England 40 Years Ago — July 13, 1980

Talked to a fellow in church today who has an American wife. They are aware of weather in the States, and they say they (we here, I mean) get a watered-down version of your left-over weather borne on the Gulf stream. It’s watered-down because everything is so damp here. If it gets hot here, I’ll know who to blame!

One day last week the neighbor on the tennis side of our house came over to welcome us to the neighborhood! (Tennis side means the side Lisa keeps hitting wild balls over the fence toward.) The people had been away when we first came, so after ringing the bell each time, I had her climb over the locked garden gate. She hated doing it, but we have only the three balls we brought over on the plane. If we hadn’t retrieved them, we’d be buying our fourth can of balls by now. The people returned, Lisa shot one over, and we shouted to the man mowing the lawn. He threw the ball back and promised he’d return any he found because they’ve done so for years. He couldn’t hear well, so I didn’t explain what we’d done. I meant to confess to the lady, but I just couldn’t. Ugh! Embarrassing.

She wanted to get our names straight, so just came right out and asked. Then she went on to tell us their names – Sheena and Aubrey. Said Sheena is a Scottish name. She asked where the children were going to school and what kind of business John is in. I haven’t seen her since, so don’t know if we passed examination or not. She did vaguely wave her hands around explaining there was a lady doctor in residence cross the street, and further down, the chairman of Tate and Lyle (sugar). Aubrey was in insurance – Lloyds – and is now retired.

We went to the library Tuesday and were able to bring books home that day. Their system seems odd. For each person they write out three slips of paper. If you have three books out, those slips remain in the library. If you take two books, then you must take one slip home. They simply stamp the due date in the book and have no record of what book you have. Books are due in three weeks and are renewable by phone twice. Fines are 1p per book per day for children’s books and 5p for adults.

On cool days, even the gardener comes dressed in jacket and tie!! Our weather has been wonderful for weeds – so rainy. Clewes came twice this week when I least expected him. When it was raining instead of sprinkling, he and the girls ducked into the shed. He sent Lisa in to ask if I had an old mackintosh in the house. I was tempted to tell him the only old thing we brought was ME!! Lisa had the idea of cutting head and arm holes in a trash can liner, so there was our man out working in jacket and tie and garbage bag! [Clewes asked that I not take his photograph, and that is the reason I have no image of him.]

The dishwasher engineer (repair man) came and kept shaking his head over the machine here, calling it an antique. Said they don’t make anything like that any more. The only thing not ancient was the bill he rendered which had to be paid on the spot. I was able to scrounge the 50 pounds since John had given me grocery money. Whew!

We went to Clewes’ favorite grocery store in town. He hadn’t warned us it was so tiny – just a U-turn around two chickens and 24 hamburgers! Everyone politely glared at us for clogging up THE aisle. We squeezed ourselves out, took a deep breath, and walked down to a bakery. Later as we piled our purchases in the car, we realized John’s little rattle bear was gone. Lisa offered to retrace our steps since the parking time had run out. She returned 10 – 15 minutes later, having spotted it on a bench. Someone must have found it on the sidewalk and set it up to look for its owner. We were so happy to find it because we all like it so much. Below are three views of Reigate High Street, taken while we were house-hunting.

There is a tennis ball scavenger living with us. The girls won’t play together – the taller looks down her nose at the shorter. Result – I have to play every nice day. (People could blame me for wanting bad weather.) Taller takes every opportunity to keep a ball in play, thus preventing shorter from taking up time. Shorter quickly learned the only way she gets to play is to hoard all the balls. She scurries along the net like a rat, scooping up balls before lazy taller has a chance at them.

John $ is fine – always as wet as all outdoors (in England that’s WET!) Somehow he has inherited impatience where food is concerned. He can cry between mouthfuls that would choke an 8-year-old. Yesterday we outwitted him by feeding him in relays – Lisa would shovel in one mouthful and I another. We got a pretty good rhythm going. Should be good practice for stoking a steam engine with coal!

Yesterday at a company party I proudly proclaimed that for the first time I got everything on my grocery list the previous day. John J. said, “That’s just what Tina said after she’d altered her list several times.”

There was a huge party at the CEO’s mansion for many in the company. I don’t know how many were serving the buffet for the adults, but there were two girls hired to entertain the children. I talked to all kinds of people and usually had no idea who they were or how important. Afterwards I was telling John about some lady who talked of having lived in Hong Kong and the U.S. He said, “Wow! You really hobnobbed with the rich!” She claimed learning Chinese was easy – that with a 1,000-word vocabulary you could be at ease anywhere.

In that mob scene it was nice to see a few familiar faces. We met our closest neighbors, company wise, Norwegians who live in walking distance. The wife won’t try to drive yet, so I’ll probably pick them up when we’re all going to London on the train for a party in the office. I do hope I’ll be able to understand her. There were so many people milling about that we just nodded and smiled at each other yesterday. An hour of nodding and smiling on the train could be awful!

Today we left $ in the creche (nursery). They’re smart at that church in Reigate – put all the noise in a building across the road from the church. The man who preached today lives on our street! He works in missions or some off-shoot of church relations. Several people came to greet us and found his wife to talk with us. She said she’d try to see us this week because they’re leaving in a few days to be gone until September.

As we were leaving church, Mary and Tony invited us for lunch after church next Sunday!! We accepted with alacrity. While we were eating dinner, the phone rang, and we were invited for lunch with another couple next Saturday!!! Can you believe it? That’s friendlier than any town in America!! We have a problem, though. We don’t know their names! How on earth are we going to bluff that one? Oh – Max is the husband’s first name. Their daughter is married to a minister who is now in South Dakota.

Cooking continues to be full of surprises. I tried something called Butterscotch Brownies using only ingredients I happened to have on hand and one too-large pan. It turned out more like almond macaroons by taste. And the Jell-o! Makes you giggle just to look at it! It’s called “jelly” on the box. Inside is a plastic packet filled with semi-solid goo. You’ll have to see it to appreciate it.

If your eyes have lasted this long, take heart – I’m signing off. Won’t you be glad when my typewriter comes?

England 40 Years Ago – July 6, 1980

I am embarking on a trip down memory lane and invite you to join me. John had a two-year contract to work in London beginning in July of 1980. I plan to publish the letters I wrote then, 40 years after I mailed them back to our relatives in the States. I had the idea when reading the blog A Hundred Years Ago. Click here to see her introduction. Sheryl posted entries from the diary of her grandmother 100 years after they were written. When she finished that material, she began posting recipes from 100 years ago.

July 6, 1980

Tymberlie [the name of our rented house] has hot water restricted! Notice to all potential guests: you have to reserve water ahead of time because the heater is on a timer. However, the device can be overruled. I have visions of being undressed, waiting for the water to warm and realizing I haven’t turned the switch downstairs.

Tymberlie the day we made an offer to rent it

We’ve had a busy week. Monday I decided to bake cookies, despite having only one broken American measuring cup. (Forgot to pack the measuring spoons in the suitcase.) The results were amusing, but edible. I think their flour and baking powder are vastly different. We’re blessed in having one cookie sheet in the kitchen – no pie plates or baking pans. Twice I’ve boiled a whole chicken, but now I’ve acquired a pan and can bake one. Once we had rhubarb downside up pie – stewed the rhubarb and topped it with pastry done on the cookie sheet.

Our kitchen in Tymberlie before we moved in

John stayed home Tuesday waiting for the car to be delivered. It was, and we went to the police station to be registered. John first drove to take the driver to the train station. I don’t know how he felt, but I had to drive John the next morning. What a shaky experience! I wasn’t sure where I was going because everything looked different on the way home with only Kate to hold my hand. John had the advantage of having walked the streets before. In any case, I’m glad the newness has begun to wear off.

I’d barely gotten myself home and my nerves steadied when the doorbell rang. It was Clewes, the gardener. He SAID he loves children, so I let the girls “help” him all day. The girls wanted him to eat lunch with us. Can’t you imagine the level of eyebrows of our high-class neighbors if they knew we’d entertained the gardener for lunch? Not only that, but I had him demonstrate how to make tea.

Thursday John stayed home to bake in the sun. He’s had a heavy cold and had lost his voice the day before. The head of the office over here was worried about him and thought a day off would be in order. John was concerned that sitting in the sun all day would result in his appearing to have been on holiday and mask his miserable head with healthy-looking colour (British spelling). He could have passed for one of the upper class sitting in a deck chair in the garden with his nose in the air.

Meanwhile, we girls and John $pencer went to Micklefield School for a look around. We chatted with the headmistress and saw several classes. It was suggested they might come in for a full day nearer the end of term. (School closes 23^rd July!) They will not be tested until September, by which time their brains will have atrophied, along with my spelling.

Would you believe there are two (2) mail deliveries a day here? Yes, right to the house – right INTO the house, as a matter of fact. There is a slight rattle at the front door, and junk mail comes flying into the hall! (Junk mail because all our good stuff comes via NY.)

As you’ll see when you come to visit, much of the plumbing is outside the houses here. Not out-houses, just pipes. Several times I’ve heard gurgling noises, run to the window, and seen water from a sink disappearing into drains outside. I can tell when John is showering because his used water comes down, raising steam, in the area where I hang clothes to dry. The washing machine empties outside the back door along with gutter run-off. I can see it now – the house is full of people, all using water in their rooms, the rain is draining off, and the whole house is suddenly spouting water in all directions like a NY fire boat or a big fountain in a public park. We’ll float away in watery glory!

It’s common here to buy appliances without plugs! There are so many variations in European plugs that they’ve given up and just sell things with a wire dangling. You supply and install it yourself! Yesterday we became more American by acquiring a hair dryer, a mixer, and a TV. Now I feel right at home by saying every 10 minutes, “No, you can’t see what’s on right now!”

We went to the Reigate church this morning where there is a boy choir. The nursery for babies was across the street, so we decided to chance it with John $ in church. Now I know why the English frown so at babies in church. $ let loose during the prayers, and the screech echoed from wall to wall. I rushed to the back and couldn’t open the door! I glared at the nearest innocent man and ordered him to open it for me. Could have died on the spot. In a few minutes John brought out the stroller, and I walked that bad baby home. He made NOT ONE SOUND all the way home!

Below is a photo of Lise taken that month. She was 11 years old, and John $ was 9 months.

No Time for a Photo

I was sitting at the computer when movement caught my eye. Golly Pete! There was a black cow grazing around our burn pile. I was alone and knew I had to do something, because cow pats on the lawn are not good. I texted neighbor Dawn, hoping Jeff was home. He grew up on a farm and has no hesitancy in herding cows where they belong. I wrote Dawn that I didn’t know which way to shoo the beast and said this was out of my comfort zone. Just then David came in from work, and I immediately shared the problem with him. I started to go on the deck to take a picture of the cow, but since he was willing to go outside with me, I went.

We made noise, and I flapped my hands at the cow. She ambled along the fence, which I thought was good. I didn’t know how she got in our yard, but cows used to walk in the stream around the fence. I was heading that way, felt for my camera, and knew I couldn’t use it when the cow came back toward us. She was not fully grown, but she looked pretty solid at eye level. We shouted and flapped. She turned and trotted along Dawn and Jeff’s fence. All of a sudden she turned and jumped through the barbed-wire fence! David and I couldn’t believe our eyes. We walked up to see if there were an opening, but there wasn’t. We were going back to our yard when Jeff and Dawn came outside. They examined the fence with us. There were three or four strands of wire firmly anchored to posts, but Jeff pulled two apart. That must have been enough for a desperate cow.

I hope my cowgirl career has come and gone.

Wrap Up and a Rainbow

Daughter Lise was eager to walk to the creek, knowing she would be sitting for almost 24 hours flying to Denmark. On the way, we spotted a wild berry bush extending unripe berries toward us. It’s a common bush, one that we had in our woods on Long Island. The berries look like raspberries until they ripen and turn dark. That’s when they look like miniature blackberries. Lise and I tasted one each. They were slightly bitter, so I’ll wait a few days before trying another one.

That afternoon we took Lise to the empty Asheville airport. There are few flights these days, so only a few people wandered to the check-in counter. When her bags were checked, we went outside before saying goodbye. She took off as we were food shopping on the way home. We have many lovely memories of our time together and look forward to her next visit.

The next evening we had a lovely rain storm, one that Lise would have enjoyed. John and I were with David on the porch as he ate his dinner after work. I jumped up to take a photo of the brilliant rainbow through the screen, because I didn’t fancy getting soaked. Despite the distortion of the screen, you can probably see that the end of the rainbow appears to be in the pasture.

A minute later neighbor Joyce sent me the picture she took from her porch. She clearly has a better claim to owning that rainbow. It ended in the corner of her back yard. We both wished there had been a pot of gold for her there.

Holidays Fly By

Grandson Nathaniel was with us about 45 hours – not long enough to raise and lower the hall mirror! John picked him up in Charlotte on Friday, and daughter Lise and grandson David took him back on Sunday. The day between was July 4^th. The time may have been short, but we visited with him intently. This was the only picture for which he posed, taken as the three were setting off for the return trip.

The day before Lise left, we had lunch at the Pisgah Inn. John and I have eaten there at least once a year since we moved here, but Lise had never been there. The restaurant is closed during winter months, which is when she usually comes to visit. We had a lovely drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to reach it. Our table was the one in the corner with the best view of the mountains. Since only half the tables could be used during the COVID-19 restrictions, the room was not crowded, and we had excellent service. We could see rain clouds in the distance and watched them as we ate.

After lunch, we went outside on the deck to take a few photos and look at the mountains again. It was a lovely day out for us. When we got home, Lise packed to go back to Denmark.

Neighbors Celebrate July 4th

Despite neighbor Shawn’s phone being broken, word got around that we would have a cookout on our street. People converged on Shawn and Bob’s lawn, because they had the largest flat, shady space.

Logan had a grand view of us all.

We had a three-armed toy that Nathaniel threw with Logan, and it sailed into our Bradford pear tree. Nate and John carried the ladder around and set it up, supervised by Sufi.

The first retrieval attempt failed, so Bob and Nathaniel extended it before Bob climbed up with a long pole and knocked the toy out of the branches.

Lise asked Logan to show us his pond down a steep slope behind his house. We knew Bob had cleaned out the weeds and that they had been swimming there. Water flows into the pond via a pipe from the creek and out again through an overflow drain.

Logan ran down to the dock as Lise and I watched tadpoles swimming in the water.

Logan was looking for Herbert, the turtle, under the dock. Lise stood beside Logan and took a photo from above as he fed Herbert some bread. I also liked Lise’s selfie with her feet.

As the sun moved, we picked up our chairs to get in the shade again. People stayed outside a long time. When thunder moved closer, we took the food back to our houses. Only when the first raindrops fell did we fold up the table and take our chairs home. As heavy rain fell, Shawn, Bob and Logan stayed on their porch, while Lise, Nathaniel, and I retreated to ours. (David was working.) It was fun to share that storm from a distance. It had been a most satisfying party.

We had a small continuation of the party after the power went out. Joyce came to recharge her phone, since our generator was running. The rain was over by then. It was fun to chat with her in a smaller setting. Her phone was charged, and she went home when folks up the mountain began shooting fireworks. Most public fireworks in the area had been canceled, so we were thrilled to have a free show that we could see from our chairs on the porch.

Happy Birthday, USA! God bless America.

Lighthearted Logan and Lise

Daughter Lise was walking up the street with John and me when we heard something behind us. It was neighbor Logan (10) asking if he could walk to the creek with us. Yes, he had already asked his parents. Of course, we were delighted. He may have run off a little energy while making our day begin with a sparkle. We asked him to pose for our traditional creek photo, showing those who walk there with us.

Logan nimbly climbed down to the water’s edge. Lise, more sure-footed than she used to be, asked if he would stay there until she came down. Both have exploring minds, and they checked things out before coming back to us.

Lise commented on chicory blooms, so we stopped to look at them. Chicory is a wildflower related to the dandelion. People around New Orleans sometimes roast the roots of cultivated plants and grind them to brew with coffee. The blossoms have a striking blue color, which is what we were admiring.

Logan and Lise looking at chicory blooms

Smokey came down his driveway for us to pet him. Lise, a dog-lover, showed Logan how to scratch his tummy to make one leg run in the air. Dog and humans enjoyed that. Note the ankle weights Lise was wearing.

When Logan asked about Lise’s ankle weights, she explained that they strengthened her leg muscles and offered to let him wear them. After putting them on Logan, Lise began to skip down the road because she felt so much lighter. Despite adding about 1/5 of his weight, Logan didn’t slow down at all. He skipped, too.

After walking a good bit, Logan returned the weights. Something was chafing his skin, probably the Velcro fasteners. He certainly had the energy to run home with them.

We enjoyed our walk with Logan and hope he liked it, too. We would welcome his company any day.

Connie and Marla

Daughter Lise and I were delighted to spend an evening with our former neighbors, Connie and Marla. Our mother/daughter friends moved during the COVID-19 shutdown. The times were/are strange. When John and I should have given them a warm send-off, we felt a great virus-wall looming between us. We read about their move and saw photos as they settled in. That was better than nothing, but I’m so glad I’ve now seen them in their cozy house and the fantastic view of their new town. My favorite picture from the visit was of Lise with them on the front deck. I didn’t realize I’d caught Albert kissing Lise until I saw this on a larger screen.

It was wonderful to see them in person and hear them talk about people at work and neighbors. Marla bikes to work, and Connie has pampered her and her coworkers with goodies. Connie pointed in different directions to comment on various friendly neighbors. They have been welcomed to a place where they were meant to be. We rejoice with them.

Connie is a super cook, and we knew we were in for a treat at her table. I should have taken photos, but honestly, that could never convey the taste. We helped ourselves from a tray of cucumber slices, celery, and stuffed tomatoes. The lasagna was superb, and two fruit salads were perfect for the warm weather. Her chocolate cake with chocolate frosting could have been a meal in itself. The recipe called for espresso powder, which they were able to find in a local store in the spice section. As with any fine dish, nothing was overpowering. When Connie puts something together, the result is perfection.

Since we all see each other on Facebook, we were aware of recent happenings and could talk about a wide variety of subjects. As you might guess, the visit was totally satisfying for Lise and me. When we got home, John had already picked up Nathaniel from Charlotte and David from work. What a full day it had been!

Oldest and Youngest

Daughter Lise and son John $pencer planned to meet for lunch at a Thai restaurant halfway between our homes. It was perfect! We knew the dining room was not open, so John and $ thought about getting take-out and going to a park. On line, we found that parks are still closed. John packed a folding table and three chairs. I found plates and cutlery which Lise stowed in her backpack. We were prepared. As it turned out, we didn’t need those things. There were two tables beside the front door just waiting for us. The waiter brought our food in take-out containers, but he served us as attentively as if we were inside.

John, Lise, John $, and Rose at see-through table

We discovered that spilling something on a table with a metal lattice top could be dangerous. A small container fell over, and the soy sauce sprayed down near our feet. We were glad no one was hit.

Dog Sadie was right there with us, tied to a handicap sign. She caught a wasp which stung her, and then she wanted to be in the car. After we ate, Rose brought her back out where we could enjoy her. She wasn’t there when I took pictures, but I got a fairly good shot of the siblings, Lise and John $.

The day was sunny and warm, and we were comfortable in the shade of the covered area. No other people came to eat, so we sat back and enjoyed talking together for quite a while. This was the last of the sibling reunions, and they made the most of it. We wished Kate could have been with us, but she was home and back at work after her vacation.

Party for People and Dogs

We had another reunion meal together while daughter Lise was here. Niece Julie, friend Michael, son John $pencer, and friend Rose joined us on the porch. Lise, Julie, and $ were close years ago when $ first moved to North Carolina. Those bonds were lasting, even though they rarely see each other now.

While we ate, Michael’s dog Gumball was outside with us, and Rose’s Sadie was inside the house. Only after we ate did we let them greet each other. It was a bit tense.

Going outside seemed best. Julie spoke softly to Gumball.

Rose, David, and Lise were near Sadie when she took a rest.

We watched the dogs as they tentatively began to get to know each other. It was good for us to move around a bit, but we soon returned to the porch and separated the dogs again.

I’m glad to say we humans enjoyed being together without snarling or snapping at each other. In these tense times, that’s a very good thing.