Category: Road Trips

Summer Hiatus

Nastybrilliantblighty has been on long summer hiatus!  It’s been ages since I had anything clever to write about. Even as I read this for the 25th time, I am thinking of binning the whole lot as it is incredibly boring!! Bare with me as I try to get back into writing something worth reading.

The past few months have been without any drama, generally speaking.  In August, we had our one year UK anniversary without filing for divorce or booking flights home (wherever home is!). I hear the husband saying he’s ‘comfortable’ here now, and I agree it even feels like ‘home’, but I dare not say it too loud  for fear the moving gods might overhear.

Sunset in Ryde, Isle of Wight

The children had six weeks of summer holiday and we tackled our first official UK road trips (queue National Lampoon’s European Vacation Holiday Road theme here): a weekend at Warwick Castle Knight’s Village (pronounced War-ick, not war-Wick), visiting Shakespeare’s home town Stratford-Upon-Avon, and across the Solent to  the Isle of Wight (also known locally, but not in the tourist brochures, as Pile of Shite). Our neighbours Posh & Becks say we see more of the country then most English do.

Becks (Matt) swam across the Solent for charity the weekend we were on the island, so we were there to greet his James Bond moment crawling out of the ocean and ripping of his wet suit (alas, we were a bit confused as exactly where this was happening and were a bit lat, but I got this great photo of the lovely couple reuniting). We had a get together at our airB&B enjoying the seaside;  we are getting quite close with this family and Posh (Emily) is already dreading us moving away even though it’s far off.  Our kids went back and forth between homes all summer and we’ve taken to to drinking in the driveway on Friday night and letting the children run wild, generally bringing down the estate (aka: neighborhood).

Posh and Becks, Isle of Wight
Shakespeare’s Home, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England

My highlight of the summer was our week in Torquay, Devon with our extended family The Clyburn Wadden’s: Billy, Jenn, Nora & Sadie, Sadie who met for the first time. Back in Edmonton, we had a thriving supper club with Billy and Jenn and Ian & Meg, before we all starting breeding and messing up our social lives.

Dinner with friends

One time our Supper Club  went on vacation to  Maui with then two year old Aiden, who woke up at before sunrise our first night there.  Billy said it sounded like we were “trying to kill a chicken” as husband and I hissed about who was getting up with him while trying not to wake up our childless friends (we failed!).

Moms land in Torquay, Devon

The tables have now  turned and Billy and Jenn are up killing chickens in the night and our precious moppets can turn on their own iPads in the morning while we snore away.

We did not help our tired selves by staying up every night until the early hours of the morning – drinking, talking, laughing, crying, and contemplating the meaning of life. I loved every single minute. Billy and I even got in the kitchen and did some cooking just like old times.

Strolling through Dartmouth, Devon

We arranged a date night swap in Torquay (not the swinging variety) where we took turns going out for dinner / watching the children.  Both nights we ate at The Elephant, https://www.elephantrestaurant.co.uk. I’m not sure it was the food or that we were not panicked searching the menu for chicken nuggets and cheese pizza, while watching the clock, but the meal was one of the best we had in the UK.   The Elephant has had a Michelen star for over 10 years and source the produce from their own 30 acre farm – they have earned that star.

Scotch egg, black pudding, on relish aioli

I got a bit cocky on my child watch night and was taking selfies with various hashtags –  #igotthis, #pieceofcake – when I found this little angel Sadie with wet clothes, from crawling through a puddle of pee on the floor. Allie struck a fever shortly after this and things went quickly downhill from there.  But we all lived to tell.

Why are you all wet sweet girl?

The kids went back to school a few weeks ago and so far, so good.  Aiden has this sweet, soft and funny teacher who reminds me a little of Gene Wilder. Aiden loves his school and his friends.  He is playing Quidditch as an after school club, and is now rocking a retainer to sort out a pretty severe over/under bite.  He is still a sweet, silly boy and we are very proud of him – he has done so well with this move.

Allie was less enthusiastic about her return to school but is slowly coming around. She is coming home with all sorts of stories.  Last week she told me she likes to do things independently. Her favorite part so far is  “Forest School”, one afternoon a week where they basically tromp around the forest to learn – picking apples, finding fairies, and get really dirty.  All the kids love it.

Gene Wilder, or Mr. N.

I found the end of summer, back to school routine and the complicated scheduling a real mental struggle and was feeling a bit glum at the end of September.  I put that all aside for an amazing visit from my birthday twin Danielle and I feel totally on the mend now.  What a week we had! I could blog about it, but it’s not for public consumption.  We had so much fun, I gained about 8 lbs!!

#thisis41and40

Looking forward this fall –  we have trips planned for Sweden, Edinburgh, a week in Italy with my BFF Naomi, and maybe someplace warmer in April.  We have Aunt Peggy coming for the first half of December & Gramma Susan for Christmas. Stay tuned for some (hopefully) more interesting reads this fall.

Italics: English lingo; moppets –moppet (plural moppets) – (colloquial) A child. Often used lovingly or in an affectionate way

Some other pictures from summer 2018 -the weather was unseasonably warm and dry, thanks to global warming.  

Spa Day with Jennifer, The Carey Arms & Spa, Babbacombe Beach, Devon

Shanklin Beach, Isle of Wight
The best thing about Devon – Cream Tea, The Guardhouse Cafe
Oreo fudge shake, The Guardhouse Cafe
Milkshake appetizer, The Guardhouse Cafe

Feeling like a Dowager, Acting like a Lady

I was a late arrival to the Downton Abby club. My mother was the first to mention it, then my own Dowager Aunt Peggy had a Sunday night ladies group watching it. When I finally caught on I was kicking myself for being late to the party.  The series sucked me in like no other show has done in a long time and maybe since. I got totally engulfed into the characters’ lives and time period.  I binged on it like a fat kid on cake.

When I figured out our new home was only one hour from Highclere Castle and that there was a garden party in September, I went digging for my credit card.   Costumes from the 1920s were encouraged; however, I went for traditional garden party dress and hat, which I made Andrew pick up at John Lewis Department Store last minute. Go figure this is England, you can hire a hat for your event, but I was a bit late getting that sorted.

I drove to the town of Newbury last Sunday morning in the rain (in my now manual transmission VW Gulf rental, turns out a manual is £25/day versus £45/day automatic).  There is quite real crescendo leading up to the castle, slowly criss-crossing up hills, fields of sheep until you make a turn and like magic the castle can be seen in the distance.  I cried when I saw it – tears of pure joy! It speaks to me about what an effect the show had on me, I was so freaking excited, the British might say it was blinding.

For your £120, you got a tour of the castle, a picnic lunch, access to all the grounds, a little group social with 1920s dance lessons and a word from current castle owners, The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.  Inside the castle is identical to the set – the red velvet couch in the sitting room, the desk his Lordship used, the dining room, the staircase, the smoking room for after dinner, the servants’ staircase but sadly, no photography inside the castle.  When I walked into Lady Cybil’s bedroom, it was totally raw and emotional. Lady Mary’s bedroom, the one with all the action, was filmed in the studio.

On travelling alone, I am really lucky that I am pretty comfortable travelling alone. Actually, more than comfortable I actually like it.  Perhaps from being on only child or from being a mom now and just craving a few moments all to myself, when nobody needs me. It’s liberating and I really try not to feel guilty about it.  Now that said, this castle would have been a blast to walk through with mom or Aunt Peg, or my kinder mom friend Katie, and many others.  So lucky I got to go.

Amongst a slew of Downton groupies, it was easy to make friends. I met two American couples who readily admitted to posing as Canadians on their trip (for obvious reasons…). You can tell by their photograph they were fun (spelling out OHIO, for Ohio State University where they met).  They have the blog name I hope they read this!  Nan, Brian, Geoff (?) and (I forget….see next paragraph re: my age!) it was great fun meeting you.

My 40th birthday is coming soon on September 23, but this is the last I am going to speak of it because head’s up, I am skipping it. I really want to be with my tribe back in Edmonton.  My friend Danielle shares my birthday and we should be having a huge party and wrestling Mike Tyson’s Tiger in true The Hangover style, but it is not happening this year. The timing is not right.

My main job right now, like millions of women before me, is making sure the children are okay, setting up house and supporting my husband in his new job. I can’t really take off to Vegas or walking tour of Italy and feel great about it. The traditional roles of men and women have not really evolved that much from Downton Abby times, have they? Oh, except I do not have a ladies made, I rarely get dressed for breakfast and I am currently the nanny, cook, and chauffeur. 40 is a big one and I intend on celebrating at a later date. Stay tuned, you may get an invite.

 

 

Note: Turns out writing something thoughtful for the blog takes time but is challenging me.  I did make a video though quickly on my iphone for fun.  We are moving out of the cottage tomorrow and into our rental home near Winchester, hallelujah! I wanted to get this post up tonight as I am not sure when we will have wifi again.