England 40 Years Ago — November 9, 1980

Early last week Gillian H came over to watch me make bread. I thought most recipes for bread were fairly standard, but evidently the English ones differ in several respects. They (Caroline was with her, being out of school for mid-term) exclaimed over the greasing of the dough before the first rising. Maybe that’s why the loaves here are so crusty and dry!

In return, I asked her to teach me to make tea, and she said, “Why, that’s so simple!” Might be simple to her, but there is a ritual to it. She brought the water to a boil, poured a little in the pot to warm it, poured that out, measured about two teaspoons for two cups of tea, poured on water, stirred it, and let it steep two minutes. Then she poured milk in the cups! She claims it makes it taste different to put milk in and then pour the tea, but says her husband disagrees with her. I’ve tried it several times, but it doesn’t taste as good as when she made it, and it was done here with my own tea! They disdain tea bags. Tea is poured out leaves and all; you just don’t drain your cup. If you were having tea in the sitting room, you’d have a bowl handy for the “slops” she said, if you’re having a second cup right away.

We had our interview at Fair Dene school. While waiting on a stair landing for the head mistress, who should come up to speak to us but Mary L [from church]! She is the Latin teacher at that school! The head was young and very pleasant.

Two days we had snow flurries and woke up to white on the ground Friday. Everyone exclaimed over it; normally none sticks until after Christmas. I had never seen snow with fall colors still dressing trees nor snow on hydrangeas.

John had been after me to get the geraniums in the house, so I finally did it. It would have been comical to watch; there I was in the old horse-blanket poncho digging away while the wind blew the coat over my head. John $ was in tears as fancy company began arriving across the street for a school fete of some sort. The final indignity was blowing rain! I got half in the pots when a particularly stiff breeze came along and knocked them all over. Since I got them amassed on the desk in the guest room, I haven’t dared go near them. They say plants can feel when a threatening force comes near.

We went to Inger L’s for a proper English tea. Never mind that she is from Finland! We had toasted cheese sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, fancy biscuits (cookies), mincemeat tarts, and jellies (jello). She had put her old high chair out for $, though it looked finer than ours the day we bought it. Also had a plastic bib, cup and plate. He ate everything in sight!

The new Silverstone cookware got me in trouble. I was doing crepes one day when I noticed how slippery the pancakes were in that fine pan. I was tempted to try flipping them in the air. The first one flipped all the way over and landed in the pan, but on the side already cooked. The next one didn’t want to let go, and there I was gyrating with the pan while the crepe held on with 100 feet. The next to the last one did a beautiful flip, went right past the pan and landed in a heap on the floor. Tasted good, though, to the birds.

One’s burning ambition for an only son is not that he become a garbage collector. John $ has! At least it was clean garbage this week – he chewed on a discarded sliver of soap.

Birthday Waffles

I had two dates on the calendar for neighbor Bob’s birthday. I entered both at different times and didn’t know which was correct. Shawn texted that they were going to their son’s home for dinner that evening, the day before the birthday. I removed the wrong date and decided to make waffles for their breakfast. It was a nice thought, but I had no delivery plan. Several hours later, I texted, “Are you home? I’d like to bring over waffles for Bob’s birthday, if that would be ok.”

No answer. Shawn’s phone might have been off or dead. Also, messages sometimes don’t go through in this area, even when phones are on. I’d think of something in the morning.

At 7:01 before I got dressed for walking, I wrote that I put the waffles on my front porch and hoped she’d see the message in time. If not, they would be preserved, because it was two degrees below freezing at that time. Shawn and Bob have an outdoor cat and three indoor dogs, so my porch was inherently safer for food than hers. She replied with thanks at 7:02. Yes! The bag was gone when I stepped out to walk.

I didn’t see the rest of the story until after I came home. We have a new security camera that I’ve been playing with. The video at 7:06 showed Logan (10) running across the grass and gingerly walking on gravel with BARE FEET!

Video credits go to grandson David. Although I had transferred cam files before, I worked for two days to do it again and couldn’t. He found a way in minutes! Let’s have a round of applause for David!

Thanks to Happiness Engineer Chrissie for technical assistance. The photo and video are in a “columns” block.

A Pair of Nonpolitical Hawks

As I walked over the hill, I saw two big blobs on the road making noises back and forth. As my feet stopped, the camera came out of my pocket. I didn’t know what I was seeing or hearing, but I wanted to photograph the scene.

The blobs were large birds, probably hawks. Their wings were extended in arcs, and their tail feathers were splayed.

Although I kept my distance, the birds were aware of me. One flew to the fence. When I looked at the image on the computer screen, I could see some white markings on its back. When son John $pencer looked at it with me, we decided these were probably Cooper’s hawks.

The hawk on the road stayed there after the one on the fence flew away. I wonder if it felt foolish, holding that puffed-up stance. It pulled itself together and flapped off. This was an exciting way to start the day.

Engineer David

Grandson David has loved trains all his life. When he was very small, he’d take a nap in John’s caboose as John pulled a train around the club track on Long Island. He is all grown up now and recently was the engineer of a friend’s train at the club in Tennessee. This is what I’ve been waiting for – a good photo that shows my fellows on a train. John was the conductor, sitting at the end of the train. A friend took this photo and published it in the club newsletter. Can you tell by their faces how much fun they were having?

England 40 Years Ago — November 2, 1980

The day before our holiday up north was one to forget. I managed to break the washing machine, got upset, became angry when the repair service wouldn’t answer the phone, set the phone down none too gently and broke it! Finally put the phone together, only couldn’t get the cover on properly. You should have seen the mouthpiece hanging on for dear life, balanced precariously atop the little spindles, and the rest bared and looking naked. Later when the phone rang, Kate ran to answer it, took one look and backed away as if she’d seen a ghost. John got the cover put back later. Then back to the washing machine – I decided to empty it and found the problem! A disposable nappy had been included in that load, had stopped up the lint filter and prevented the water from draining. A quick clean and she was as good as new! From all those problems I rushed down for a quick chat at the toddler play group and had a good time. Thank heaven days like that don’t come too often!

Saturday we drove to Newcastle. Took all day, weather was drab until afternoon, and then we got to see some lovely scenery. Newcastle is in Northumberland at the top left-hand side of England. Not too far from Scotland! Wish you could have seen the luxurious suite of rooms John had for us. The girls had one bedroom with two double beds and a bath, there was a conference room next to it with a complete bath, and then our room just like theirs. Can you imagine five of us with three baths and three TV sets? I’m glad to say we used the baths and not the TV’s.

Sunday we saw Alnwick castle, but it was closed until spring. Still, the outside is little changed from medieval times, we read.

The thing we were all impressed with was Hadrian’s Wall. We all walked on it and explored one of the forts built as part of it. Unbelievable! It was built by the Romans from AD 122 – 130 and stretched 73 miles. Some of it was 20 feet high and 10 feet wide, though none of it is left standing that way now. It was abandoned in 383.

Roman fort on Hadrian’s Wall

Monday we drove around Durham and then on to York. It rained all day, but we refused to let that stop us. York is an ancient town with an old wall around it, and we walked miles. There were parking lots sprinkled around, but all were full. We finally found one out of town and walked in. The huge church there was marvelous. When we walked in, there was a Bach organ work being played with brass (live) on the cantus firmus. That’s the way to see and hear a church! Found the graves of Edward III, Queen Philipa and a son of theirs. Also I found interesting a plaque with the names of the organists of Yorkminster since 1400!! There weren’t as many names as you’d imagine! Maybe church organists are a long-lived species.

The National Railway Museum is also in York. Their parking lot stayed full every time we checked, but we finally found public parking not too far away. $ tried out the acoustics, but the building was too large and the crowds too loud for him to use his sonar. John tried hard not to let his extreme happiness show, but the girls let loose and enjoyed themselves to the hilt.

Found the ideal way to introduce drinking from a cup to a baby: find yourself in a situation without the training cup and with your baby wearing his raincoat! Works well! $ drank a full cup of milk minus two gulps and four napkins full. It satisfied him enough for us to get back to the car and drive to find a motel.

The motel by the side of one of the major roads was very nice. We all squeezed into one room, $ being the first into bed, then Kate, Lisa, and us. Also had the worst meal we’ve had in England at a cafeteria nearby. We decided the food was tired.

Tuesday we drove home. It was a very nice trip, and we learned a few things that might help when we next set out.

I’ve just gotten some marvelous Silverstone nonstick cookware. I’m wondering if people ever coat little boys with silverstone so the dirt will slide off!

John $ has a unique way of descending the stairs. He holds his left arm and leg extended straight and uses the right appendages as cogs in a wheel to stop the motion when the speed gets too high. When he wakes up, he comes to with a bang. If you sit in the room below, it sounds as if a trampoline has been rigged up as a drum above.

Cut $’s hair this week. Afterwards, instead of giving him a lollipop, I let him chew on his comb.

I went to a home group meeting where the people were studying a book about Moses. Enjoyed the study and the folks there.

John and I went for an interview at the school at the end of this road and were assured Lisa would probably be accepted there in September. [She would graduate from her present school and had to find another.] We had a tour of the school and saw neighbor Marianne and the daughter of Lisa’s French teacher. There are 340 girls, of which 40 are boarders.

The girls, $ and I went to explore the Silent Pool. We’d seen signs to the parking lot between Dorking and Guildford but didn’t know what was there. It was a lovely pool, must be spring fed and as clear as could be. There were lots of leaves floating on the water, so we plan to return in the spring. We also wandered around country lanes looking for the other school John and I have an appointment to see.

One day I heard John $ softly bleating and followed the sound to the guest room. Found the light turned on, and the baby pacing on hands and knees all around one of the beds! He had sense enough to know not to get off the bed head first. Several days later we saw him try it again and found he’d gotten on the bed by climbing up and through a bedside table.

Yesterday Chris G from the office came for the afternoon. We picked her up at the train station and drove to Polesden Lacey, a big country home with some lovely rooms. According to the guide book, this house was loaned to the Duke and Duchess of York for their honeymoon. (They later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.) We saw the house, wandered around the grounds, and came home for a hot cup of tea. We had a leisurely dinner, put the girls to bed, and Chris went back to London on the train. We enjoyed her a lot. She kept telling John she wanted to come out to play with the baby, and she did. She held him in the car in preference to sitting in the front seat to see more.

Today we rode the Bluebell Railroad, a steam engine drawn train, of course. [Why didn’t I take pictures???] Then we walked briskly through Sheffield Park Gardens because it was cold and almost closing time. Lovely autumn colors!

Logan and Lily

We were having an ordinary day when neighbor Shawn texted to see if her son Logan and granddaughter Lily could come over to visit. She added that Lily was the one who was excited about it. Logan knew our doorbell was broken and that he needed to pound on the door to get our attention. I heard John greet the children, and their enthusiastic voices rose as he told them we had a new doorbell. Ding! Dong! It worked!

They wandered around, deciding what they wanted to do. Both sat on the bench and “played” the piano. They were respectful of the instrument and didn’t pound on it. John reached over to play a note, asking them if they could match that tone. That’s when I rounded the corner with the camera. Both of them sang the note on pitch with no hesitation.

Lily decided to leave when we suggested playing with a balloon. As Logan went to get one, I remembered that Lily declined to play the last time she was here. I wonder if she doesn’t like balloons. One of my children can’t stand them. She is convinced it will break at any moment, and she hates the suspense. We’ll have to think of something else the next time Lily comes.

Logan always finds something unusual to do. He pulled the mouth of the balloon over his finger, up to the knot, and made it thump rapidly. We were amused.

We batted the balloon about for a while, and Logan glanced at the clock. He said, “I think I’ll go home, even though I don’t have to be there for ten more minutes.”

I’m not a mind-reader, but I think he was feeling a bit responsible for entertaining Lily. He thanked us at least three times and added a thank you on Lily’s behalf, too. His manners are amazing. Six years ago when we first knew him, he was prompted to thank people. Now it comes naturally and sincerely. What a boy!

Storm’s End and Flooding

We had rain and some gusty winds from former hurricane Zeta. As we waited for the storm to end, I spotted rainbows while sitting at the computer. The first one was brilliant, although the photo does not show it well. Grandson David came running to see it, and son John $pencer saw it from his room.

About an hour later I looked up, and there was a flattened rainbow. It looked like a giant had stepped on it. Clouds coming between us and the sun erased it momentarily. We played peek-a-boo for several minutes.

David had a rare day off, so he, John, and I went out for lunch and drove to Sunburst Falls. We had never seen the stream so full of water. Most impressive! For comparison, on the left there is a photo taken in December of 2019 with Lise and David on the rocks. The current photo on the right shows David with the swollen stream.

Below is a zoomed shot of David and the rushing torrent.

The end of the day was gorgeous with blue skies and fluffy clouds. The flooding? That would be moonlight flooding into the bedroom in the middle of the night, enough to cast shadows!

Beth and Bob Visit Us

My brother Bob and Beth proposed an afternoon visit, and we were delighted. It had been months since we last saw them. That morning I looked at the trees in our neighborhood, knowing they enjoy autumn leaves in the mountains. I hoped they would have a lovely drive from Winston Salem and would see something as bright as this.

We were on our street when I whipped out the camera again. I labeled this photo “Not a Pyramid”. One of the first things Beth said was they had rain and mist all the way until they came to Asheville. At least the last half hour of their trip was more pleasant.

The following photo shows Bob and Beth wearing masks on our front porch. They have been careful to avoid COVID-19, and so far that has paid off. They told us their grandson Sam caught the virus at college, although he had been careful, too. He had a cough and didn’t feel very well for a couple of days. John served them fresh apple cider he bought from the orchard a few days before.

As I put down my drink, the camera fell off my lap onto the floor. That was a good excuse to take another picture to make sure it was still working. The day was warm and sunny, perfect for sitting outside. As the sun moved, we scooted our chairs to stay out of the direct sunlight. I especially enjoyed hearing about their grandchildren and Beth’s family. Their granddaughter Kate has many of the same complaints Nathaniel has about on-line classes. Both are coping, but classroom learning is far better. Beth and Bob have enjoyed watching grandson Max play high school football on line. They live an hour or so away, so it’s really convenient to watch him from their living room.

Having a concentrated visit was most satisfactory. Son John $pencer was with us before I took photos, and he was very glad to see them again. We all hope to be together around Thanksgiving.

England 40 Years Ago — October 23, 1980

If all the mailing agencies involved are efficient, you will be getting this earlier than usual. Thought I’d write today (Thursday) before we take our trip this weekend when I’m sure to be in a non-letter writing mood.

John $ stays busy, even during nap time. He went to bed with his sweater on, and I found him later with it off! I might button it up if this continues; might deter him five minutes.

There was a coffee at school for parents of new children which I felt I had to go to. I could smell the coffee a block away and knew to avoid it. (So much coffee here is undrinkable – they call it HIGH ROAST, which in plainer English means BURNED.) I concentrated instead on conversation. The head mistress introduced me to one of Lisa’s teachers who chatted for a while and then led me over to another. All the smooth introductions reminded me of sorority rush week. The report on Lisa is that she has adjusted beautifully and does good work. Mrs. Fitzhugh said Kate is a willing worker, though awfully slow, and is very popular with her classmates. Kate is ahead in maths and can sound out words that the others can’t, though they criticized her jerky reading. Both girls have been hounded about presentation of work; this means their work is sloppy. Lisa’s is looking much better.

Kate’s teacher is new to this school. She’s just come from a school in the east end of London where she had 48 in her class. 38 of these were foreigners, and she claims most of them didn’t know how to eat with a knife and fork. She thinks having 16 in her form is just super.

Got my hair cut and told Bridget how much Mother liked her set. I’d just finished complimenting her when a cat streaked past John $’s pushchair. He began to cry. One of the young girls in the shop asked for permission to pick him up, and he cried even harder. Finally I held him; all the while Bridget never missed a whack of the scissors! I haven’t dared examine this cut closely. As soon as we went out, he quieted down and acted as if he were a model baby.

I’ve had a catch in my back for several days and decided to try the treatment that worked the first night – a hot bath. A hot bath at night does not equal a hot bath in the afternoon. I was undressed, standing poised in the tub with feet wet when I heard the doorbell. Voices were heard, but whose? Redressed, descended the stairs and found Lisa’s French teacher there wondering if she had set up a session with Lisa. She hadn’t. We made arrangements for Lisa to go with her then, and I’d pick her up in an hour. Right then I knew the time in the tub would be limited and not as relaxing as it should be. The water just would not get hot, just teasingly lukewarm. $ came and peered in the water; you could tell by the expression on his face that he wanted to throw all the toys he could find in with me. Then he was diverted by something else – the biggest play-thing in the house. The bathroom door! He sat there swinging it back and forth for all he was worth, making of it a giant fan that would have been welcome on a 90-degree day. Needless to say, it was not a welcome breeze! Back in the clothes and into the car to pick up Lisa! I told the backbone it just couldn’t ache because I didn’t have time for it.

Photo labeled “Three Children” doesn’t seem to belong anywhere else. I had none for this letter.

I was dancing attendance on the washing machine when I heard giggles and thumps close to me. Upon closer inspection, I found the cat door moving in time with the giggles. John was on the inside having the best time trying to peek out the little opening.

John $ led Kate a merry chase this afternoon. She decided to play “follow the leader” with him, copying his every move. He crawled under chairs and over table supports until she was almost worn out. That’s what you call really low-down fun!

Today I did some preliminary shopping for a Thanksgiving dinner. I know where to buy a turkey, was able to find cranberry sauce, but looked in vain for pumpkin. I know I’ve seen it in some store recently, but I can’t remember what store or where. Oh well, you can bump into mince meat every other aisle!

I thought Kate was doing so well with her preps, getting through by 5:30 or 6 each evening. The teacher looked at me as if I were crazy when I mentioned it the other night. She said the girls don’t really have preps until the next year, she just gives little things for them to do at home to get them in the habit of working at home. Could have fooled me.

John has been working very hard in the office, and we are looking forward to a leisurely trip this weekend. We plan to drive to Newcastle upon Tyne, taking the whole day Saturday. John asked around the office today to see what people would suggest we see in that area. (This is the very northern part of England, just short of Scotland.) Someone said this is the 900^th anniversary of the building of the new castle. Another said the new castle is a sooty old thing near some interesting trains. Doesn’t that sound funny?

We think we’ll stay there two nights, maybe three, and take side trips during the day. John isn’t planning to go to the office until Wednesday. If the weather is impossible, we’ll perhaps come home and relax. It will be so nice not to have to get out of bed spinning one’s wheels.

Stump Fire and Returning Nathaniel

Son John $pencer has a little camping auger he has been experimenting with. He drilled holes in a stump and showed grandsons David and Nathaniel how to set a tiny fire in it. The young men were in the dark, although they saw the light.

On our way to take Nathaniel back to his dorm, we ate at Flat Rock Wood Room not far from Carl Sandburg’s home. We were surprised to find any restaurant equally featuring barbecue and pizza. I thought the food was tasty and served imaginatively. The fellows all had a skillet filled with macaroni and cheese, topped with barbecued pork. David’s side dish was fried sweet potatoes in a tiny bucket. I had shrimp and grits with barbecue sauce.

You can tell I was trying to fit faces and food in the shot without paying attention to one face.

On the way home I savored the memories of Nathaniel’s quick visit. He told us about his busy life – working one job in the dorm and one in the cafeteria, for a total of 40 hours a week. He attends one class in person and takes the rest of his classes on line. He doesn’t have much time to cook. I was delighted that he brought some sweet potatoes and was willing to prepare them any way we wanted. It’s a pleasure to cook with him. He never gets in my way, and I try to stay out of his. The mashed sweets were marvelous.

My favorite story was set in the cafeteria. There was an area in the dining room where people were not supposed to step. Despite a sign on the floor, people continually walked there while glued to their phones. Nathaniel suggested they tape it off and put a mannequin there. It was his suggestion that turned into his assignment. He said he changed the clothes on the mannequin once a week and put it in different positions on the floor. Lots of people commented on it, and no one stepped there again. I wish I’d asked for a photo, because I’m sure he took a few.

After we came home, David and I were relaxing in easy chairs. I said, “I don’t think Nathaniel moved the mirror down.”

John had looked and said that was correct. David got up, and I reached for the camera. The ritual was obligatory, even without Nathaniel. With the mirror lower, John and I can now see our heads. It would be comfortable for David about five inches higher.