Sunday, April 22, 2018

My Week In Pics

Hi Dear Folk,

It's Sunday morning and everyone seems pretty worn out from a long week.  Tierney is down for the weekend and they've been busy.  They went over to the King of Prussia Mall, which is actually the largest retail mall in the States.  If I get over there once a year I would say that's the most I ever visit, not my thing and way too expensive, but interesting to wander around if you've never been, and occasionally I have got a bargain.

The other Saturday my friend and I went over to Produce Junction and I picked a few plants up besides veg and fruit.  This Bromeliad, which I actually love in the brass pot on my Indian table.  Pot might need a little cleaning, will add that to my list.



Rearranged a few things when I was cleaning out a corner of my Simla room.


A little posy of flowers from my garden, I love this old vase split in two.


It's Saturday afternoon and I'm sitting in the Simla room crocheting when my friend Janice phones, she says "Weren't you meant to be at Joni's this afternoon?"  I said "Was I?"  she said "Yes, the get together!"  I had totally forgotten.  Fortunately my friend Joni has moved into an apartment just half a block up.  In fact we've been helping her pack up and move for the last couple of months.  So I got ready and walked over.  So glad I didn't miss out on that.  Honest to goodness, don't know where my mind is.


It was very nice to be with old friends, who I have known since I first came to live in the States in 1976, we have a lot of shared history, travels and fun with each other.  Lots of laughs.  Some friends live right in the area others in Delaware and up in the Amish Country.

My friend Joni keeps everything and still had the original receipt, typed, from the travel agency for our trip to California, including four air tickets, one week's hotel room in San Francisco and rental car for two weeks, total $1,500.00, $350.00 per person. Our three week trip to CA back in August 1977, in fact the year Elvis died, we were in our hotel room when it was announced on the news.  One week in San Francisco, out to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, back to the coast and Big Sur, down to San Simeon and LA to visit friends, out to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, back to LA and home.   A potted outline of our travels.

Also she had a map of the UK with our 1978 trip all marked out where we travelled, and where we stayed. My mum had got us an old Hillman Imp to use, Joni my sister BB and I travelled up to Yorkshire, across to the Lake District, down to North Wales, back out to Bristol and down to Devon, where we met my parents at Clovelly, a prearranged meeting place.  Remember no cell phones.

Our old car had a few problems, which we had to have seen to on the way.  Sunday evening about one hour from Clovelly while I was driving, the engine blows going up a hill, I just had enough momentum to swing it into a Pub parking lot which was right there.  We asked if we could leave the car there and they said yes.

What are we going to do?  We started to hitch a lift, the one and only time I've done that, or in fact any of us.  A nice guy from the RAF base picks us up and drives us all the way to meet my parents in Clovelly, where we continued on with our holiday for another week.  Mum had got the AAA relay coverage on the car and they picked it up and took it all the way home.  Amazing when your young how you take everything in your stride.  Of course you've got mum and dad who help, lovely memories and to recall the details of our trip together, while pouring over the map.


This weekend has been sunny, but most of the week was cold and dull, but at least my cooking was bright.  Sweet potato and beets.


Shepherds pie, with a few left overs thrown in, oyster mushrooms which are very dense, I tried them for the first time this week, in a salad and the left overs went in here, along with a sweet potato topping odd veg on top and cheddar and asiago cheese.  Tasty.


Christy

6 comments:

  1. I am so glad you did not miss the lovely time with your friends. I am not sure what I would do without mine. Have a wonderful week.

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  2. Sounds like a fun time. How nice that Joni is so near to you now. Your plant is beautiful and your cooking looks good too.

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    Replies
    1. Yes I hope that by summer Joni has enough mobility to walk here and we can spend a little time in the garden chatting along with a pot of tea.

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  3. Really does sound like a great time was had by all. The sweet potato and beets look delicious.

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