It didn’t hail or sleet today! A “fine English rain” (the kind that comes straight down) showed up just as we left for Chesterfield to find a battery charger---just minutes after I realized that I no longer had my prescription sunglasses in my purse-or in the rental car—or in my jacket pocket---or in the couch under the cushions or in cousin John’s car. Shit! The good news is that we got a wham-bang-doozie of a universal battery charger that adapts to all of the various worldwide electrical volts that we might ever need. Crazy wonderful, I say! To get the charger we drove to Chesterfield and landed there on yet another Market Day. I was sorely tempted by the ankle length three tiered tie-dyed skirt with the mint green daisy-appliqued tee-shirt. My need to avoid hippy ... read more

Starting the eight hour count down till departure, and we're almost ready! We'll catch everyone up on the first legs of the trip tomorrow evening...maybe. We'll wave as we fly over... More from Day 0: Made it to Victoria's in two hours. Great to catch up on happenings at my former job, AND it sure is nice to have a ride to the airport - Thank You, Victoria! John & Max... read more

Day 33 Northern California Although we have been home for almost a month, when we took the pictures for this last blog it was actually the last night of John's vacation. I had convinced him to take a week after we came home--the longest vacation he has ever taken-- because, honey, jet lag does not get easier as one gets older. On this morning, Sunday, I woke up late. I was already feeling a tad bit guilty when I wandered into the kitchen mid-morning in yoga clothes. John is sitting at the kitchen table with a big grin…”Why are you wearing an apron?” Then my nose detects…beans, tomatoes, sausages, bacon? Is it…? Is it?... Yes! My darling husband is creating a Full Irish/English/Maine (beans included) breakfast for our last morning of vacation together… During breakfast we ... read more

Days 24 and 25 Salisbury “Nice Church, Great Rocks….” We sleep wonderfully well. That is a very good thing because our waking thoughts are: Wow! It’s hot already and we have gotten up very, very early for our trip to Stonehenge. A lovely breakfast is cooked up by Veronica and served by her John, the car is packed up, and too very soon, we are leaving the wonderful hospitality of Webster’s B&B. It occurs to us that this is our last Bed and Breakfast stay: tonight we check into a real hotel to begin the transition into that you’re-not-on-holiday-anymore world. Well, let’s just put that nasty little looming thought out of our minds and head out to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is quiet , deserted, and slightly eerie in the inversion haze brought on by the current heat ... read more

Day 22 I have not told you how much I love this Old Farmhouse at Roystone Grange. I am totally happy, secure, and safe here. I wake in the morning and think, “This is Home….” There is something about 16 inch deep rock walls, whitewash, and raw timber that makes my heart sing. It also helps that there is indoor plumbing. Actually, it really, really helps a lot even though English washers and dryers are totally substandard….sorry, but it is true. Our “Heavy Load” washer dryer combination can handle about what one person would wear in one day….So, we are planning our jaunts around loads of laundry. But today we have many travel bits and pieces to attend to. Yesterday our cell phone was blocked, so we think we need to “top up” our account, and ... read more