the london diaries. perfect timing.

  Rapeseed field in full bloom.

It is not lost on me that I happen to be in England at a very lovely time of year.  At the beginning of a Frommers travel guide you can read some opinions about the best time of year to visit a country.  This trip came upon me so fast that I did not have time to investigate what Frommers had to say about it... but I would say that it is perfect timing.

The daffodils has been at their peak of blooming, and there are a lot of them to enjoy.   In southern England where I ventured over the weekend, it wasn't uncommon to see whole sections of yards & fields covered in them.

Not only were the daffodils in bloom, but the rapeseed fields were in full bloom.  When we made the drive to Bampton, I quickly lost count of the bright yellow fields that covered the countryside.  I was told that in America we were not fond of the word "rapeseed" so we call it canola instead.  The end market product from these glowing fields is CANOLA OIL.

the london diaries. welcome baby rue!

Welcome to the world, Russo "Rue" Elaine Faller!  Little Rue is the daughter of our Kiley & Andy Faller, and she made her appearance on Thursday, April 3rd at 5:37pm.  She arrived at 11:37pm on the English clock to me!  I was thrilled that I was back at my B&B with wifi to follow the action for the six hours leading up to her birth.

I cannot tell you have thankful I am for texting and FaceTime on this adventure.  I even 'got in trouble' for posting something on Instagram & Facebook before the parents. Oops. Nobody gave me the memo.  Who would have thought that Grandma Bunny across the ocean could be getting the news as instantaneously as everyone else.  We live in an amazing age... and we welcome you into it little Rue!

This is grand bunny #7 for Mike and me.

Grand bunny #8 is due on Easter Sunday.  Daughter Emily is already 4 centimeters dilated but is managing to keep the "bun warming in the oven".

the london diaries. so many posts, so little time.

I had a weekend in the English countryside that I will never forget... savoring the sights & sounds of the Saturday street market in Salisbury... walking the streets of Bampton where the village scenes of Downton Abbey are filmed... time with the Keller family in Nether Wallop... attending Sunday morning worship with their family in Salisbury this morning... and taking the train back to Rickmansworth tonight...

I have photos that capture the adventures, and a list of posts I want to do... but I am so tired I can barely hold my eyes open tonight.  I have high hopes for blogging tomorrow!

the london diaries: today's walk in nether wallop.

This weekend I have the privilege of staying in Nether Wallop in southern England.  And just inn case you were wondering (hee hee) it is in the same county as Highclere Castle.  Last night and tonight, I am sleeping in the same county as Highclere Castle.  Also known as Downton Abbey.

Late this afternoon I borrowed Jennifer's Wellies and headed off for a walk around the village.

 I want a stone mushroom in my garden with moss growing on it. 

Almost every house had a thatched roof and looked this charming. This darling one had smoke rising from the chimney that smelled marvelous.  All my senses were on overload.

I want a bell just like this for my back door.  

Self portrait using driveway mirror. 

This is an 11th century church.  Oldie but goodie.

Fly fishing originated in this part of the world, and this was part of a fly fishing school.  Note to self: If I take fly fishing lessons I want to take them here.

 I was thankful for me Wellies on parts of the walk.  (I am hoping to come home with an accent!)

Today was a dream from start to finish, and when I wake up I will be glad to have these pictures to see that it was really true!

I started the morning at a street market in Salibury, and then Jennifer drove me to Bampton where the village scenes from Downton Abbey are filmed. Then I took this walk.  What a glorious day.

the london dairies. be brave and shine on.

Earlier this week Molly Jacques, my calligraphy coach & new friend, posted the quote "Be brave & shine on." I am glad she said because I have been working to feel brave.  I cannot tell you have many times the learning curve has pushed against me, and how many times I had to step out and just be brave.

 One one thing, this week I have been given the privilege of working with the best-in-the-world image consultants at the House of Colour headquarters in Croxley, England.  It is stretching me and growing me in ways I haven't pushed myself in a long while.  I have been overwhelmed more times than I like to think about this week, but I have had to be very brave and just try to keep growing and learning.  At the end of the first week of my training, I know I have trained my eyes and learned skills that I didn't have before.  When I bottomed out on my flight around the Pond, dear friend Lisa Beier told me in a text "Enjoy yourself - this is a once in a lifetime experience! You're so cool for doing this, so start acting like it!!"  These were my marching orders for being brave. Her words helped me to be brave when I felt like withering.

THEN, at the end of an exhausting first week of training, I did another very brave thing.  I let one of my fellow trainees drop me off at the Watford Junction train station, and I caught three different trains to take me to Grateley (near Salisbury) --- ALL BY MYSELF. Did you catch that? I had to switch trains twice and I did it! CM friend & team member Jennifer Keller picked me up at the station and drove me to their home in Nether Wallop where I am being refreshed by this darling family and the English countryside over the weekend.

(This is our 'quick get a selfie with the train in the background' pic!)

More to come about the Kellers, my adventures in Salibury and today's walk around Nether Wallop... stay tuned.

the london diaries. today's favorite pic.

Do you love this photo that I snapped today?

Never mind that I took it in the grocery line from a magazine cover.  At least I was in the Mother Country to snap it!   Too tired to blog tonight... my late nights of Facetiming with Mike & the bunnies are catching up with me...
More to come later... ZZzzzzzzzzz.

the london diaries. pub night.

These photos don't capture the true English charm that I felt tonight at The Feathers pub. All my senses were in full-pleasure mode during the two hours that I unwound while journaling and reviewing today's class notes. In the background I listened to fabulous music and the lovely lull of English accents in lively conversations all around me.  Tonight was "Quiz Night" at The Feathers, which draws a large crowd in an adjoining room every Tuesday for a trivial pursuit type of competition among tables of teams.

I have come to the realization that I want to live here.

At least my new goal is to be successful enough with my new businesses that I can return in the fall with Mike to take my style training.  In case you were wondering, the Salmon Nicoise salad was fabulous, and so was my Riesling.

Note: I have so much more that I want to say everyday, but I run out of time. Getting to bed on time is a significant challenge.