Remembrances

I found myself taking a trip down memory lane yesterday and didn't really realize I was there until I felt the tears on my cheeks.  (We ALL know I'm a cryer...so the tears could have been because Finn and Rachel broke up again (or was it Finn and Quinn?) in season 2 of Glee...or because I was tied...much more likely...regardless, there have been many wonderful people in my life that left before their time that I think of often with a smile!!!)


Grandma Kitty - okay...now we KNOW I'm tired if this is the first thing that I write about!!!  Grandma Kitty was my dad's mom.  We lived with her for a while while our home in Palatine was being built.  I have so many memories of watching the Cubs play on TV with the sound off so we could listen to the radio announcers.  We would set out lawn chairs to save parking spaces in the city for my parents upon their return from work.  We would ride the El...just for the sake of riding the El.  We would walk Tedo (not a real dog...but a pound puppy dog that we would tie a string around and pull down the street).  And every time it rains I think of a poem we would repeat on our morning walks if it was raining.  

One misty, moisty morning, 

When cloudy was the weather, 

I chanced to meet an old man clothed all in leather. 

He began to compliment, and I began to grin, 

How do you do, and how do you do?

And how do you do again?

Seeing as it has been raining during some of my stay here in England I have found myself repeating this nursery rhyme time and time again.  And I smile when I think about how it's kinda like England.  As I walk home from dropping Dave off at the bus I see the same faces and have started to smile and say hello as we pass!  :)  


Uncle Joe - with the Olympics being televised (ALL THE TIME) live in London I can't help but think back to my first experience with the games!  Back in 1996, 2 of my dad's brothers lived and worked in Atlanta, GA.  With all the hype around the games the Fedota brothers were fortunate enough not only to have tickets to a wide variety of events (tennis, track, swimming, softball...to name a few) but also to be a part of the games.  One brother (Joe) was an envoy to the Bahraini athletes (big into sailing but sadly didn't medal).  He was basically in charge of the team and was responsible for making sure they got to and from each other their events.  So fun!  My other uncle (Gary) was on a team of people who did all the pedestrian traffic signage.  At the start of the games he would stand on top of buildings and watch where foot traffic backed up or funneled funny and then the team would work overnight to create signs for new traffic patterns.  Joe's wife was working for another teams consulate at the time and was working with their athletes as well.  (Such an involved family).  I remember with fondness the humor that Joe brought to each and every situation.    


S.E.F. - SEF was taken WAY before her time.  We lived in the Chi Omega house together (for the semester she lived there) and then lived in an off-campus house with 6 other ladies.  SEF lived in the attic - it was like her own little sanctuary up there...so much space!  She definitely drew the long straw when it came to room picking - while Carebear and I were stuck in the basement...oh but we loved our dark little space down there (possums and all!!!!).  :)  SEF was such a positive, cheerful, funny, and inspiring young woman.  It's hard to believe she was needed in heaven 6 years ago.  


Okay - I really don't want anyone to feel like I left out a loved one who deserves to be recognized here. This was just meant to be my thoughts as I sit and watch the mist fall over the mountain (hill?) outside the window.  There really were no intentions here!  Other than to say that sometimes, and it happens to us all, we miss people in our hearts more than I minds will us. 

Working Backwards!

As I was so excited yesterday at all that we had accomplished I didn't realize that I hadn't updated about our spontaneous day trip to Gloucester on Saturday!  Whoops!  So I'll work a little backwards and update you all about our unplanned Saturday!  


After staying up super late to watch the LIVE coverage of the opening ceremonies, we...oh I should probably talk about that for a second first!!!  


Okay...the OPENING CEREMONIES!  WOW!  I forgot how fun it is to be in the same country as the Olympics!  :)  Well...the last time was in '96!  There is such an amazing feeling over here in England as the games drew clearer!  (and now that they've started the hype has just gotten bigger!!!)  Dave and I invited another couple over to watch the opening ceremonies.  It was great fun (both to watch the event on TV as well as play with the couples cocker spaniel Charlie (some of you may remember him from a few posts last summer!)).  As the countdown coverage to the ceremonies began we had to laugh at what we were seeing being covered (ducks, sheep, hay, a maypole, etc.).  The couple we were with began to talk about how embarrassing it was...but then we watched the event and it was much more different than we originally anticipated!  And at the end (although it went quite looooooong) it was a very nice opening ceremony.  Some Londoners were disappointed in who actually got to light the torch (but may I remind you that the theme of the games is "Inspire a Generation" and to me...what a better way to inspire them than having them be part of the ceremonies!).  Personally I loved the fireworks at the end...but for those of you who know me...I love me a good fireworks show!!!  :)

The Swallow Bakery made Olympic cupcakes!
So of course we had to get a few!  (Too bad I at part
of the green ring before I thought to take the picture!!!)

Now, on to Gloucester (pronounced glaw-ster).  Dave and I woke up early for a Saturday after a late night and realized that it was going to be a very nice day (in the lower 70s).  We hopped on a bus (and 5 pound note gets you a day pass...kinda like a hop on/hop off pass!) and headed east.  Gloucester is a port town and rather lovely!  There is a beautiful cathedral you can tour and a bunch of very cute pubs!  Thanks to Dave's old roommate we were armed with our Good Pub Guide!  What a remarkable gift...it highlights 5000 pubs all over England, organized by area.  We were able to hit up two pubs in one day! 

Shadows in stain glass!  :)

Taking in the sites at the marina!   

Welcome to the halls of Hogwarts!
Nope...not kidding...they really used
this hallway for filming!!! 

Little guy on the right...
head in his hands!
Just too cute!   

Who doesn't love lunch in a
quaint little pub!?!?

While we were touring the cathedral we were asked to move along a little more quickly than we had wanted to tour but it was because there was a wedding scheduled for half past one.  Dave is such a wonderful fiancee and waited with me the 10 minutes until the start of the wedding so we could see the bride!  She was beautiful and it was so cute to see how nervous she was!  She only had 3 attendants with her and they walked behind her (in green dresses...very similar to the color we are looking at for our wedding!).  

Talk about an awesome aisle! 

Following our time in the church we headed for lunch at the Village Inn...a really cute pub in a courtyard...I had wonderful teriyaki chicken and Dave had a tuna/mayonnaise wrap.  Mine was SOOO YUMMY!!!!!!  We then walked to the wharf and enjoyed looking at all the house boats in the harbor!  I don't really think I could ever live on a house boat for a very long time...but it would be neat to travel in one for a day or two! 




As we were walking back to the bus station we came across a cider/beer/blues festival at Cafe Rene (pub two to check off in our book!) and stopped in for one!  It was beautiful in the sunshine so we found a bench and enjoyed our surroundings (too bad the bench was in a cemetery!)!!!  I have to be honest, I am loving every minute of my time with Dave this summer!!!       

My perry cider had 5.5%! 

Something just feels wrong about this!

A Busy Day!!!

For being a Sunday afternoon (technically evening now that it's 6:30PM) we had a very productive day.  Of course we've constantly had the television on due to the LIVE coverage of the Olympic Games but we did manage to get out and about in town for a short while.  So what made today so accomplished, you ask!  Well let me fill you in!


As some of you know Dave and I were fortunate enough to have a very travel-full summer last year and took many pictures and made even more memories.  Around Christmas Dave created a hardcover photo album of our trip to Rome/Pompeii.  We got so many compliments on the book and have been wanting to do one for our trips to Paris since we received the Rome book (as we affectionately refer to it as).  SO, beginning last night Dave and I sifted through over 1000 pictures and picked out our top 100 (okay...it was like 125 but who's really counting?)!  As Dave drifted off to sleep last night I got a second wind and really got started on our Paris book.  Today was full of promise as we finished off the book (50 pages in all) complete with captions and comments!  SO FUN!!!  We cannot wait to see the real deal!!!  As Dave edited the Rome book I tried my hand at the Paris book...and as soon as someone reads through both books that will become plainly obvious!!!  


Furthermore, today we were able to book our tickets to see the musical Les Miserables here in London during our Olympic weekend (next Saturday evening!).  It only took 3 attempts (we may now have 6 tickets actually!!!  HAHA!!!) and we are very pleased with the seats we were able to find with less than a week before the show!  SO EXCITED!!!!


We also got out of the house for a little walk through High Street and a stop at a pub for a pint while we discussed what other activities we would like to take in while we were in London for the weekend (we are staying in London from Friday August 3 - Monday August 6...with events on Saturday (men's indoor volleyball), Sunday (women's beach volleyball), and Monday (men's basketball)).  YEAH!!!  It was really surprising how much on the things in London on our top 10 list we've already been able to tick off!  :)  How fun!  


We are definitely fortunate kids and we realize how lucky we have been with what we have been able to do these past few summers!  As much as we would love a lifetime of travel opportunities like this...it will be nice to settle down together once we're married and live like a real life couple!!!  :)  XOXO

A Decent London Update!

Okay, I've put it off long enough!  I've now been in England for the better portion of 3 weeks and have yet to tell of my TWO trips into the big, Olympic hosting, historical city!  So, I've unloaded the pictures onto my computer and can now post a few from our trips!

TRIP ONE

The first trip to London this summer was this past weekend (Saturday July 21).  Dave had a co-worker from the US over for a few weeks and she had never been to London.  She was off to London and we figured we would tag along!  Dave and I had never been to Windsor Castle (the Queen's residence when she's not at Buckingham Palace) in Windsor, England (which is a quick train ride from Paddington Station)!  We were only into London for the day (unfortunately) so we made sure to get an early start (the cab for the train picked us up at 5:15AM) and made the most of our day!  We started at Windsor for the morning...touring parts of the castle (dressing rooms, meeting rooms, dining rooms, state rooms, the church, etc.) and even catching the changing of the guards.  

 

Notice lower right...we packed for the trip!!!

 

My Favorite Window in the WHOLE place!!!

My new favorite place to read...
minus the 1,000s of people
who walk by each day!  :)

"Oh, hey Kate!"

Changing of the guards!  

The beer transportation for the cute
little pub we found!

 We took our time as we strolled through the grounds (although we couldn't get down into the gardens I definitely found my new reading nook (or at least an idea of what I'd like my future back yard to look like!).  Dave and I pack for easy travel, bringing sandwiches, sweets, sours, and salts on our journey so we could a)save money and b)save time.  We ate our lunch on the train back into London.  We maneuvered the underground system quite well, yet again, and made our way to Hyde Park, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge!  PHEW!!!  We definitely did our fair share of walking for the day!  For the first time we took a water taxi so we could really see Tower Bridge...with the OLYMPIC RINGS!!!!  We tried to get to our favorite place to take pictures of the bridge but the area was closed for a concert series.  :(  But since I know we will be back in a few shorts week we didn't stress!  

We also made our way over to Trafalgar's Square...but it too was closed off for a concert!  At the time I was really really bummed because we couldn't actually see the Olympic countdown clock...but we could see the para-olympic (SP???) countdown...so at least it was something!  We finally made our way back to Cheltenham around 10PM.  It was a long day...but lots of fun!  I'm really getting excited to know my way around London so well!  I'm really getting a good sense of where I am and how to get to where I want to go next (which as some of you know...doesn't always come easy to me!!).  HA!

TRIP TWO    

Upon returning from our long day in London I received an email from my cousin Jennifer (in CA) asking what I/we were doing either Sunday or Tuesday as her husband Steve was coming to London for a few days for work.  Well, we didn't particularly want to turn right around and go back into London straightaway but I did want to catch up with Steve.  Dave knew he needed to work late a few days this week and Tuesday would be a perfect day for me to head into London and Dave not feel bad about being at work long hours!  So we checked the train schedule and got me all set with a taxi and train!  :)  

I arrived a few hours before Steve would be done with work so I took up some sights I had personally been wanting to see.  I spent a a little over an hour in St. Paul's - which is where Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married.  Just as we walked the walk Duchess Catherine walked on her wedding day, I was able to retrace the steps of Lady Di.  Such a grand entrance!  No offense All Saints in Palatine...but those aisles are definitely something to write home about!  :)  

St. Paul's 

The pedestrian only bridge! 

 

 

With the countdown clock!
It was a little sunny!!!

Then I walked the Millennium Bridge (funny youtube video about the construction of the bridge) and hung out in front of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and made my way to Trafalgar's Square once again!  And guess what!  NO CONCERT this time...I was able to get up close and personal with the Olympic countdown clock!!!  Steve and I met up with no issue and I even got to chat on the phone with two of my favorite kids (Ryan and Sarah - Steve and Jennifer's children!)!!!  So fun!!!  We found a nice little pub for a drink and caught up before we walked towards the theatre district for dinner!  


Speaking of the theatre district - my parents gave us an early Christmas present (yup...Christmas in July for me and Dave!) and gave us tickets to see Les Miserables in London!!!  AHHHHHH!!!!  We will definitely be taking advantage of this gift and booking our tickets soon!!!  Just not sure if we want to try to go during the Olympic festivities or if we want to wait until the crowds clear out a little!!!  


Okay!  I think that's all I've got for now!  I promise not to wait so long between posts next time!!!  


XO

It's Finally Looking Up!

The sun is out!  The sun is out!  The sun is OUT!!!!  Dare I say finally?!?!?!  We've actually been blessed with sun for the past few days (I believe we've now gone 5 in a row without it!).  And it's been getting down right warm outside as well!  Today, on my daily walk to the grocery store, I could feel the warm sun on my back as I walked along the High Street and I found myself taking smaller strides at a slower pace!  YEAH!!!  There is a neighborhood pool just down the road from our flat and I could hear the kids splashing and laughing all afternoon!  It's weird though...they sure don't like to wear much to cover-up when it's nice out!  I feel like there might be an adult swim or something that happens around 2 because the streets get full of half-naked high schoolers with wet hair all riding bikes and laughing.  It's quite cute to see...but they tend to get in my way (enter the upper 20 something being bothered by all these kids making noise!).  HA!  


Although there is some cloud coverage each day...it's such a change to see the blue sky behind the white clouds!  We are crossing our fingers that the rain stays away for the Olympic games (which begin Friday!!!)!  The weather report forecasts rain on Friday...but we'll see!  If we all cross our fingers and say our prayers maybe the weather will surprise the rest of the world!  :)  Regardless of the weather, Dave and I are so much looking forward to the games here in London!!!    

The Lovely Magpie

Okay...so when I was younger my dad wanted my brother and I to continue our education throughout the summer with mini research projects...now he will argue that it was JUST ONE TIME...but for some reason when I think about summer vacations as a youngster I keep coming back to going to the library, looking up things in the encyclopedia, typing things up in (oh gosh, I can't even remember the name of the program...but I can see the font and ready to use pictures in my head clear as day!!!), and "turning them in".  Ha!  It probably was just once...and I think I researched the red-winged back bird...and funny how now when I see one...I always smile!  :)  As much as I give him a hard time for it...I remember that project with fondness!  (And thinking more about it...maybe my research was on the painted lady butterfly (we sent away for the caterpillars and "grew" them into butterflies that we released at Parker Lake!!)!!!)  


And as I sit here, watching the rain for the almost 8th consecutive day, I find myself wanted to do research and track some data!  So...for the brainiac that I am, here are the things I'm currently working on!


-Tracking the weather...thrilling I know...but for the record...it has rained 7 out of the 8 days I have been here (8 out of 8 if we count nighttime rain!)
-Tracking my running...+30 miles since school got out (not where I wanted to be...but I could still break 100 miles before school begins in August!)
-Researching the magpie bird...didn't start out as research...just a simple google search...but I was curious!  


SO, here is what I've found about the little bird the English are so fond of!  (Well, really not fond of at all actually!)  

While I was here last summer Dave began to tell me about the superstition that came with the Magpie...if you see one you must avoid eye-contact with the bird and say something to the effect of "Hello Mr. Magpie, how's your lovely family?" or "Hello Mr. Magpie, where's your lovely wife?".  They are said to be able to predict your future with the number of birds you see at any given time...there is a rhyme that goes along with the birds.  Now, whenever I see a Magpie I repeat the poem to myself to see what they have to say (after, tipping my head to them and asking about their family of course!).


The Magpie Prophecy:
1 for Sorrow; 2 for Joy
3 for a Girl; 4 for a Boy
5 for Silver; 6 for Gold
7 for a Story, never to be told
8 for Friendship; 9 for Love 
10 for a Place in heaven above


And as I read a little more about the little bird I decided to blog the top 20 facts I came up with!  So, here goes!


1. They mate for life
2. However the ladies are a little frisky and it's estimated that 1 in every 15 chicks are not the partner's offspring...oops!
3. The mother birds incubate the eggs
4. Both parents provide food for a month in the nest after the chicks hatch
5. Closely related to the raven/crow/jay family
6. They are attracted to (and collect in their nests!) shiny objects (jewelry, plastic, windshield wipers (although those don't look shiny to me!)!
7. They are highly intelligent birds...they can sense danger nearby 
8. (Hunger Games Shout-Out!) They are like the mockingjoy and can mimic the call of other birds and human sounds
9. Large wingspan (20-24 inches) for their bodies (16-18 inches) but they don't like to fly for long periods of time
10. They are the only non-mammal and one of the few bird species that can recognize itself in a mirror! Oh the vanity!  :)
11. Their lifespan is 8-15 years 
12. Over half of its length is its tail
13. They make dome shaped nests and line the bottom with grass for comfort...what smart thinkers!  
14. They are black and white...the black wings often have a blue or green or purple shine to them
15. The Magpie is an omnivore...eating both plants and smaller animals/insects 
16. A group of Magpies is called a "tiding"
17. Each Magpie as its own identifiable call...how interesting!  
18. They walk with a strut and can hop quickly when hurried
19. They are protected as a migratory non-game bird
20. They are true hoarders...they collect things from garbage to food from other animals and will hide it in their nests


So, dad, as much as I give you grief for it!  Thank you for making me the lifelong learner that I have become!  Never cease learning!!!  :)  

ONE MORE YEAR!!!!

7.13.13

I can't hide my excitement!  ONE YEAR FROM TODAY I GET TO MARRY MY BEST FRIEND!!!!!!!  I can't believe it!  Well I can, I just have to look at my left hand for the proof!  :) HEHE!  We've gotten a great head's start and are well on our way to planning a wonderful party with our friends and family.  Dave is such a wonderful man and I am truly the luckiest!  

      
  

Safe and Sound - in the UK!

CHEERIO!
So as Dave and I were sitting down with our respective MacBooks on our laps it occurred to Dave to check my blog.  And wouldn't you know it...I've been in England a whole 4 days without an update!  Whoops!!!  What the heck was I thinking???  So, here is a little taste of my daily life here in England for the past four days!  (And mind you...it has rained...DAILY...yes...you read that correctly...it has RAINED every day since we got back!)  


7:00 - first wake-up...the gremlin here doesn't do so well with this so she doesn't get up right away.
7:30 - finally get up (Dave is by now almost ready for work) and get to making my lovey man's lunch...yup...I'm suzie homemaker here in England...he gets a nice little sammich, crisps (chips), and fruit every day.  
7:45 - walk 0.6 miles to the bus stop with Dave, say our goodbyes for the day, walk the 0.6 miles home while making a nice little shopping list in my head.
8:00 - watch mindless television for 2 hours (One Tree Hill (episodes shown in order!) & either Glee or Desperate Housewives (again...both shows have episodes shown in order)) while eating breakfast and planning out my day.
Mid-morning - head to the shops for fresh groceries (or check the neighborhood garden to see if anything is up for picking) - we can typically go 2 days on basic groceries with the storage we have - but we do have more dry-storage areas so some things are in less of a demand!  :)
Lunch - typically a sammich or soup
Afternoon - nice little exercise walk (or leisurely stroll in the rain), laundry, possibly a run, shower, reading time
Evening - Dinner with Dave, walk together, sit and relax (AHHHH....YES!!!!!  I am relaxing!!!  SO weird for me, this I realize!)


A few changes since last summer...
-I am trying to keep up with emails as much as I can...without checking them every second of the day!
-We are planning a wedding!  :)  
-It has rained every day (yup...kinda stuck on this one!)
-There is a community garden - Dave and I each picked a potato yesterday and made potatoes for dinner last night - DELICIOUS!!!  Sorry we forgot to take pics...we'll do it again soon and document the event at that point!  :)
-I know my way around the town and am not afraid to take random streets (in the daytime at least!)
-I realize that I don't have to each an entire baguette, by myself, everyday!  HELLO wedding body!  Hehe! 
-The Olympics are almost here and everyone from airport workers to grocers are excited about it!  


Okay...I think that about covers my first few days!  I'll write again when I have a little more to say...or I'm just bored...probably next week sometime!!!