England 40 Years Ago — March 1, 1981

We had a marvelous visit with the Mehrlings, it just didn’t last long enough. A week ago in Cherbourg we wandered into a church for a tiny part of the service. An unknown liturgy in an unknown language isn’t as worshipful as one would wish. We wandered along some railroad tracks (wonder why?) and took a nice drive around the countryside.

It felt as if we spent most of the day waiting for the time to get on the ferry. The crossing itself was pleasant — not so many people on board on that trip, and John $ slept with little trouble. We got home at midnight. It was pleasant not to have to get up early and rush the next morning.

$ and I stayed home when everyone else went to Canterbury and drove to Dover and Hastings. I had a very quiet day, and $ slept a lot.

That night Mom was telling a story and said, “…had their eyes glued on the game.”

Kate asked, “Who was glooming?”

Mom, repeating herself, said, “Tonja had her eyes GLUED on the cheerleaders.”

Kate said, “Oh, she was GLUEING?”

Tuesday was a very cold day. The folks took a walk, shortened I suspect, by the cold. Lisa and Kate were back in school. John called home to say the estate agent had notified him that the house we’d put money on had been sold out from under us. We couldn’t do anything about it until this weekend when we went out looking again.

The engagement of Prince Charles brought much comment and a TV special to which we were glueing our eyes. It’s fun to be part of this celebration. The step-mother of Lady Diana is the daughter of Barbara Cartland, the novelist. That romantic writer will soon be the step-grandmama-in-law of the Prince of Wales. I find it amusing that the one who makes up stories about royalty will be linked with them in real life.

Wednesday we walked around the shopping area of Reigate and walked to the church from home. I tried again to get a picture of the inside of the church. On the way back, we stopped to look at that crazy tree in the church yard that looks like snakes or pipe cleaners attached to a trunk.

Thursday the M’s went to London to shop, lunch with John, and do a little sight-seeing. I juggled Mr. Clewes, the gardener, and Mr. Wolters, the meticulous agent. Everything was fine. Later I got in a rush getting tea, and I didn’t listen for the silence that spells trouble. I turned around to find $ had a piece of coffee cake in one hand and a big muffin in the other! I’d put the plate a little too close to the edge, and he just helped himself. To ensure he’d get to keep his prizes, he quickly took a big bite out of each one.

Friday we took the folks to the airport and continued our house search. We saw a town house in Redhill that was interesting but a bit small. The ground floor had the garage, entry and kitchen. The first floor (which we’d call the second floor) contained the lounge and big bedroom with no cupboards. Third, or second, had three tiny bedrooms and the bath.

Across the street from the one we lost was a large house that had been divided into two parts. The owner had lived in it, converted it into two separate flats, and built a new house behind this one. [A peek into the future — this is the house we lived in until it was time to return to the states, although I didn’t know it at this point.]

In Banstead was a house that made you feel you had to hold your breath all the time because the rooms were so tiny. The dining room was an addition with no heat, and we decided that might make the children eat faster with the chatter of teeth to hurry the chewing. It was a bit far from schools in Reigate, too.

After picking up the girls from school, we saw the last house of the day on the top of a big hill. It had been a mansion, but the top two floors had been gutted by fire. The top was removed, and the ground floor made into a house. The ceilings were high, the rooms spacious, but oddly put together. Two bedrooms were on one side of it, the other two beyond the lounge and kitchen. The view was fantastic, but I didn’t like the kitchen with the dishwasher in a utility room. Part of the house was locked off, reserved for the owner. It was creepy. The young owner who had just gotten married a few weeks before had left all sorts of personal possessions strewn about. The arrangements of flowers must have been from the wedding!

Yesterday the girls went to films at Micklefield (Kate’s school) while John and I waited to hear about the house. Our offer was accepted for the house in Walton on the Hill. We’re afraid to say much about it since anything could happen before the papers are signed. This is the one that is divided (not against itself, I hope). It has a green front door! On the ground floor is the big lounge-dining room, kitchen and shower room. Upstairs there is a study that will be $’s room, two small bedrooms with their own sinks, and a huge master bedroom. Also a bath in blue. We will certainly miss having an extra bedroom for guests. Our garden extends to the back with an orchard to one side. We’ll take Clewes with us. One of the nicest things about the house is the owner, who happened to be there while we were looking at it. She seemed to be such a happy person, as did her son who had just moved from that house to one of his own. As we were leaving, she said, “If this doesn’t suit you, I hope you find one that will.” She even spoke to $!! Most people ignore him and hope he’ll go away.

Yesterday afternoon Lisa complained of headache and a tummy ache. John conducted his usual test for fever by kissing her forehead to see if it were hot. She misunderstood and said, “That didn’t make me feel any better!” The days of kissing away a hurt are long gone for her!

English people don’t try things; “they have a go.” If they were offered the Braille slate to try, they’d say, “I’ll have a go at it.”

Kate, explaining she needs to rent a violin for the lessons at school, said, “They measured me and said I need a HOUSE size.” We thought that sounded a bit big for her, but she insisted that’s the way she heard it. We’ll check into a HALF size.

This morning I went to communion at 8, and John and Kate to morning prayer at 11. I think it a bit extravagant, but it’s nice to have 3 or 4 services to choose from each Sunday. Lisa has head and throat problems at the moment. We know she’s been exposed to scarlet fever and mumps at school. Any time a contagious disease is reported at school, they send a note home stating the illness and the last day the child with it was in school.

Thanks for the news of Susan (my brother’s wife). For all of you who have been praying for her — the body scan showed no tumors.

That’s all the news for now. Hope all of you are fine.

COVID, Back Then and Soon

On the way to Charlotte, taking grandson Nathaniel back to school, we went to a church we’ve been to twice before. It is one we particularly like. It’s a beautiful gray stone church on a winding mountain road, and a rushing stream borders the property. Inside is even more attractive, because the people are very friendly and worshipful. They use the old standard liturgy and sing the chorales that guide your thoughts in deep channels. Like icing on a cake, the pastor chants the service easily and precisely.

John couldn’t tell from the web site if this church was even having a service on Sunday morning. No one responded to email or a phone call. What a surprise to pull into the parking lot and find it full! An unmasked man walked to the entrance and went in. We followed and found the church as full of people as it had been in past years. There were paper bulletins and hymn books in the pews, something we hadn’t seen for a year. Even more shocking, one man shook our hands to welcome us! We might have thought we were in a time warp, except there were a few older couples wearing masks.

We found out the aunt of the pastor’s wife died the day before, and they would be leaving to go to the funeral and on to Colorado where their grandchild was born a month early. No wonder no one responded to email and web messages!

What we saw at the church was almost pre-COVID behavior, where things looked much like they did a year ago. I wondered if that is what our church in Asheville will be like some months from now.

I know the governor of NC issued more relaxed COVID guidelines the previous Friday, but I hadn’t read them. After church we went to a tavern Nathaniel chose from his phone as we drove along. It was in a small town near Charlotte. Masks were the only thing that screamed COVID. People sat at the bar, and tables were not as far apart as they probably were before. We used plastic menus instead of paper ones. I didn’t feel like I was being followed by an army of workers wielding disinfectants while silently cursing me for breathing. This may be a preview of how restaurants will be in the months to come.

How lovely it will be when the freedoms of the past and those of the present feel similar!

Nathaniel’s Quick Visit

Grandson Nathaniel had Saturday off, and we made the most of it. He finished work the night before at 9 pm, and that’s when John picked him up in Charlotte. They were back at our house by midnight, and everyone went to bed. Over breakfast Saturday, Nate had us laughing.

Rose brought her artist sister to a cabin in the mountains to paint for the weekend. Rose and John $pencer went hiking two days to give her plenty of time to paint. I asked for a quick photo to show that her visit overlapped Nathaniel’s for a few minutes.

Later in the day I asked Nate to pose with his degree earned nine months ago. It says “Associate in Applied Science Cum Laude”. Are we proud? You bet!! He is over half way through his junior year now.

We had tea well past the proper hour. I got out our 40-year-old teapot from England and warmed it. Nathaniel weighed the loose tea and set a timer for the steeping. He is more precise than I would have been, and it was worth it. He chose a cup and saucer that had belonged to my grandmother, and I took one that commemorated our 25^th wedding anniversary. Clunky mugs were not suitable for our tea.

Nathaniel skipped the mirror ritual this time. The official photographer had gone to bed when he arrived, and the family scattered quickly the next day. The day he left, I asked him to pose, showing the mirror had not moved. He bent his knees, petted Sadie, and stuck out his tongue.

We went to church on the way to Charlotte, but that’s another story. To show the brothers together, I asked the boys for a fast picture as Nathaniel was heading for his dorm. It was a quick visit, but very satisfying.

England 40 Years Ago — February 21, 1981

Guest writer! John’s mother wrote this on Hotel Sofitel stationery.

Dear family in Stony Brook,

Here we are situated in a very lovely French Hotel in Cherbourg, France. It’s about 5:30 p.m. French time which is one hour earlier than Greenwich time which is six hours earlier than Standard Time. We have just returned from a very interesting trip through Normandy countryside. What a delightful area! There are many, many old farms here, apparently occupied by several generations. They are all made of brick or stones cemented together. The farmers were out cutting down the hedgerows which break up the fields into small plots. Our main objective was Utah Beach where Dad landed on D-Day. We walked on the beach, climbed up and down the dunes and looked at the remains of the gun emplacements which were partially dug into the dunes.

It was a peaceful scene today as the tide receded. The shore was lined with shells (sea) all so different from June 6^th, 1944. We saw the monument erected in commemoration of the 4^th Division. There were a few landing craft there as well as a half track and a landing craft — all left over from the war.

Dad with the monument to the Fourth Division, landing at Utah Beach 6/6/1944

We stopped in a little restaurant across the street from all of this where, after much grunting and gesticulations we made our wishes known. Between the proprietor’s little knowledge of English and our equally little knowledge of French, we made out fairly well. She was so anxious to please, and we were so hungry — equally anxious to please. We had cheese or ham sandwiches on French bread.

This is a church in Normandy that we saw as we drove around

We were met at the airport by John, Anne and little John. It was so good to see them. The only one who has changed is little John. In the afternoon, after a good nap, we went with Anne to pick up the girls at school. They both have grown and look fine also. We had afternoon tea when we returned home followed by dinner later. We saw the girls’ rooms and some of their treasures. Lisa has taken some pictures which she was anxious to share with us. John C. went to the office after meeting us, so he came home a bit later for dinner. Their house is very nice — giving them plenty of room. The girls and I toured their garden, seeing the fish pond and tennis court. We also did some bird watching, which is always so much fun.

The weather is not like NY when we left on Wednesday. There were occasional snow flurries on Wednesday with cooler temps — just barely above freezing. In spite of this there are a few flowers in the garden. It’s an interesting country. There will be so much to talk about when we return home.

We hope you get this letter before we return, but at any rate you will know we have been thinking about you.

Much love to each one of you from us all.

Dad and Mom

England 40 Years Ago — February 20, 1981

[Written on hotel stationery in Cherbourg] We get around, don’t we? At the moment we are with John’s parents on our way to see the beach where Dad landed during WWII.

A correction on Valentine’s Day — they don’t celebrate it much in England, but we were amused at the staid Times. They had several pages of tiny Valentine messages, some hilarious!

Took John $pencer to the clinic to have him checked. He weighs 23.5 pounds. They had the most marvelous scales for children — there was a railing built in it so that a child could stand and hold on while being weighed. Normally children are checked there at age 1 and 3, interspersed with home visits by the visiting health nurse. The huge waiting room of the clinic was brightly painted and filled with lots of toys. $ loved it.

Our neighbor, Doris, was telling me she had been a volunteer constable after her son grew up. She was dressed in the regular uniform so that people didn’t know which women were professional and which volunteer. To start off, she had training at Scotland Yard! Then she walked a beat with a paid cop. Think she said she did it for nine years. Now she’s a volunteer at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Anyone can go in that office to ask for help; the workers have huge files they can consult to find what agency or organization could help them. The Cooks are driving from New Orleans to Washington DC in May. John got his super-duper travel books from Loraine in NY to loan to them. Anyone in Tennessee like to meet our neighbors? If so, we’ll give them your name and address.

Speaking of the invaluable Loraine – she quit, so she will no longer be our great ally in the NY office. A thousand cheers for Loraine for all she’s done for us! Would you pray that she finds a new job that she’ll like? Thanks.

The girls have now been told we’re moving. They were excited! We haven’t talked much about the new house because we won’t know for sure we’ve gotten it until March 2 or 3. Will tell you more then.

Lisa walked in asking Kate, “You want to send love and kisses to cousin Barbara?”

Kate enthusiastically said, “Yeah!”

Lisa: “Good. I already typed it.”

The Mehrlings arrived at Gatwick Thursday morning raving – not raging – about Laker. A most pleasant flight, they said. The girls were very excited at seeing them outside school that afternoon.

The next day we were up at the crack of dawn — almost heard it breaking. We stuffed ourselves in the car and drove to Southampton. The ferry to Cherbourg is more luxurious than the one at the Dover crossing. There are cabins on board, though we just lounged around in the reclining seats. Some of us did — Grandma and John C. grappled with $.

In Cherbourg Mom and Dad ate dinner with Lisa and Kate downstairs in the attractive hotel restaurant while John and I sat with $. Then we had our turn. What a marvelous meal! Real French cooking! The service was impeccable, as it usually is on this side of the world.

$ has a canvas cot (crib) that he did well in. Early this morning he began to giggle, and I realized the funny feeling in my toes belonged at the other end of that giggle. He’d climbed onto my bed and sat on my feet.

We went to Utah Beach and walked along where Dad came ashore on D-Day.

Climbing over German concrete bunkers was interesting. We picked up shells and enjoyed the sound of the breakers. $ was a bit confused by the shifting sand under his feet.

The houses here are so different. A typical new one is of concrete, small and cute, with folding shutters and white curtains drawn back. Old stone houses are often connected to the barns with a quadrangle in the middle. Tiny villages are very picturesque, though lacking color in the winter.

It seems that mail is delivered to homes in small boxes hung on the outside of houses — not through the door as in England. In the morning we saw housewives and children walking home from the bakery with long loaves of bread under their arms and not wrapped at all! Speaking of bread — it certainly is as delicious as its reputation. Sandwiches are made with small loaves of crusty bread, sliced through the middle. Croissants are tender and flaky, a real treat. We whipped through a grocery to buy fruit and yogurt; I spotted shelves full of Gerber baby food which you can’t get in England. Of course, $ no longer needed any after we found it.

We watched the ferry come in where we landed the day before. The front of the ship opens its mouth and spews forth cars. At the same time, stairs were rolled to the side of the ferry so that foot passengers could stream off.

England 40 Years Ago — February 15, 1981

John $ (1 year, 4 months old) is a sight. He loves cardboard boxes. If he sneaks past me into the larder, he snitches a box or so. He slowly and deliberately climbs in, sits a few seconds with a satisfied grin on his face, and tries to hop out. One leg makes it and one doesn’t. He then starts running to get away from it and drags it along after him until he trips or lifts the foot high enough to clear it.

Penny S invited the children and me for tea one afternoon after school. It was a proper tea. We had lovely finger sandwiches of ham, cucumber, tomato, and various breads with butter, fruit, chocolate cake, marzipan cake, and tea. A feature of the family room was a huge rocking horse that even adults can ride! Penny loves creating things and had a sampler on the wall plus a painting or so she had done herself. She likes to sew, knit, and cook besides keeping up with the medical journals. While we were there, Andy came in from a filming session. His partner directs and he produces films — this one on severe childhood allergies.

I made some buttermilk and took it to Renee. She said her mother used to get it in the country to make scones. She wanted it for an American salad dressing.

Many do pronounce “scones”with an almost short “o” in this area. I think it is more that we put the “o” further forward, and they almost swallow it. I prefer to pronounce it with the North Carolina “o”.

Lisa, speaking of fourth formers at school: “Accidents are prone for them.” Can’t you just see an accident lying down in front of each girl? Taken literally, that would mean disaster lies in wait for them.

Kate was given a Good Conduct pin to wear every day on her uniform. I think it means she went several weeks with no mark against her name. I don’t know if she has to give it up at a particular time or always has the threat hanging over her that it will be taken away after any infringement of rules. Nothing is ever absolutely clear about her!

Lisa got in the car and asked me if I thought she had almost fainted one day in school. Then she proudly showed me the Prefect pin she had on. She was called up before the whole school and had the pin put on by the headmistress. It’s quite an honor, particularly since she’s been in the school such a short time. Many of the duties she has already been given as a member of the oldest class such as serving food, helping watch out for smaller children, running errands, and presiding at a table at lunch.

Lisa’s vocabulary is still growing. She explained that something was being “interpretated”. I think that would be wrong on both sides of the Atlantic.

Eileen B came for coffee one morning. She is such a kind person — she seems to exude it. She is the fifth of eight children. All but she and a sister in Michigan live in a three-mile radius of their mother in Dublin. She was a secretary before her two girls were born; her husband, Derek, is an architect.

Thursday Lisa had her first exam in the common entrance exams, the French oral. I would think this is the one she would be least prepared for, having had it such a short time. I thought the procedure interesting. The regular French teacher gives the test with another teacher there to run the tape recorder and see that there are no irregularities. The child is given a paragraph to study for a short time, reads it aloud in French, and then answers questions on it — all in French. There is a prepared list of 20 general questions from which the teacher picks 10 for each student.

Cathie D came for lunch after work one day. I was glad she works until 1:00 because I had to pack in a lot before she came. John had stayed home so that we could view a house first thing after the girls were dropped at school. It was cancelled, but I still had to take him to the station and get the shopping done. Put $ down for a nap, let Mr. Clewes in, retrieved the groceries from the hall, collected the milk from the doorstep, and then began the quiche and Brownies for lunch. Fixed the salad and appetizers while giving Clewes his lunch and feeding $. By the time she came, I was ready to sit down! She had time to drive to school to pick up the girls with me before her son was due home. Her big news is that she is to become a grandma in June.

The girls took heart cookies to school to share with all the girls in their class. The English don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day in school, and not much seems to be made of it at home, either. I could understand, since the cheapest cards cost over $1.50 each.

The bottom dropped out of $’s world at 4 a.m. I found him standing on the floor between the wall and the crib, near the corner where the hook had hopped off the frame. He must have been dumped unceremoniously with little advance warning. It didn’t upset him very much; I think he was confused and didn’t know what to do.

John and I saw a house yesterday that is lovely, but has tiny rooms. The owner has two other families seriously looking at it, and they want it for several years. Understandably, she would rather they have it, since she may be gone for six years. The choice at the moment is the handy-man’s nightmare and the manor house on a postage stamp.

Alistair and Sheila C came to see the trains and have dinner with us last night. He is the office manager at Gotaas-Larsen and is one of the men who was so kind to us when we first came here to house hunt. He loves trains, especially real ones. Sheila told of such interesting things. She came from West Yorkshire, had taught school in Spain, been in Paris six months, and was governess for two girls (children of jet-setters) where she lived mainly in Argentina and visited the family chateau in France and the flat in New York. Some of the characters she described you wouldn’t believe in a novel! Lisa’s eyes widened when we found that she is presently a headmistress. I think Lisa sat up straighter and was amused to discover “heads” without authority over you are most interesting.

Alistair’s parents were Scots, but he spent most of his growing years in Alexandria, Egypt. His father was a banker, doing verbal and written business in English, French, and Arabic. He dredged up several words in Arabic for Lisa. He and his mother spent some of the war years in Africa.

Today we had Sunday “lunch” with the Hulls across the street. She said they’d enjoyed having an American meal with us and planned an English meal. We had roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, cabbage, beans, fruit salad, and mincemeat flan. I believe the cabbage, beans, and most of the fruit had come from their freezer via their own garden. We had coffee in the sitting room near the fire, and their almost 16-year-old played with $ which certainly helped our conversation. Then we all went for a walk on the common. Not only did the fresh air do us good, it kept $ pleasantly occupied. A very delightful time would describe our feelings. They met several people they knew, and I felt right at home when we met Penny and Andy whom the Hulls didn’t know.

Just watched a programme (British) on the Confederate Air Force in Texas. John was glad he saw it because he will be teased about it tomorrow in the office.

There were no photographs to go with this letter, so I’ll give you a preview. Below are John’s parents, soon to visit us, with Lisa and Kate. I suspect this might have been taken the day they arrived, since they are well-dressed and the girls are wearing their school uniforms.

Valentine Special

Neighbor Logan (10) is our family sweetheart, and he spent several hours with us on Saturday when there was no school. He wanted us to tell his parents that he did not look at the computer while here, and I forgot to send that message. The only electronic thing he did was practice sending swiped messages to John on the cell phone. He watched me text his mother and wanted to try it. It’s a fast way, though prone to errors. You drag your finger to the letters of a word, and when you lift your finger, the app proceeds to the next word. He and John exchanged short messages, amid much giggling on Logan’s part.

The lad has a high energy level and is never still for long. He doesn’t bounce off the walls, though. He began to play with the old office chair that John uses as a footstool. Bringing it into the kitchen area, he put a spin on it. I didn’t catch his fastest rate.

Logan steered the chair all around the room with full theatrics. I get tickled at all the things he tries. He is careful not to bump into things.

I was also amused at the lunch table. I always give him a choice of cutlery – utensils like we use or a child’s set. I bought the plastic fork, spoon, and pusher when Logan had almost outgrown it. The pusher caught my fancy, and I thought Logan might use it until his nephew Sufi was old enough for it. The thing is, neither Sufi nor his younger brother Pico has eaten with us.

The utensils are construction vehicles. I hadn’t looked at them closely and didn’t realize there were words on the backs of the handles. Logan turned over the fork and and read the words on the back. They said, “CONSTRUCTIVE EATING.” He could read before he went to kindergarten, so it should have been no surprise to me that he read it aloud easily. I giggled, anyway. It’s always fun to be with our favorite child in the neighborhood.

On the spoon handle: CONSTRUCTIVE EATING

This was our Valentine’s Day breakfast – chocolate brioche buns, one for each of us. Next time I’ll roll more chocolate chips inside. Would you agree with me that you can never have too much chocolate?

Like Old Times

It had been weeks since we visited with neighbors Shawn and Bob, so we got together for a long chat. How satisfying it was! Cold weather has always cut down social interaction, but these COVID days, everyone thinks twice about being inside together. We thoroughly enjoyed catching up on news. There was one new person partying with us – Sadie. She was so excited at seeing them that she could hardly keep four paws on the ground.

Sadie adores Logan (10). She forgot all our rules and gleefully jumped on him. Having three dogs at home, Logan can take care of himself, but he shouldn’t have to. Sadie wedged herself in half of Logan’s chair and kissed him. Bless his heart, he was still posing nicely for the camera. I really appreciate that.

I missed getting a photo of Logan bringing me a Valentine balloon. They know I love balloons, and this one was different from all I’ve had before. Bear Hugs! What could be nicer?

David and I Snowboard

Niece Chrissie offered to let grandson David and me go down the slopes on her snowboard with her, and we jumped at the chance. We were at home in North Carolina, but in Massachusetts via cell phone. She and husband Chris chatted with us on the lift, then she wore her phone and talked with us all the way down. It was exciting. She has been clocked going over 30 miles an hour, although not with us on board. I was amazed at how relaxed she was. She mentioned recently that being totally relaxed was the ideal, and she has been working on that.

Here is a clip Chris took of Chrissie. His shadow shows up, too.

David and I went up a second time with them, eager for more thrills. It was most satisfying. They decided to go in and boarded all the way to their building. That turned out to be more exciting than it sounds. Some tourists were wandering on the pathway, and evidently didn’t know that people on skis or boards have the right of way. Chrissie was annoyed because she couldn’t get around them. With perfectly acceptable language, she criticized them when they were out of earshot.

Inside, they showed us the new floor in their condo, which Chris installed after we visited them a year or so ago. It was fun to see their place again. I was tired after all that armchair exercise, but they were going to play active video games with their children who live in Utah.

England 40 Years Ago — February 8, 1981

I forgot to mention something else the folks from India told me. There are different classes of beggars! Ann said that some get left-overs, and lower classes get food that has actually been on people”s plates.

Tuesday John went into the office late because we are house-hunting. We have not told the girls yet because we don’t want to upset them; we’ll wait until we have another house lined up. We got the final word a couple of weeks ago that the owners of this house are being recalled from Japan, and of course, want their house back. Our lease expires the first of April. John saw one house on his own, but the rooms were too small. The one we saw Tuesday was a handyman’s nightmare. We could live there if we have to, but prefer to look longer. The blurb on the house listed a two-car garage, but we couldn’t find it. Then we realized it is now two bedrooms and a small playroom. Yesterday we saw a dream house that is too far away and too expensive, but it was fun to look at. [We subsequently rented a house on the same street – the name of the house was Churchfield. We rented half the house, and another family owned the other half. They had owned the house next to the one I was describing here as a dream house and subsequently bought half of Churchfield.] In the dream house were five bedrooms in the main part of the house, living room, dining room, study, and playroom that had been the garage. It also has a tennis court and a staff flat!!! Off the living room is the sitting room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom for a maid or parents. Anyone want to come over to live and help us pay for all that? It is to the side and back of a church with a path from the garden into the church yard! Mr. Clewes has tentatively agreed to work for us if we have a garden that needs him.

I was being critical of Lisa and said, “Lisa, you can be so loud.” Said she helpfully, “I can be even louder.”

The Salvation Army came around last Sunday distributing envelopes for donations. They were dressed in uniform and covered the area rapidly. When a pretty young girl came to collect the envelope several days later, I had to admit that the baby had gotten it. Well, it was the truth! (Teacher Barbara might not accept that as an excuse; neither did this girl.) She immediately offered another, so I dutifully put money in it and handed it back.

Two nights in a row John was out late dining with Steve S from the NY office. John has always enjoyed him so much, and I was glad he had a chance to spend lots of time with him. The second night the girls and I cleaned house to get ready for company coming the next night. Kate tidied up while Lisa polished silver.

One of the nights John came in late, he waked me up getting ready for bed. We changed John $’s nappy, and I was waked several more times by various people bumping around. John had set the alarm an hour early to finish something that had to go back to NY via Steve, returned to bed, and set the alarm for the usual time. When it rang, I said it’s easy to get up because I’d had so much practice during the night.

Max and Renee A. came for dinner Friday night and got here before John was home from work. This is the couple who first invited us to their home for dinner when we had just come here. They have their fingers in every pie in church, so it is fun to listen to their views on what is happening. I asked them about the banns of marriage, knowing they would have that info, having married off all four children within two years not so long ago. I had written of this to one of you, but now I have more complete information and will share it with all of you. [I’ve already written some of this earlier, but this is a little different.]

It’s a very old custom going way back. It is called publishing the banns of marriage and is to be done three weeks in a row, after which the couple have three months in which to marry before the time runs out. The names of the couple and their home parishes are read, and then the congregation is asked to let the authorities know if there is just cause why they should not marry. These banns must be read in their home parish — where they were baptized — as well as the church they attend at the moment. For couples not having a church wedding, banns are posted on a board at the registry office for three weeks. The way to get around all of this is to pay a fee and get a special license.

I also asked Renee and Max about the registry book in the church. In novels, after the wedding service the bride and groom go into the registry to sign the book. In St. Mary’s this book is kept in a safe under the organ. For one of their family weddings the vicar brought the book out so that the wedding guests could see the signing (not at St. Mary’s). Once a year some higher up in the church inspects the records to make sure everyone is doing their job properly. Records are kept of all christenings and deaths there, also.

Yesterday Kate and I were walking $ when we heard a lot of hammering. I laughed when we saw the cause. The opening for letters in the front door was being opened and closed by a little hand with a little pair of eyes looking out. I waved, and it abruptly closed, only to be opened slyly for a peek. The little one inside was shy. Wonder when $ is going to discover we have one like that in our house!

We drove to London to St. Paul’s for the morning service. Were the boys glorious! That church is so big that the sound just rolls back and seems to keep going for 10 seconds. We sat in the front row in the congregation; could have sat in the choir if we were staying for communion. The front row is right where the royal family sits for special occasions, so we won’t complain about the seats.

After church we drove, trying to find Kensington Palace. All we found was the Kensington Palace Hotel, and we are thinking it’s the palace turned into a hotel. It was right where the map listed the palace. [I was wrong about that. Kensington Palace still exists in 2008. It’s still there in 2021.] On our way to Regent’s Park I navigated us on Mount Street and Curzon Street which always feature in old novels. We also went near Baker Street and saw the Sherlock Homes Hotel. Driving around the park, we saw where the zoo is, but could only see the giraffes over the hedges. There were some posh town houses overlooking the park, too. All of this was to fill time until the Tower opened; John said since everyone else had had a chance to go, he wanted me to get in. The girls and I walked to the entrance only to find that the jewels are not on display for the month of February because of maintenance to the building. This is what I particularly want to see, so we hope to go another time before the tourist season starts. $ had fallen asleep, so we drove through the St. Katherine dock area before coming home. It was a nice outing — certainly much easier than going to New York for part of a day.

Lisa will soon “sit” for the common entrance examination. At the age of 11 or 12 all children who hope to get in good schools have to take this series of exams. They are given in the lower schools, all on the same days, all over the world! The headmistress at Dunnotar assured us that they would accept Lisa if her grades were slightly lower than those of English girls since she hasn’t been here long. The last one will be the day before the Mehrlings arrive, so she will have double cause to celebrate. They’ve been preparing for this for weeks, using old exams as trials. Reminds me of all the hoop-la that New Yorkers went through for Regent’s exams.

End of paper. End of thoughts. [Also, there were no photos to go with the narrative. Soon we will have visitors, and there will be lots of pictures.]