Christmas Tree

This year for Christmas Stan and I did something we have never done before - And hey, we are always looking for "firsts" in our relationship, keeps it fun! Sooo now that we have a new window in our kitchen with a view into our backyard we decided to put up Christmas lights on a scrappy old pine tree which otherwise doesn't get much attention.

The husband did a fabulous job assembling the lines of lights in very merry order. This was done while standing on a ladder with a homemade pole which he cleverly designed to assist in proper light placement. I did my best to hold the ladder still and assure a non tangled environment.
















Several trips to the store, 10 strings of lights, multiple light sockets and 2 extensions cords later, we had finally finished it. Here is a photo of the final product! Wow, we couldn't believe how much it lit up the yard! It was a hit with the neighbors and we love to see this out our kitchen window :)

Florida trip

Stan and I made a quick trip to Florida to help ring in his mom's 80th Birthday. Her actual bday is not until December but it was much easier to assemble the family during October.

Most of the Chew family was there with the exception of a few, but we still had a good time and it was great catching up with everyone. I have added all the photos from our trip in a separate album but here is a small sampling.

The Girls

The Birthday Girl!


Stan and his brother John

The Lovely Samantha!

Fantastic baked goods from Carol!



Game of Scrabble - Samantha smoked the group!

Missing UK

I have not been back since July and I can HONESTLY say I am missing MANY things about the UK! I will mention some here but of course this is NOT a comprehensive list. The things that first come to mind Henley-on-Thames, Lavender Cottage (Rebecca and Mike), The Row Barge - Neal, Jim, Christie, Marcus (sp?) Giles (sp?again), Mark (hope you like the cheese-hat) anyway the whole crew at the Barge! Viv, Derrick and Heschel - is Heschel still there?? I would have liked to have dinner again with Les and Jonathon, Hugh & Sandra - good people all around.

Fish and chips, Pints - green, green, green everywhere - charming beyond charming, lovely accents, driving on the left (well for me riding on the left), Gabriel Machin, squirmy the cat, castles, pubs, did I mention Pints...ahhh what a wonderful experience it was. Thanks to all for welcoming us in and please know if ever in MN look us up :)

Defintion of Lintel

This definition from the Wiki best describes the manner in which we are using them.
Lintel Decorative use:
The use of the lintel form (rather than as a construction technique) has been employed in the architecture of many cultures over time. In non-classical architecture a lintel was frequently used for purely ornamental purposes, having no structural function.

Lintels

Last weekend Stan and I were able to complete 3 new lintels on the front of our house. I did the priming and painting and Stan did all the hard work - measuring each window, making the lintel from scratch to fit each window perfectly and finally getting on the ladder and securing them to the house :) I think he did a great job. I was a bit nervous about how this would look, but as usual Stan knew what he was doing. We still need to paint the trim to match the lintel but otherwise I think those 3 are close to being done.

Before with NO lintel...

After with lintel...

Alone time...

Stan left today for a long trip through Asia and Australia. I know we will miss each other greatly...He is my BEST friend and I love him dearly, the house feels so empty when he's not here, Home is NOT home without him. So, what do I do? Okay, I have to admit, the first night he is away I have a bit of a routine, I indulge in a long HOT bath, lots of "emo" music (as Stan calls it) as loud as I want and some vino to cap off the night.

I know that Stan and I would both agree - alone time can be very healthy for relationships, but again, I have to admit, after one night, I miss him and I wish he was coming home sooner than later.

hmmm...

Okay, we have been thinking about changing the lintels on the exterior of the house.

I know what your thinking!...Wow this is exciting and seriously - WHAT a great blog entry!

I will be honest, I was getting some pressure for some updates - who knew blogging came with such demands. Let me tell you - when you don't have kids or pets you REALLY need to look for material.

My husband came up with this design. He built this on the new widow that he installed in the kitchen...what do you think? I thought he did a pretty good job but we have LOTS of windows...This could be a big job.

What's new?

I've been online checking out friends and families blogs and realized that I've not updated our blog in sometime AND I have not finished the Samantha UK Visit blog...where does the time go?

We are back in the US again, returned 2 weeks ago - early this time due to meetings and such. It's good to be home and focus on the house, garden and so on. We've been busy with new plants, new flowers, new window sashes and lentils. Everything is coming together nicely.

Last weekend our neighbors Marek and Amy hosted a neighborhood cookout. Marek is famous for his Goulash. This is NOT like the goulash we Minnesotans think of - Not even close. Marek makes this in a huge copper pot over the fire pit for hours. It's a mixture of secret ingredients including vegetables, meats and spices, but most importantly do not forget the paprika...not just any paprika mind you. We had a great time and the food was Wonderful as always. I've attached a few photos from our fun evening!

Johnathon enjoying the pre-dinner entertainment...Jeff's (the neighbor on the other side) new bubble machine.

App's and chat's before dinner

Marek attending his goulash

Stan ready for fun!

Ready to serve and the final product....yum yum

Amy and Marek dog's Ruby and Zuska - we see this outside our side door often...hmmm...do you think someone has been giving them treats?

In other news:

Alright this may sound geeky, but I did invest in the new iPhone3G - can you say "AWESOME" - I love this little gadget, SO much more than just a phone. If it could only superimpose powder and lipstick I would no longer have the need for a purse - Everything I need is right in this little powerhouse. Kristi gives this a Thumbs UP.

Samantha's Visit...work in progress

Samantha and I were lucky enough to find Lord Chewstoke visiting Corfe as well.

Cutest Corfe Castle Couple

Rich and Nichole took this great photo during our trip to Corfe Castle. Thanks guys! I really love this photo :)

Sunday Drive

Sunday mornings in the US usually include a cup of coffee from Dunn Brothers then a nice drive through the county and ending up downtown Stillwater by the St. Croix - just watching the river. BUT today we enjoyed a UK Sunday drive which included renting a small boat in Henley and tootling up and down the Thames River. We took in the Thames Valley the way it should be viewed, from the river. Stan has been wanting to rent a boat from the moment he found out they were available - months ago.

Here is a little snippet of our hour long river ride.

Friday nights in the UK

It seems we have developed a bit of a pattern with our Friday evenings here in the UK. After a long day of work, Stan and I have added dinner at The Row Barge to our daily routine. Last night we again had an exceptional dinner. Neal, Tom and the rest of the Row Barge crew are top notch!

After our great meal and some vino we walk home to our cottage. The rest of the evening is unwinding and listening to Stan play guitar...a great way to end the day and more importantly start the weekend.

This song he played last night is an original, composed by Stan and titled "Sleeping Samantha" - enjoy!

Back in the UK

We made it back safe and sound yesterday. The flight was uneventful other than the usual stuck on the tarmac in mpls for an extra 30 minutes, then circling Heathrow for 30 minutes and of course the normal bag belt issues and waiting for what seems like hours to get our bags...whew. This flying stuff is for the birds.

Although I do love Henley-on-Thames I must admit it was a bit difficult to return this time. Having family in town and working on our home had me feeling more grounded than ever. Stan has just finished putting in a new window in our kitchen - Yeah! I've wanted that for sometime and he did a smashing job. All that is left is to paint the trim.





Stan's daughter Samantha will be here next week - Yeah! This is also the week of the Regatta. We've heard nothing but great things about this event. Sounds like lots of rowing, lots of people and lots of fun. I will be sure to get some shots and keep you posted.

Hope everyone is well.

Home Sweet Home

Yesterday, May 31 was just over the top beautiful in Minn. The weather, perfect, our home, inviting and our garden was attracting praise from passer-bys. My wife taking it in realizing the benefits of her hard work in the garden over the years. We were having our great friends and neighbors over for a cook out.... life was just perfect. The news was of storms coming through that afternoon was acceptable. Maybe some thunder and lightening which, in many ways, could top off a great day in the upper mid west.




The storm painted the sky like a bruise, the sirens blared, our friends were gathering around the windows and doors looking out, and I stirred "morel mushrooms from our yard" risotto, slaved to the stove. The wind picked up as the leading edge of the storm swept overhead. The rain fell, and our neighbor Marek says "It is hailing". "How big is it?" "Not big but it is hailing.....wait, it is getting bigger....oh yeah, the hail is getting big now." The house sounded as if it were under attack. White missiles the size of grapes were streaming out of the northeast pushed by the winds..........I continued to stir the risotto. The hail fell as strong as a rain, pouring off the rooftops, banging against the windows and collecting on the ground. Five minutes of sky versus ground warfare. When it was over....devastation. Look at the photos and you'll see.......view the gallery under albums "Home Sweet Home" to see this amazing hail.

The New Royal Guard

Need I say more...

To see more photos check out the Windsor Castle & Eton link under Photo Albums.

Corfe Castle & Kimmeridge Bay

Today we hopped in the car and headed for Corfe Castle. Other than horrid traffic on the way there it was a great day. After Corfe Stan took us for a quick view of Kimmeridge Bay, then on to Stonehenge and finishing off the day with some great food back at "The Row Barge".



Rich and Nichole thanks again for coming, I haven't laughed this much in I don't know how long - it's great having you here!!

On the way too Stonehenge we came across a tree which had just fallen into the road. Our super hero Rich held the branches back away from the street so we could quickly drive though.

Great mix of food, the Barge knows how to do it right we had Mussels, Pate, cheese plates and Calamari...YUM YUM!

More photos of this trip can be found under Albums.

Our FIRST official guests - Yeah Rich and Nichole!!

Stan and I are thrilled to say we have some great friends here in the UK with us. Rich and Nichole flew in Friday!! We did an official pub crawl last night and enjoyed some pints.

The first stop was the Row Barge. which is literally 25 steps from our front door. Neal made us some great lunch and we were off to the next stop.

I have NO idea what we were doing here, but I'm pretty sure we were having fun.

Introducing Squirmy Cat

This is a little neighborhood kitty we see quite often around Lavender Cottage. We do not know his official name so Stan has newly named him "Squirmy Cat" - a very fitting name.

This day he or she...dunno...anyway was playing on our front walk...trying to catch his/her tail - at first I thought he was playing with a fly but on video I now see it's his tail. Squirmy has become our little UK pet...when it fits Squirmy's mood that is.

This UK Snack...

makes me nervous...not sure if the man is a butcher or a psychopath escaped from prison. No thanks Mr. Porky, I'll pass on this one. What is a Pork Crackle anyway?

I noticed...

in the slide show of our Sunday in Henley you cannot see the true beauty of this tree. Click on this picture and check out how many FLOWERS there are. I've got the actual count, so please comment your guess. The winner will receive a huge fabulous prize!

A Brilliant Sunday

Stan and I took a nice long walk by the Thames today. The weather here has been wonderful, sunny and mid 70's - Couldn't ask for nicer days.

Wisteria in full bloom

Lord Chewstoke invites you to Lavender Cottage

What?

I no sooner set my bags down, gave my sweetie a kiss and was told he's off again...ugh. Stan is in Milan, Italy for a couple of days - not too long, but STILL.

Anyway I'm hoping to keep better tabs on this new blogsite. So although my travels will be only within walking distance of the cottage for the next few days, I'll still post them, hopefully with a couple of photos as well.

Late yesterday I did take a walk up past the late George Harrison's Estate - Friar Park. There is a lot of info online if you google it. From what you can see through the gates it's looks quite beautiful. Apparently from what I've read, This mansion was accessible to the public up until the death of John Lennon in 1980. Since then the gates have been closed and it has remained private property.

The pictures here are from a website I found that details Henley-on-Thames. http://henleyonthames.org/locations/details.asp?fldLocationID=9 If you visit this link you will need to scroll down to see all the photos.

Not only did we move - our blog did too!

Hello all,
I've decided to try this using this blog site for awhile. It seems that this site is a bite easier to use and the response times are much better than the previous one we set up.

Now in the lovely Henley-on-Thames, what a great spot! Here is a photo of the Lavender Cottage.