DRAMA UNDER THE WINDOW

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME


I'm going to start a new regular entry entitled: Drama Under the Window. And let me tell you why...

If you recall I have mentioned in past entries about the excitement outside our window. Living in the city can be pretty interesting at times and last night was no exception.

Let me back up just a little to explain that my last day of Early Morning Seminary was on Tuesday and I was really looking forward to being able to lie in (as they call it around here). So far no luck but I'm hoping things start going my way pretty soon. So to get back to my story...

At exactly 4:37 this morning I could hear some yelling outside my window. I was a little groggy because it did after all wake me from a deep sleep. So I laid there for a few minutes and the sound didn't seem to be moving along. Sometimes when the pubsters get through for the evening they can end up right under my window and make a real raucous. But this woman was screaming at the top of her lungs and making some kind of tribal war hoop sound. Hard to explain. Finally, I get up to see what is going on. Across the street (you know - where Royalty lives) there is this barefoot woman, skimpily dressed and yelling her head off in arabic.

Finally someone came to the door and he was pointing his finger at her and I think he was telling her to be quiet - at least I hope he was telling her that - because by now I'm sure the whole neighborhood is awake. She continues her war cry and is making a really weird sound. The man seemed a little desperate but clearly didn't know what to do so he went back into his house and shut the door. That did nothing to calm this woman down.

Now, neighbor enters from side, obviously angry and still in his cute little silk pajamas (sans robe). He walks right up to the lady, sticks his finger in her face and tells her, "shut up or I'm calling the police." The woman just kept up her screaming and that other weird sound and then she pulled out a cell phone and made a call and started doing that noise into the cell phone. The man was yelling for her to be quiet or he was going to call the police. She didn't stop and he grabbed the phone from her hand and started to make good on his threat with HER phone. I got a little chuckle out of that. She started whacking at him a little bit but he walked away - with her phone. At that point she started to scream some words we would ALL recognize, if you know what I mean.

That was it - she walked away - still barefooted. Then I was left with a whole family awake at 4:30 and me trying to explain a yelling, crazy woman in bare feet. On any other day I might even be described that way - but NOT at 4:30 in the morning.

So if anyone is ever laid up with a broken leg I have a great "Rear Window" for you to set yourself in front of!

Channel Surfing

I finally got the remote in my hand and I'm looking around for something to keep me interested for a few minutes and here are my choices:

Female Hoarders: Hidden Lives
21st Century Corsetry
Slinky Travel Wardrobe
My Body Hell
Celebrity Rehab
In the Bedroom
Heroes Unmasked
Two Pints of Lager and...
Gridlock and Roadrage
Only Fools and Horses
Dirty Sanchez 4:Behind the 7 Sins

and my personal favorite:

Goldenballs (it's a game show believe it or not)

I think I'll go read a book!

WE GAVE UP!

It has been raining for a few days. Yesterday was the bank holiday and I took Jeff and the kids over to the Family History Center to learn how to do indexing. We were there for a few hours and then we decided to go to lunch. We had the most incredible bad luck. First, remember it was raining like crazy, so we decide to walk (Jeff's idea) to a restaurant in Fulham. We walk and walk and can't find it so we get into a taxi and he can't find it so we get out and walk some more. Finally, we are freezing cold and wet and we decide to go back to our house and go to a restaurant there. We get all the way back, Andrea's begging to go home, and we get to the restaurant and there is a line out the door. Decide we can't wait so we go next door to a little pub and wait for a table. Finally, we get a table, sit down, take off our coats and go to order something and they said, "Sorry, we don't have enough staff to make food!" Why couldn't they tell us that in the first place? So we go to another place, go in, sit down, take off our coats, take 10 minutes to decide what to eat go to order and THEY aren't taking orders because they are closing in 20 minutes!!! I'm ready to scream. So then we go home and it is still raining and there is NOTHING in the house to eat except for this cake that I made the day before which I'm perfectly happy to eat but Jeff is getting a little irritated - HE WANTS FOOD. I DON'T want to cook. I figure I should get the day off - it was a holiday after all. We then try to order take-out and take 30 minutes to decide what, where and when and when we call we find out that they don't deliver to our area. Finally, Jeff just went to Sainsbury's and bought a couple of pizzas. AND we try a new lemon sorbet recipe which was fantastic. In the end we had to laugh - after we were dry and our stomachs were satiated that is...

I do have a cute pic of Andrea looking suspiciously like a little duck that I will post tomorrow. I have to get ready for my last seminary class today - which I am thrilled about by the way.

...ARE WE IN WIMBLEDON YET?

Today I talked Tay into going out for a little walk-a-bout. The hook was that somewhere or somehow we would stop to see the new Indiana Jones movie that just got into town. So we head on down to the tube station and I'm thinking we'll go to Wimbledon. The sun was out, my pocket was full of money - well, as full as it ever gets - and I was ready to go. For some reason, maybe it's a "Senior Moment" (that was the book Andrea got me for Mother's Day) but we ended up on the tube to Richmond. So I decide it was karma and we stayed on the tube all the way to Richmond.

Richmond is a wonderful little village, I've always known that, so we walk around a little, go to the movie (we liked it) and then we ask for directions to get back to the tube. The woman sends us via the waterfront because "it's a beautiful day." It was a great day and I thought we might as well go for a little boat ride on the Thames. That was only a 45 minute diversion but well worth the time it took. It was an amazing little ride with awesome scenery. Then we continued on our way and I just instinctively knew, I don't know how but I just did, when to get off the walk and head to the tube station. We decided to get off one stop early and buy three portions of crispy pork and rice from the little Canteen on the way.

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE...

I guess we'll save Wimbledon for another day...

GO WILD IN THE GARDEN

CHELSEA GARDEN SHOW 2008

ENGLAND arguably has some of the most beautiful gardens I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Today at the World Renowned Chelsea Garden Show I (and about 30,000 other people) saw some beautiful sites. I liked almost everything. This year things were a little more subdued and definitely had a 'green' theme.

There are around 600 exhibitors at the show. This includes: 22 show gardens; 22 small gardens, including courtyard gardens and urban gardens; 100 floral exhibitors in the Great Pavilion; approximately 300 garden product exhibitors.
International exhibitors come from countries as far away as the Sweden, Barbados, Sri Lanka, France, Holland, Germany, Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago and Zimbabwe.



The show is held annually for five days in May.
It has been held at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea since 1913.
This will be the 85th show to be held at this site.
Originally known as the Great Spring Show, it was first held in Kensington in 1862.


RHS staff, exhibitors and contractors start planning for the show 18 months in advance.
Work is already underway for the show in 2009.
It takes 800 people three and a half weeks to build the show.
Construction of the show includes 5km of piping, 185 toilets and enough canvas to cover six football pitches.
The Great Pavilion covers nearly 12,000 sq m.
Around 250 new plants have been launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show over the past four years.
17,000 sq m of turf is re-laid after the show.
The showground covers 11 acres.


My favorite garden was a 'school garden' that was made up with raised beds and had lots of herbs and vegetables. It was something I think would be great at my house some day.

It was a beautiful day to wander the gardens.

p.s. That lady had PINK hair!

BUSY WEEK AT THE B & B

We ushered out our great friends from Texas on Saturday, hurried and washed the sheets, vacuumed and cleaned (kind of) the bathroom and welcomed the newlyweds later on that day. They have been married for 1 1/2 weeks now and spent the first week in Spain. Had a great time and we are excited to have them here.



They didn't waste any time. After a quick bite to eat we all set out on the 'night walk'. Starting at Trafalgar Square and ending at the Westminister Bridge. It's a great way to see some of the most famous sites of London in the night all lit up. It's a great walk.
Jeff was there as was a friend of Andrea's.



We had as many visitors in church yesterday as we had members. It's getting to be that time of year. Wait a few more weeks and I think the majority swings toward the visitor side.



Tomorrow I'm heading off to the Chelsea Flower Show. I'll take some pictures. It should be good!

Backfire

On Sunday morning I was getting ready for church and Taylore ran into the room and said, "Mom, hurry you have to come downstairs there is a big rat in the kitchen." Now, I have heard in the past that you are never more than two feet away from a rat in London. So, I wasn't terribly surprised - but what DID surprise me was that Taylore actually thought that would get me down to the kitchen in a hurry. Looking back on the whole situation now kind of makes me laugh. We have this big, bruisin' Texan staying with us this week and I told Taylore to get Monte and have him take care of it - I mean that's the least you can do for a weeks room and board in London, right? But Tay would have none of that - "No, Mom, you have to come right now." So I put myself together, going slower than was necessary and finally got down to the kitchen ready to do battle with a big, hairy rat! When, what to my surprise, I see that my sweet daughters had prepared a big breakfast for me and put it on this plate - they wanted me to get there before everything got cold! Tay finally decided that she should have said, "Mom, hurry downstairs, Andrea has been bitten by a big rat!" She thinks that would have gotten me moving a little faster. So her plot kind of backfired! She'll learn... I still find myself saying to the kids, "You better get good grades or you will be working at McDonald's your whole life." It's about as effective as the rat thing.

Interesting side note - today after my walk I was sitting in the rose garden in Hyde Park just meditating on the next couple of months and what did I see scurrying in front of me - BUT A BIG HAIRY RAT!



Here is my window box after picture. It does look better but I'm still not sure about those scraggly lavender trees in the back. But I have used the rosemary in a dish or two.



This is the before pic.

PICTURES

I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE- I KNOW, I KNOW. NEXT TIME I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER.

MY LITTLE SECRET

Let me just preface this whole conversation with - I CAN WAIT! But last night I watched a little 10-month old baby while his parents went to a play. Mom and Dad made it clear that they haven't left him with many people over the last 10 months and you could tell they were a little nervous - but he didn't seem at all nervous. His mother did call me twice from the taxi on her way to the theatre. But this darling kid was a delight in every sense of the word. He came to me smiling. Giggled and played until way after bedtime - we were all having so much fun that we didn't want him to go to bed - and then when it was time for bed I put him in the porta-crib, put a blankie over him and gave him a little kiss - and he cooed himself to sleep. SO MUCH FUN!

I can wait, as I said before, but last night that little niggle started and I think I will be ready when it's time TO BE A GRANDMA!

OLD FRIENDS

On Saturday we met up with some old friends from Jeff's high school years. His daughter was here on a semester abroad and his other daughter lives here in one of the wards in the Stake. I'll never forget when Jeff found out that one of the girls in the semester abroad program was his friend's daughter. He was shocked, surprised, and even incredulous. It was so funny. I think he was thinking how can he be that 'OLD.' Of course, we have a daughter that could be in that program and we started very late by Utah standards. I guess the point is that you never feel your age. When you are 13, 14, and 15 you always feel older and then when you are 50, 51, and beyond you always feel younger. What funny tricks mother nature plays on us.

Phil brought his whole family and we talked and talked and talked. Jeff had a great time and could have gone on all night. Unfortunately, he had a meeting to go to so that curtailed his reminiscing and merrymaking. But it was sure fun.

Success Story

Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down and make up a menu for the coming week and order the groceries so that they will arrive either Monday or Tuesday. I always pick out several recipes that are new or that I've been wanting to try and I slip in several old favorites so I don't have a mutiny on my hands.

I don't know why but my kids are very particular about what they will eat - even at the advanced ages of 14 and 17. (My 21-year old does not even figure in this story as she will try anything and is a lot more fun to eat with and cook for than her sisters.) So I still have to insist, well I try to insist, that they at least try something before they decide it is inedible. I love to try new things and just can't figure out where their persnicketiness comes from - probably their father...

Anyway, this week's menu went something like this:

Monday: pasta salad and chicken steaks
Tuesday: pork,rice and bean burritos with carrot sticks
Wednesday: SALSA CHICKEN, CORN BREAD AND RICE - MORE CARROT STICKS
Thursday: Salmon Burgers, oven fries, salad
Friday: Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs, veggies
Saturday - Fend for yourself, I'm going to a restaurant!

You will notice I have capitalized Salsa Chicken, etc., because it was a resounding success and in my world that is worth capitalizing! So I thought I would pass along this new, easy recipe and you can try it out on your own unsuspecting bunch.

Salsa Chicken (From Allrecipes.com)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg of taco seasoning
1 cup salsa - any kind
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Put chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Pour salsa over all. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes then sprinkle cheese over evenly and put back in the oven for about 5 more minutes or until melted. You can top with sour cream if desired. (We left out the sour cream and they still loved it!)

It was easy and fast and we mixed up the leftover saucy stuff with the rice and it was great. The cornbread was an old favorite standby so they were happy indeed.

Finally, a dinner success. I don't think we will be as lucky with Salmon Burgers but that's okay because I'm still basking in the glow of my Salsa Chicken success story.