tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14906110025417282962024-03-19T18:31:21.578+00:00Maggy and Andy's BlogMaggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-39978447308707871712009-04-15T22:34:00.003+01:002009-04-15T22:54:33.473+01:00Easter (and my sweet shoe!)We had a really wonderful Easter. We went to church and then had Easter lunch with Andy's grandparents. As per usual, Nanny laid out quite a spread. She did a full Sunday Roast - pork, roast potatoes, veggies and THREE desserts, haha. THREE. Oh yea, and a cheese course!<br /><br />I am 25 (nearly 26) years old and Nanny has done an Easter Egg Hunt for me three years running, haha! I <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> it. Although this years efforts were sort of impeded because of my surgery. I basically had to look for them from my seat and have Andy get them for me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNTpEXgPATsiR2Zq0q5iNRjFYEBZkxDgrp72uwH83xboTz44nJz6TWae5Z1S17ldEO5GwjzecNxSWlGl4zVb6pPEMtjUP-vcQZJ70qJ4eB-C-fcPcV2qkF9K2JDII9bIuFJEmRbTqKdQ/s1600-h/CIMG2836.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNTpEXgPATsiR2Zq0q5iNRjFYEBZkxDgrp72uwH83xboTz44nJz6TWae5Z1S17ldEO5GwjzecNxSWlGl4zVb6pPEMtjUP-vcQZJ70qJ4eB-C-fcPcV2qkF9K2JDII9bIuFJEmRbTqKdQ/s320/CIMG2836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325036476293778018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB9u8GuuPyxYEVnSiE9_64qLaQsSC9CKCBRCXeRCQEVZXNcxcuRPEZFcL3Ns-1dygdBlb-_McDQasqEglMJwOo3ks8YGdfYR-vk2bwxnGj1J4dMeC-4Tkztnvw3gCOshNgb90Ls0rZjY/s1600-h/CIMG2837.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB9u8GuuPyxYEVnSiE9_64qLaQsSC9CKCBRCXeRCQEVZXNcxcuRPEZFcL3Ns-1dygdBlb-_McDQasqEglMJwOo3ks8YGdfYR-vk2bwxnGj1J4dMeC-4Tkztnvw3gCOshNgb90Ls0rZjY/s320/CIMG2837.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325036481077473650" border="0" /></a>Andy eating cheese - how he fit it? I have no idea. We were stuffed.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4ymZz8s6KglmcgbtnOdlaeeRdHYuU58qSexr1D9Ew-RHUkNkzwPKIqXQHJG6jJVnyhLUxhVsLfhPUaIJpcDkN_RMn3daEvOHCiNWtNDU9DK0ja6oqqTOaIJ-plhyTF-GOKDun2zafnI/s1600-h/CIMG2832.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4ymZz8s6KglmcgbtnOdlaeeRdHYuU58qSexr1D9Ew-RHUkNkzwPKIqXQHJG6jJVnyhLUxhVsLfhPUaIJpcDkN_RMn3daEvOHCiNWtNDU9DK0ja6oqqTOaIJ-plhyTF-GOKDun2zafnI/s320/CIMG2832.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325036473982494866" border="0" /></a>The spoils of the Easter Egg Hunt<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixc8JyIDdNI3pH96QfyR-7x1NokVpRS8KPYBL8DiOHE3P6fdCZcXD-8l-GHXz-HpO4IEqi34MwATDHbqNN-gtovrQEQrYSbWMSqklDtaBzMryHUjRZYK_e3c8WT3vVCMyJ6_GInDAmqKo/s1600-h/CIMG2826.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixc8JyIDdNI3pH96QfyR-7x1NokVpRS8KPYBL8DiOHE3P6fdCZcXD-8l-GHXz-HpO4IEqi34MwATDHbqNN-gtovrQEQrYSbWMSqklDtaBzMryHUjRZYK_e3c8WT3vVCMyJ6_GInDAmqKo/s320/CIMG2826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325036469596755250" border="0" /> </a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Clever Nanny, hiding the eggs with the dwarves!</span><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEa2_jdE3ev5hAFtJUD0XVFluR7IPKXInWkBFgWeyJk-E4y-C5AjzpkAdLfFbdNELBLMyWm01dhyphenhyphenIKFDUiF5uU-SUkM5P10u_CrFq0Y8bL8Gap2Xu1ReNL1EGaFXa13-Jok9wsR6Zl0w/s1600-h/CIMG2820.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEa2_jdE3ev5hAFtJUD0XVFluR7IPKXInWkBFgWeyJk-E4y-C5AjzpkAdLfFbdNELBLMyWm01dhyphenhyphenIKFDUiF5uU-SUkM5P10u_CrFq0Y8bL8Gap2Xu1ReNL1EGaFXa13-Jok9wsR6Zl0w/s320/CIMG2820.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325036480037465490" border="0" /></a>Ugh. The bane of my existense. This nasty, horrible, velcro-looking shoe. I have to wear it when I go out to protect my foot. There is NO WAY to make this look good. Haha! <br />But I only have to wear it one more week : )<br /></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-88744914090100106232009-04-12T16:41:00.002+01:002009-04-12T16:52:12.962+01:00Views from around mom and dad's house in PA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eXfPdQgAosPMbr5ol1dnNaE_uWB-V7Dzgo4EmeUXBf3svSNNqE4WhNGOqtk-YIfwO_DE7hu0S3aXstbjzH6AUBk1kqDf4vQU1EERaStj2z_2ayGIh40mfT9KwwmkzGdan3zsxznhmw0/s1600-h/Visit+Home+059.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eXfPdQgAosPMbr5ol1dnNaE_uWB-V7Dzgo4EmeUXBf3svSNNqE4WhNGOqtk-YIfwO_DE7hu0S3aXstbjzH6AUBk1kqDf4vQU1EERaStj2z_2ayGIh40mfT9KwwmkzGdan3zsxznhmw0/s320/Visit+Home+059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323832358262307410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UDpgta78lM7oV2EhIgoy1WcNjcE120NGE0YaGZ7-tiNica58qsNrqbQvpsg2GwwtoMKK2KVcf6m3ogP1V8TC5qG3kKwzGNJ0yPUdDZXva_vspBjisPvnh_EFvtowA1IyiUxwX8xQ18k/s1600-h/Visit+Home+063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UDpgta78lM7oV2EhIgoy1WcNjcE120NGE0YaGZ7-tiNica58qsNrqbQvpsg2GwwtoMKK2KVcf6m3ogP1V8TC5qG3kKwzGNJ0yPUdDZXva_vspBjisPvnh_EFvtowA1IyiUxwX8xQ18k/s320/Visit+Home+063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323832351634744018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXvU1Njxro0IJraYuoOGKBF7Iqd1DZ3VaAPIYoqpVeCESew1s5qnbhDQUBIfJDhtEKnlbYDexIZ6HByyHwpGHkzKlgRBpz1g1pGd2iP5JND1kp7yUWy-znWWy4b6ofEgQcFk2WBRwJ4g/s1600-h/Visit+Home+074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXvU1Njxro0IJraYuoOGKBF7Iqd1DZ3VaAPIYoqpVeCESew1s5qnbhDQUBIfJDhtEKnlbYDexIZ6HByyHwpGHkzKlgRBpz1g1pGd2iP5JND1kp7yUWy-znWWy4b6ofEgQcFk2WBRwJ4g/s320/Visit+Home+074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323832347683447282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfkky9H6m99Rs3YFJWNVUphwvZvxEQ7F_iiQvxEfK2FCcGVrfr9DXBiRhpVcgpuGgsXj-NBvwjK10A_3W3dmBmL74EXEXBsVuKUydZ9W4F89DgiA-q484Wuk3q80PHgNa_MrJaV-pxTA/s1600-h/Visit+Home+066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfkky9H6m99Rs3YFJWNVUphwvZvxEQ7F_iiQvxEfK2FCcGVrfr9DXBiRhpVcgpuGgsXj-NBvwjK10A_3W3dmBmL74EXEXBsVuKUydZ9W4F89DgiA-q484Wuk3q80PHgNa_MrJaV-pxTA/s320/Visit+Home+066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323832344473112802" border="0" /></a>Sharon and I went for a walk one morning while we were in PA and I just took a few pictures....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kJbI4Lky_jX1Ov5uxK1m0Y1WLhAUvT3mm9cJaKr3xJUGkAdvzBUJaw9lgMSMEbW59kB7doxiYbpcdCpQf2YTNu1WDjcywW5HLar0E1b2vG5iNAW2bZzKUQ4TX2j4bWVaSBEurdmlUTA/s1600-h/Visit+Home+063.jpg"><br /></a>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-14856212800685762102009-04-10T15:44:00.003+01:002009-04-10T15:53:28.841+01:00SURGERY!<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPNgtzAYCerctu_PofuRJ7m9TmEs_RlU8tn_26hU__5I6ilwkTWnot2qtyMKFIVAldhhUtFjDdswhyrrhDL7zFSffN32a95-APHhX98idZwOgyLhyphenhyphenAu7CFJFQo3FtUOhtxZW6RlLMHVc/s1600-h/Visit+Home+097.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPNgtzAYCerctu_PofuRJ7m9TmEs_RlU8tn_26hU__5I6ilwkTWnot2qtyMKFIVAldhhUtFjDdswhyrrhDL7zFSffN32a95-APHhX98idZwOgyLhyphenhyphenAu7CFJFQo3FtUOhtxZW6RlLMHVc/s320/Visit+Home+097.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323075055534789058" border="0" /></a>I love the arrow my doctor drew on my leg - nothing like being sure!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ71YBiLJKgTKkDXipHc6XWEcJSJG8w5OhfNm3HqZ9vyOdC45WqLyrOxwNFfXs5kMdck-69If2bQCnUIaelAQJecUgg2T5lmbR7zyWVZbKaSqreb8F-nlwyzKOfwAty9uucfGF96Yql-I/s1600-h/Visit+Home+099.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ71YBiLJKgTKkDXipHc6XWEcJSJG8w5OhfNm3HqZ9vyOdC45WqLyrOxwNFfXs5kMdck-69If2bQCnUIaelAQJecUgg2T5lmbR7zyWVZbKaSqreb8F-nlwyzKOfwAty9uucfGF96Yql-I/s320/Visit+Home+099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323075050677058002" border="0" /></a>Well I finally had my surgery yesterday afternoon. Some of you may remember that I sprained my ankle quite horribly last September while I was running. Things never really got better and I've been in the process of seeing my GP, then physio, then specialist, then MRI, then results, then setting up surgery, etc. Andy took the day off work to be with me, and is now taking great care of me : ) He is actually off today was well because of the Bank Holiday weekend. But I have to be off my leg for at least two weeks : ( Fortunately I have a lot of work to do, so as soon as I become a bit less groggy I'm going to get on with that. For the moment though, feeling good!<br /></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-64981429515115065792009-03-17T20:20:00.002+00:002009-03-17T20:25:20.365+00:00Happy St. Patrick's Day!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZOXycP-A9fI5ySN4nl_kfQIymf8QQbgMQ0VIMwUxysvVifTEUana9IhZ4KV4jLbSNrDIpcVdrDQPVdZT3sDFmkGcMTH-ft2JIXWt4_HLHQ0D2q9MNbjBG_QTmnP5zwJfhW3q0MwwQzw/s1600-h/CIMG2631.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZOXycP-A9fI5ySN4nl_kfQIymf8QQbgMQ0VIMwUxysvVifTEUana9IhZ4KV4jLbSNrDIpcVdrDQPVdZT3sDFmkGcMTH-ft2JIXWt4_HLHQ0D2q9MNbjBG_QTmnP5zwJfhW3q0MwwQzw/s320/CIMG2631.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314254629749150002" border="0" /></a>I made a lamb stew - that's sort of Irish, right?<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But it's my very American Mom's recipe... <br />She said she was proud of me when she was this picture.<br />Andy and I ate it ALL. It was y-u-m.<br /><br />P.S. - I'm going home on FRIDAY for 17 days!!!<br />Can't wait to see Mom, Dad and Sharon (who got into YALE!)<br />P.P.S- I'm going to miss Andy, who will be in Austria snowboarding :(<br />P.P.S - He will not miss me! Haha.<br /></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-77466712813694838762009-03-06T12:49:00.003+00:002009-03-06T13:10:09.601+00:00Projects<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Victoria Sponge! (Nanny's Recipe)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>Nanny Mayhew gave me her Victoria Sponge recipe<br />This cake is an English institution...perfect for tea time<br />YUM! YUM! YUM!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9W8__85XFLVo8k6VWElewgJJWDLeLcN2SOka5Ax9Rgrf5OpdBcat_qtzMeOqBrzsV6ey7wNyDmIUzSTTZN1IXzfQq4RmL3HxvSorevpJTbYbEq5E1wKMFlZkX9jHZNv7h1v66uEYzsw0/s1600-h/CIMG2598.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9W8__85XFLVo8k6VWElewgJJWDLeLcN2SOka5Ax9Rgrf5OpdBcat_qtzMeOqBrzsV6ey7wNyDmIUzSTTZN1IXzfQq4RmL3HxvSorevpJTbYbEq5E1wKMFlZkX9jHZNv7h1v66uEYzsw0/s320/CIMG2598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310056929709363682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3S0RKVteWJqhG1MHFDPpNVUXCbmFVY3ofwU6wkknsThVLsIGNGwvRBxHt0VvgigNjhwzBSkvcsjotwkHOALz5pDxph88tgQm5IlefYm0uiESdmE3gX_XAHPMqwqBRjFDGqgGqMPsBWNY/s1600-h/CIMG2597.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3S0RKVteWJqhG1MHFDPpNVUXCbmFVY3ofwU6wkknsThVLsIGNGwvRBxHt0VvgigNjhwzBSkvcsjotwkHOALz5pDxph88tgQm5IlefYm0uiESdmE3gX_XAHPMqwqBRjFDGqgGqMPsBWNY/s320/CIMG2597.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310056918752232642" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdRQMwEh7mHfe635MrrJzU0s7yXBbThNXal51ijxPUh0yqcQ2XiK9gGnB_tbastau75E4I18zfsAtfJ27Pb7G7NsiPbHKixsXlXJonfUICf0-m5MahlCvGND84kNHJbLiyxuWdj497M0/s1600-h/CIMG2596.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdRQMwEh7mHfe635MrrJzU0s7yXBbThNXal51ijxPUh0yqcQ2XiK9gGnB_tbastau75E4I18zfsAtfJ27Pb7G7NsiPbHKixsXlXJonfUICf0-m5MahlCvGND84kNHJbLiyxuWdj497M0/s320/CIMG2596.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310056910638407490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoz3TQpjV33KuBPwy9EYtlUzWZjSpgFhCkhwGLTjY5a1zxAlmMAQJEpwgkozJgSva2Yr5LvZVZYUjgoY33nOZydCZFCrTz-S-7V59XS0fSYuY2yjrwsy-oCpjn1FrrCeV_bfUxaQoV98/s1600-h/CIMG2602.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoz3TQpjV33KuBPwy9EYtlUzWZjSpgFhCkhwGLTjY5a1zxAlmMAQJEpwgkozJgSva2Yr5LvZVZYUjgoY33nOZydCZFCrTz-S-7V59XS0fSYuY2yjrwsy-oCpjn1FrrCeV_bfUxaQoV98/s320/CIMG2602.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310056933754608642" border="0" /></a>And I've started knitting. Nanny taught me that too - she's the best. I'm making a big scarf :)<br /></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-59895379541395975012009-03-02T06:57:00.005+00:002009-03-02T07:20:54.125+00:00UpdateI haven't posted in nearly a month. Things have been really busy here - and when I'm not running around like a headless chicken, there's nothing newsworthy to write about! My life has become pretty small these days - between my home, university and work at the pub. Although my course is going very well - I can't believe the things I'm learning. Right now I'm working on an essay about urbanization and slums in developing countries (very current, has anyone seen Slumdog Millionaire? So cute!) And so far, my grades have been really good. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQpD2uINl0TFivy2fEzY_tfVeUfVCoFHxX2ZeAC-cY1EQd3cHeDmfz2iH0V5GTpBfVSyaMZuxmpa_ljYR0CUS4Fpe27rYodoiyfnmkbGk99CeRshWRzx-gu3II3VeTQgijkIhS1JJ0tw/s1600-h/CIMG2573.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQpD2uINl0TFivy2fEzY_tfVeUfVCoFHxX2ZeAC-cY1EQd3cHeDmfz2iH0V5GTpBfVSyaMZuxmpa_ljYR0CUS4Fpe27rYodoiyfnmkbGk99CeRshWRzx-gu3II3VeTQgijkIhS1JJ0tw/s320/CIMG2573.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308482094307242162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3AuBB3-T1uIWhXeiHEFsB0AHpcCnwd67DWpOVMKti9AGxP5p5k5sBot6-jaE2pqGU4v15sYjIaQ9k7GIs_SzjSBlpKPjHmfWrhFeq-7464NyU_ZrLe2Yw-D1IxpYk1KOGnn6B_pa8_E/s1600-h/CIMG2584.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3AuBB3-T1uIWhXeiHEFsB0AHpcCnwd67DWpOVMKti9AGxP5p5k5sBot6-jaE2pqGU4v15sYjIaQ9k7GIs_SzjSBlpKPjHmfWrhFeq-7464NyU_ZrLe2Yw-D1IxpYk1KOGnn6B_pa8_E/s320/CIMG2584.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308482082904364706" border="0" /></a>The student pile is growing and now migrating to other areas of the living room! This was for the last essay I handed in on Labour Market Models (yuck! by far the most boring essay I've written). I did clean up after it, but now I'm in the throws of another essay so it's growing again. I wonder what the house will look like when I'm writing my dissertation?!<br /><br />We did quite a bit of work in the garden yesterday. It's getting warmer out so I thought we had better prep the greenhouse. We moved the table outside and that has freed up so much extra space. I can't wait to put the plants in the ground, but I think I'll have to wait a few more weeks. Because even though it's getting more Spring-like, we did have frost this morning.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagVtnhP64ZSNHuEssIhH3Xa7EjJLnQ2zlH9ENN8T8QJ3R3iO2epqD7i1p3sbK1ZcEXIbi7vt7okjiYYG5XsanzNbPD5Y_-XA4rlbh4FZ99AVugcrqV6rSJBgN5hWYumPLAKEz8Gl8k6o/s1600-h/CIMG2590.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagVtnhP64ZSNHuEssIhH3Xa7EjJLnQ2zlH9ENN8T8QJ3R3iO2epqD7i1p3sbK1ZcEXIbi7vt7okjiYYG5XsanzNbPD5Y_-XA4rlbh4FZ99AVugcrqV6rSJBgN5hWYumPLAKEz8Gl8k6o/s320/CIMG2590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308482075012367538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2Eg3NZAwXt-tiFc5mQJnc71O2w6AC6JCc-wo0ZCeQN24PPSYL0vzwxM01sr3jF2I4Kll6CRjuZaafFglIz5U9MAsQ5kGW8MaS9jd4_mMljNvoMhsqkh1ywQNqQSEc2Rwjczke8np-LE/s1600-h/CIMG2589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2Eg3NZAwXt-tiFc5mQJnc71O2w6AC6JCc-wo0ZCeQN24PPSYL0vzwxM01sr3jF2I4Kll6CRjuZaafFglIz5U9MAsQ5kGW8MaS9jd4_mMljNvoMhsqkh1ywQNqQSEc2Rwjczke8np-LE/s320/CIMG2589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308482066499153922" border="0" /></a>This year we're planning on doing: cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, runner beans, courgettes (aka zuchinnis), cucumbers, red/green peppers and a good variety of herbs. I might see about a few other things too when we're at the garden centre. It sort of depends on space.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHZpkaqlnk80Hwg0VzwHeBbu0oJtSH_qs8DYVjPiVnRXIHut-yfKC8Ml-TWaAa56gvqLOHTzINUx1qwzCzejRiLEMui41w6ncil4J67lPSSfUq9Ft0psCer5Tq6EuFPu_DMHbHoLmsGY/s1600-h/CIMG2575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHZpkaqlnk80Hwg0VzwHeBbu0oJtSH_qs8DYVjPiVnRXIHut-yfKC8Ml-TWaAa56gvqLOHTzINUx1qwzCzejRiLEMui41w6ncil4J67lPSSfUq9Ft0psCer5Tq6EuFPu_DMHbHoLmsGY/s320/CIMG2575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308483788093674354" border="0" /></a>Valentines Day also happened. I made Andy heart-shaped pancakes and a strawberry smoothie. He loved it. He got me a rose and a card. Inside the card there were details for a day out in Windsor, redeemable at any time. Including a trip to the Windsor Farm Shop, my favourite!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHDogTaoQ9HPOCLNK8Rd5-KQU2wxApcVaknQtCFj_6tKTJwyCrd5NiCS2CY9RXMvZjStsAHh7IL6IKQS-T7LCHINYnQFCA7BRhZISnpuFQcAjdT_hsiZn5OJsZZX_u12AVm9oJn2WCr8/s1600-h/CIMG2578.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHDogTaoQ9HPOCLNK8Rd5-KQU2wxApcVaknQtCFj_6tKTJwyCrd5NiCS2CY9RXMvZjStsAHh7IL6IKQS-T7LCHINYnQFCA7BRhZISnpuFQcAjdT_hsiZn5OJsZZX_u12AVm9oJn2WCr8/s320/CIMG2578.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308483800721447938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4SrC0QGohH0nmkC9U_VcU0L1dsR8wcvvQGWJXCx9uNJc7qHWC7NGh9HdtHzGKQwzNN6t-HjZxIrQyoclKjYT97yq9YvKzKs61FKE6WvQX2l6cHRnE-0uMz8rXkeSRXaqXn9MuDt0ArA/s1600-h/CIMG2580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4SrC0QGohH0nmkC9U_VcU0L1dsR8wcvvQGWJXCx9uNJc7qHWC7NGh9HdtHzGKQwzNN6t-HjZxIrQyoclKjYT97yq9YvKzKs61FKE6WvQX2l6cHRnE-0uMz8rXkeSRXaqXn9MuDt0ArA/s320/CIMG2580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308483806620603506" border="0" /></a><br />And just because....<br /><br />We had some friends over for a pizza/movie night last Monday. They had a baby beginning of January, a little boy called Callum. I LOVE clothes with little feet on them! I've decided that when we have a baby it will be dressed only in clothes with feet and probably things like ears and tails, haha. So cute!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6h2Y0k_cXulQAuY2Swgsg4IlXGmJ0Xtmw0dDDfwmpNSnVFTw0vknQMwgImGP0KgiHtistbzI0xHbo0oW-r2uzfRXd0mFpE1x3HwNlX75t1_CJwuus0ohtqXKS3nXRf5PSDJGQ3DNezA/s1600-h/CIMG2588.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6h2Y0k_cXulQAuY2Swgsg4IlXGmJ0Xtmw0dDDfwmpNSnVFTw0vknQMwgImGP0KgiHtistbzI0xHbo0oW-r2uzfRXd0mFpE1x3HwNlX75t1_CJwuus0ohtqXKS3nXRf5PSDJGQ3DNezA/s320/CIMG2588.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308483815292309426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GHa0mTTio7p_30NsGTLLENh1f3bKwT6pyKO_Izf7Y_WLmxfioSCZWP_gTcrnSe97BWXXME2DZCrXAjFRsSY13GckLLbGf-ekdYcFczjig6SZXZKz8Et8TdLdNmDHyLxPgmSJtTZXkSU/s1600-h/CIMG2586.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GHa0mTTio7p_30NsGTLLENh1f3bKwT6pyKO_Izf7Y_WLmxfioSCZWP_gTcrnSe97BWXXME2DZCrXAjFRsSY13GckLLbGf-ekdYcFczjig6SZXZKz8Et8TdLdNmDHyLxPgmSJtTZXkSU/s320/CIMG2586.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308485603224174770" border="0" /></a>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-21281965138403931232009-02-02T10:09:00.004+00:002009-02-02T10:19:00.392+00:006-8 inches of SNOW and it's still falling!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2C7ckGbcqyEkPd5AGFoi5wDAIP25AeFTKV3zeoZkJv92HCTFwRhEzQEaasAp-_u7vxz4BLdU8yn_BGnBqw0x3vDt19fVsTK08mElnTtVZGsHoKrVfxHlVOCKkSuViPeET7FOfXJgDjw/s1600-h/CIMG2561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2C7ckGbcqyEkPd5AGFoi5wDAIP25AeFTKV3zeoZkJv92HCTFwRhEzQEaasAp-_u7vxz4BLdU8yn_BGnBqw0x3vDt19fVsTK08mElnTtVZGsHoKrVfxHlVOCKkSuViPeET7FOfXJgDjw/s320/CIMG2561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141180295672098" border="0" /></a>This never happens! I've been so jealous of all the snow that's been happening in America - and finally my wish came true - loads and loads of snow in the UK! And so much that we're snowed in! I can't go to Uni and Andy can't go to work. The roads are terrible - no London buses are running, most trains are canceled and things have pretty much ground to a halt at all the major airports. We've got a fun day ahead of us!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUVPVrYUDmzeM8GmrmFul-3pbQYIXyHMXtPp0NW_hxiSyC7FtcECe5HtgjvZDdkvFXZ1cB8bqQGvj2NOCToHUJ4-OPyGlgTlh3GU-IoE4hH6xU2K0z8_yFYyuIZaDeHQ8FaUd6jL3OLo/s1600-h/CIMG2556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUVPVrYUDmzeM8GmrmFul-3pbQYIXyHMXtPp0NW_hxiSyC7FtcECe5HtgjvZDdkvFXZ1cB8bqQGvj2NOCToHUJ4-OPyGlgTlh3GU-IoE4hH6xU2K0z8_yFYyuIZaDeHQ8FaUd6jL3OLo/s320/CIMG2556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141200350016338" border="0" /></a>The view down our street to the right<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht294EBdJbPeoS9joX5IDk8SjnvLWGXPQiJIyIkX_596eeGAZeds4mLq0CuJfN4QsRy8HE_y4HBWzJvDrQIU3J3nN0VBJvD4cDgit05oBFbX2u4MNspn23vM2qs_uzgY45xNIY_rSNPVQ/s1600-h/CIMG2559.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht294EBdJbPeoS9joX5IDk8SjnvLWGXPQiJIyIkX_596eeGAZeds4mLq0CuJfN4QsRy8HE_y4HBWzJvDrQIU3J3nN0VBJvD4cDgit05oBFbX2u4MNspn23vM2qs_uzgY45xNIY_rSNPVQ/s320/CIMG2559.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141190572474146" border="0" /></a>The view down our street to the left<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WStvRULdpuChotq0lIyIguJtCZmUMQkA87xFmq98gRuBAAW1mBWRIziCAz2bH6XB0D47h75DfDIqWr5kOmvZmnsIFlAcu3_lPykaOOivPHbfrS5gQ9fuMILbl0YP6g7imG17tPz_i8Y/s1600-h/CIMG2566.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WStvRULdpuChotq0lIyIguJtCZmUMQkA87xFmq98gRuBAAW1mBWRIziCAz2bH6XB0D47h75DfDIqWr5kOmvZmnsIFlAcu3_lPykaOOivPHbfrS5gQ9fuMILbl0YP6g7imG17tPz_i8Y/s320/CIMG2566.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141185461019058" border="0" /></a>Our picnic table - you can see! Loads of snow!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH3OaPQ3e8YQje6_GYvIKt_5Dw_Rr8LUSKXgMva2BKa0VEKN_cvR1X7R11UFnnqNBknTBGZBiPMgt1HEFDvUUieh8Ju7JGDCZkMsRLYmpI9kI7uIKKq62JPX_lOd_dDDcOy2Dp1YY77Q/s1600-h/CIMG2555.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH3OaPQ3e8YQje6_GYvIKt_5Dw_Rr8LUSKXgMva2BKa0VEKN_cvR1X7R11UFnnqNBknTBGZBiPMgt1HEFDvUUieh8Ju7JGDCZkMsRLYmpI9kI7uIKKq62JPX_lOd_dDDcOy2Dp1YY77Q/s320/CIMG2555.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141182888154178" border="0" /></a>My feet are nearly lost in the snow :) YEA!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'm a happy camper. Bring on the soup and hot chocolate! Andy is threatening to get his snowboard out and join the kids sledding on the hill in the park out back. Haha! <br /></div></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-40450013142118777932009-01-25T21:27:00.002+00:002009-01-25T21:33:43.482+00:00"7 Minute Frosting"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDXOa5IRVp8jeqTjqnBGfjY9otYu19Dg-YEStZNRKkzxxnqPjvYlqANJ9b4rD3SqyxHqF47-UzHsdwzTsTnMI18K0CMS5YI_EUPvIT6z_8Ql7lBVHF_e03WhyphenhyphenEmSnwwb-t9CZDREA7Jo/s1600-h/Cupcakes+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDXOa5IRVp8jeqTjqnBGfjY9otYu19Dg-YEStZNRKkzxxnqPjvYlqANJ9b4rD3SqyxHqF47-UzHsdwzTsTnMI18K0CMS5YI_EUPvIT6z_8Ql7lBVHF_e03WhyphenhyphenEmSnwwb-t9CZDREA7Jo/s320/Cupcakes+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295346877588594402" border="0" /></a>This frosting his revolutionized my baking life! I know most everyone loves butter cream frosting, but I don't. I don't like the way it tastes and I find it really hard to work with - first it's too soft, then you put it in the fridge and it's too hard. I know it's a well known thing, but I found a recipe for "7 Minute Frosting" in a book called, "Hello, Cupcake" - and I've never looked back. It looks so pretty & shiny : ) And it tastes like marshmallow fluff! I made these cupcakes for a birthday dinner I had for my friend, Emily. She loved it too :) So if you haven't tried it yet - next time you make cupcakes...or a cake....make this frosting. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnyR0SlF5UJS9uq2KgwJ_gUWh171k_zjqzxQF6voDNAJ2xEgJIit-Zey6vXk1HnCAqEiZjrglJV2Nch0l8ceN4g_p1cMQbq01NCcjUPItsU1DIuKSnDNaA580gkYiKgWL-Q431l3FuN4/s1600-h/Cupcakes+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnyR0SlF5UJS9uq2KgwJ_gUWh171k_zjqzxQF6voDNAJ2xEgJIit-Zey6vXk1HnCAqEiZjrglJV2Nch0l8ceN4g_p1cMQbq01NCcjUPItsU1DIuKSnDNaA580gkYiKgWL-Q431l3FuN4/s320/Cupcakes+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295346883536704162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgcBAfESY-OSmQFnsMcRK4EB_z5bDcvSxms1Uap1BXduF81OQ2Cc6XkT2JuI3JA4r-o7Z-9hvtFYS_B90ILeSUTVxkBQVlFryBoCDvzDJXszqclaHQGdY8E5yME70-Qd7eMRNs-9bJas/s1600-h/Cupcakes+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgcBAfESY-OSmQFnsMcRK4EB_z5bDcvSxms1Uap1BXduF81OQ2Cc6XkT2JuI3JA4r-o7Z-9hvtFYS_B90ILeSUTVxkBQVlFryBoCDvzDJXszqclaHQGdY8E5yME70-Qd7eMRNs-9bJas/s320/Cupcakes+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295346890627734290" border="0" /></a>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-26290854082058603152009-01-21T08:17:00.009+00:002009-01-21T13:09:27.929+00:00It's been a while....a post-Christmas Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZRleBp3a3MItDsaaiutbh30AX-BaY3Xrciz-_Q9wZchzJgK9ciGO59PdM49WEJGEjestJXgbz3M9Nyetbi-HCo7RcMbi4LV2PDDmuAEfa4HWLn0hBoRYmrgRlakpyl0Jc-9QfAMZJX8/s1600-h/CIMG2250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZRleBp3a3MItDsaaiutbh30AX-BaY3Xrciz-_Q9wZchzJgK9ciGO59PdM49WEJGEjestJXgbz3M9Nyetbi-HCo7RcMbi4LV2PDDmuAEfa4HWLn0hBoRYmrgRlakpyl0Jc-9QfAMZJX8/s320/CIMG2250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293659548842980962" border="0" /></a>Christmas Eve<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sorry for the lack of posts! I've just been a very busy girl since we got back from America on 7th January. We came home and really hit the ground running...I had class the next morning and had to get up at 6:00am! Ouch. I also wasn't in a rush to post because - <span style="font-style: italic;">the whole family is on facebook now! Including Grandpa! - </span>so if I upload photos to facebook, everyone sees them there. But here are a few Christmas photos. And I guess the difference between this and facebook is that you can actually write something to accompany the pictures here.<br /><br />This was probably the greatest Christmas ever for me, for a lot of reasons - but I'm always happy when my family is together. Other notable moments:<br /><br />1) Christmas Day at my parents new house in PA - dad said he felt like this was the inauguration of the house after having a major holiday there. Our dear friends Amber & James spent Christmas Day with us.<br /><br />2) We did a day trip to Philadelphia to show Andy some of the sites, i.e. Liberty Bell & Independence Hall -but I think he was MOST excited about a hotdog he had with "the works" for $1.25. That was cute.<br /><br />3) I got to cook and bake a lot with my mom and sister, that was a real highlight for me. Also, I got a cupcake decorating kit for Christmas - you can see my first couple attempts below (haha) - and then there's the mince pies which I am <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> proud of!<br /><br />4) We had a New Year's Eve party at the new house with all our close friends from PA and it was great to catch up with them, I hadn't seen most of them since the wedding. Some friends gave us a disco ball, which we hung, and then it turned into a dance party. Fab.<br /><br />5) Mom, Dad, Sharon, Andy and I went on a trip to Boston which was a lot of fun, despite the fact that it was absolutely <span style="font-style: italic;">freezing</span>. Highlights there - awesome hotel, shopping, The Freedom Trail, Mike's Pastry and finding a Wagamama's outside the UK!<br /><br />6) I got some great presents - two really cute aprons, one from Anthropologie and one from here, <a href="http://www.sommerdesigns.com/">http://www.sommerdesigns.com/</a> - check out the website! A new Le Creuset pot, the aforementioned cupcake decorating kit, travel mugs (for taking coffee and soup to school), books, some cute clothes, earrings - Santa was good to me this year :)<br /><br />7) Oh! And Andy got his first proper suit! My parents got it for him for Christmas and he looks H-O-T in it : )<br /><br />I think that was all the major moments - but of course there were so many little moments that I cherished as well. Like the night dad and I cooked dinner together, these beautiful lamb shanks that take hours to make. And going for long walks with my sister. Going shopping with my mom. It was all just great. I was so sad to go home, but then that leads to me to memorable moment 8....<br /><br />8) Being upgraded to First Class on a Virgin Atlantic flight....!!!! I have never flown First Class in my life, and I don't think I will again. Basically Andy's dad knows someone who works for Virgin and well, the rest is history. We often get upgraded to Buisness Class, which is awesome - but this was another level of awesome. Chairs that recline all the way and turn into a bed, champagne, food served on China - there was even a stool so that Andy and I had lunch - sitting together, facing eacother with a table in between! Incredible. Never will I forget that.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJNzDR8zvkSE2-T94ZvGOFc_Lt9ZwZNHnlr-7rnt_cVJ5OGyGTIhj-fz_UcXlKKQgK2akTH0e65xGXiRQx8cr3WGHD44cRR9yNFXMGbLrIJQGfhOBa8-UhNjs88TOvdVFqoVrpjNow6k/s1600-h/CIMG2261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJNzDR8zvkSE2-T94ZvGOFc_Lt9ZwZNHnlr-7rnt_cVJ5OGyGTIhj-fz_UcXlKKQgK2akTH0e65xGXiRQx8cr3WGHD44cRR9yNFXMGbLrIJQGfhOBa8-UhNjs88TOvdVFqoVrpjNow6k/s320/CIMG2261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293659614890836034" border="0" /></a>The house decorated for Christmas lunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrw8edbzkYKts64nkuC_HPXGon_pxXxZWMLesDt2HB_ommH-ni-RIi3cSp-SQOWw9gIWO_qzKx1bGVlxw8pZdiuYDVOHb5BE3PWXMEohK_6tBe6sHSaUF7018MibR4XuEaNv7cPwg-Y1Y/s1600-h/CIMG2264.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrw8edbzkYKts64nkuC_HPXGon_pxXxZWMLesDt2HB_ommH-ni-RIi3cSp-SQOWw9gIWO_qzKx1bGVlxw8pZdiuYDVOHb5BE3PWXMEohK_6tBe6sHSaUF7018MibR4XuEaNv7cPwg-Y1Y/s320/CIMG2264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293659570059553682" border="0" /></a>Sharon, Amber and me<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibodki3z-oxUbiAiCIjw3bEP5Qz9Uau8y3zQW2OkFz1wxClevue79BPxrVdDFhTT9leoQIfLLwW3IAdi2GxuXZSgBHuLzlY6HIpAN_Dr3Q0uE_f3UhN5XH1w9KguTMPOY-GsULedmIeA/s1600-h/CIMG2271.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibodki3z-oxUbiAiCIjw3bEP5Qz9Uau8y3zQW2OkFz1wxClevue79BPxrVdDFhTT9leoQIfLLwW3IAdi2GxuXZSgBHuLzlY6HIpAN_Dr3Q0uE_f3UhN5XH1w9KguTMPOY-GsULedmIeA/s320/CIMG2271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293731373777318114" border="0" /></a>Andy & Me - Treeside :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJNzDR8zvkSE2-T94ZvGOFc_Lt9ZwZNHnlr-7rnt_cVJ5OGyGTIhj-fz_UcXlKKQgK2akTH0e65xGXiRQx8cr3WGHD44cRR9yNFXMGbLrIJQGfhOBa8-UhNjs88TOvdVFqoVrpjNow6k/s1600-h/CIMG2261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJNzDR8zvkSE2-T94ZvGOFc_Lt9ZwZNHnlr-7rnt_cVJ5OGyGTIhj-fz_UcXlKKQgK2akTH0e65xGXiRQx8cr3WGHD44cRR9yNFXMGbLrIJQGfhOBa8-UhNjs88TOvdVFqoVrpjNow6k/s320/CIMG2261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293659614890836034" border="0" /></a>The house decorated for Christmas lunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOH6Egy_Arg2u7gzA_Oejdb_IbXlWO-cE_rTWEWMAxLzfubRRZPnZQ-UFqRWypOF-5OxVIVjB6BV-jIQH20M_uEJtEn6ZmZ9LsBfE8WsnmEEke8MMb-7H9izi3nwnBCXuiC2inXtp7p1g/s1600-h/CIMG2297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOH6Egy_Arg2u7gzA_Oejdb_IbXlWO-cE_rTWEWMAxLzfubRRZPnZQ-UFqRWypOF-5OxVIVjB6BV-jIQH20M_uEJtEn6ZmZ9LsBfE8WsnmEEke8MMb-7H9izi3nwnBCXuiC2inXtp7p1g/s320/CIMG2297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293659562929486370" border="0" /></a>Yes, we had to wait til about 6:00 in the evening to open presents - such is the life of PK's!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjjv0QZO77wRf9TIkBFQ8pCAEFLjpjt4jUvMdDsBVLr6LDUy2VpmEcNnVg6r5ijWxjAkJaJ00lSkfu1sbz_0toNpFVjowxG5S9-pllyj72EV_0yRkGCkfxKcn6ckIGt6DqMNp1S-k4n0/s1600-h/CIMG2310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjjv0QZO77wRf9TIkBFQ8pCAEFLjpjt4jUvMdDsBVLr6LDUy2VpmEcNnVg6r5ijWxjAkJaJ00lSkfu1sbz_0toNpFVjowxG5S9-pllyj72EV_0yRkGCkfxKcn6ckIGt6DqMNp1S-k4n0/s320/CIMG2310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293731387585377282" border="0" /></a>New apron!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9uKC571MrSpwraBmB5F93SKJafcVxg1D7QfdPPYcEqHlkX0i0X4iUSVwIntXOD_JzFn5bKbqVbYszU3I5hsE_e0qC_Alf2sA21Nh1i9CxV_sd5N1vZ9W3lzl8aB9OSoVJeu8Lk0jM6E/s1600-h/CIMG2314.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9uKC571MrSpwraBmB5F93SKJafcVxg1D7QfdPPYcEqHlkX0i0X4iUSVwIntXOD_JzFn5bKbqVbYszU3I5hsE_e0qC_Alf2sA21Nh1i9CxV_sd5N1vZ9W3lzl8aB9OSoVJeu8Lk0jM6E/s320/CIMG2314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293659571681495394" border="0" /></a>I guess the greatest thing of all is that it looks like Andy and I <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> moving back to the States next December. I know it's cheese, but I'm gonna say it anyway: I think that was the greatest gift. Don't misunderstand me, I am so happy in England - and would stay here forever - but I can't wait to be back with my family and friends. It's been a long time, nearly six years of going to and fro, and I want to settle a bit. Although I know that the minute we settle in the U.S., I will pine for the U.K., such is life when you've really had two homes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsPG6d0q1mNhB9tKgqB3tVb9s4sZWcLFD4jCJ-92zrKQB7hKVn9ra-pgoQxGLLgLVjY6tU1XYRiaZKMQuIdMebNJbACts6sjaHc3a2_DuDXtGoLVgqTxBHPA8IvDzv69vu5amzWNi3mQ/s1600-h/CIMG2358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsPG6d0q1mNhB9tKgqB3tVb9s4sZWcLFD4jCJ-92zrKQB7hKVn9ra-pgoQxGLLgLVjY6tU1XYRiaZKMQuIdMebNJbACts6sjaHc3a2_DuDXtGoLVgqTxBHPA8IvDzv69vu5amzWNi3mQ/s320/CIMG2358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293662169029106418" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6UjuW9pT8P-5VWPVUGeve_7z6jqHrGGGhorwXqSVfZVzS8GHLGcx3mrv2gpHlUxUiMnMaVIWqT2S8c3PBZEtLCaR-uMHSXdgQQfAuG-bkRjkAZXj5qnKKHfpYxXs7YCULSSIVoiRkDo/s1600-h/CIMG2359.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6UjuW9pT8P-5VWPVUGeve_7z6jqHrGGGhorwXqSVfZVzS8GHLGcx3mrv2gpHlUxUiMnMaVIWqT2S8c3PBZEtLCaR-uMHSXdgQQfAuG-bkRjkAZXj5qnKKHfpYxXs7YCULSSIVoiRkDo/s320/CIMG2359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293662165879833698" border="0" /></a>Liberty Bell (hotdog with "works" not pictured haha)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEBhTTFYI8WDywKFC5LGtcYmltg0fFe3wcOjWsIdGvrCrUYoyo1ucUBW_5kOqumINlFhe1q17Yb_vwJs7WEc875uWx-piUWYP7ZsO8BClnysx0e7Bhglfb9cAl2RuJ9Y5chWOhFFb94k/s1600-h/CIMG2330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEBhTTFYI8WDywKFC5LGtcYmltg0fFe3wcOjWsIdGvrCrUYoyo1ucUBW_5kOqumINlFhe1q17Yb_vwJs7WEc875uWx-piUWYP7ZsO8BClnysx0e7Bhglfb9cAl2RuJ9Y5chWOhFFb94k/s320/CIMG2330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293662157926083554" border="0" /></a>Sunflower cupcakes = a mess. But a cute idea, the centres are Oreos<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-XpKiLCs5m9FpYmK1S_glAx8YfgNHNVzxb5J6_O737kPJiyDBY-KarBY-41UF71uKMV6o0Rnf4FyjcTLexhzUypCFnBOjRDkzZH5HtBUyV82_LWVyQP1QmUWvT2oFXBPrxucSNZGbCA/s1600-h/CIMG2389.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-XpKiLCs5m9FpYmK1S_glAx8YfgNHNVzxb5J6_O737kPJiyDBY-KarBY-41UF71uKMV6o0Rnf4FyjcTLexhzUypCFnBOjRDkzZH5HtBUyV82_LWVyQP1QmUWvT2oFXBPrxucSNZGbCA/s320/CIMG2389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293662154242044690" border="0" /></a>NYE Cupcakes!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijJVDUUotI70Q9xYT1Z4TkTOQDW2Xe9dglKTU3iyKcfPAPzRWeeI4WzEph7-M2BjuWVAmxkld-pbRGXQ94rb4-gr2Cq2ENZWDcpFUTS8sXgyCIpDro8J9IKazQHCRf9PqrlB8TmHd9dM/s1600-h/CIMG2388.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijJVDUUotI70Q9xYT1Z4TkTOQDW2Xe9dglKTU3iyKcfPAPzRWeeI4WzEph7-M2BjuWVAmxkld-pbRGXQ94rb4-gr2Cq2ENZWDcpFUTS8sXgyCIpDro8J9IKazQHCRf9PqrlB8TmHd9dM/s320/CIMG2388.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293662148495729938" border="0" /></a>Mince Pies<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7py3NChHIawuWe4jVmWKK0zY7YLfjnyYlk5DUGOBI7js9IPy_F-UKMgEIZmUtO1IZ5eyPFZjjmECX5oegNtoeYaQH2fY3ZK-Tr_VNLix4MKDVXlCx2lHnfcJA6CIkxBbaVex9THd3xAU/s1600-h/CIMG2319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7py3NChHIawuWe4jVmWKK0zY7YLfjnyYlk5DUGOBI7js9IPy_F-UKMgEIZmUtO1IZ5eyPFZjjmECX5oegNtoeYaQH2fY3ZK-Tr_VNLix4MKDVXlCx2lHnfcJA6CIkxBbaVex9THd3xAU/s320/CIMG2319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293731386207235122" border="0" /></a>The only way to do a puzzle - Mary Pickford in hand.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qyy1SwEMaZatzw-gXD52qs3WQMi5XNdPk3Pzb0dkobg-wZYzb_AcG9dv5mNrsSC3CtSuhoMD2C5DZv0rnkuUylUK2rPfDKrrszXe81-G2i2Z7VxxwgY3vgc-kBEveZiQBvbsx_R24Ag/s1600-h/CIMG2363.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qyy1SwEMaZatzw-gXD52qs3WQMi5XNdPk3Pzb0dkobg-wZYzb_AcG9dv5mNrsSC3CtSuhoMD2C5DZv0rnkuUylUK2rPfDKrrszXe81-G2i2Z7VxxwgY3vgc-kBEveZiQBvbsx_R24Ag/s320/CIMG2363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293731392561613762" border="0" /></a>Andy and Dad chopping wood with dad's new wood-splitting axe - the novelty<span style="font-style: italic;"> didn't</span> wear off.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCyz9ptwb9_4v_7mRXxA1EJbTTvEA6z58IJ6-Ii8RsWK5ph5Z0R-8i6wd3d95Ue7mFGUOEDiIBjn9f4ds_fSfmrYVtT0PGdGjHfz3diRKEwTgnOviw9f4vLPTHR8XxRh0vPV7mkz283s/s1600-h/CIMG2424.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCyz9ptwb9_4v_7mRXxA1EJbTTvEA6z58IJ6-Ii8RsWK5ph5Z0R-8i6wd3d95Ue7mFGUOEDiIBjn9f4ds_fSfmrYVtT0PGdGjHfz3diRKEwTgnOviw9f4vLPTHR8XxRh0vPV7mkz283s/s320/CIMG2424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293727136307714690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TJU_YK0MnjONS9K_O07t1WaivtndGQRmTmDPRAOhgD0KkYnNbc2zRsEIRlu5xDPCu84W0BATdFbUBkqG-xWI_vAZ5EIlgQJ8WKC0TAWhf2JSCmAm5E-PmeIYJ-F3sBOtrmeLTPngRVs/s1600-h/CIMG2423.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TJU_YK0MnjONS9K_O07t1WaivtndGQRmTmDPRAOhgD0KkYnNbc2zRsEIRlu5xDPCu84W0BATdFbUBkqG-xWI_vAZ5EIlgQJ8WKC0TAWhf2JSCmAm5E-PmeIYJ-F3sBOtrmeLTPngRVs/s320/CIMG2423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293733209292523922" border="0" /></a><br />Andy and Dad goofing around at the hotel in Boston - both of them make me laugh so hard.<br /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnW59WtnQrR_Yc-fSJaJxDDbVj0eB46zQECdKEztUUkiiYaGgKfKyZ1eGzrqgO_BJ4oS3_rqYEuxrULuHAD5umxV57iAgD7gfbluJzrcbN7FpYBLSCQ0HL0-aE0HgVfAAGNWscD_KmN8/s1600-h/CIMG2322.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnW59WtnQrR_Yc-fSJaJxDDbVj0eB46zQECdKEztUUkiiYaGgKfKyZ1eGzrqgO_BJ4oS3_rqYEuxrULuHAD5umxV57iAgD7gfbluJzrcbN7FpYBLSCQ0HL0-aE0HgVfAAGNWscD_KmN8/s320/CIMG2322.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293727132463128322" border="0" /></a>Papa at the new house<br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgJvU4PoayLF5giBnyWszx07NMPW1NwOpb-g1eW8LpU0o1S4qdsih3TzX9-hmOC-P6M29AiHxbIk13J5CIVQ4_PJOMKqJQgD7E7dEtmmypULqVptqb6h98r53IwPKuRZnj_VHEBUVWRc/s1600-h/CIMG2337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgJvU4PoayLF5giBnyWszx07NMPW1NwOpb-g1eW8LpU0o1S4qdsih3TzX9-hmOC-P6M29AiHxbIk13J5CIVQ4_PJOMKqJQgD7E7dEtmmypULqVptqb6h98r53IwPKuRZnj_VHEBUVWRc/s320/CIMG2337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293727129147244866" border="0" /></a>Hot Momma! Looking festive in red.<br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydk1ODYd-5hojAkHBQG9SEE3X4_4r5e5MtA_FH_xTkOqw4B2K-JyqnfuFpf_HuU2LhoaJz2GWZxpm9IWLVYHMxpT00UDuamObQhb1JHHkadBXfelKXe2sabhE0F4SsU-69idb97Yb76s/s1600-h/CIMG2289.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydk1ODYd-5hojAkHBQG9SEE3X4_4r5e5MtA_FH_xTkOqw4B2K-JyqnfuFpf_HuU2LhoaJz2GWZxpm9IWLVYHMxpT00UDuamObQhb1JHHkadBXfelKXe2sabhE0F4SsU-69idb97Yb76s/s320/CIMG2289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293727122042521010" border="0" /></a>Dad looking about 12<br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIcBU8EploS0mhI6KBshI4UzeIJjIxDDMwM_OsjxG05rX2ApdRf3to6xl01LvASxxpFsZn1anHpTlbqHSL_m6_ppAjepLYq2K3UJz7UdLyW3tzHwsHwPiAqzXhYyyULhLvLwOdBL19qo/s1600-h/CIMG2230.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIcBU8EploS0mhI6KBshI4UzeIJjIxDDMwM_OsjxG05rX2ApdRf3to6xl01LvASxxpFsZn1anHpTlbqHSL_m6_ppAjepLYq2K3UJz7UdLyW3tzHwsHwPiAqzXhYyyULhLvLwOdBL19qo/s320/CIMG2230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293727108743233634" border="0" /></a>Decorating the tree in the now-neglected CT house, haha.<br /></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-37964692340114354192008-12-18T08:39:00.004+00:002008-12-18T08:50:33.431+00:00Christmas Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahGnc561VqYA7R7rN_-snBj4J9GO-aVqVF6E9IEPBta3lDzJiPYuu9936xrnQeLOIHxXkvERO9iiI4kZuShIgpEWsCCrE89p3Jv1pmumiGlbrzHmXzKlEylIQBdjYGD5PMkiwDk0nxcE/s1600-h/CIMG2173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahGnc561VqYA7R7rN_-snBj4J9GO-aVqVF6E9IEPBta3lDzJiPYuu9936xrnQeLOIHxXkvERO9iiI4kZuShIgpEWsCCrE89p3Jv1pmumiGlbrzHmXzKlEylIQBdjYGD5PMkiwDk0nxcE/s320/CIMG2173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281048111788783138" border="0" /></a>My love for baking has only been exacerbated by the holiday season - I've been going crazy in the kitchen! On Tuesday I made several dozen Christmas sugar cookies and brought them to my work for the carol evening. I thought they turned out quite well : ) It's worth mentioning that I bought these cookie cutters in New Hope, PA when I was home visiting the first week in September. And I <span style="font-style: italic;">made</span> Sharon make Christmas cookies with me back then so that I could just use the cookie cutters, haha. So obviously - I was excited about making these cookies. I would have made them earlier, but making and decorating 4 dozen cookies is a time commitment! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB2oGcH40gtYSiwFMKSz_WiD4KnLtSlZ-miF3L6VCVLoA3N_fIcr7_5l6wtf5tshuT4ld29NTlYxU61RM6hw2_eoh22CZZJlH4OfnmajpLw3T9hxRx7sAa__-KzLL4glszH0x29vMwas/s1600-h/CIMG2177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB2oGcH40gtYSiwFMKSz_WiD4KnLtSlZ-miF3L6VCVLoA3N_fIcr7_5l6wtf5tshuT4ld29NTlYxU61RM6hw2_eoh22CZZJlH4OfnmajpLw3T9hxRx7sAa__-KzLL4glszH0x29vMwas/s320/CIMG2177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281048125323768962" border="0" /></a>I thought the snowman and the Christmas Tree were worth a close-up. Please note the yellow carrot nose(!) I used a <span style="font-style: italic;">toothpick</span> to decorate him! Although those voluptuous red lips would suggest it was a her, haha.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsZwKt8zKxaFBrCNh7NT4iphCgDzUIpedvpsqCZwsT2AqBo3E5r6ignOX-njVOePaGJIZzbmJKa0A1L8KeFflogZyrw3aJEcICD8qrcTPxE0uWR1EoISI6NRDj4dv3i0U-Oud9Ur32mU/s1600-h/CIMG2176.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsZwKt8zKxaFBrCNh7NT4iphCgDzUIpedvpsqCZwsT2AqBo3E5r6ignOX-njVOePaGJIZzbmJKa0A1L8KeFflogZyrw3aJEcICD8qrcTPxE0uWR1EoISI6NRDj4dv3i0U-Oud9Ur32mU/s320/CIMG2176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281048117925043810" border="0" /></a>In the UK - sprinkles like these are called "Hundreds and Thousands" - I think that's an awfully long name for something so tiny as sprinkles!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzj4eWvQpOSTKZLA4guRF5fCuQgJSBpckyNYWO2PxbC-xQDaN29mfRLNT7X431TgTdIFFhCv77N1HkgO4wSexsAYmg2fuu50MRLBFK46bxFHFunaYTMjVYz6bBLKATYC_cPJSBP1Xn2M/s1600-h/CIMG2171.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzj4eWvQpOSTKZLA4guRF5fCuQgJSBpckyNYWO2PxbC-xQDaN29mfRLNT7X431TgTdIFFhCv77N1HkgO4wSexsAYmg2fuu50MRLBFK46bxFHFunaYTMjVYz6bBLKATYC_cPJSBP1Xn2M/s320/CIMG2171.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281048131241927394" border="0" /></a>Andy will probably kill me - but I thought this was so cute. He's been really ill and had a couple days off work earlier this week. This is pretty much how he spent the two days - all snugged up on the couch under the duvet. Couldn't resist taking a picture.Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-68597095144393445472008-12-14T12:21:00.006+00:002008-12-14T12:40:22.859+00:00Christmas Party Weekend!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-JhEAocDvJACsOrExHan249CWPJmnW9gW-DnJ7T-WnB57qlrbFv2vYt3aRU8NQjc04sdgVG6SYViuuU0V6UQp0eVjy-g0NkEv-Om06r2FK0nbHGL5u7IZ3P8gW4WWVmER-Lw5mUbngA/s1600-h/CIMG2114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-JhEAocDvJACsOrExHan249CWPJmnW9gW-DnJ7T-WnB57qlrbFv2vYt3aRU8NQjc04sdgVG6SYViuuU0V6UQp0eVjy-g0NkEv-Om06r2FK0nbHGL5u7IZ3P8gW4WWVmER-Lw5mUbngA/s320/CIMG2114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279621355549975234" border="0" /></a>This weekend has been fantastic! I finally turned in all my coursework on Thursday and thus began all the Christmas fun. Friday night I went to the Woking Borough Council Christmas Party (I worked at WBC until August this year and they kindly invited me to come along) which was 80s themed and loads of fun. And then last night was Andy's Christmas Do which was a black tie event in London - we cleaned up pretty well :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrMcsKvCBSAMannpezogVlsZPbS10q0uFI9nfwj5FMPq502cFDirSmv5i7VJ8xxZo3i2AwCAp5x-b-nMPsT_Q2-J7z1YilhFQgd6p4q4GNXJzS-dquQkBUIFXJ-ybSpOWwRz6_4ps7DA/s1600-h/CIMG2109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrMcsKvCBSAMannpezogVlsZPbS10q0uFI9nfwj5FMPq502cFDirSmv5i7VJ8xxZo3i2AwCAp5x-b-nMPsT_Q2-J7z1YilhFQgd6p4q4GNXJzS-dquQkBUIFXJ-ybSpOWwRz6_4ps7DA/s320/CIMG2109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279621363340544770" border="0" /></a>And I even had my hair done! I love the curls - wish I knew how to do it myself. Ironically, she used hair <span style="font-style: italic;">straighteners</span> to make the curls! Friends of ours picked us up and drove us to the venue. There was a drinks reception for the first hour....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_POkbcTkGPVD71cc7-GJYc7r004_aQu46r8tNIQ5GPpnZxztX109pkcNLCTKzL8sQ_WprMuWmx3m27dsaGXoxwtoWasIcGE1Um_zPiYXM_OxHUTYdTtMfUU-msh5-1cjP9X-kwhZgcw/s1600-h/CIMG2118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_POkbcTkGPVD71cc7-GJYc7r004_aQu46r8tNIQ5GPpnZxztX109pkcNLCTKzL8sQ_WprMuWmx3m27dsaGXoxwtoWasIcGE1Um_zPiYXM_OxHUTYdTtMfUU-msh5-1cjP9X-kwhZgcw/s320/CIMG2118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279621370321259074" border="0" /></a>After the drinks reception we headed into the main event where we had dinner. We sat with 5 guys from Andy's team and their wives/girlfriends.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRXZzy0zzhuWw-zURliZAcZhyZgbYby9K90uScHF5SG5oDg1Vo8TwqOIHsy86s7cL8Ou0Vtjz4z4MeO0xKaQ076cEYW99JqsyF8tbBEwXhK2dndMusrnlv92u8IocTbCPksS2NxpT1Q0/s1600-h/CIMG2122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRXZzy0zzhuWw-zURliZAcZhyZgbYby9K90uScHF5SG5oDg1Vo8TwqOIHsy86s7cL8Ou0Vtjz4z4MeO0xKaQ076cEYW99JqsyF8tbBEwXhK2dndMusrnlv92u8IocTbCPksS2NxpT1Q0/s320/CIMG2122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279621372002091330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiv6R7XeALv94RuTyLKjyaMk_EeoCMOhWwlSsC0X29JypDeK2UZaL78lGGciiFqMZqXtxcamhXom01A9Vp5aZPRjfqFsd8us2nUr5At2qB21ifkordYbppsKeH-3Ao-pG-39GhzoJMGZQ/s1600-h/CIMG2127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiv6R7XeALv94RuTyLKjyaMk_EeoCMOhWwlSsC0X29JypDeK2UZaL78lGGciiFqMZqXtxcamhXom01A9Vp5aZPRjfqFsd8us2nUr5At2qB21ifkordYbppsKeH-3Ao-pG-39GhzoJMGZQ/s320/CIMG2127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279621382830553778" border="0" /></a>After dinner there was dancing - but Andy's not a huge fan of dancing and I'd had my fill the night before at the Council's Christmas Do, so we headed into the other room where they were doing things like massages and caricatures - we had ours done & I think you have to have a sense of humour about your more prominent features to do it. We had ours made into fridge magnets....hahaha how hilarious (and awful) are those?!?! I actually kind of love them. I look like an obnoxious talk show host and we all decided that Andy looks like he's part of the royal family :) See? A sense of humour.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeqhlQf7RPp_YuWyswzLv0hiz4JFWX7OQrLgPt0he4NjVDzG7EMvdB9095dPa97_nDu4pS6JZxj0s7gOvZBVH-zNur4Jh0EmEuWdWmV-fYa759sSaM-wD8mfQoPVHXOJfl9WqqT_8aHQ/s1600-h/CIMG2163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeqhlQf7RPp_YuWyswzLv0hiz4JFWX7OQrLgPt0he4NjVDzG7EMvdB9095dPa97_nDu4pS6JZxj0s7gOvZBVH-zNur4Jh0EmEuWdWmV-fYa759sSaM-wD8mfQoPVHXOJfl9WqqT_8aHQ/s320/CIMG2163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279622394057606146" border="0" /></a>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-59381734407911037842008-12-03T14:47:00.004+00:002008-12-03T15:09:51.448+00:00Website!We have a website for the project!!! I am so excited about this. Our dear friends Amber & James made it for us - they are <span style="font-style: italic;">the best</span>. They have worked so hard on it and are everyday finding ways to improve it.<br /><br />http://www.healthymotherproject.org/<br /><br />Let me know what you think!<br /><br />Oh yea, almost forgot - the Christmas Tree!!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSObdCJW_dhDJw4_fZZECHLPbKAbSm6eIPt1wWYMRgp_tqSfjYnWIRpmhoc9colR060BxqNTWmmAVmUyahdD3-Om-zkg_sWESsMugsPkgcWTQVMcyq-HANaPhSBr-77MuuEzsmS5mEa2s/s1600-h/CIMG2063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSObdCJW_dhDJw4_fZZECHLPbKAbSm6eIPt1wWYMRgp_tqSfjYnWIRpmhoc9colR060BxqNTWmmAVmUyahdD3-Om-zkg_sWESsMugsPkgcWTQVMcyq-HANaPhSBr-77MuuEzsmS5mEa2s/s320/CIMG2063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275576976935623474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sh58qoVkjM95EPq1Q4Qj3bq2z2jWXxKDaBtL-qWZl-WOJ25nHRg6Rm45b2p0LZpfRLcjoWP6YF8-Ft7D8XYxEppCXGKRpXFsggOJSZF5Gz_DS-SofM-LCSIcRADRJ8fH9otaqvj9MsQ/s1600-h/CIMG2075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sh58qoVkjM95EPq1Q4Qj3bq2z2jWXxKDaBtL-qWZl-WOJ25nHRg6Rm45b2p0LZpfRLcjoWP6YF8-Ft7D8XYxEppCXGKRpXFsggOJSZF5Gz_DS-SofM-LCSIcRADRJ8fH9otaqvj9MsQ/s320/CIMG2075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275576989509072434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpfAjO8EmzF-OcqhcULbwStqYRn_yzpkbjgayVSdWNwudH01tOriwI2adrfTOwXwXe8PvNCVufYX_e1N-ZJ_OZ5Rb6C-qMOWHsFpabXLDN313QzPW6wsAnixEekMealnlp-ptN4CNLRw/s1600-h/CIMG2067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpfAjO8EmzF-OcqhcULbwStqYRn_yzpkbjgayVSdWNwudH01tOriwI2adrfTOwXwXe8PvNCVufYX_e1N-ZJ_OZ5Rb6C-qMOWHsFpabXLDN313QzPW6wsAnixEekMealnlp-ptN4CNLRw/s320/CIMG2067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275577001302655954" border="0" /></a>Our stockings (and no...the student pile hasn't gone - it's actually worse!!!)</div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-21568151511546772272008-11-30T13:38:00.003+00:002008-11-30T13:48:54.138+00:00Annabel's Christening<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxul59O4RK9sjc-tCvCXNO4eggwk9Z1NPkpfd1IXKBPZEU55Gr_xyuv0oflU_VohuAGGMj9fZFZPcxKAmVrX29rC1EJw18sj8WiTduqy06IT2ApUQY3BmYxmWS0JN8MdMN5_OoGrhrp_0/s1600-h/annabels+christening+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxul59O4RK9sjc-tCvCXNO4eggwk9Z1NPkpfd1IXKBPZEU55Gr_xyuv0oflU_VohuAGGMj9fZFZPcxKAmVrX29rC1EJw18sj8WiTduqy06IT2ApUQY3BmYxmWS0JN8MdMN5_OoGrhrp_0/s320/annabels+christening+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274446283710269186" border="0" /></a>Just a few pictures from Annabel's Christening today. She was perhaps the most well behaved baby I have ever seen - while being held by a stranger and having water poured on her head! It was a lovely service followed by a delicious meal back at Val & Simon's house. We had lamb stew and mash followed by apple crumble - perfect on a rainy Sunday! <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDoHNpF5TPNAujuWMgFefbkYJGC44akTP1zqDboZCKuGTqHF_ygwTqhGC3xxvIngeFFcj5uotd8qnMqWI5zvCqu54EpR72ptxw6ZsChr_bthRzkleThAu80pL_wHTIVsB-tf9LrZRlhk/s1600-h/annabels+christening+018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDoHNpF5TPNAujuWMgFefbkYJGC44akTP1zqDboZCKuGTqHF_ygwTqhGC3xxvIngeFFcj5uotd8qnMqWI5zvCqu54EpR72ptxw6ZsChr_bthRzkleThAu80pL_wHTIVsB-tf9LrZRlhk/s320/annabels+christening+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274446323591988962" border="0" /></a>Can you tell I'm happy to be holding a baby?!? Hehe.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZsJ_Bdi6hvN3gdmMr-mbmy3gjUmFXQUCVdJZDzWN9IoMWVp71W7mYQV9ov9Ei26OctsoOxNHWWJrNKiRMw0sw3RzvpL6LXB1tQZXHn4ux1A517EKX3HI8jwUmYFeavNXNHc9cnUU4aQ/s1600-h/annabels+christening+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZsJ_Bdi6hvN3gdmMr-mbmy3gjUmFXQUCVdJZDzWN9IoMWVp71W7mYQV9ov9Ei26OctsoOxNHWWJrNKiRMw0sw3RzvpL6LXB1tQZXHn4ux1A517EKX3HI8jwUmYFeavNXNHc9cnUU4aQ/s320/annabels+christening+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274446308599138226" border="0" /></a>Kebs & Annabel<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyLgQ1BEyvwkpsC9e6JAlL2aoV_8SjN6sbvqgxmCF5ViOtHtHBqfvvoUAAGudX7wnTG8rOzUOhsPnB0VK1bl1zOJAzY2OQbEJnLs4NWiG83mtWg6ww1fl4ITD1ALMQn_EjzAKp3kF9-0/s1600-h/annabels+christening+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyLgQ1BEyvwkpsC9e6JAlL2aoV_8SjN6sbvqgxmCF5ViOtHtHBqfvvoUAAGudX7wnTG8rOzUOhsPnB0VK1bl1zOJAzY2OQbEJnLs4NWiG83mtWg6ww1fl4ITD1ALMQn_EjzAKp3kF9-0/s320/annabels+christening+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274446296500920882" border="0" /></a>She was such a great sport with all the pictures!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yjtw7rXMEYAe7SNHnhBBEM4vxq0arDcEXIh8_UxCJ4IffnOLYXtQsqf7AX5cW2wUive_CQx9hdufPR60g1JzEQRM-px39Zwh57kjH-uD5ts4gG3shVDp2SNa7ApCRUaZp5rWZWk9OEc/s1600-h/annabels+christening+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yjtw7rXMEYAe7SNHnhBBEM4vxq0arDcEXIh8_UxCJ4IffnOLYXtQsqf7AX5cW2wUive_CQx9hdufPR60g1JzEQRM-px39Zwh57kjH-uD5ts4gG3shVDp2SNa7ApCRUaZp5rWZWk9OEc/s320/annabels+christening+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274446330352243010" border="0" /></a>Uncle Biff - always entertaining :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Off to get our Christmas Tree now :)<br /></div></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-84970925829308312042008-11-28T12:00:00.003+00:002008-11-28T12:17:43.706+00:00Thanksigiving - English Style!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlFBB1dl-3nrtg9g90hirepgkMneaLR6M8j3WhWKOaDXbR90LNpr4el8f3HUKKWo3UHSoOAXcJ4SWJhSRN_Fu4NdL6-TdYgjdtfegX0Esip3-Kt5FnZzcUvg7dtATFLSSCvnr1In9IKE/s1600-h/thanksgiving+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlFBB1dl-3nrtg9g90hirepgkMneaLR6M8j3WhWKOaDXbR90LNpr4el8f3HUKKWo3UHSoOAXcJ4SWJhSRN_Fu4NdL6-TdYgjdtfegX0Esip3-Kt5FnZzcUvg7dtATFLSSCvnr1In9IKE/s320/thanksgiving+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273678259698562242" border="0" /></a>Isn't this a nifty little contraption? I want one. It's called Hostess - it keeps your dinner warm so you can put thing in the dishes as and when it's finished. No overcooking! <br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Happy Thanksgiving</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Everyone!</span></span> Hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. We had an excellent Thanksgiving (on Wednesday). Andy's grandparents kindly offered to host it at their house (ours is a bit small for 8 around the table!) I made mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing (the most important part of the meal!) and of course, pumpkin pie...wait maybe that's the most important part of the meal, haha. Anyway, Nanny made the most delicious turkey and because she wasn't sure she'd like mashed potatoes or the sweet potatoes, she made roast potatoes as well. So yes, we had 3 sorts of spuds! Also, most everyone said they wouldn't like pumpkin pie, so Nanny had not one...not two...but THREE extra desserts on hand. Pavlova, profiteroles and banofee pie. And she set the table so beautifully! We all had a lovely evening together. I am thankful for so much this year.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETYB2UhK9LgYAPWC4QCC9zyUQKUAybhcNi_PJ-zeofatjf-IuCTySuCNxb_ff0WZxwe-IGFf8Pay3pHP0AiEYDkl_VMIEfkWe9KlyFwiseQjFpp0fmAw1gdUI2o3Po75hKmMLE2EOJe8/s1600-h/thanksgiving+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETYB2UhK9LgYAPWC4QCC9zyUQKUAybhcNi_PJ-zeofatjf-IuCTySuCNxb_ff0WZxwe-IGFf8Pay3pHP0AiEYDkl_VMIEfkWe9KlyFwiseQjFpp0fmAw1gdUI2o3Po75hKmMLE2EOJe8/s320/thanksgiving+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273678263087277698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zCWfx4d9MvdhM9BHakw__5N40010WPXZUdZ9WMYDKq6u0KHyB_dgy_Kq2aA62uzsnwaq0ruQaLIimSrF6W4wVy4K1BwFwlhmsFp3_aM9PCofudU7eWqG8P9PTSWxNd7fhz9rdv3cLjA/s1600-h/thanksgiving-017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zCWfx4d9MvdhM9BHakw__5N40010WPXZUdZ9WMYDKq6u0KHyB_dgy_Kq2aA62uzsnwaq0ruQaLIimSrF6W4wVy4K1BwFwlhmsFp3_aM9PCofudU7eWqG8P9PTSWxNd7fhz9rdv3cLjA/s320/thanksgiving-017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273678261784511426" border="0" /></a>Although the lighting isn't very good- this is the only picture of Andy and me from that evening!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQntl0Jo927vmqVEVxFqnHGQwKhqriKsH0ay4kFHVspYGzMSblVEACHCX3LpFodeJh6HjnP0hpY4lHMSuIf8z6t_2wMVrWAtOQ58kio271v4JqOWAMMSt-eWFQ4X0k2sM4YuP8DBgM8A/s1600-h/thanksgiving+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQntl0Jo927vmqVEVxFqnHGQwKhqriKsH0ay4kFHVspYGzMSblVEACHCX3LpFodeJh6HjnP0hpY4lHMSuIf8z6t_2wMVrWAtOQ58kio271v4JqOWAMMSt-eWFQ4X0k2sM4YuP8DBgM8A/s320/thanksgiving+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273678272029705938" border="0" /></a>As you can see - everyone liked pumpkin pie much more than they thought they would! I was hoping for more leftovers than that!!! Haha.<br /></div><br />Although I really enjoyed Thanksgiving, I'm glad it's over. Why, you ask? Because it means that in just a few weeks...we are going home for Christmas! And it also means we can get our Christmas Tree and put out our decorations, which we're doing on Sunday : ) Hurray!Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-83831915838990731302008-11-11T10:40:00.005+00:002008-11-11T11:08:51.485+00:00Diary of a Student<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4nqvJ5axufHhQdGoOUWZpbXQE03zIC5aNSUNs13Syz1UKo1zmWTtRFOFKKcwrIZvC4LJO7X0LCywb9SKVxP2IipylEzoCcEtkmJxEVsY7GDbgChK0-y8ye3rwrh495BDvu-CBdtBN-k/s1600-h/essay+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4nqvJ5axufHhQdGoOUWZpbXQE03zIC5aNSUNs13Syz1UKo1zmWTtRFOFKKcwrIZvC4LJO7X0LCywb9SKVxP2IipylEzoCcEtkmJxEVsY7GDbgChK0-y8ye3rwrh495BDvu-CBdtBN-k/s320/essay+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267350981540890162" border="0" /></a>Well I've been working on my first Political Economy of Development essay for about 10 days now. It's only 3,000 words and about 4% of my overall degree, but still - this is what is has come to. For DAYS I have been sat at this computer - books, papers, articles and graphs <span style="font-style: italic;">everywhere.</span> And I am completely and utterly fed up. It's finished - but now I have to do all the polishing and fixing up - which is the worst. And the reference page, the worst of the worst. Just feeling a wee bit sorry for myself. And I have to work tonight again. No rest for the weary. I told Andy it looks like my book bag exploded all over our living room. And I did promise I would clean it all up and organize it as soon as I hand it in on Thursday. Celebrations will be in order! Also, anyone into cooking - check out my friend Amber's cooking blog: <a href="http://www.bluebonnetsandbrownies.com/">http://www.bluebonnetsandbrownies.com/</a> It's really fun. I might even be a guest blogger from time to time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9Sgy603u4c4ymwiQ6Pu2rPJsGArkxgBxi_3jvTnYhaxXpzzPpNGblCn2X-x4oHGzLF3szsWRlZ7gnOUCx-1C7I__MwggCpNzTL1eR0OOAtGm3jUDXag-Y9EUOljpUlqaLDtpThc37EI/s1600-h/essay+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9Sgy603u4c4ymwiQ6Pu2rPJsGArkxgBxi_3jvTnYhaxXpzzPpNGblCn2X-x4oHGzLF3szsWRlZ7gnOUCx-1C7I__MwggCpNzTL1eR0OOAtGm3jUDXag-Y9EUOljpUlqaLDtpThc37EI/s320/essay+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267351006519200162" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxrGtUh8V5IinnDnJk3gRcsBUrBuucmT9bKc_-MwT52EZ39i9ApCQHRZ2g1GoyPVdoKf5Z6Y66NZnB2KamMVjvuFBO890VDmSiqDgEmf4QHxzdtKai-GMYrDyOTh4rgW-uUF5tiNPBpk/s1600-h/essay+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxrGtUh8V5IinnDnJk3gRcsBUrBuucmT9bKc_-MwT52EZ39i9ApCQHRZ2g1GoyPVdoKf5Z6Y66NZnB2KamMVjvuFBO890VDmSiqDgEmf4QHxzdtKai-GMYrDyOTh4rgW-uUF5tiNPBpk/s320/essay+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267350999408989298" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXfA1mn9se0aePW7MYzDEo8nlU407rFzX7aBl6ffzgKx3jfQWsh41So5-hB8BCM07czdod9L4jIdmaQSM29NZNslalR0BQIFujTuEbhvAn3u066eT6lvSns33fZoAKM9yLg02o0DFpsI/s1600-h/essay+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXfA1mn9se0aePW7MYzDEo8nlU407rFzX7aBl6ffzgKx3jfQWsh41So5-hB8BCM07czdod9L4jIdmaQSM29NZNslalR0BQIFujTuEbhvAn3u066eT6lvSns33fZoAKM9yLg02o0DFpsI/s320/essay+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267350994332900530" border="0" /></a>At least I've got the 70s faux-fire going - that makes me feel better.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCCOs06D06WPGdQC-o9IhmiHbokKDxOg8g0ujowfz2e08dFznnMT3_fJlIliq4xh_R56rSTbdLmR5rKX5FtaTUdmzGMo11rKWgNjABwpA-UNd3ZwNl0KsLd2RbofZEqduDvKKutxw6TA/s1600-h/essay+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCCOs06D06WPGdQC-o9IhmiHbokKDxOg8g0ujowfz2e08dFznnMT3_fJlIliq4xh_R56rSTbdLmR5rKX5FtaTUdmzGMo11rKWgNjABwpA-UNd3ZwNl0KsLd2RbofZEqduDvKKutxw6TA/s320/essay+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267350989594630130" border="0" /></a>Only 9 more months of this! Haha.<br /></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-45974474441548854182008-11-02T17:02:00.005+00:002008-11-02T17:19:13.728+00:00Wedding Fun!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgs8rSmnYtkjCz8wnKwBD1ZF0NKpeACbUowMb4oQ6gkEIAaQ9sfNoCYaeNENe1KsQR5dUVUXioIfcfHnmVVvNvHxRJJbdITGqnv6xiLjIpxaiNZEPTVDfLTmtls9WQmNI5ut5zOjoh6U/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgs8rSmnYtkjCz8wnKwBD1ZF0NKpeACbUowMb4oQ6gkEIAaQ9sfNoCYaeNENe1KsQR5dUVUXioIfcfHnmVVvNvHxRJJbdITGqnv6xiLjIpxaiNZEPTVDfLTmtls9WQmNI5ut5zOjoh6U/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264108344639542066" border="0" /></a>We just returned from a lovely overnight in Botley. We went to Andy's family friends wedding. Gill and Tom have been friends with Angie and Geoff (Andy's parents) for more than 20 years and Andy and James grew up with Gill's son Tom. Gill is also Andy's Godmother - which I didn't know until last night! Anyway, the wedding was absolutely lovely - we had such a fantastic time. The ceremony was short, but sweet and the food was delicious. Andy had a filet steak and said it was the best he'd had in a long time - he loves steak and eats it whenever he can as I don't cook it. The evening entertainment was fantastic - they had a Tom Jones impersonator - all the way from Vegas! He was hilarious and we danced the night away.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDK2q2CFYrpw7YamZN07edLQhdC4K1IB1w3osaxJV4TeEZUVjLHCLv8lbGKioczGHaHHDrn2ttdxLwAdajQBq6sEz4Jy_OAr8kEk8Lck_Y7ZIxOzjRUMliPB9soM1O5y0magSxHOxRsY/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDK2q2CFYrpw7YamZN07edLQhdC4K1IB1w3osaxJV4TeEZUVjLHCLv8lbGKioczGHaHHDrn2ttdxLwAdajQBq6sEz4Jy_OAr8kEk8Lck_Y7ZIxOzjRUMliPB9soM1O5y0magSxHOxRsY/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264108360671148674" border="0" /></a>Angie and her boys - awwww....<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPSfXu6whuZSqlJ7oJ6AIxTA3p9nQ3pOmzBUHRfOSjdqihs78TRURJufb29NaVc1s2Ewzu24wCff2Eu8pn0Jdj-VI_7RBTrAScUUx6UOJX5kysUNq7zbBfG7bUWeCKGzYn9v-0uxAO2E/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPSfXu6whuZSqlJ7oJ6AIxTA3p9nQ3pOmzBUHRfOSjdqihs78TRURJufb29NaVc1s2Ewzu24wCff2Eu8pn0Jdj-VI_7RBTrAScUUx6UOJX5kysUNq7zbBfG7bUWeCKGzYn9v-0uxAO2E/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264108348832065234" border="0" /></a>I <span style="font-style: italic;">loved</span> Gill's dress and the vintage lace...it was beautiful!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmD-6C7I7kTOQVdgl20xK6qHqU71mT8q5Ah7K9HU_J_QAkoZHag-CWq5bn7URV8w3D2JAkzGH1xAltJyz9f2NL6MEdfcc1LV_i-vjJQfOVP9E67yV6oDECR7fAlXhLQxXQ0f1qk9Hwmo0/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmD-6C7I7kTOQVdgl20xK6qHqU71mT8q5Ah7K9HU_J_QAkoZHag-CWq5bn7URV8w3D2JAkzGH1xAltJyz9f2NL6MEdfcc1LV_i-vjJQfOVP9E67yV6oDECR7fAlXhLQxXQ0f1qk9Hwmo0/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264108342237657922" border="0" /></a>The four of us (that thing in my head is called a Fascinator - people in the UK wear these to weddings, well, Fascinators or hats...this I borrowed someone, just for a laugh.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbMYT8PdkWMbbB4L1WqXmvTSqnmExSPaZWIolQDSirysM7wAa0vF7EL0AVi5SzIx8-P3Ir-qJxyM_FQbcvdc7THTpLs8cwbiAZPBfZRrDLGiSyhi-iJfIuSEZU969Ht7D2FXOQEodUaM/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbMYT8PdkWMbbB4L1WqXmvTSqnmExSPaZWIolQDSirysM7wAa0vF7EL0AVi5SzIx8-P3Ir-qJxyM_FQbcvdc7THTpLs8cwbiAZPBfZRrDLGiSyhi-iJfIuSEZU969Ht7D2FXOQEodUaM/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264108333639154194" border="0" /></a>Andy and me before the ceremony<br />Also, my dress was £13 (down from £90, gotta love a bargain!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxaDpAyLSCvTXVSau6ORywHG-US74BS6XbMrPayK1YFPzOVIoBmYvpjD461DaBnM_K_e6p6Nb7Eh5zSMiNwffvw9I6K_znfM1H_IpZodkSW8m9YF8YEuamg8J9Uq1nDS_ZTD6cSr7u6s/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxaDpAyLSCvTXVSau6ORywHG-US74BS6XbMrPayK1YFPzOVIoBmYvpjD461DaBnM_K_e6p6Nb7Eh5zSMiNwffvw9I6K_znfM1H_IpZodkSW8m9YF8YEuamg8J9Uq1nDS_ZTD6cSr7u6s/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264110352802446626" border="0" /></a>My honey at our table.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf2UJgWkVmTuRkHqRanvexqsfGBxacp2V_rd6-hfE2Vh3Ps_34s5BwvUngzGMdJIg8E1KD4C93Ui8veITdY5oFaDzGcTzCuMH09N_XxdhLRovQmeueeVBWVQt3fTJqI8o8qAPWKjxoaA/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+049.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf2UJgWkVmTuRkHqRanvexqsfGBxacp2V_rd6-hfE2Vh3Ps_34s5BwvUngzGMdJIg8E1KD4C93Ui8veITdY5oFaDzGcTzCuMH09N_XxdhLRovQmeueeVBWVQt3fTJqI8o8qAPWKjxoaA/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264110345375186946" border="0" /></a>Fireworks!!! It was a pretty incredible display.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vDCAi7sA55VyPDyhMpihdaRvZl2BZ4hYNtIvg7ajPU4M9mokPu6cY-IX6luhO7FNZHl_hdb7ssgsHY6TO5UfMtSsuvPASpJePb1BJCmWljU5RMn3b5chApYngviGnuUcITh3inpMOQU/s1600-h/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vDCAi7sA55VyPDyhMpihdaRvZl2BZ4hYNtIvg7ajPU4M9mokPu6cY-IX6luhO7FNZHl_hdb7ssgsHY6TO5UfMtSsuvPASpJePb1BJCmWljU5RMn3b5chApYngviGnuUcITh3inpMOQU/s320/Gill+and+Tom%27s+Wedding+039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264110332644397314" border="0" /></a>This cake was pretty cool - it was already sliced and in boxes ready for you to take away - I had never seen anything like that before!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We had such a great time - it was nice to get away for a short break, but now - it's back to the books. I have an essay due in two weeks time! Eek. <br /></div></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-7656929659964307412008-10-19T17:34:00.006+01:002008-10-20T08:10:24.747+01:00Pumpkins!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvtUN5X1n7InAY75zgIAkFwXjFoDrCbLAd3W9YT8EVtwsPg-c5LS24SLRG8yPcv6ELDijH2Xt8UXriuL7-ZBuG_bZyZvNXSQ7bBUGSRTh1UjwP3fJMwNawuXK_A3RTaPhtA5dM3nSHs8/s1600-h/October+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvtUN5X1n7InAY75zgIAkFwXjFoDrCbLAd3W9YT8EVtwsPg-c5LS24SLRG8yPcv6ELDijH2Xt8UXriuL7-ZBuG_bZyZvNXSQ7bBUGSRTh1UjwP3fJMwNawuXK_A3RTaPhtA5dM3nSHs8/s320/October+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258906225604610322" border="0" /></a>It's sad, but true. My husband had never carved a pumpkin in his life, until last night! They have Halloween here in England, but it's a pretty poor effort. There really isn't Trick-or-Treating and they sell pumpkins, but it's not really "the thing" to carve them. Anyway, we had a blast last night. The boys were sceptical at first (Andy's mate Biff was here too - and he had never carved a pumpkin either) but once they got started, they really enjoyed it and got into it! They were so sweet. And I think they did a great job! We put them out back and people walking in the park have been checking them out with interest. Maybe we'll start a trend!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKx2HWZO_QEeXczkZWOtKgE3sIy9iRrA71X2iU5pIRV18XIvAT2eTHnsXqrq4eVvk_UaXlIRFyglxB4lC9uaRhFBcLI1N87qgYexd7Gf3hFFL3NRAlkztkaijgcVwFE5zKLctIiZP64A/s1600-h/October+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKx2HWZO_QEeXczkZWOtKgE3sIy9iRrA71X2iU5pIRV18XIvAT2eTHnsXqrq4eVvk_UaXlIRFyglxB4lC9uaRhFBcLI1N87qgYexd7Gf3hFFL3NRAlkztkaijgcVwFE5zKLctIiZP64A/s320/October+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258906234388064834" border="0" /></a>Andy wasn't keen on the Pumpkin Goo!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30F7uFYeA-U6zsmz9RNVgqHGk4ShaOrmzZjFT6TzidW0A_Njhur9E9QxFdHCc3gOKUjCiafLE6BMwDyQJx7SeUTNbKoLM2UZ6STre-t-m65yaMqpFGpa0u6zyZONy7BUStKYoPxtG16o/s1600-h/October+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30F7uFYeA-U6zsmz9RNVgqHGk4ShaOrmzZjFT6TzidW0A_Njhur9E9QxFdHCc3gOKUjCiafLE6BMwDyQJx7SeUTNbKoLM2UZ6STre-t-m65yaMqpFGpa0u6zyZONy7BUStKYoPxtG16o/s320/October+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258906243047601538" border="0" /></a>Silly Boys...Pumpkin-Heads!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75pJCgZqj9nP6J9xX80nwtLjpymi4DcBkyRBR1UCX595yXQPECNla4SGrjiy_MRiLj5rb290gjrjdFbvORKChxO9ZCfV8DoQvWoNqqMrDOu4ln_mfCwsLbYNgVhqGQyKwPQVtZ2nJKHY/s1600-h/October+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75pJCgZqj9nP6J9xX80nwtLjpymi4DcBkyRBR1UCX595yXQPECNla4SGrjiy_MRiLj5rb290gjrjdFbvORKChxO9ZCfV8DoQvWoNqqMrDOu4ln_mfCwsLbYNgVhqGQyKwPQVtZ2nJKHY/s320/October+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258906252974829810" border="0" /></a>Andy's Pumpkin<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqaF_wS176t9SyZ5HZHy58anLiXf52Se5v9BVpO3pWk8i9OhWWaF0MlEIYhQ4xDkL0CZERPWdoFmzSJLgLyPodcxX1XV2KvK1YbmP4Dvj7MnE_NY6Bdo9VqhSX6gZgKancmxfuqmb7xM/s1600-h/October+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqaF_wS176t9SyZ5HZHy58anLiXf52Se5v9BVpO3pWk8i9OhWWaF0MlEIYhQ4xDkL0CZERPWdoFmzSJLgLyPodcxX1XV2KvK1YbmP4Dvj7MnE_NY6Bdo9VqhSX6gZgKancmxfuqmb7xM/s320/October+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258906260448981042" border="0" /></a>My Pumpkin - I gave it hair like me!<br /></div><br />Today we took Rachel to Stonehenge and then to Windsor - I have been to both places many times, but Windsor couldn't have been more beautiful in the Fall. I love the Long Walk - especially with all the changing leaves. It was beautiful. And then we went for Afternoon Tea at The Crooked Tea House.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9KW6ReUUaMaZ7P9k1HF81rnf0A5IfEZXvWQUgO3miqoV5zzoUkKcbLcthB_nIjhhNwyu7Ad13o_j8B7S8FwVlKN1Gk37q6_VRhr0IWI5QKfkxDT8bDS5-WT-zBXfbLuzBn5KOcCeyx0/s1600-h/October+029.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9KW6ReUUaMaZ7P9k1HF81rnf0A5IfEZXvWQUgO3miqoV5zzoUkKcbLcthB_nIjhhNwyu7Ad13o_j8B7S8FwVlKN1Gk37q6_VRhr0IWI5QKfkxDT8bDS5-WT-zBXfbLuzBn5KOcCeyx0/s320/October+029.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258908234904322018" border="0" /></a>Stonehenge<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEG7ZrSiIWbEpEBGD21l9uH92lnd2UjVYI5NsDZyo65FhhrAQBgKTHXrgunXSyuP-mmr3owKvuVRmCc3rrJlP0eMgbIDL4bCSxTUkU450wMQvo_hKKM-MDMalouyTddXHraZ9SuGiMHJE/s1600-h/October+038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEG7ZrSiIWbEpEBGD21l9uH92lnd2UjVYI5NsDZyo65FhhrAQBgKTHXrgunXSyuP-mmr3owKvuVRmCc3rrJlP0eMgbIDL4bCSxTUkU450wMQvo_hKKM-MDMalouyTddXHraZ9SuGiMHJE/s320/October+038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258908239699759458" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5t5KqgXc6U5pM8ELaNf4CTD8-ByHCVVro8ER3SZC9HswkVuJE7ZnSI3O1QvxZrCGI99BnBew3HnuUgm9pcaHSvnEPmmMTD0KjdLeNWpK03KUvsJdPjUT84F6FSdJSfCDV08vmDfrmE9o/s1600-h/October+026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5t5KqgXc6U5pM8ELaNf4CTD8-ByHCVVro8ER3SZC9HswkVuJE7ZnSI3O1QvxZrCGI99BnBew3HnuUgm9pcaHSvnEPmmMTD0KjdLeNWpK03KUvsJdPjUT84F6FSdJSfCDV08vmDfrmE9o/s320/October+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258908249541968850" border="0" /></a>Crazy Rachel!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHiaqZkoXvQdUdYkdA0TB7l7cUeJrk-3mlyeyJD8o_r6sAP-m68osYbRDS98T9qPT82lnTO4CVwB-JyQUs_ktcQjiIj4AS8Lk-sCdjuF8Ms8on7f2s4-LjHeQ2rMs8dxcBTcvfC_eung/s1600-h/October+045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHiaqZkoXvQdUdYkdA0TB7l7cUeJrk-3mlyeyJD8o_r6sAP-m68osYbRDS98T9qPT82lnTO4CVwB-JyQUs_ktcQjiIj4AS8Lk-sCdjuF8Ms8on7f2s4-LjHeQ2rMs8dxcBTcvfC_eung/s320/October+045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258908261159741698" border="0" /></a>The Long Walk<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOIoet_GYqAUHiTw8zxwNrsl7591905Sv036Ozirlb1XTQm1OvdapxbieqJNykN_CDPxvNLqIUUE-Mu0YonLrA8Da4xkmKtYAJEvGP3SBYf7rwfi_FKutYSP4qY-3kbWykolm3-VoJcc/s1600-h/October+051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOIoet_GYqAUHiTw8zxwNrsl7591905Sv036Ozirlb1XTQm1OvdapxbieqJNykN_CDPxvNLqIUUE-Mu0YonLrA8Da4xkmKtYAJEvGP3SBYf7rwfi_FKutYSP4qY-3kbWykolm3-VoJcc/s320/October+051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258908266148980754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiclPFDl1Ochtfv9Aanf_ThaVfeIZlqGExpMjtzuyPEjoRbwQaH6zW-auyUU2VRmdM9g2nYnwLqSDuFfflMUSMbQraV9-TFvStV6P3fdG90K1p0kCsG6OGD5t_7Cubmk38TgOsw_f0FnI/s1600-h/October+057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiclPFDl1Ochtfv9Aanf_ThaVfeIZlqGExpMjtzuyPEjoRbwQaH6zW-auyUU2VRmdM9g2nYnwLqSDuFfflMUSMbQraV9-TFvStV6P3fdG90K1p0kCsG6OGD5t_7Cubmk38TgOsw_f0FnI/s320/October+057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258909206098021522" border="0" /></a>The best scones on the planet!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nQgNoWnpz4r3qQ05YGKsx1jisFYvwaOwFrtZ7FunHpB3BdE0xcZYNNrzXZ8Fb72oO58Pf3hYCLICoSERefjJbdDiftHBPNFEgRW3gOMQVsOGABBa-Cm0vm90mssjv5vsoSDDztBm8Vg/s1600-h/October+058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nQgNoWnpz4r3qQ05YGKsx1jisFYvwaOwFrtZ7FunHpB3BdE0xcZYNNrzXZ8Fb72oO58Pf3hYCLICoSERefjJbdDiftHBPNFEgRW3gOMQVsOGABBa-Cm0vm90mssjv5vsoSDDztBm8Vg/s320/October+058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258909213410228930" border="0" /></a>The Crooked Tea House<br /><br /></div>It's been fun having a break - but Rachel leaves tomorrow morning and it's back to the grind! Reading, reading, reading! At least I have carved pumpkins and a few photos - those will make me smile while I'm hard at work : )Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-60298196388154760032008-10-17T09:21:00.002+01:002008-10-17T09:32:12.763+01:00Still Busy : (I've still been too busy to keep up-to-date with the blog. I guess the simple fact is - if you spend all your time going to and from London for class and then you're at work or at the library the rest of the time, there isn't much time for doing fun things and taking photos.<br /><br />However, my friend from America (Rachel) arrived on Tuesday so that has forced me to slow down the pace which has been really nice. For the first time in YEARS I've been doing all the touristy stuff in London! On Wednesday we did The London Dungeon (so Halloween appropriate!) and Madame Toussads Wax Museum. And then yesterday we went to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Houses of Parliament and last but not least, The London Eye (where Rachel promptly freaked out and only opened her eyes for about 2 seconds of the 20 minute ride! Haha.) We have taken about 1,000 photos - so there will be many funny pics to post soon. On Sunday we are taking her to Stonehenge and then to Windsor to see Windsor Castle and (my favorite) The Crooked Tea House - it's this tea house that is so old, it's leaning and there is no loo inside! But they make the best scones around : ) <br /><br />Andy has had to work this week - but we've been hanging out in the evenings. I'm glad it's finally the weekend so that he can play with us too. It's a busy time at the Keet Household - Andy's mom arrives tomorrow from America - so we have that to look forward to as well. But how am I going to get all my work done!?! Haha.Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-21908540213472049722008-10-05T08:12:00.003+01:002008-10-05T08:32:39.761+01:00SOAS (and quiche)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4CWrs06TogexN6vib_jTuEXfO82KwAf2vbXJDiX75GgjforBD7Vdl9GPkYIvxb1qFESJExbrM84aixJyrFy1kEGY_O8xj5a6cYBYVves2AO-8v-xyCHblPcB2xizwrPYUlvWceKU5pY/s1600-h/SOAS+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4CWrs06TogexN6vib_jTuEXfO82KwAf2vbXJDiX75GgjforBD7Vdl9GPkYIvxb1qFESJExbrM84aixJyrFy1kEGY_O8xj5a6cYBYVves2AO-8v-xyCHblPcB2xizwrPYUlvWceKU5pY/s320/SOAS+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253566070541553074" border="0" /></a>While I was University on Friday, I took a few pictures of the main square. SOAS (The School of Oriental and African Studies) is part of the University of London which is made up of about 15 different Universities. SOAS is in Central London, but I guess - looking at a Tube map it's North East. So three times a week I take the train to Waterloo Station, which is about 30 minutes on the train from my house) and then walk from Waterloo to SOAS (another 30 minutes). Eventually I'll have to take the tube, but I prefer to walk while the weather is nice. Above is the main building that holds the library as well as many classrooms and lecture theatres.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXy6q3UNV1uJT2_6DIZ7_A5swlKinVBabCnI5mVKD1cRqXkq9UX7TBnIkckLmgMUnaFGawPbriSkWUE47GFXzUjygNpmW5OxeGx5KyYES5rgj2gC9FTozeUfFy2SQq59CBvMZdSd5Jwk/s1600-h/CIMG1762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXy6q3UNV1uJT2_6DIZ7_A5swlKinVBabCnI5mVKD1cRqXkq9UX7TBnIkckLmgMUnaFGawPbriSkWUE47GFXzUjygNpmW5OxeGx5KyYES5rgj2gC9FTozeUfFy2SQq59CBvMZdSd5Jwk/s320/CIMG1762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253566074265781330" border="0" /></a>This is the Brunei Gallery, (which was donated by the Sultan of Brunei) there are classrooms here as well as a main theatre. As you can see, SOAS is a happening place - seems like there's something going on nearly every day. It is one of the most diverse Universities in the world meaning that there are an endless number of clubs and societies from 12 different types of Martial Arts to The Hare Krishna Consciousness Society. And politics are huge at this University, H-U-G-E. Never a dull moment at SOAS.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOh_FkfnftoRiBeztaOYU8SK3WUmmqp4xJOsqvkxYusj9s2CWzIv10Xy91O3C42BxFuMrgC1311GJz6lQc28IASp2UKwHzkxaHhOCEsGZA-_h0hbNmlBCNKX_e8WcP2cDcYFwYllPzrw/s1600-h/CIMG1762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOh_FkfnftoRiBeztaOYU8SK3WUmmqp4xJOsqvkxYusj9s2CWzIv10Xy91O3C42BxFuMrgC1311GJz6lQc28IASp2UKwHzkxaHhOCEsGZA-_h0hbNmlBCNKX_e8WcP2cDcYFwYllPzrw/s320/CIMG1762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253566076666177666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjxwXTuueq3sVPZoHaoMWgvNNI_gAM4_LSRxx0rxuQbyjyUuFKJJYhWenU7Up2asznIx35thREZRsDyYyJwY06wXdi3By-TLEYkf9X8OYn2B40-YcPHiVfaGyzrVAK708LAqsIfRJv98/s1600-h/SOAS+001.jpg"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjxwXTuueq3sVPZoHaoMWgvNNI_gAM4_LSRxx0rxuQbyjyUuFKJJYhWenU7Up2asznIx35thREZRsDyYyJwY06wXdi3By-TLEYkf9X8OYn2B40-YcPHiVfaGyzrVAK708LAqsIfRJv98/s320/SOAS+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253566085969750450" border="0" /></a>And then, I'm also posting a picture of the quiche I made last week. I'm just really proud that this was my first attempt and it wasn't a complete failure. That was just bacon, leek, tomato and cheese (a.k.a what I had in the fridge). A few days ago I made broccoli, pancetta, camelized red onion and goat's cheese. Andy LOVED it - so much so he had seconds and <span style="font-style: italic;">thirds</span>! <br />p.s. I also love my "I love baking" tea towel. A friend from my old job got those for me!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhs_aYC9KL4ZnT76ECntYh7gNjvcQNcF3iyyVFJ8TpAH8XyALGpe1QKg8qbPQGJhqsPXWMsOOAWHzCZfF8_1DTIqOOsiM1etq9IvDiNOWU2tc30dn7n3LCAlcSaIwdwqEFh5RwA_Ckls/s1600-h/SOAS+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhs_aYC9KL4ZnT76ECntYh7gNjvcQNcF3iyyVFJ8TpAH8XyALGpe1QKg8qbPQGJhqsPXWMsOOAWHzCZfF8_1DTIqOOsiM1etq9IvDiNOWU2tc30dn7n3LCAlcSaIwdwqEFh5RwA_Ckls/s320/SOAS+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253566086559381810" border="0" /></a>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-66575016111196267942008-10-03T07:22:00.002+01:002008-10-03T07:35:20.272+01:00CRAZY LIFE!I have not been good with posting these past couple weeks, but that's because I have hardly had a moment to myself since I got home nearly two weeks ago. I think most of you know I started my Master's Programme the day after I returned from Malawi(!) and since then it has been a mad dash to get all get enrolled, get my courses right, get all my course readings, find my classes, sign up for the right tutorials...and it has been exhausting. But I just finished my first full week of classes and I am still alive! Haha. <br /><br />And of course, I also had a lot of work to do post-Malawi in terms of writing up the notes from the research trip, tying up loose ends and then completing two very important funding applications...so, that was time consuming as well.<br /><br />Also - while all this was going on, I was meant to be starting that new job I got at the care home up the street from us. After just one day there, I realized that it wasn't the right place for me. I think the biggest problem was that the job was too demanding...I just didn't think I could give it all that it required, emotionally, physically, etc - and also be 100% committed to my degree programme. As well, I didn't feel very welcomed by the staff, my new boss wasn't being very flexible with me, and it was just hard. So I quit - after just one day. And that was difficult for me, I don't easily give up. But I knew I didn't want to get involved there, go through the training, only to leave 2 months from now or something. So, that has also been difficult to deal with.<br /><br />But now, two weeks later, the dust has settled and I'm starting to feel pretty good about life. Other than the fact that I'm supposed to be doing about 500 pages of reading a week, EEK! And it's also Fall - who doesn't love that first nip in the air? The leaves changing? It's my favorite season - by far, so I'm happy! I think I need to go bake something with pumpkin in it! Also - for anyone out there who likes a good recipe (I DO!) - a friend told me about another great recipe site:<br /><br />http://pinchmysalt.com/<br /><br />She's not a professional cook, just a regular woman (what's the female version of "Average Joe? haha) But there are so many fun recipes on this site, especially if you have kids! Check out the Halloween cupcakes. The photography is also amazing...which I love.Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-57050693781366136892008-09-21T13:31:00.007+01:002008-09-22T20:50:25.063+01:00I'M BACK!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrd7tulA24KKZMUdM1GKTN_gMdO51auJgt4guwMdMAiZqreTZ4SFMTG4D3bIx9Y1alrHUbDYWUkaT0yy-x6-nVrXsvi0h0k-rXLTYLOMVhGqTgfgUgizyqIuZfyEgtuE6ZnS6PuGYu7U/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+155.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrd7tulA24KKZMUdM1GKTN_gMdO51auJgt4guwMdMAiZqreTZ4SFMTG4D3bIx9Y1alrHUbDYWUkaT0yy-x6-nVrXsvi0h0k-rXLTYLOMVhGqTgfgUgizyqIuZfyEgtuE6ZnS6PuGYu7U/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+155.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248453504602120386" border="0" /></a>I'm home! Finally. The last three weeks have been a blur between going back to the States to sort my Visa and then heading to Malawi the next day! I'm exhausted. However, the research trip was a huge success. I have learned more in the last ten days than I have in the past two years - and have learned enough acronyms to last a lifetime! But I am now, more than ever, determined to see that this maternity clinic, guardian shelter and doctor's house be built.<br /><br />Right now the women have so few options and little chance of a safe birth...can you imagine giving birth in mud hut without a doctor? Or can you imagine walking 17 km while in labour? These women need a clinic so that doctors and midwives can not only deliver their babies but also so that they are given the proper ante-natal and post-natal care as well as HIV/AIDS education and information on other important health topics.<br /><br />We spent most of the week in Nhkata Bay working with the District Hospital ironing out the details and then the rest of the week in Chisala organizing everything with the community (re: their contribution, land issues, where to place the buildings...etc). We also toured different sites that already had maternity clinics to see their set up and interviewed staff learn what services they offer and the best way to provide those services.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNW0F_An63Xi4EmGH0TfXHZ4hYZrrYJkAWl4l8ZRj-yRDLYbeDQih7MFPibzWTmNs42WJWNQo99u0MMErWPRL3Qa7YLpDxhdmv-VftMiYlL7kiTBdbqsU3sl66rR1qudh9_FBjnBKGmo/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNW0F_An63Xi4EmGH0TfXHZ4hYZrrYJkAWl4l8ZRj-yRDLYbeDQih7MFPibzWTmNs42WJWNQo99u0MMErWPRL3Qa7YLpDxhdmv-VftMiYlL7kiTBdbqsU3sl66rR1qudh9_FBjnBKGmo/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248453512337167922" border="0" /></a>Meeting with the Village Headmen and The Maternity Clinic Project Committee (Chisala)<br />The community are so excited about the project and have already started making bricks!<br />They will make nearly 250,000 in total.<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_DHLKV4rUQ4PTrZBDLORP7g-gFV8yTO2MhoJriVZa2QIL8l9Kj4zD4VBJnValBVX3flM_brGCnAlwhyphenhyphenwHJRdMKPkf7JKkKnJReI7NAxgeevSH-khNSYNxurOH25GVIQF1XRRKCJMBDo/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+089.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_DHLKV4rUQ4PTrZBDLORP7g-gFV8yTO2MhoJriVZa2QIL8l9Kj4zD4VBJnValBVX3flM_brGCnAlwhyphenhyphenwHJRdMKPkf7JKkKnJReI7NAxgeevSH-khNSYNxurOH25GVIQF1XRRKCJMBDo/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248453529738663426" border="0" /></a>Perhaps one of the cutest photos of the trip! Breakfast time.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2n0CzV6e9NML-soPRn4f1X5SqI5AVZ0M12Bimhvuq_dBHb5VirHKuIt_u_o8BdlbSwENgI7vSDJf-82SekOmVqD9W37ok3kBuRcIYXaP9MX4LYfFGfdcKrVAei0-cXT2Dw2Yah8p2RQ/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+095.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2n0CzV6e9NML-soPRn4f1X5SqI5AVZ0M12Bimhvuq_dBHb5VirHKuIt_u_o8BdlbSwENgI7vSDJf-82SekOmVqD9W37ok3kBuRcIYXaP9MX4LYfFGfdcKrVAei0-cXT2Dw2Yah8p2RQ/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+095.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248453535389447522" border="0" /></a>This is a Guardian Shelter at the District Hospital. This is a place where women can come when they are approximately 36 weeks pregnant - here they wait with other women until they deliver. This shelter means that they don't have to walk once they go into labour - usually family members come with them. We will be building a guardian shelter as well.<br />(although ours will be nicer!)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCd2-xptQTBwhYiqdklOrjBxrxOU2wUQp5Q6y7B17jpWxlochnvUHXRaJ9Rqhixns9UGjaFstAjwp84G11yDqUoj4uyL0Cb8ijXYsRuHjEexkxlvDfVCVi5I76s6HnGzvRciwo0S9HHw8/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+113.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCd2-xptQTBwhYiqdklOrjBxrxOU2wUQp5Q6y7B17jpWxlochnvUHXRaJ9Rqhixns9UGjaFstAjwp84G11yDqUoj4uyL0Cb8ijXYsRuHjEexkxlvDfVCVi5I76s6HnGzvRciwo0S9HHw8/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+113.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248453520265861874" border="0" /></a>The existing Health Clinic in Chisala - which is in <span style="font-style: italic;">dire</span> need of a facelift.<br />Any extra money will go towards fixing up the Health Clinic.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkQiAtSEQkLIrTW2DeLMyGNbrHLsK1ZrSRCFZYQO6AycLJbvcqOMlAk1xPseU5BM7NOZti8WJajRzB3_kl6kZK3ACz6NDQKE3f57BjZ8V3Srzyk4HF_FcUAuM-MaAdjCjBJhqljtXqsQ/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+179.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkQiAtSEQkLIrTW2DeLMyGNbrHLsK1ZrSRCFZYQO6AycLJbvcqOMlAk1xPseU5BM7NOZti8WJajRzB3_kl6kZK3ACz6NDQKE3f57BjZ8V3Srzyk4HF_FcUAuM-MaAdjCjBJhqljtXqsQ/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248457445121583826" border="0" /></a>Weekly baby-weighing<br />Just one of the post-natal service that will be provided to all mothers in the community<br /><br />Below: Women attend a class at another maternity clinic<br />This class focussed on HIV/AIDS and how to tell your husband if you are positive....<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl064sQStBepx2m6dT-mdUAN48LwxVMYNokvgZhOtWbrZu5VIaTudk96vqOjcTOA_2M_szH8rsi3Ao5WTeqt7x80bqhXnZyrYIaG8B7smAr8200j7kvNSjctT3Hm-tfG-f-BESve0kIw/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+176.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl064sQStBepx2m6dT-mdUAN48LwxVMYNokvgZhOtWbrZu5VIaTudk96vqOjcTOA_2M_szH8rsi3Ao5WTeqt7x80bqhXnZyrYIaG8B7smAr8200j7kvNSjctT3Hm-tfG-f-BESve0kIw/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248457465587433202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h9d_9HnbuzBqUPq7tx8jxCpkv5_rEa6l3A72AR7KADEx0R9azrINce4WPktRRBTWHIS41LXXwhFAZnBBz3RDsy5XJ3YIWmXbfbK9YJfcoHkjelDQ56pkK8-9X3Gw93sPmn0PPn0QA68/s1600-h/Malawi+Research+Trip+190.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h9d_9HnbuzBqUPq7tx8jxCpkv5_rEa6l3A72AR7KADEx0R9azrINce4WPktRRBTWHIS41LXXwhFAZnBBz3RDsy5XJ3YIWmXbfbK9YJfcoHkjelDQ56pkK8-9X3Gw93sPmn0PPn0QA68/s320/Malawi+Research+Trip+190.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248457452580760082" border="0" /></a>Some of the equipment which will be in the new maternity clinic:<br />oxygen, suction and resuscitation table (there will also be a vacuum extractor)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, you get the idea - lots of exciting stuff going on with the project. But I'm shattered now - it took my friend Emily & me 3 flights and over 24 hours to get home! And now I start my Master's Program tomorrow morning...time to get some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's!<br /></div></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-80900319763357266542008-09-07T03:16:00.002+01:002008-09-07T03:23:03.541+01:00Fantastic News!Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been home since Monday sorting my visa out. And the good news is - it's done! I got it : ) I couldn't be more relieved. When the courier handed me back my documents WITH my visa in my passport, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I welled up with tears - he asked me if I needed a hug, haha. I had explained to him what I had been through and he knew what this meant to me. That was Wednesday, and since then I have been having a great time with Sharon. She took a couple days off work and we went to mom & dad's house in PA where we took walks, baked, read, watched films, drank bottomless cups of coffee, talked for hours, etc. It was a great girly get-away. And then tonight mom & dad got back from California so we picked them up from the airport (thank God they weren't caught up in the remnants of the hurricane, they just missed it!) We had a big celebration tonight, for dad's belated birthday - but also for the joy of being together. Sharon and I cooked up quite a feast. Good times. I fly home Monday and leave for Malawi on Tuesday. I feel so relieved that things finally worked out - thank you all for your care and concern over the last 3 weeks. xoxoMaggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-54585314546210859952008-08-31T08:17:00.004+01:002008-08-31T08:35:18.236+01:00Day at the Lake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmrB2f95JdyrZV41109po2h8Cssdbk-G5JCQNFF6rvca4gTddQ_vtC16mrNrby_6JU9uRVOvwZhIOHVZcg35MbdX4zS-E2oMZ9Pujpi_VXfz3gqfBQAcDM5xs-Ze54HqWLUQRwPsluWw/s1600-h/CIMG1508.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmrB2f95JdyrZV41109po2h8Cssdbk-G5JCQNFF6rvca4gTddQ_vtC16mrNrby_6JU9uRVOvwZhIOHVZcg35MbdX4zS-E2oMZ9Pujpi_VXfz3gqfBQAcDM5xs-Ze54HqWLUQRwPsluWw/s320/CIMG1508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240579123440786610" border="0" /></a>Every so often Andy & I will go to the lake with some of our friends for a day of wakeboarding, waterskiing and a BBQ. Andy loves wakeboarding and I've tried it, but I'm really no good at it. Still they try and get me in the water - fortunately this time, I had a good excuse! I sprained my ankle on a run yesterday morning, so there was no way I could get out there. But it's still fun to watch everyone and I got to play with Annabel for a long time : )<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg9L5vVBYR-_ZA6pf4NGHhFCLa8rYDtg9stPRGv8H4cUeiZL8BN_Jv9ewIkUarKLvdCEePafyTi-5hNJ9tPXdvmHBPs1kFjLkJBQMZQXxgToG2xtcPxzb2lQiDm-HexaySIh2_O0AlNI/s1600-h/CIMG1525.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg9L5vVBYR-_ZA6pf4NGHhFCLa8rYDtg9stPRGv8H4cUeiZL8BN_Jv9ewIkUarKLvdCEePafyTi-5hNJ9tPXdvmHBPs1kFjLkJBQMZQXxgToG2xtcPxzb2lQiDm-HexaySIh2_O0AlNI/s320/CIMG1525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240579126744542562" border="0" /></a>BBQ!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sRoSOY_3O1i8frgORvrn1Xn8gv8wHZtwgaq9_kWgkJoSRHQoMZXSJoCOAZ3P6ljuG0mYOb4ZTUZBFV_QjH1IkK9EZCWsrq-6HIOWfN1X4jp6ky6VZWbcdCDHfjOL_ZNKWFsGshbGmfM/s1600-h/CIMG1515.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sRoSOY_3O1i8frgORvrn1Xn8gv8wHZtwgaq9_kWgkJoSRHQoMZXSJoCOAZ3P6ljuG0mYOb4ZTUZBFV_QjH1IkK9EZCWsrq-6HIOWfN1X4jp6ky6VZWbcdCDHfjOL_ZNKWFsGshbGmfM/s320/CIMG1515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240579132201968306" border="0" /></a>One boat ride and she was out like a light!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zikNvnTPZzbUU0AfsxcMaDo5bR-ZqWFIlV9BSTe_JDzQUjFZARFOjZlGdZRvGs8FnXdhMv9Ep7shb6u9Xnauze5NWx_HzzEuua5mk7T3KdgVQ5QHcwcRLs_M2ffb78GkTer0srMLdCU/s1600-h/CIMG1506.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zikNvnTPZzbUU0AfsxcMaDo5bR-ZqWFIlV9BSTe_JDzQUjFZARFOjZlGdZRvGs8FnXdhMv9Ep7shb6u9Xnauze5NWx_HzzEuua5mk7T3KdgVQ5QHcwcRLs_M2ffb78GkTer0srMLdCU/s320/CIMG1506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240579138031337954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCqTVAD-s4Ryw2YUmkJYS63ButNYK-ljh4kQeYpgcg33S60YTi9VBK39pzrOYjek3OeskWJg74nIYBpkT9bX8SaHjACQ-8EPez1eH6y-l5sA3j3fg2amD71JVC3U1XVd8bF57NWM8cTA/s1600-h/CIMG1519.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCqTVAD-s4Ryw2YUmkJYS63ButNYK-ljh4kQeYpgcg33S60YTi9VBK39pzrOYjek3OeskWJg74nIYBpkT9bX8SaHjACQ-8EPez1eH6y-l5sA3j3fg2amD71JVC3U1XVd8bF57NWM8cTA/s320/CIMG1519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240579141208521778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfih2wdLswlsSjxcsoRaPxz8hupDKkoAXvh295nydUtVSS72LDxybwiyh5dPpA0kEmO4SIw0FxgclwMVg32a3KF5Rat57iKbPSQzhsQEacjQs1Zr_Ifi-D_VLW2iyJ0LSUjE0ndGwwVbw/s1600-h/CIMG1520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfih2wdLswlsSjxcsoRaPxz8hupDKkoAXvh295nydUtVSS72LDxybwiyh5dPpA0kEmO4SIw0FxgclwMVg32a3KF5Rat57iKbPSQzhsQEacjQs1Zr_Ifi-D_VLW2iyJ0LSUjE0ndGwwVbw/s320/CIMG1520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240580928657819218" border="0" /></a>Annabel is so beautiful - so delicate and precious. And she's also got the blanket that Andy & I gave her! I just love holding her and looking at her, even if she's crying - I don't mind. Anyway, it was a great day out - the sun was shining and that's about all it takes to have a good day here. This morning it's so foggy I can't even see the park out back; there is very loud thunder and it's pouring rain. Gotta appreciate the good weather while it lasts. <br /><br />Andy comes home tonight from Sweden - I can't wait to see him!Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-75539967531780086782008-08-29T13:59:00.005+01:002008-08-29T14:46:57.692+01:00My Last Day at Woking Borough Council<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Walking out the doors of the Benefits Department for the last time</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwL1POlJbfhDanU3TuHGM137j3KRLXz_LU42W5OIx4crPP2U0go4_rWNEeHlnEbyLwz4eaKRwOfqzYJKYyCudFjAgywSmgdVRx1X3zpziMl9UwDGYDcQ2M6mphO2b-bYFSHRp2nV8wEg/s1600-h/CIMG1476.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwL1POlJbfhDanU3TuHGM137j3KRLXz_LU42W5OIx4crPP2U0go4_rWNEeHlnEbyLwz4eaKRwOfqzYJKYyCudFjAgywSmgdVRx1X3zpziMl9UwDGYDcQ2M6mphO2b-bYFSHRp2nV8wEg/s320/CIMG1476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239925606419152082" border="0" /></a>Yesterday was my last day at Woking Borough Council. It was a day of mixed emotions - on the one hand I was happy to be finishing with work(!) and moving onto school, but I was also sad because I have truly come to adore (most of) the people I work with - I've spent nearly everyday with them for the last two years and now I'll only see them when I pass by from time to time.<br /><br />And it wasn't just my Leaving Do - we were also celebrating the fact that our colleague, Sue, is getting married next week. We did what all English people do when they want to celebrate - we went for a meal and to the pub! We had dinner at this place called Nando's, their speciality is peri-peri chicken.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T7vSLwXNQARYAGiastRg4GGLBGtK6GL10VOobpiYGsJGLIsTOuVbR4lXd9fcYu5SFP4GtmIVNZFRcR5uaMAxip2sIojRUSAjbTcxzSU2ZfQ8lQErtbqu1TeosWu_5Ej-ZJxX22DettY/s1600-h/CIMG1484.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T7vSLwXNQARYAGiastRg4GGLBGtK6GL10VOobpiYGsJGLIsTOuVbR4lXd9fcYu5SFP4GtmIVNZFRcR5uaMAxip2sIojRUSAjbTcxzSU2ZfQ8lQErtbqu1TeosWu_5Ej-ZJxX22DettY/s320/CIMG1484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239925624617158578" border="0" /></a>I'm glad at least 3 people are looking at the camera - not a good group shot!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHflCUdXeFk1VVnhFPVrMxawLjwyzzGJhOgqCQEPpI2cKnsN8Z-1GfiZja9XDpCAKSL_lJT26sQ0_-DhbdLIdwcamcvrkyRrs-NFVCLSUkdYRJt-VGyX2h11027j05qGSHlzvFMNFIp0/s1600-h/CIMG1494.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHflCUdXeFk1VVnhFPVrMxawLjwyzzGJhOgqCQEPpI2cKnsN8Z-1GfiZja9XDpCAKSL_lJT26sQ0_-DhbdLIdwcamcvrkyRrs-NFVCLSUkdYRJt-VGyX2h11027j05qGSHlzvFMNFIp0/s320/CIMG1494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239925609638383682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zE84u4Uf4REhOixkDyVFLhl7ycdxVCkwW7tq-rrbqQg3PMWxCUODN2GHNJR-IUXRYiLwxN-HlMAd3eU_Kw6Wr_wIGP-tjK5t_mub3UfNoNo-alde4w-2ue-bDxnnxX9HWHD6ITyiIxw/s1600-h/CIMG1488.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zE84u4Uf4REhOixkDyVFLhl7ycdxVCkwW7tq-rrbqQg3PMWxCUODN2GHNJR-IUXRYiLwxN-HlMAd3eU_Kw6Wr_wIGP-tjK5t_mub3UfNoNo-alde4w-2ue-bDxnnxX9HWHD6ITyiIxw/s320/CIMG1488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239925613508763650" border="0" /></a>Sue and Me<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-18ijKn3L9g2HEcPloHAOojQWdEwADdsZB2Xtcz_t3-H584qY21VE7IXujXe86zDXaMiBkONM6JDrK3J1rKApE-FWf0TeAuiok18n4Gp5yHBL95m1fzwMK4DOR9vW_xwve4b9CBDnb3w/s1600-h/CIMG1496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-18ijKn3L9g2HEcPloHAOojQWdEwADdsZB2Xtcz_t3-H584qY21VE7IXujXe86zDXaMiBkONM6JDrK3J1rKApE-FWf0TeAuiok18n4Gp5yHBL95m1fzwMK4DOR9vW_xwve4b9CBDnb3w/s320/CIMG1496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239925619183271906" border="0" /></a>The girls (Karen, Jenny, Nicky, Me, Jan and Lorraine)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">All in all, a great night out. Thus ends another chapter in my life. Now I've just got a couple days to get myself ready to come to the States! Deary me...my life does move at quite a pace.<br /></div></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490611002541728296.post-45736601859766879332008-08-25T09:51:00.011+01:002008-08-27T06:13:35.473+01:00Weekend in Morchard Bishop, DevonThis weekend I visited my friend Richard, his wife Anna and their daughters (who are my age). They live in a tiny village in Devon called Morchard Bishop which is about 30 minutes outside Exeter. Richard and I met at Exeter University back in 2004 when we were in a study group with two other students. Richard really looked after our group - he would often pick us up, take us back to his house and Anna would cook lovely meals for us. Sometimes they would take us to National Trust houses and gardens and we would take long walks with their dogs. We have maintained a friendship ever since. More than anything Richard and Anna are just wonderful to be around and their hospitatlity is endless. This is the lovely little thatched cottage they live:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbougJ_HskVWPjj57B7PG7L_9b2D-fND3SHwksORhMsmAnWqFBAFoysMrZ0KoSeKEwbok4Dy4ci_Jotgcb-W3FzRYlAzn0Ggphsn579O2B0IRwKVeOJoxnSQd7MZbY7rLYD1phG3wnfS8/s1600-h/CIMG1385.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbougJ_HskVWPjj57B7PG7L_9b2D-fND3SHwksORhMsmAnWqFBAFoysMrZ0KoSeKEwbok4Dy4ci_Jotgcb-W3FzRYlAzn0Ggphsn579O2B0IRwKVeOJoxnSQd7MZbY7rLYD1phG3wnfS8/s320/CIMG1385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238376616692461090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWml2mPemxn8x_vAURTRLQZ_RnUmSe0YQk_6jKgpbaCNKuamWirlWqckFw5PiQic7ds_Rc2l01DTOlVQDBGb0XTiiJro0mXHp1PUrBFavBEjuE-lmQO-aDiWgw5PHJTzwVpRtSyeHAjg/s1600-h/CIMG1383.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWml2mPemxn8x_vAURTRLQZ_RnUmSe0YQk_6jKgpbaCNKuamWirlWqckFw5PiQic7ds_Rc2l01DTOlVQDBGb0XTiiJro0mXHp1PUrBFavBEjuE-lmQO-aDiWgw5PHJTzwVpRtSyeHAjg/s320/CIMG1383.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238376622896255682" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cqdbAE9og0sbxPvu-i9LE_bFtiYpQxAvFrsjkc-wyzELeUO1unlOrZ2hHO_Jr9zwKeZ8VLvpgy9bqRZg5Yx4wUX30XKtHpXtALxJ67lteknAqNhzOwCfhaMqj057X1JOMPhAiBhjDes/s1600-h/CIMG1455.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cqdbAE9og0sbxPvu-i9LE_bFtiYpQxAvFrsjkc-wyzELeUO1unlOrZ2hHO_Jr9zwKeZ8VLvpgy9bqRZg5Yx4wUX30XKtHpXtALxJ67lteknAqNhzOwCfhaMqj057X1JOMPhAiBhjDes/s320/CIMG1455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238376632114100770" border="0" /></a>My room when I stay there<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkedM7_RKyI-L5eeNny47cJliYaMLku_sqS0m03E-yxaJmlHXRpcsSjMu2Lw0yBssqwu7OP9SV9o2kMze5ZH27vYv739NHapyscbGG6sPhyUeOLuHmpNQm5j8rSa1IcVZIiP09JPRA2lo/s1600-h/CIMG1459.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkedM7_RKyI-L5eeNny47cJliYaMLku_sqS0m03E-yxaJmlHXRpcsSjMu2Lw0yBssqwu7OP9SV9o2kMze5ZH27vYv739NHapyscbGG6sPhyUeOLuHmpNQm5j8rSa1IcVZIiP09JPRA2lo/s320/CIMG1459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238376634267061858" border="0" /></a>I've always wanted a door like this!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBnEqBWmS3xRe3U1zjPb1vmI05OwigEPVgbM2uYTH1u3p4yLQCpBB3uCBSyVC4Stf0O-uPMac05m-L73Q2N0WgwTzmqFMerbpfCsC2C7X9Q7DlsNc9wkbHJJknVst-X2_kEGOwdi31fU/s1600-h/CIMG1456.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBnEqBWmS3xRe3U1zjPb1vmI05OwigEPVgbM2uYTH1u3p4yLQCpBB3uCBSyVC4Stf0O-uPMac05m-L73Q2N0WgwTzmqFMerbpfCsC2C7X9Q7DlsNc9wkbHJJknVst-X2_kEGOwdi31fU/s320/CIMG1456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238376641183212338" border="0" /></a>I also really love the booth wish cushions on it...very cozy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBjiTgv1QMowI992lll9st0Pl2PvrIwL2T6xxGtprloVU88DfrI-76ZR_cVJT_ZvufEJkCxgGDH73kUX4gKlIHFBIVdcgwA4lbjRXAPjrIwD3Ht7Sfg6XjME7932Suo95LZKN2qqW_fA/s1600-h/CIMG1458.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBjiTgv1QMowI992lll9st0Pl2PvrIwL2T6xxGtprloVU88DfrI-76ZR_cVJT_ZvufEJkCxgGDH73kUX4gKlIHFBIVdcgwA4lbjRXAPjrIwD3Ht7Sfg6XjME7932Suo95LZKN2qqW_fA/s320/CIMG1458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238385033403577762" border="0" /></a>I <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> have an Aga someday...this is actually a Rayburn, but same difference.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">While I was there we went to their friend's smallholding. The farm is fantastic - organized chaos...or not so organized as it were. They had not one, but TWO litters of kittens...12 total. Andy is lucky I didn't bring one home...I bonded with the black cat with blue eyes. I was even able to help out - apparently the pigs kept escaping so we fixed the fence. The whole experience was wonderful and only made me want my own smallholding even more!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhhmGRWk2B2XJHU4vPMNXEZS0HbuQXOBAlw1OHUrB38m3yvhtgK5YfzzI0eCn1ifVABJzcT_A3WVvHeA7SBTrQgSLJOY7UKHgylIlAUgaUS8VAB5KLBhVtFnqxZqXt0eM9d8NbXGruM0/s1600-h/CIMG1390.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhhmGRWk2B2XJHU4vPMNXEZS0HbuQXOBAlw1OHUrB38m3yvhtgK5YfzzI0eCn1ifVABJzcT_A3WVvHeA7SBTrQgSLJOY7UKHgylIlAUgaUS8VAB5KLBhVtFnqxZqXt0eM9d8NbXGruM0/s320/CIMG1390.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238379421375044578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6ZoRHLKwsyvIZU6No8cgX915Y8Y56NFAHxan2kiSAqHwo6HITDAeX8WhjGKX5d6Q8UIJwEcTrlcY1GkjnMSdBXtBRE7dupq5cnbqxYY5OnfW7l5_ef_hW4x_tTcrLbGfvT49fTz2kXU/s1600-h/CIMG1391.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6ZoRHLKwsyvIZU6No8cgX915Y8Y56NFAHxan2kiSAqHwo6HITDAeX8WhjGKX5d6Q8UIJwEcTrlcY1GkjnMSdBXtBRE7dupq5cnbqxYY5OnfW7l5_ef_hW4x_tTcrLbGfvT49fTz2kXU/s320/CIMG1391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238379425208166930" border="0" /></a>What a view!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjobySGe_M9oMJwsM7Z6nX3QbtfSR_Ix19xrxrcDKuISfAVlmTjAGH8VrI__xMVI4V-gREPs-7vYSESMRFB7kAVkL3LVCSRvQBecOdGEAWKlrQ4ofzxO1ta5HX5x3fA1etbNNqcOq41RE/s1600-h/CIMG1407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjobySGe_M9oMJwsM7Z6nX3QbtfSR_Ix19xrxrcDKuISfAVlmTjAGH8VrI__xMVI4V-gREPs-7vYSESMRFB7kAVkL3LVCSRvQBecOdGEAWKlrQ4ofzxO1ta5HX5x3fA1etbNNqcOq41RE/s320/CIMG1407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238379434645803858" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSIZqSU5NXV1NWzllagdPvUACDTt2YjzMFZK2KBYpgofTsrf-m1vGN3pytWfBRa_UMPXpEq5ezlleE1gfPgxjyM-VnndRPqicm99arnhsrwtY_jG4V0erPP4qd-4Rv4LKkxd6AK4h8h4/s1600-h/CIMG1433.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSIZqSU5NXV1NWzllagdPvUACDTt2YjzMFZK2KBYpgofTsrf-m1vGN3pytWfBRa_UMPXpEq5ezlleE1gfPgxjyM-VnndRPqicm99arnhsrwtY_jG4V0erPP4qd-4Rv4LKkxd6AK4h8h4/s320/CIMG1433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238379438617873970" border="0" /></a>Look at those eyes!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwk7WtW6XWcq5J-FKc7I3_CEt1IL_zBsBmbuX_R5PXq54okid0I2zZGtI8XPfGql9XyTyHhx75pvMcFm3paFz_PDBDZyrbambEQIkq2j8yB_HXZkWcOTCvI0t9W6nXiVJli4FxWiU0bqI/s1600-h/CIMG1410.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwk7WtW6XWcq5J-FKc7I3_CEt1IL_zBsBmbuX_R5PXq54okid0I2zZGtI8XPfGql9XyTyHhx75pvMcFm3paFz_PDBDZyrbambEQIkq2j8yB_HXZkWcOTCvI0t9W6nXiVJli4FxWiU0bqI/s320/CIMG1410.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238379443199599106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQijSvTs5ohGNSj3-D4ZrErS6YHJAkLvOfwvRVseP1dxiNCKKf_JsGK3CrKehC4ZPAIdXYhFECwuYsfRNr4S90a2SROhGPse_M8i7Q1p1RDAKkpLPIeXPWELcYqCbAHxXIWLY3_97y_mw/s1600-h/CIMG1440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQijSvTs5ohGNSj3-D4ZrErS6YHJAkLvOfwvRVseP1dxiNCKKf_JsGK3CrKehC4ZPAIdXYhFECwuYsfRNr4S90a2SROhGPse_M8i7Q1p1RDAKkpLPIeXPWELcYqCbAHxXIWLY3_97y_mw/s320/CIMG1440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238383419707020610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrS7R5N51jSzxyunl-b3Kd-1S3CmVIY6nFk-E-nFTFtDMMjHO19QE6FHy8Sm77TDd_N5b2rsauxHcbSbzQvaRwU_9sjaDQI1-30hIMXD7V0cpzDb-2vw_iG2P_kkICoSIK8nrziJM5tw/s1600-h/CIMG1435.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrS7R5N51jSzxyunl-b3Kd-1S3CmVIY6nFk-E-nFTFtDMMjHO19QE6FHy8Sm77TDd_N5b2rsauxHcbSbzQvaRwU_9sjaDQI1-30hIMXD7V0cpzDb-2vw_iG2P_kkICoSIK8nrziJM5tw/s320/CIMG1435.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238383425875286482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Za4pZl_fSpAdBPlNCPZ_5fmpkRcENxn2sI80G0vp5v6yoshiK_WaAbd8VAYrw16VNSxR2Obchm-dwqXLNL1lgLGnYQj3dTpTKWiRrgHzwn2qUK7x3zAiuhsfilyH1Tp7Q5_S3p1lE3A/s1600-h/CIMG1445.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Za4pZl_fSpAdBPlNCPZ_5fmpkRcENxn2sI80G0vp5v6yoshiK_WaAbd8VAYrw16VNSxR2Obchm-dwqXLNL1lgLGnYQj3dTpTKWiRrgHzwn2qUK7x3zAiuhsfilyH1Tp7Q5_S3p1lE3A/s320/CIMG1445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238383432406725938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGe2Op2FJgklhtrSw18danLQFrSI7QWrYLmix9l6z7F7V1y7p0Czp9yMkrj-YONhkrIjm9fyQOzGXRadf01mQXQ8-6WRbO_CY4qiRvwVriZ4Ri3Osuho90O8R1J56HO-RWV6UZF_Fo6Q/s1600-h/CIMG1414.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGe2Op2FJgklhtrSw18danLQFrSI7QWrYLmix9l6z7F7V1y7p0Czp9yMkrj-YONhkrIjm9fyQOzGXRadf01mQXQ8-6WRbO_CY4qiRvwVriZ4Ri3Osuho90O8R1J56HO-RWV6UZF_Fo6Q/s320/CIMG1414.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238385046072039506" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxt7zbAJ9b_irSXLAHD_43Ik0sgN2lR68o7oJHbShqPDpUn6x46DHQYIvsgNzcwJaMshM7af7HgEv6984BUuN6HYmveiQMQkhfT4q-JGA0e7-xlWD5L196aZ7nxVxzFBwDRwcbXCkXew/s1600-h/CIMG1399.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxt7zbAJ9b_irSXLAHD_43Ik0sgN2lR68o7oJHbShqPDpUn6x46DHQYIvsgNzcwJaMshM7af7HgEv6984BUuN6HYmveiQMQkhfT4q-JGA0e7-xlWD5L196aZ7nxVxzFBwDRwcbXCkXew/s320/CIMG1399.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238385054389590130" border="0" /></a>How could you say 'no' to that face?!?<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawFkA0ogvGJg9YqsLc2NZVRZaNf_Iu93II3RnjbnPrIe_ckywSTWH-RvWzPHuHaqvLlCnMOTFKhEp51-m0skYi0ryDWq0-0W5-uiFkcoc6d9eR-b6zTfto1mlRCIN1Fc1hYbyPw1wQmM/s1600-h/CIMG1400.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawFkA0ogvGJg9YqsLc2NZVRZaNf_Iu93II3RnjbnPrIe_ckywSTWH-RvWzPHuHaqvLlCnMOTFKhEp51-m0skYi0ryDWq0-0W5-uiFkcoc6d9eR-b6zTfto1mlRCIN1Fc1hYbyPw1wQmM/s320/CIMG1400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238385054936131394" border="0" /></a>We also went for several walks - they have two dogs, Max and Molly. They are the happiest dogs alive, they get so many walks in these huge fields and pastures...and they swim almost everday! Yesterday we also had a picnic by the river...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr5A2oRhVuZMgpRnFpVfbKmkyaVrQ3UQOyl9Cne-ysxrh6CLwLK9_zNU0lFDiHJOOccD59CXDXEZLqRihPVNZT6NzBC2Is3M_r0wlUVgdon_pL8zAMe8aSE4MXJEYAJJnoRLYmrfvz7I/s1600-h/CIMG1420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr5A2oRhVuZMgpRnFpVfbKmkyaVrQ3UQOyl9Cne-ysxrh6CLwLK9_zNU0lFDiHJOOccD59CXDXEZLqRihPVNZT6NzBC2Is3M_r0wlUVgdon_pL8zAMe8aSE4MXJEYAJJnoRLYmrfvz7I/s320/CIMG1420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238381640781052610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vquZ7KXgYMv6y3wVmPrS3ODNb_WzCDNoiihK7f87igI7JIrQ0mKOhhIw7RIdI2QxHS-SM1-0PIQHPTZtzWybC-Ti2QaETUR4wg2_NKmuYnjhUhZbCz_DbZDG2wj-UY-pDhl7dWAGWxE/s1600-h/CIMG1424.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vquZ7KXgYMv6y3wVmPrS3ODNb_WzCDNoiihK7f87igI7JIrQ0mKOhhIw7RIdI2QxHS-SM1-0PIQHPTZtzWybC-Ti2QaETUR4wg2_NKmuYnjhUhZbCz_DbZDG2wj-UY-pDhl7dWAGWxE/s320/CIMG1424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238381650628084098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtPjw3hYQQ-2V1nOF7KdMXb179MTQK3tEFC3lF3NNXLqY10VgnJ-DqqHU6P_6pWRwTLkdY_LqOGMm3zla_b6ICEQeSnmxf8LxGbJLBujm8IyB4t9Te8GKMPGNLWhmXxR-9jcro_ZQHTc/s1600-h/CIMG1430.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtPjw3hYQQ-2V1nOF7KdMXb179MTQK3tEFC3lF3NNXLqY10VgnJ-DqqHU6P_6pWRwTLkdY_LqOGMm3zla_b6ICEQeSnmxf8LxGbJLBujm8IyB4t9Te8GKMPGNLWhmXxR-9jcro_ZQHTc/s320/CIMG1430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238381659458100514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDunKvCU15JXPDZSIsDyXBGiIiD9ae8dnQz9zVJFDpzNhyJ4qlPcwBS8Qm70-mqhsHwH6tfLcH84Dx6qwK1eUuW2VAJmYWKSDAA_Kif1ffn125FpZEzZwPyViLeiXMRKg0KC7LMbIt8g/s1600-h/CIMG1463.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDunKvCU15JXPDZSIsDyXBGiIiD9ae8dnQz9zVJFDpzNhyJ4qlPcwBS8Qm70-mqhsHwH6tfLcH84Dx6qwK1eUuW2VAJmYWKSDAA_Kif1ffn125FpZEzZwPyViLeiXMRKg0KC7LMbIt8g/s320/CIMG1463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238381662782112034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQRxi-G-EtTS3dupyCYNValLL-21h3W6JjiVU25JXOd7xim8LkoDfxg3aold7LL37_mUrOknyFDzyuvmg1Xd2W-QhU8hgELRrJCwH3v3UStOskQWK_GCjNgSWHnwFhZ-nUTamJfi78H0/s1600-h/CIMG1461.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQRxi-G-EtTS3dupyCYNValLL-21h3W6JjiVU25JXOd7xim8LkoDfxg3aold7LL37_mUrOknyFDzyuvmg1Xd2W-QhU8hgELRrJCwH3v3UStOskQWK_GCjNgSWHnwFhZ-nUTamJfi78H0/s320/CIMG1461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238381666950775698" border="0" /></a>They also have a horse called Dotty who had a filly back in May...both horses are beautiful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbt5pPAwlGqhYRSoGnTOc9CSOTVCk4NywdxW-0Z22LwOVIP7NSI0ygvs92IV_1-FsJ8xeous5NZlVywAlCk2d99QcvHXikRfp5CtlZ01BVuPpxAkvwZkEpoE3rRg52NzXoDm-Nmmftl8/s1600-h/CIMG1454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbt5pPAwlGqhYRSoGnTOc9CSOTVCk4NywdxW-0Z22LwOVIP7NSI0ygvs92IV_1-FsJ8xeous5NZlVywAlCk2d99QcvHXikRfp5CtlZ01BVuPpxAkvwZkEpoE3rRg52NzXoDm-Nmmftl8/s320/CIMG1454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238383442062388258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWQHwSHrCpvGngzz6OoC5bRkw-JAE6vMnBoxINVbO60bFFzIw-BGSU85UAuKh-4K9tIxvzZciOX9JQgXj_X2V3VPImN4AkEZqh9qoQ-JkegEm3dQKvJcq365wAnkQETfkPSukcRo43_s/s1600-h/CIMG1452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWQHwSHrCpvGngzz6OoC5bRkw-JAE6vMnBoxINVbO60bFFzIw-BGSU85UAuKh-4K9tIxvzZciOX9JQgXj_X2V3VPImN4AkEZqh9qoQ-JkegEm3dQKvJcq365wAnkQETfkPSukcRo43_s/s320/CIMG1452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238383451079539890" border="0" /></a>On both Friday and Saturday night they had dinner guests. One night it was family friends and the next evening it was just people from the village that they called at 6:00 pm and said "Do you want to come for dinner?" I love village life - it's so sweet. Everyone bought wine or little goodies that they had made. And that night I cooked! Anna is a very traditional cook so I think I surprised her with creamy pasta (my mom's recipe) which had chicken, peas, broccoli and red & yellow peppers in it followed by cherry cobbler. But they really enjoyed my dinner (everyone had seconds) and then we played board games til 1:00 in the morning. I think it was the 1982 version of Trivial Pursuit, I only knew like two answers, haha.<br /><br />We just got back last night and I am exhausted we were busy nearly every minute of the day! But it was great fun. I woke up this morning and went out to the greenhouse and found all of this! I got a lot of cookin' to do. Thank goodness it's a Bank Holiday, I'm home all day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkrH9sN6zVlAa4Ud10YNJnyTvNr3icZlu0OD3k2JjJ7ZnbntpWFVp3JGJpcRVUIthCcAizPrzE29nYCwzbtLWSG_Ibt6Z-f4QpfcMR9jN9Nimaf91C_rsmfOzjOwdhKYi1nTo8t7BV_U/s1600-h/CIMG1474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkrH9sN6zVlAa4Ud10YNJnyTvNr3icZlu0OD3k2JjJ7ZnbntpWFVp3JGJpcRVUIthCcAizPrzE29nYCwzbtLWSG_Ibt6Z-f4QpfcMR9jN9Nimaf91C_rsmfOzjOwdhKYi1nTo8t7BV_U/s320/CIMG1474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238386052755360002" border="0" /></a></div></div>Maggy_Keethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236246861094853691noreply@blogger.com3