turn it back in to one house. We could have a mortgage soon--scary!!! I will see if I can get a picture of it to post to the blog from the estate agents' website. It doesn't look like much right now, but it is practically screaming with potential!

Martin is doing well. He competed in a five-a-side soccer tournament with work on Tuesday and his team came in second place. We now have TWO football trophies sitting on our TV cabinet at home. I told him we'll have to dedicate a room in the new house to his trophies if he keeps this up! Work is improving all the time for him. He has a new boss who won the office over by arranging a branch activity--golf--last Saturday, and he really enjoys working with everybody at the office. He is currently working for a promotion and has been very dedicated about going out marketing lately.

Life goes on as usual--nothing too exciting. In the near future though, we have a temple/Lake District trip planned for next weekend. The daffodils are blooming, and it should be even more gorgeous by next weekend.

This Sunday is England's Mothers' Day, and we are taking Christine out for a fancy three course dinner. We'll probably have some pictures from that, so stay tuned. More later, but I must dash now. I'm at work, and it is really busy!

On the difference between the Americans and the English…

I am starting to get a feel for why the Americans have such a bad reputation with the English. It comes in the wake of a chat I had with my boss—Alan. He pulled me in to the conference room to have a little talk a few days ago.

We were discussing the poor relationship I have with my Yorkshire co-worker, Yvonne. He had her make a list of all the “problems” she has with me. She had a whole page, single spaced and typed, of things that I was doing wrong.

Alan only went over three of them, saying that most of the stuff on the list was petty and stupid. That was a relief. Alan actually apologised to me for giving the impression that he was not satisfied with my work performance. After talking to both ladies in the office, re realised that I am actually doing quite a good job. I am still in line for the position should it become full time. Then we got to the fun stuff.

Apparently, Yvonne thinks I have an “attitude.” Alan assured me that he doesn’t think I do—I’m just an American, and that’s the perception of Americans. Yvonne just isn’t very well travelled and isn’t accustomed to the way Americans are. Interesting…

So basically, Yvonne thinks that I am cocky and arrogant, which really surprises me. I have been mulling it over for several days now, and have had conversations with a few people on the topic.

Sarah (the nice one at work) said that Americans come across as arrogant to the English because they have a lot of confidence. Apparently, generally speaking, we know what we want and are not afraid to ask for it. We are more outgoing, and that comes across as arrogance to people who are unused to that forwardness.

I can see the point—I really can. The irony is not lost on me, though, as I have less self confidence than most people I know. The thing is, even though that “attitude” is seen as arrogance by other people, I still think it’s a good thing.

The English are so very self effacing. They do not complain about things when they are going badly—they just shoulder on. Until they go home. At that point, they complain like crazy about things. They’ve even come up with a special term for it—“whinging.” They still complain just as much as Americans when things go wrong—but they don’t complain to the people who could change things! They wait in misery until it’s unbearable, then whine about it to people who can’t do a thing to change the situation! I ask you, is this sensible?

Martin says it’s because it’s safer—that people here tend to have a group mentality, and don’t like to single themselves out in a crowd. They do things the easy way and avoid confrontation whenever they can. Myself, I think it’s better to have a few moments of discomfort that can nip a problem in the bud than to struggle on in a miserable situation for ages because you are too afraid to say anything about it. That’s what I’ve been doing with the Yvonne situation since I started working here.

I am so very conscious of the way I behave in this country, because I know the reputation that Americans have throughout the world. I have gone out of my way to be pleasant, patient, and kind to people. I don’t want to be seen as “that pushy American,” but I don’t really feel like doing that any more. After several days of analysing things, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being seen as the pushy American—especially if people are going to draw that conclusion no matter what, just because I seem to have a little self confidence and refuse to be treated like a door mat!

I’m a little angry about Yvonne’s comment, as you might have guessed!

I’m getting tired of not blending in. I love England, I really do. It has so many wonderful things going for it. It is a beautiful country with so much history and charm. The people, once you know them, are really warm and generous. But they are standoffish and cold if you are not one of them, and I feel like no matter how hard I try I will never be one of them. Is it so bad to just want to fit in?

One thing that working with Yvonne has made me realise is that I would ten times rather be beautiful on the inside and plain on the outside than gorgeous on the outside and rotten to the core. Inner beauty really does shine through!

The doctors appointment…

Finally, the appointment that Martin and I have been waiting so long for—and it was more of the same!
In another display of inefficiency, the hospital had not gotten Martin’s test results to our consultant yet. Therefore, our appointment was only half complete. We also had to sit in the hospital waiting room for an hour and a half while the admin staff tried to get our test results!
That aside, the appointment was still frustrating. We learned that the man we saw last time was NOT Mr. Odukoya, but another member of his staff. That’s OK though, because the real Mr. Odukoya is very groovy. He’s African, and has a lovely, lilting accent. He is also extremely funny. I’ve never had a semen analysis described to me with a metaphor of the first Gulf war & Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait before, but surprisingly enough, it made sense!
So basically we have rescheduled for three months’ time. I have come away with very specific weight loss goals, and Martin just has to wait for his test results to be passed over and play diet police.
Probably the most frustrating thing about the appointment was the weigh in. After slaving my butt off for eight weeks, I have actually gained two kilos! ARGH!!! I think it might just be the conversion of fat to muscle, as my clothes are all getting baggier, but still—all that effort for nothing!
In other news, Martin and I are looking at property in Barton. That’s the town we lived in when we lived in England before, and I love it there! It’s so different than Grimsby—much smaller, and not so industrial. The house is actually two flats right now, and is spread over three floors. It needs a lot of work, but also has a lot of potential. It doesn’t have a front yard, but it has a tidy little back garden. It’s a possibility!

Canterbury Cathedral--view of the quire and the old Roman wall from the war memorial.

Canterbury, and a piano!!!

Last weekend was a lot of fun! We drove down to Kent to pick up my piano, and it was a great time. We left our page on the map book for the first time in weeks, and when we do something, we do it well! I was the official trip navigator, and it was very nearly a full time job.

We actually picked up the piano on the Isle of Sheppy (barely an island, but cool all the same). The people we bought it from lived in a tiny mid terraced house and it was quite a job to get the piano out. They called their neighbor over to help, and we tied that piano down so tight it couldn't move at all. You could actually play a little tune on the straps, they were that tight. Then we drove to our bed and breakfast, just outside the town of Ashford.

So yeah, the B&B was weird. At one point I was actually worried that we would end up buried in the pig sty, because this place was so out of the ordinary. The house was a mess, the gardens were in a state, they didn't accept credit cards, and had animals running around all over the place. But the people were very nice (though I don't think the woman liked Americans), and we didn't get buried in the back yard. Strange experience. I'm probably not going to recommend that one to a friend!

I found Kent charming, of course, though VERY expensive. Properties down there are out of control. You can get a two bedroom house about the size of our place in Cedar City (only on two floors instead of one) for about $300,000. Land is really at a premium though, and that is mostly what you are paying for.

On Sunday morning we drove to historic Canterbury to visit the cathedral there (seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of two Anglican Archbishops in England) and see the setting of Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales. The cathedral was magnificent, though not as beautiful as York and Lincoln. In fairness though, it is MUCH older than Lincoln cathedral--parts of it are around 500 years older! Lincoln will always be special to me, since that is where Martin proposed to me.

We had a great time at the cathedral, since it is still used for services and they were in the middle of the sung Eucharist (the communion service). They had the cathedral choir there for it, and we got to hear real choirboys and the men's choir singing some beautiful music. Martin got a brief video clip of it, which I will try to post here. It was one of the most moving experiences I have ever had. The purity of those childrens' voices echoing through that ancient cathedral--wow!

Anyway, I now have a piano at my house. It barely fits, but it looks good all the same. I have already been making good use of it, and it frees up a lot of my time since I nno longer have to drive to the church to practice. Marvellous!

Not much has happened since then, but we've got a busy week ahead of us. Tuesday is the big day--our second appointment with Mr. Odukoya. I have been diligent in my exercise regime, and all of our tests have been done. We'll see how it goes. I'm pretty excited. Plus, we are going to look at a few houses while we have the afternoon off. We're getting ready to do that whole mortgage thing. So within the next few months we could transform into a couple with a mortgage and a baby or two (hopefully only one, but you never know with fertility treatments!). Things could change drastically in the next few months. I'll keep everyone posted--and I'll try to do it a little more often than once every ten days!

My own piano…

It seems like ages since the last time I posted. Probably because it’s been ages, but never mind. I have been busy with church and work and my new exercise regime. It’s only two weeks until my next appointment with Mr. Odukoya, so I have to be diligent.

Life continues to march on by here in England. Today apparently marks the beginning of spring, but temperatures dropped to about -6C last night, and parts of Scotland got a foot of snow. Still, the daffodils outside my house are growing a little more every day. And even though it’s cold today, the sun is shining like crazy!

The most exciting thing that’s happened in the last few weeks is that Martin bought me a piano! He found it on E-bay, and spent a whopping £10.50 on it (about $18.00) The only down side of the whole deal (and I actually consider it to be a positive) is that we have to drive to Kent to get it. We are renting a van and driving down first thing Saturday morning. We’re going to make a day of it, and I am so excited!

In other exciting news, Martin and I are starting to house shop in earnest. We got a mortgage certificate from the bank, and we can use it when we make offers on houses. We found one that we absolutely loved, but we won’t be able to get a loan for the asking price on it. I was hoping, but I guess it’s just not meant to be. I’m sure we’ll find something nice soon!

Here’s an interesting bit of information that I only learned last week. I always thought it was kind of strange that they didn’t call my fertility specialist “doctor,” and I kind of wondered if he was not actually a physician. My GP is called Dr. Wellings, and I was curious. The ladies at work informed me that once a physician becomes a “consultant,” or a specialist, if you speak American, you no longer call them a doctor. They are “better than” a doctor, apparently. In fact, to call my fertility consultant Dr. Odukoya would be an insult. He is Mr. Odukoya.

I can’t get over the class and title differences here. We were talking about retired Army officers last week, and the girls at work were saying how silly it was that retired officers wanted to be called by their rank. However, they have no problem referring to the local gentry as “Lord” or “Lady” so and so, even though they never earned that rank—they were just born to it. People who would never admit to respect for the nobility and royalty, who would actually laugh at it, still defer to them. I miss America—land of the free and home of the brave, where doctors are called doctor, you don’t receive a title unless you earn it, and the president is called Mr. President. There really is more equality there!

Nothing really makes you appreciate the way you grew up like moving somewhere else. I have always taken the rights of an American citizen for granted. Just seeing little things—like the way the British government can hold suspects of a crime in jail for DAYS just for questioning and not actually charge them with anything, or the way some religious schools receive state funding and have to teach the curriculum the government sets up for them, gives me a whole new respect for our founding fathers. They came to a new land with all of the ideas that made British government so great, and they also had a clear perspective of all the ways it was inherently flawed. Say what you like about the American government, but it is based on sound philosophies and great insight. The politicians may be corrupt and the laws perverted, but the framework is perfect in every way. Living in England makes me so proud to be an American. I don’t think I’ll ever become a true ex-patriot.

40%. That's shocking!

No, I am not referring to the percentage of questions you got wrong on the final exam if you got a D. I am actually referring to the number of children in the UK born out of wedlock in 2004!

If you want to get technical, Martin pointed out to me that it's actually 42%. Either way, I think it's a really sad commentary on life in the UK . Ten years ago, it was still a fairly high 28%. Not a lot of those 40% are born to teenage mothers, either. A lot of them are born to middle class, middle age couples who just don't see the point of getting married.

Every ten years the National Statistics Organization publishes a lot of stats that provide a "snapshot" view of life in the UK, and that one statistic is the one that dominated the headlines this morning. There was, I'm sure, some more interesting stuff. It just got ignored because this one came as such a surprise.

Anyway, I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions about that. In other news...

Martin and I tried to buy box springs over the weekend, and discovered that there is no such beast in this area. You put your mattress directly on the slats of your bed frame or you buy a hideously ugly bed with box spring base instead of a nice looking frame. Icky! We are going to keep checking, but I'm not too hopeful. Maybe most people here are ok with choosing either comfort OR beauty, and don't really see a need for both?

We're having another cold spell, but spring is so close I can almost taste it. The bulbs in my planters outside are about 2 weeks away from flowering, and I am so excited. Last Friday when I got home from work it was still light outside. Even Martin has a little glimmer of sun in the morning when he drives to work.

Sadly, there's not much to write about today. It was a quiet weekend, and this week promises to be even quieter. But if something DOES happen, I'll make sure to post it.

Hey, nice fish pants! Martin the builder grouting the tiles in our bathroom and showing off his best side for the camera. Mmmmm hmmmm!

Elder Wilcox and Elder Diatal. Relaxed and happy after eating a Mexican feast along with almost all of my Swedish fish!

The weekend is winding down, and I am trying to get excited about going to work tomorrow. It's always so nice to have a few days off!

Martin is probably going to be happy to get back to work. He has tiled in the bathroom this weekend. He's actually just finishing it off right now. Just the caulking left to do. I am married to such a wonderful, versatile man! I have never known such a hard worker, and I adore him for it.

I have tried to make up for all Martin's hard work this weekend. I have been trying to keep the house clean around him, and I baked him chocolate chip cookies and home-made bread. I have cooked him quite a few meals as well. Cooking is such a thankless, never ending chore, isn't it?

We had the missionaries over for dinner on Friday, and I made a Mexican feast! I attempted to make a chili verde, which turned out to be nearly impossible. You can't really buy chilis in this country--at least not the ones used in Mexican food. We had to make some horrible compromises, and the chili verde wasn't green (chili roja?), but it still tasted great. And I made my own salsa and guacamole. The elders liked it, at any rate. Plus, Martin and I enjoy having them in our home. The new missionary is Elder Diatel, and he is very nice!

Church was good today. My Primary kids sang in sacrament meeting, and they were beautiful! The Leeds mission president and his wife spoke in church, and I really enjoyed their talks. I did cry like a baby on Martin's shoulder and told him I wanted to go home (the mission president and his wife are from Utah), but lunch and a nap improved my mood and the bout of serious homesickness passed quickly enough.

Anyway, it's bed time. I just wanted to write a quick update because we have a busy week ahead of us and I may not get another chance until next weekend.

The efficiency of the National Health system…

I really wish there was a way to show sarcasm in typing without sounding completely juvenile. If there was, I would tell you how impressed I am with the efficiency of the national health service in England.

I had that horrible HSG x-ray last week, and then I got a letter from my doctor on Saturday. Enclosed was a prescription for doxycycline, with instructions to start taking it the day before my HSG and continue taking the rest of the course. I was terrified! I thought I’d have to do the HSG again, as I had no idea what this drug was for.

I did a little on-line research on doxycycline, and I was relieved to find out that it is an antibiotic, so I probably would NOT have to repeat the scan. However, slightly alarming was the fact that it’s a VERY strong antibiotic. They actually use it to treat people who have been exposed to Anthrax. On further research I read that it was prescribed to patients about to have an HSG to diminish the risk of spreading an existing infection when they insert the little plastic bubble into your cervix. Great!

So I called my doctor’s secretary, and she was very quick getting back to me (sarcasm again here). Dr. Odukoya was in meetings all day on Monday, and she told me she would get in touch with me by Wednesday. So I have just learned that I am NOT to fill the prescription. My doctor considers me a low risk for an existing infection. Nice, huh?

Irritation about the NHS aside, things are going well here. My membership at the gym has paid for itself in the last week. I have gone swimming or worked out 6 times in the last 8 days, and I plan to go tonight. I have also discovered an exercise that I really love/hate--the evil rowing machine! I love it because you could spend 20 minutes on that thing and get a total body workout. Funny thing is, I hate it for the same reason. Who knew that rowing could work every single major muscle group in your body simultaneously? I think I will be spending some time rowing every night from here on out.

In other news, we are having the missionaries over for dinner on Friday night. I am preparing a Mexican feast, complete with home-made tortillas and salsa. Elder Millar was transferred, so our Mexican food will be served to the new elder instead, who is German. I hope he likes spicy food!
Our landlord has given us the go-ahead, and Martin is going to tile our bathroom on Saturday. We are going to do the shower cubicle and get ourselves a temporary shower. I am so sick of taking baths! We also put a shelf up in the kitchen (isn’t Martin handy?) and did some more work in the bedroom. Every week we get a little bit more settled in. I have hanging baskets outside and curtains inside. Soon our little cottage will feel like a real house.

So here we have a rare posting by your beloved Martin. Jamie is crocheting a pair of socks for me to slouch around the house, whcih is greatly appreciated as it is a little on the chilly side at the moment, as I am sure Jamie has mentioned on previous occasions.

But this note is not to inform you of how cold our little cottage is but to let you know how much fun we had yesterday waching some top quality football (soccer for those of you on t'other side of the pond). Not quite Manchester United or Chelsea however. We go to watch Scunthorpe United vs M.K. Dons! WOOHOO! These two team are fighting a relegation battle at the moment. In English football, the bottom three teams from a division drop down to the division below, and the top three go up a division. It was a very exciting game, with two goals in the first ten minutes. And that was it for goals, but it was still a very exciting game, with lots of shots and some very good saves from the goalkeeper for M.K. Dons. But in the end it finsihed 2-0 to Scunthorpe, which is the result we wanted, although I think Jamie was secretly cheering for M.K. Dons because she liked their Jersey's! The best part about it all - It was FREEEEEE!!! I got tickets through work as we rented a moving van to one of the Scunny players, wrote off the cost and got tickets as trade. Brilliant!!

Now before all this occured, I gave Jamie her first taste of a lovely game called Squash. At first glance it looks a lot like racquetball, but there are some subtle differences that end up making a big difference when you actually start playing. The first difference is with the ball and racquet. The racquet is a little smaller as is the ball. The ball also has a lot less bounce which is where one of those big difference occursm but we will get to that in a minute. The court is roughly the same size, but it has a line on the main wall that is about a foot high that the ball has to go over each time. Also there a lines on the back and side walls that the ball has to stay below.

So Jamie had a fun introduction as for the first five minutes playing she kept flailing around, the reason being that she was waiting for the ball to bounce up for her to hit it - and it wasn't! With the ball have less air, it deadens when it lands and if you have only played racquetball before, it can be alittle embarassing! However, in Jamies defense she soon picked it up, although with all the running around we did, she is feeling the burn a little today, what with her almost two hour workout on Friday, but I am sure she will tell you all about that later.

Last little note. Just indulged in something extremely decadent - Hot sticky toffee pudding with home made custard. Lovely syrupy sponge pudding with gooey toffee sauce on top. I made the custard from scratch, but I did have a bit of a disaster to start with as I had the heat on too high when cooking the first batch and turned it into sweet scrambled eggs with a disgusting texture! Bleechh! But luckily, the second batch was much better. Delicious!

A week of highs and lows…

Well, I have a gym membership that I have been using! I went to Scartho baths (that’s the swimming pool, for all us normal people who don’t try to sound all posh) and signed up for a month to month membership there. It gives me unlimited access to weight training facilities, a cardio room, the swimming pool, and a sauna. I haven’t used the weights and machines yet as I had to wait for my induction. Tonight I am meeting with a personal trainer who will help me set up a training regime and familiarise me with all the machines, etc. Then I will be able to use those facilities. But I HAVE been swimming twice this week. It would have been three times, but I couldn’t make it yesterday. I spent the night drugged up on the sofa!

Yesterday was my HSG, and it was the most uncomfortable medical procedure I have ever had! For the medically squeamish, now would be a good time to stop reading. You know I have to explain what it involves!

An HSG is a very special kind of X-ray. That’s all the information they gave me when they told me I needed one. Being the sort of person who likes to know what to expect, Martin and I went on line to do a little bit of research and see what would be involved. Special X-ray? That doesn’t even begin to cover it!

Basically, you get naked from the waist down and they open your cervix, insert a little plastic tube, and inject you with dye. Then, while the dye is filling up your uterus and fallopian tubes, they take the X-ray. This allows them to see the shape of your reproductive system, and also to determine if there are any blockages.

It sounds rather nasty, but it doesn’t sound nearly as bad as it actually was! My friend Sam warned me it was miserable—she had one about two years ago. It hurt so much! Honestly, I know I had it done so I can have a baby, but the pain involved made me think that I won’t be able to stand the pain of childbirth. Maybe it’s not worth it! The doctor and technicians were all women, and they were really kind, so it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable in that way, but still—I hope I never have to have that done again—EVER!

On a positive note, I got to see the X-rays, and my fallopian tubes look clear. I was a little worried about that after my ectopic pregnancy last fall. Plus, they look really groovy. They are all twisty and delicate, like the tiny little off-shoots on morning glory.

When we got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me. Grandma Lofley gave us a subscription to the Ensign for Christmas, and our first issue had arrived in the post. I have never been so excited to get a church magazine before. I popped a Lortab and sat down and read the first 30 or so pages. Hooray for the church, and for prescription pain medication!

Anyway, that’s the update. A good week, and a bad week. I’ll probably have more to post on Sunday as Martin and I are going to a football match tomorrow. It’s only a local team, Scunthorpe City, but we have seats in an executive box. Should be a good time.

Sunset outside one of the small villages near Cartmel--my dream village!

The village square in Cartmel. Lovely, and so terribly English!

The stunning horizon across Windermere.

Martin on the ferry across Lake Windermere--good times!

I wrote something while I was at work, and thought I'd post it since it's already there.

On getting older…

Time seems to fly by regardless of how much you'd like to stop it. I remember being a little girl and thinking that I had all the time in the world to do all the things I wanted. I remember looking forward to my next birthday with impatience. I couldn't wait to be eight so I could be baptized and get my ears pierced. I couldn't wait to be twelve so I could stop going to Primary. I couldn't wait to be 16, because then I could drive and date. I wanted to be 18 so I could vote. I wanted to turn 21 so that I could go to Vegas with my friends. All of these ages that I wanted to pass so that I could do all these things that I thought were so great. The time seemed to pass so slowly, and I wondered if I'd ever reach these milestones.

Now, it's another story. With each day that passes I see lines being etched on my face. My skin is losing it's elasticity. My hair is gradually fading from chestnut brown to white. My eyes lose a little more of their innocence each day as I truly begin to realize the hard lessons of life--things don't always go as planned, people are not all basically good, sometimes the only constant in life is the injustice of it all. The daily cares of cleaning the house, going to work, cooking meals, sleeping, and rising to do it all again are slowly wearing away at me. Life is passing quickly in a series of uneventful days and too short nights.

But then I will see an unexpected rainbow, or hear a beautiful bird's song. I will look at my wonderful husband with fresh eyes and realize all over again why I fell in love with him. When these brief moments come, I realize that I would not give back one moment of my life. The years creep by and every day that passes means I am closer to the end. But every moment that passes gives me a new opportunity to just be--to take deep breaths of clean, fresh air. To notice the sun streaming through the clouds in bright beams of gold. With every year comes more of those moments of perfection. And with age comes a heightened ability to recognize them.

Yesterday was the big day...

Martin and I had our first appointment at Scunthorpe General Hospital yesterday. We met with Dr. Odukoya and one of his nurses for our first specialist consultation. Dr. Odukoya, though a walking stereotype of English doctors (read: not English at all--Asian with a really thick accent and an Asian nurse standing by to translate if you can't understand him), seems really competent and thorough. I don't have the greatest faith in the medical profession in England, but I'm happy with him.

Basically, it's more tests. I will have to go in to the hospital to have a pelvic ultrasound, an x-ray, and more blood work. Luckily, my cycle falls perfectly with the required blood tests and scans. I can have everything done this week. Dr. Odukoya also wants me to try to lose some more weight, and he will be seeing us again in eight weeks. I have eight short weeks to get a whole bunch of tests done and get my backside to the gym. I can do this!

The results of all the tests we did earlier were a little better than expected. My hormone levels actually seem to have balanced themselves out. Martin's results were basically the same, but he is being tested again to see if the results are consistent. There wasn't much of a change from the results we got two years ago. Dr. Odukoya seems confident though!

In other news, my birthday was fantastic! Martin and I took a trip to Preston and went to the temple. We stayed in the temple accomodation on Friday night, and after we finished on Saturday we drove up to the Lake District. I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of it. I haven't seen many places in England that are untouched and still naturally beautiful, but it is up there! I fell in love with one of the little villages near lake Windermere. It's called Cartmel, and it's so quaint and beautiful. It's a traditional little market village nestled into a little vale about 5 miles from the lake shore. The village square is tiny, with a pub and a shop and a post office. I'd guess there are maybe 300 people living there, and it's all forest and farms surrounding it. I'll try to post one of my pictures of it later today.

This birthday was a little bit depressing for me. Getting older aside, I wanted to be finished having kids by the time I hit 27. I've passed the deadline with no hope of meeting it, and I hate not getting things done on time. But the appointment at the hospital helped, and I guess you just have to think that getting older beats the alternative. Plus, Velecia will always be older than me and she's going to be 30 next year! I'm still grimly holding on to my 20's.

Thanks to everyone for the lovely gifts! I guess people really are reading my blog, because I got so much stuff that I've expressed a desire for. Grandma Lofley, your gift DID get here on time!

Anyway, I need to get on the road. Got that commute to work. Ugh--don't want to go to work today. I'll try to post a few pictures when I get home.

Cultural differences--especially pop culture...

I've been thinking about pop culture lately, as I get more and more sucked in to English culture and more alienated from American stuff. We went and watched "Brokeback Mountain" over the weekend, and I am watching the news this morning and found out that it won a Golden Globe award last night. It was just barely released over here--hasn't even had a chance to be seen by very many people. It takes a while for American cinema to hop the pond, and I know nothing about movies that have been released in the States.

That got me thinking about music (not too much of a jump between the two--right?), and how Britain really has it's own vibrant music scene that doesn't rely too heavily on the U.S. There are a whole bunch of bands that are HUGE right now over here, and I wonder if anyone in the States has even heard of them. I'd love responses to this post because I really want to know. Have you heard of the following bands or artists?

Sugababes
Arctic Monkeys
Nislopi
Shane Wall
KT Tunstal
Robbie Williams
Girls Aloud
Hard-fi
Pussycat Dolls
Razorlight


That's all I can think of right now--it's early for me and I don't really function well until I've been awake at least two hours.

I am kind of sad that I am losing touch with my American roots. I think I will come home to Utah and be strange there. I know I was last time, and I only lived here for 4 months before. I adjusted back to American life quickly last time though, and I think it might take longer the next time we move back. I guess you just get used to doing things a certain way. Habits can be hard to break.

In Martin news--he had his interview for the job in Nottingham yesterday. He should hear back on that by the end of next week. We could have another move in our near future--scary! But hopefuly this time we can get into a house that has central heating!

Anyway, must run. It takes me 25 minutes to get to work, so I need to get on the road. More later!

Martin and the missionaries--lookin' tough!

Two railway bridges converge over a canyon on the way to Chapel en le Firth in the Peak District.

Martin's mirror image. The picture only looks like it is the wrong way up!

Our computer is fixed--sort of!

We finally got our laptop up and running, which is a relief. We had to re-install windows so we lost all our pictures that were stored, but I am happy that we don't have to buy another copy of windows XP. We really can't afford that right now.

The sun finally came out today for the first time this year! The best part of it was that sunset wasn't until 4:19 pm. It had been setting at about 3:50, and that extra 30 minutes make all the difference. It was amazing how much better the day was when there was actually some daylight!

Martin and I had the missionaries over for dinner tonight. One of them, Elder Millar, is from the south of England. He has a very posh sounding accent and is very adorable. The other one, Elder Wilcox, is from Salt Lake City, Utah, and is also adorable. He's been on his mission for about 2 months now, and is really missing home. It was nice to have them over. Martin was home all day sick, so he cooked dinner. I came home to beef stew, and I made the dumplings. I especially enjoyed having a fellow American in the house, even though he did say geeky things like, "Oh my heck," and "gosh!"

I need to get going because Martin and I have big TV plans for the night. The season one finale of Lost is on tonight, and we have been looking forward to it all week. We are such nerds, but at least it's not celebrity Big Brother. That stupid reality show is on every night, and it's all that they talk about at work!

So much has happened--including our laptop having a system meltdown!

Just thought it might be nice to have an explanation for why I haven't posted in ages. Our laptop crashed last Friday and we are in the process of trying to get it fixed. Right now I'm at Cathy and Karl's house typing away in their computer room while they all watch telly downstairs.
First things first--Martin and I got our appointment to see the specialist at Scunthorpe general hospital for our fertility stuff. We are going to be seen on the 24th of January, so it is a great late birthday present for me. We got the letter on Wednesday last week, and I've been thrilled ever since.
Also a big thing, but not at all nice, our car was broken in to last Sunday. some little punks smashed in our rear window and stole, of all things, my scriptures! I hope that Bible and Book of Mormon really profit the little theives! I am really upset about it--those scriptures were a gift from my parents about 15 years ago, and they had all my favourite passages marked, as well as some really great glue-ins from Seminary and Institute. I guess getting new ones isn't a bad thing, but I loved those scriptures and am really feeling the loss.
When our laptop is fixed, I have some really great photos to post. Martin and I went up to the Peaks district (national park) on the Bank holiday Monday last week, and it is stunning! I cried like a baby on part of the drive because it felt so much like home. We drove to a town called Glossup, and then down to Chapel en le Firth. From there we went on to Castleton and into Bakewell, where we bought an authentic Bakewell tart (very delish!). Seriously, watch out for the photos. One of them is so good that we are going to have it printed up and framed to hang in our house. Of course, it's easy to take good photos when the landscape is so very picturesque! England always manages to take my breath away.
Other than that, things are pretty normal here. The days are starting to get longer, which is really a relief. It is now still light at 4 pm, but last week was so gray. On Friday it looked like the same time from 8 am until 4 pm because the clouds were so low and thick that the sun never managed to penetrate them. I wonder how much of my homesickness has been brought on by the depressing weather. I never miss Utah when the sun is shining and the sky is blue. That's something to think about.
Anyway, must go downstairs and be social. I just wanted to do a quick post for my faithful readers, because I don't want anyone to lose interest. I'll keep everyone posted on Martin's potential job in Nottingham and our fertility stuff., and hopefully I'll be able to post some more pictures really soon!

Our lovely coloured walls and linens. We're going for a spicy theme, and the wall colour makes the room look a lot warmer.

The bedroom--and proof that the sun DOES shine in Grimsby.

Our Christmas tree--it was so hard to find crafty ornaments for it! We strung the cranberries and popcorn garland while we cuddled on the sofa and watched a movie. Ahhh, romantic.

Our living room is really starting to look lived in. See that lovely coffee table? Martin made it for me. The best part of it is that the legs are hinged so we can fold it down and push it under the sofa when we get the dining table out to eat!

My trip to the supermarket...

I know this is my second post of the day, but I just had the most amusing trip to Asda ever, and I wanted to share.
So I went to buy grenadine because we're going to a dinner party tonight and Martin and I are doing alcohol free cocktails. Grenadine, for those of you who don't know, is a cherry flavoured syrup. It has NO alcohol in it. In fact, you use it to make Shirley Temples! It took some finding as it was hidden with all the brandys and stuff, but I finally managed to get some. I took it up to the checkout and got carded when I tried to pay for it. Made even funnier by the fact that the legal drinking age in England is 18!
So that was my experience at the checkout, but it gets better! As I was walking out the door, I got stuck behind a Chinese couple. There was an older English guy stuck behind them as well, and we were listening to the couple speaking Chinese to each other. This English guy turns to me and says, "You hardly ever meet any English people any more." As I turned to him and said, "And I'm not one of them," he turned to me again and said, "It's all bloody foreigners!" He started to blush like mad when he heard my American accent, and I started to giggle. We turned away from each other, he was embarrassed and I was laughing, and walked to our cars. I sat giggling in traffic for the next ten minutes!
Don't you think you should take in the situation fully before you open your mouth and say something racist and inflammatory???

The January Sales...

Cathy and I are going shopping today--in the famed January sales. We are going to brave the horrible queues for returns in pursuit of the ultimate bargain, and I am cringing in anticipation!
Seriously, the January sales are such a huge thing. I think the whole country must go shopping for clothes this week. I'd probably give it a miss, only I need new clothes so much! I didn't bring hardly anything with me when we moved,
It snowed a few days after Christmas, and I think it's funny the way the English react to a bit of snow. I already told my family about it, but this country seriously comes to a grinding halt when it snows. We got about three inches or so, and people were encouraged to stay inside and only drive if they absolutely HAD to. Three inches of snow, and you don't go to the grocery store, just to the hospital??? Sure, they don't really have snow plows this far south (Scotland gets a lot of snow, so they are prepared for it), but still--that strikes me as a little ridiculous. Most people over here think nothing of driving in a really bad rainstorm, and a pea-souper is not a big deal to them. But if you put the liquid in powder form, they freak out!
Martin and I did have a close call on Tuesday night. We spent a lovely afternoon in Lincoln, had lunch with Martin's cousin Gareth (really cute and desperate for a greencard all you single ladies!), did some shopping, etc. We took the A46 home, and it was a clear, warmish night when we left. It had snowed, but there had been enough traffic earlier in the day that the roads were just wet, not snowy or slushy. People were driving ridiculously slow, so Martin passed about 8 cars in a row. Then, between Faldingworth and Middle Rasen, the road got slushy and icy. Martin took a curve in the road a little too fast. He was in the process of slowing down, but with the brakes instead of the engine (big mistake in the snow!).
To make a long story shorter, Martin lost control of the car on the curve and we ended up sliding off the road and missing a few rather large roadsigns by about 4 inches in the front and 4 inches on the passenger side. Miraculously, we weren't hurt at all and the car wasn't damaged. We were able to back up onto the road and drive away. I felt really blessed, and VERY shaky. Needless to say, we slowed down after that. But we still didn't drive as slow as most of the other drivers on the road.
We spent the day with Martin's family again yesterday, and it made me miss mine even more. Everyone played games together, which was fun, but everyone had been drinking and they were getting to that really annoying stage where they think they are really funny. All the same, we had a good time. I wish we were in Utah right now.
The homesickness has really set in now, and I keep catching myself making fun of England and the English. I shouldn't do that, because I am sort of outnumbered, but I just want to talk to my fellow Americans and feel warm and relaxed and see friendly faces on the street. I want to be around a lot of people who don'tsmoke and aren't alcoholics. I miss my family, the climate, the culture, everything. I've lived in England longer than I did last time now, and I'm feeling it. Of course, last time I was a newlywed and only wanted to be with Martin. I still love him as much as I did when we got married--maybe even more. But now I'm realising that I need more than just my husband. I need the rest of my family, too.

Christmas was a success!

Homesickness aside, Christmas was really great. I didn't want to go to Martin's parents house because thy sort of fight a lot and Christine gets really stressed out about the dinner and the presents and the decorations. Plus, I really wanted to be at MY parents' house. But Martin wanted to spend Christmas eve there, so we did. It worked out all right, and we enjoyed ourselves.
We went to a beautiful midnight communion service on Christmas eve at the church in Wootton, one of the small villages nearby. We sang Christmas carols and listened to the vicar preach about loving others regardless of their religious persuasion.
Martin's grandparents came over for Christmas dinner, and it was a great meal. Not as nice as Thanksgiving dinner, but still nice! Cathy and her boyfriend Karl came over later that day and we played blackjack and roulette on the casino set that we got from Santa. Then came the highlight of my day--my family's phone call! I miss everyone back home so much, and it was great to talk to them!
The presents were great, of course, but to me Christmas is more about being with your loved ones and celebrating the relationships that are most important to you!
I'll post some pictures later--we had to borrow Martin's dad's digital camera as we left ours home. I'm going to download the pictures on Wednesday when we go out to Ulceby again. Lovely Christmas though!

Happy Christmas!

Sounds weird, doesn't it? Merry Christmas still gets said over here, but not as often!

I am done with work until the 2nd of January now, and it's good to be off. I have been looking forward to a week off almost since I started working at Volvo. Today was weird. We only worked a half-day, and everybody still left early because the boss was gone. I was blown away by how irresponsible everyone was, and how they are completely unable to work without supervision. I guess not everyone had my daddy to teach them how to work!
I am going to make Russian Tea Cakes tonight, which are my favourite cookie in the whole world. They're so easy to make, too. Every time I bake something I amazed by how easy it is, yet people are so impressed when you do it. Cooking really is becoming a lost art. I AM stalling, to be perfectly honest, because I don't want to spend a lot of time in my tiny, cold kitchen.
Last weekend was great. I went shopping with Cathy, and had one of the best shopping days I've had in a long time. I have lost so much weight that I was able to buy styles I haven't been able to wear for a long time. And I was pleasantly surprised by the sizes I bought. It's always nice to be pleased with your size during the holiday season.
My work party was a good time, though it turned into a night of drunken debauchery about 1 hour in. One of the guys was trying to take his clothes off, and a couple got caught in a delicate situation in the Ladies' room. It makes me very happy to be a non-drinker when I see people's inhibitions fly out the window like that. Plus, Martin and I remembered everything that happened. The same can't be said for a lot of the people there that night.
We had our church Christmas party on Wednesday, and it went well. The Primary kids did their Christmas Nativity program, and I played the piano for it. They were adorable, but I had to play all these bouncy, happy, jolly songs. I also got roped in to playing a few carols for the rest of the ward to sing, and I would have loved to be able to sing instead of play. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be stuck behind the piano until the day I die.
Anyway, I need to get to these cookies. Maybe it'll warm up our freezing cold house!

Wow, I guess people really ARE reading my blog! I got a lot of e-mails over the last few days, so I guess it’s worth while to continue posting.
Not much new here, as usual. This weekend should be interesting though. Martin is working tomorrow morning, and I am going shopping with my lovely sister-in-law, Cathy. She always looks like a star, and I could use a little help. Tomorrow is the office Christmas party, and I want to look really good.
The holiday season in England is manic! There seems to be so much pressure to have the perfect Christmas, though maybe I just get that impression because of my mother-in-law. So much time and money is spent on decorations and presents and Christmas dinner. People usually gasp in amazement when I tell them that we used to have hamburgers or soup on Christmas day. They always forget that we have our huge family meal in November for Thanksgiving. Nobody wants to cook an elaborate feast on Christmas day!
The weeks leading up to Christmas at work are a little different, too. All of our suppliers have been coming in with gifts on their sales calls, and it’s usually a bottle or two of wine. I have two sitting on my desk right now. Everyone’s being taken out to lunch, which usually includes a lot of drinks. There are street vendors everywhere selling hot, mulled wine. It’s like the whole nation turns into a giant pub crawl. They estimate that one in three adults in England will drink and drive over the holiday period.
I am still not used to how heavily drinking is involved in the culture here. Being Mormon in this country is weird, because social occasions almost always call for a cup of tea or a pint. It really is difficult to be friendly without one or the other in your hand.
When you grow up as a Utah Mormon, it’s so easy to believe that the whole world lives basically like you do. For all practical intents and purposes, they do. If you don’t often leave, you never experience life in any other way. You get used to hardly anybody smoking, almost never seeing alcohol except next to the Coke in the gas station. People talk about Enrichment Night at work, and read the Ensign or the Book of Mormon on their lunch breaks. That’s what is normal.
Hearing our friends at church here talk about a visit to Utah is so funny. It’s completely bizarre for them to run in to the church outside of church. A trip to Provo is sort of surreal. They talk about their experiences like the strangest things just happened, and Martin and I nod our heads and say, “yeah, so?”

Jamie recently posted a message in regards to English cooking and how bizarre and quite unsavoury it can be. And from the sound of a lot of them, you might be right in agreeing with her.

But what you have to remember and, ultimatley appreciate, is the sheer ingenuity and economy of it. Yes allright, it is the leftover bits, like innards and blood. But then, when they came up with these dishes, that is all they had. So they utilised it and adapted it, and made it so it could be eaten.

We really are no different from other cultures either. In India, they developed their wonderfully flavoured dishes, not for the taste, but to mask the taste and smell of rotten meat! So, is it really that big a stretch to see the similarity between indian and enlish cooking.

Now, one thing you hear so often is "eughh that sounds revolting" and you know what? It does! But that doesn't mean it tastes bad. Properly cooked and served a lot of the dishes which Jamie describes are, surprisingly, very tasty. But so many people don't try them because of their contents.

This does lead us to one of my pet peeves. the question is asked:"do you like...(insert dish here)?" "No" next question "Have you tried It?" and here comes the kicker..."no, but it doesn't sound good, so I haven't" And there it is. Such a cutting insight into many peoples perception of food, and many other topics. In Jamies defense, she is quite willing to try many weird and wonderful foods, so I can' criticise her. But people, wake up! there are so many great culinary delights that are open to you if you can just get past that little hurdle of a description. Go on, try those sweetbreads! Delve into offal! Please?

The disadvantages of a blog...

It seems like I don't get many personal e-mails lately, and hardly anyone ever posts comments to my blog. Not to sound neurotic or anything, but is anyone even reading this? Sometimes I feel like I'm doing all this typing for my own benefit, and that's really not necessary. I type a lot every day at work. What's going on?

hello everyone!

Hogpenny Cottage, home sweet home!

Eating in England...

Anyone fancy some bubble and squeak?
How about some bangers and mash?
I could really go for pie, chips and mushy peas!
Spotted dick sounds smashing!
A bit of sponge would be lovely for pud!
Ooohhh, I love scampi!
Spaghetti bolognase sound OK for tea?
Black pudding for breakfast?
Dead man's leg for dessert.
Haggis, neaps, & tatties for Burns Night.
Cockles and Whelks are lovely if you're at the seaside.


Does this sound like a foreign language to you?

The food over here is lovely, but man it is weird for someone who grew up on mid-west cooking! And the names they give their food--why can't they just call it what it really is?

Translation:
Anyone fancy some bubble and squeak? / mashed potatoes and cabbage, fried (leftovers only)
How about some bangers and mash? / sausage and mashed potatoes
I could really go for pie, chips and mushy peas! / meat pie, fries, and boiled, mashed peas (a lot like refried beans but radioactive green instead)
Spotted dick sounds smashing! / a sweet suet (shortening) cake with raisins
A bit of sponge would be lovely for pud! / cake for dessert
Ooohhh, I love scampi! / breaded and deep fried shrimp or monkfish
Spaghetti bolognase sound OK for tea? / pasta with meat sauce
Black pudding for breakfast? / a nasty concoction not fit to be consumed by man OR beast that the English eat fried up on a plate of death! Congealed blood mixed with herbs and oats and stuffed into a sausage casing
Dead man's leg or jam roly poly pudding. / cake and jam rolled up together
Haggis, neaps, & tatties for Burns Night. / Oats and herbs and ground up "meat" in a sausage casing which is steamed and served with rutabega and potatoes
Cockles and Whelks are lovely if you're at the seaside. / small clams and other strange shellfish, eaten with vinegar

Is it any wonder that I've been losing weight!

Saying that, I should be gaining it instead. Look at all the potatoes on the list above. Not to mention all the desserts (annoyingly called "pudding," even when the substance does not resemble pudding in any way, shape, or form). The desserts are almost always served with cream as well.

This whole country seems to think they are either back in the dark ages or still on post WWII rationing and they eat accordingly. Go into a traditional butcher's shop some time--I dare you. Most likely you will eaither vow to eat ONLY steak or become a vegetarian! If you want a research project, find out what's in Brawn!

Martin has a rebuttal to type, but I personally think he's biased!

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Working in England…

It’s a whole other world working in England vs. working in the U.S.—especially in this industry! It’s been quite a job, adjusting to the working environment here. In some respects it is so much more reserved, and in others it is much more informal.

For instance, back home we all talked about our home life at work. It didn’t absorb us completely, but we would chit chat about what we did over the weekend, mention it if our husbands had done something silly, gush over cute things that kids or pets had done, etc. Here we very rarely discuss our home lives. Even in the times when nothing much is going on it seems to be a taboo topic!

In my previous jobs we were never very formal. I always called people by their first names—even my superiors. Still, the casualness of things here is shocking. I have never been called so many pet names in my life! It’s always “love,” or “darling” or “chuck,” and it’s nice! Maybe it’s just that I am working in an industry that is mostly male, and the women tend to get pampered a little bit. Some people find it a bit condescending, but it’s quite nice to be treated like a lady.

It also seems that the further south you go the more American the working style becomes. I hear that northern men tend to be chauvinists, and I guess I can sort of see that. But maybe it’s not that they’re chauvinists—maybe they’re just more traditional in the way they see gender roles. When we call depots down in the London area, it seems to be business as usual.

Phone calls are a bit strange as well. Other than not knowing whether I’ll be able to understand people when I pick up the phone, the manners are completely different. For starters, when I pick up the phone and say hello, the person on the end of the line usually sounds surprised. How can they be surprised that someone is answering? They called me—they should be expecting to hear someone’s voice!

The niceties are usually done away with as well. Back home we always said “how are you,” or something like it. Here, they tend to jump straight into business.

In the U.S. the person who placed the call is usually the one to end it. It seems like common courtesy to me. Not only are they the one paying for the call, but they phoned you with a purpose. Once they have got the information they needed, they should signal that by ending the call. Here there seems to be this extreme reluctance to hang up first. So many times I feel like I’m hanging up on someone. They say thank you and then wait. There’s this moment of awkward silence—I usually end up asking if there’s anything else I can do for them, and that is even more awkward.

Someone should teach a course in telephone manners so we can standardise them! I’m sure I’m being rude a lot of the time and just don’t realize it.

All these differences aside, it’s amazing how many similarities there are. People are people, no matter where you are. We all tend to have the same needs, wants, fears, desires, and insecurities. We grow up so differently, but we end up pretty much the same.

Where to start?

Nothing's really new, but life is good all the same. Martin and I had a great weekend, even though we didn't see each other very much.

On Saturday I went down to Lincoln with my friend Sam. Her husband kept the baby, so we had a total girls' day out. The Christmas fair was on, and it was very groovy. They open up the castle grounds and have loads of craft stands, food vendors, and kid's rides. I got most of my shopping for Martin done, and it was so good to just hang out with Sam. It seems like ages since I've done something without Martin.

Speaking of the cutie, Martin worked on Saturday and went down to Lincoln later that afternoon. He shopped for me, and then he had a work party. I went to bed early and was already asleep when he got home. But we slept late the next day and went to church together, and it was great.

We got our "poor man's double glazing" up this weekend too, and our house feels much warmer already. The house is really starting to come together. We're still a little short of storage and the walls are a little bit bare, but it's all good. We have what we need, and we're settling in. We are even going to start looking at houses to buy soon, which will be great!

Still no word from the fertility clinic--I'm hoping we'll have some news on that front by Christmas. It's really exciting to think that by next Christmas we could have a baby, or at least be expecting one.

I always thought that I would have kids by the time I turned 27. Life hasn't exactly gone as planned. In some ways it's better than I could have ever imagined, but some areas are a bit disappointing. Maybe that's part of growing up though--coming to terms with what you've got in life, making the best of the crummy bits, and enjoying the really great stuff.

Success...

Thanksgiving dinner went over really well! The pumpkin pie was gorgeous, and the rest of the meal was really good as well. We watched the misionaries tuck in to the food, and they told us that they had both gained about 30 pounds since they'd been on their missions. It reminded me of another success--I've lost 15 pounds since we got here! Maybe not after that dinner, but still, that's cool.

Martin and I had some small success in the family history area as well. Last night we went over to Beverley. It's a groovy little city in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Not only is it a great market town, but it is also the parish headquarters for the Church of England in the area. One of my ancestors was born in Hull, and my grandma has been unable to find out his parents' names. We looked at microfiche last night until our eyes were blurry, and we couldn't find Edward Lofley. But we DID find what looks like his brothers and sisters. We can't confirm that yet, but it was really exciting to catch a glimpse and at least have a maybe where before there was nothing.

Isn't it funny how we always want to succeed? Failure makes you feel so empty and worthless, and it's terrifying to think that you weren't able to make something happen. But those failures stack up on each other, and eventually we succeed because of them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, sort of anyway! I haven't worked on Thanksgiving day since the last time I lived in England, 4 years ago. This day is supposed to be all about family, so I am actually a little bit sad. But we are celebrating on Saturday with Martin's family. Plus, we've invited the missionaries over. One of the Elders is from Utah (Harriman, for any of you who know where that is), and this is his first Thanksgiving away from home. I thought it might be nice for him to be able to celebrate with us.

This will be the first time I have cooked my own Thanksgiving dinner, and I'm a little bit nervous about it. Martin has taken some time off work, so he did all the grocery shopping. I'm taking tomorrow off work and we are going to do all the prep work (plus sleep in, if you want a little honesty) so we only have to cook on the day. We had quite a job trying to find a pumpkin at this time of year. We checked every grocery store in town earlier this week. Martin finally found one at the market, so I am making a home-made pumpkin pie for the first time ever tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, we are both doing well. Martin is enjoying his time off, though yesterday it was too foggy for him to go golfing. He's going today instead, and then he's going to Hull to play in a five-a-side soccer tournament with work. I've opted out of sitting and watching him in the freezing cold, and will be going to ward choir practice instead.

I've been sick for a few days as well, and I thought it was just a cold. It turns out that it was my asthma as well. It's strange, because I can never tell when I'm having an asthma attack. Back home it was immediately obvious because I couldn't breathe at all. Here at sea level, there's so much more oxygen, I can still breathe--just not as well. It only dawned on me this morning that maybe I should use my inhaler because I didn't feel that short of breath. I'll learn.

Martin and I went in yesterday to have our tests done for the fertility clinic, and I was very pleasantly surprised with the efficiency in the pathology lab at the hospital. It was actually faster than having bloodwork done in a U.S. hospital. Sure, I had to take a number and wait, but they were fast and efficient. And they said that my doctor in Scunthorpe should have the test results within 3-4 working days. We are almost on our way to having a baby!

Can you believe they call this a kitchen? It's about the size of mom and dad's bathroom!

The beautiful Lincolnshire countryside--can you believe this photo was taken in November?

Martin's Grandad Priestley--fast forward 40 years

Finally, a Saturday at home!

I have a few minutes today because Martin isn't working and we have nothing planned. Well, not entirely true. We don't have a long drive planned. We are spending the whole day just bumming around Grimsby.

This morning we are going to buy some paint for our bedroom and some plastic stuff to put in our windows (in a desparate attempt to keep our house warmer). I'm going to get a hanging basket for our courtyard, and maybe we'll get a TV stand. Pretty soon our house is going to look like a home!

I tried to take a picture of the house earlier this morning, but our digital camera has a serious aversion to sub-zero temperatures, and it is FREEZING outside--literally. We had our first hard frost two nights ago, and it was nasty. However, I still maintain that cold and wet doesn't feel as bad as cold and dry!

One thing that I find really cool about winters over here is the fog. Because of the ocean currents, the sea is much warmer on a cold night than the land and air are. This usually means that a heavy mist develops over the sea, and since we are coastal here, that heavy fog moves in and settles over everything. I thought I understood fog from driving over the Utah mountains in snow storms, but this fog is so thick you can almost taste it. England should be famous for it's "pea-soupers." You literally can't see more than 2 feet in front of you sometimes!

Anyway, I need to get ready to go out shopping this morning. But here's an idea for anyone who wants to send us a Christmas care package. I want yarn, the soft, silky, thick kind, so I can make myself some hats and scarfs and mittens! I also want Stephen's gourmet sipping hot chocolate, preferably the vanilla kind. It's kind of bulky, I know. But you could take it out of the tub and put it in a zip-lock bag. PLEASE?!?

We have finally got internet access!

Of course, more importantly, we also have a phone (and a telly, for Martin)! Anyone who wants to call us, just e-mail me and I will give you the number. Don't worry--an international call doesn't have to be cost prohibitive. Martin and I used 10-10-987 and it was actually less expensive than calling across the state. 30 cents to connect, and 3 cents per minute.

Life in England has been getting steadily better and better since we got into our little Hogpenny Cottage. Of course, the day to day things like work and doing dishes are still the same, but what I thought would happen already has--I feel like we finally have a home. Our house IS about the size of a postage stamp (it's smaller than the one in Cedar City, for any of you who saw that one), but it is charming. If I can find our digital camera this morning I will take a few photos of it.

In other good news--Martin and I got our referral to the fertility clinic! They've been in touch via post, and we are going in to have some more tests done early next week. By law, we have to be seen within 13 weeks of our doctor receiving our test results, so we will be having our first appointment in less than 4 months' time. That wasn't as long as I thought it would be. Keeping in mind, of course, that the 4 months is a MAXIMUM! We could actually be seen a lot sooner than that. Fingers crossed everyone.

Martin is still frustrated at work. He is having a hard time adjusting to how his company is run here versus the U.S. Some days are better than others, but Martin is usually so easy going about everything and he's not right now. He's currently looking for something new, even if he just transfers to a different office. My job, on the other hand, keeps getting better and better. Yesterday was a great day for me--hardly any mistakes, and I knew what I was doing virtually the whole day! They've also asked me to stay on until after Christmas, and if my position goes full time I am virtually guaranteed to get the job. That would mean a pay raise and benefits, which I am thrilled about!

So that's the update in a nut shell. Now that we have internet again, I'll go back to posting more regularly. Remember to e-mail me for our phone number, and when you do call, remember that we are seven hours ahead of you!

The Gilberts have a new home!

Martin and I moved in to Hogpenny Cottage on Friday night, and it is wonderful! Martin and I are both really pleased with our decision to move there. It was especially wonderful when it came time to go to church and we only had to leave 10 minutes early instead of 30. The neighborhood is really quiet and it feels really safe, which is a good thing in Grimsby. Parts of it are really rough.

So here's the complete new address:

Martin & Jamie Gilbert
Hogpenny Cottage, 43A
Algernon Street
Grimsby, Lincs
DN32 9QS
England

We don't have our phone hooked up yet, but I'll get the number to everyone when that's available. We obviously don't have internet yet as our phone line isn't up yet, so that means I won't be posting to the blog very much--just when I can sneak a few minutes at work. And absolutely no pictures, unfortunately. But I am taking a lot of pictures so I can show everyone what our house is like. Hang in there--I will post them eventually.

Martin and I took a trip to Preston on Saturday and went to the temple. I love the Preston Temple--it is so beautiful and peaceful. I don't know why, but it seems so much more quiet than the St. George temple. There is usually an interesting mix of people there as well.

We also bought a second car last week. It's another used one, but this one is nicer than our Seat. It's a Ford Mondeo, white, and it is very comfortable. It's a turbo diesel and gets about 50+ miles to the gallon.

In one week we've gone from living with the parents and making due with one vehicle to our own house and one car each. It feels like we are finally getting on our feet again, but boy are we ever broke!

Smudge--

No, he's not our dog. Smudge is the Gilbert family dog--they got him when Martin was about 13 or so. He's the dumbest animal I've ever seen, but he's so good natured and loving. Martin would like us to get a dog, but I told him we can't have one until we have a baby as it is approximately the same level of committment!

Lots of stuff has happened over the last week or so. First things first--Martin and I have a house to live in now! Our new address will be:

Hogpenny Cottage, #43A
Algernon Street
Grimsby
Lincolnshire

I don't know the post code yet. It'll be DN32 6 something something. Apparently the last two digits of your post code are VERY specific--they tell where you are within about two houses. I'll keep everyone posted. I don't know what our new phone number will be yet. Later!

We went to Ikea and bought a bed, and now we have all the essentials--sofa, TV, bed, nightstands, table, chairs, etc. We even have a microwave (luxury!). They're not as nice as what we had before, with the exception of our new mattress, but we'll gradually get nicer things. The important thing right now is having a place of our own.

Speaking of Ikea, I'd never been before, and it was an experience. We rented a huge van from Enterprise and drove to Leeds. Once we were there, we spent about 3 1/2 hours just wandering around their showroom. That place is enormous! We were both a little shell-shocked when we got out, it was that exhausting.

We drove to Scunthorpe and saw a movie in town, and we didn't park in our usual place as the van was too big to fit in the multi story car park. When we got back to the van we discovered it had been broken in to. Luckily, nothing was stolen. But we did have to drive around with no window for another day, and it rained! We called the police, and they basically told us we shouldn't have parked there. This area has a really high crime rate!