Heat!

I really should have thought of a more original title! But it brings me smartly onto the issue at hand. We are enjoying a delightful end of summer and slipping into Fall/Autumn and as a consequence we are having cold mornings. No problem. Well no problem if you have heat! Our heating packed up some time ago and we thought that we would have enough time to contact a plumber (yup, did that) and then they would come back with, reasonable quotes........and here is the rub. The quotes were ridiculous and in  the absence of gobs of money, Mr Fozard, dear husband or in this case 'are you bloomin mad fella!' decided that he would just do it himself. Now for those who didn't have the pleasure of knowing Mr F on the other side of the Atlantic, he has never and I repeat never done plumbing work before! In fact he was know as a non handy man. Now suddenly he is literally a man in plaid. He is known in his own family for telling his lovely handy man dad, that he would use his brains and not his hands to make money when he was out in the wide world! Nice and quite full of himself we might say, so now he is trying to use his brain to make money and having to do handy man stuff as well........there is a lesson in there somewhere I'm sure but probably something along the lines of, don't be so smug. 

 

Never the less we were so buoyed up by the water heating being replaced and fitted by said husband that well he is giving this a go. I was fine about the whole thing until, I happen to go down the basement and realized that he was using a blow torch! "Didn't know we had one of those", I said. he just smiled at me and carried on melting things.

 

The other thing to give me some concern is the drilling out for the vent. I might have to report back on that. In fact there may be quite a lot to report on that event.

 

On the outside of our house as I said Fall is ticking along quite nicely and as such me and Lucy have been enjoying  strolling  at Longwood Gardens. This time of year it is just lovely (actually all year round really) and in the current state of things in my basement, it is nice to get out and have a change of scene. So I have just a couple of pictures of there.

 

As for the rest of the inhabitants of our house they are all just fine and enjoying school quite well. Of course for the 15year old it is more challenging  and we will see what his teachers say to me at 'back to school night', but I think he is fine and all par for the course. Playing soccer with the school is occupying him most days of the week after school and Louie is dancing on 5 days of the week, so he is kept busy too. In fact Louie is dancing at an Apple Butter Festival this weekend. Just a small event at a church but it seems that apple butter is something of the season and people like feeling festive. I personally will be looking for that lady who did glass blowing and was selling her wares~!

Oh my bleep he is melting something!

Agh it is a BLOW TORCH, to me he looked to be a bit close to flammable stuff but what do I know!

His first soldered pipe! (I can't believe I have been reduced to having pictures of pipes on my blog!)



This is Old Bessie, as we like to call her, our old heating system installed sometime ago, as state of the art. She is big, she is old and she ain't shifting! So we have her as a feature of the our house and for those visiting it will be on the tour of things to see. For those that want to know, she is 80 years old.

My plumber aka Mr F, aka him in doors or in this case, him down stairs, said that the red thing is 1500 dollars! We hope that it keeps working. I don't know what it is but it is fabulous and red!

 

This is the man I have been talking about............I would say armed and very dangerous.

Ah Louie looking all grown up with a fantastic Dr Who hat, that was worn every day to school. He looks like a middle schooler now.

 

This is a tree at Longwood and I thought that this fungi was pretty cool, especially as it wasn't on my tree!

The sky was the most amazing blue and I love this shot looking back towards the greenhouses and through the topiary garden.

Sunken Italian water garden........Damian's next project............yes I am kidding

Just a nod to Autumn and soon we will have gourds and it will be celebrating Halloween. I have warned Louie I may dress up too............he was cool with that.............yippee!!!!

 

Oh my there are scary noises from the basement and I am sure I keep hearing him talk to himself! Time for me to leave the building I think.............Just remember if anything happens I did love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Exhausted Already!

So school is started and we are being pushed into the routine, like it or not. Funny you never lose that 'back to school' feeling or that 'Sunday Night' feeling knowing school is the next day!  The weather also decided to turn, although beautiful weather, it is funny just those signs of Autumn coming, some leaves on the ground, nuts along the side walks and I don't mean people, but nuts from the trees and the sight of the yellow bus! and so we begin.

For Louie this is a jump, as he starts at a new school, (Middle School) and he is now at the same school as Isaac. It is a step and the start of him becoming a teen! We have two years and then that full horror will develop. But I am hopeful, his brother isn't too bad.........maybe we will be ok. But the first item on the agenda for being a pre teen like Louie is a mobile phone. So off we trot to the mall, to get Louie his first phone! He was very excited and by day one, he is a texting demon, telling me what bus he is on and when he arrives at school. (He must have heard my mind meld screams as I was waiting anxiously, wondering if he would text me, of course I hadn't asked him to. So much relief that he let me know and continued to for the week.)

The first day of school we were all nervous and up early! 6.00am for this house and they are out of the house by 6.55am to get the bus from the corner. Of course I hadn't read the instructions properly about the buses, that's two in the morning and two in the afternoon. So I didn't hear until the end of the day about how they waited a block too far for the bus at the old stop, luckily the driver saw them and collected them. Then how they didn't make the transfer because they had to go to the bus depo (Louie heaven!). Such fun stories and not a bit alarming to hear that the bus malfunctioned and had to be replaced!!!!!!

But all were returned safely to me at the end of the day and so the week unfolded. Now we slot in the dance classes (I am now counting 5 a week!) and horse-riding and soccer! Oh my, the fun of the schedule.

So by this weekend we were exhausted. But not before the plumber came........aka Damian. He has excelled himself and installed a new water heater. Ours having fully died and as our whole system in the basement makes grown men cry, he did it himself. The heating system also needs replacing, as Damian sorry The Plumber, tells me it is broken and he thinks we have 4-6 weeks to get that done too...............he won't do that as it is a conversion to gas from oil as well............oh the joy of home ownership. So far we don't have someone for that but The Plumber reliably tells me that he is on the scout for that.

Here are some snaps of all the above.

This would be the New Phone

6.45am and tying those laces. Notice the dark outside! yes the sun is not fully up at this time.......

The old pro. Unfazed.



Day One of Middle School and even wearing a school T-shirt. Great outfit Lou!

That's my boy!

Off and out of the house, big bro leading the way.

The Plumber and his Mate

New System, (you can tell he is a professional 'cause he has a special light thingey!)



Proud moment

OK maybe that should have been what you did first, not last! Honestly men and those manuals

No...I am confident and I am The Plumber

Yesterday we saw this in the sky above West Chester and let me tell you it was going at quite a clip. When we caught up we could see that it is a ...........minion.........how flippin exciting is that

I got this back shot as it turned and motored off whilst we waiting at traffic lights...........

Oh more next time. This is already shaping up to be a busy month and Louie will hopefully have his first performance later this month...........phewee.

penultimate week of summer

Well it's coming to an end. Just when you start to get used to it all. For the lie in............bliss! waking when I want to. Having lovely chats with the large boy. Telling Louie again to tidy up but really the pressure is off. No camp to drive to like a looney and the biggest discussion is, "what's for tea?"

This summer for me has been a real testament in having a little faith in things. I was frankly dreading the summer, I don't mind admitting that, for many reasons it was going to be hard. Getting the VISA in my head had turned into a nightmare of massive proportions. When in reality it was nothing.

Staying in the UK for 3 weeks seemed such a problem. But what we found is that you don't actually have to kill your family if you travcel with them and head phones work with adults as well as children and the best revalation of all, feed Isaac every 2 hours and don't question the bottomless pit. So breathe and go with it. Hope I remember that for next year!

So being the penultimate week brings me to reflect on what we have done since returning to the US and here are some of the things that they have done. Don't worry we haven't done much!

One week was a choreography dance camp. A friend of mine captured Louie's final leap in his choreographed piece that he did for the final show at his dance camp. It was a great lyrical dance, and for someone that hasn't done much lyrical dancing, he showed terrific talent and yup signed him up for classes in the fall! He danced to the song 'Airplanes' (Shara that is one for you! it always reminds me of you and makes me cry!) by US rapper B.o.B and features Haley Williams.

The dance group at the new dance studio and all those from the final dance camp. Spot Loops!

So one of the things to do this summer was make the kit work, this will eventually have a weather balloon fixed to it. We haven't got far, but look at Isaac's look of incredulous as he launched it. The caption should be "wow I made it fly!"

 Of course the eternal optimist knows it will fly! Check out the launch pose!!!!

So what do you do when there is a thunder storm! Make a den! That is exactly what Paddy and Louie did and guess who was right in there too.....................

Louie

Paddy

 

And what's this ..............a teenager!!!!!

 

 

Here the teenager (aka Isaac) holds forth on the charaters from his Star Wars book with two, make that 4 (including Rufus and lampkins) in rapt attention. They played in the spare room with the den for hours!!!! literally. This is what summer is all about, being a child free to play and make believe..............................

And finally.............Louie in a spurt of creativity is on u tube. Check this link out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33DOJqoUREo

The Trip!

I have wondered how to do this without boring the pants off everyone who is kind enough to read my blog. Being away for 3 weeks is a long time and in 'Miranda Time' that translates into over a 1000 pictures. I snapped like a demon for the last 3 weeks. I seem to have an obsession with detail and so there are a lot of close ups of moldings and roofs and weathervanes!

But I should start at the beginning. We needed to go to London to the USA Embassy and renew/extend our Visa. In order to do this we need to give 3 weeks for the authorities to do their job and process the visas. So a 3 week trip to the UK was booked. Now the first thing to note is that they TAKE your passport. So we would not be able to travel outside of the British Isles. So with all this in mind we set of travelling light and making stops along the way, to make it interesting for the boys.

We broke it down into London first (get interview out of the way), so we arrived on the Sunday interview Monday act like tourists till Friday and get the train to my sisters (who lives outside Peterborough) and then Monday train to York and be tourists and then Friday train to Blackpool, stay with Micky and Ruby and then get plane to IOM Saturday and be tourists there and following Saturday, fly to Gatwick, driver/taxi to Heathrow stay the night and then fly to America, on the Sunday arriving the same day. Said like, that 3 weeks passes remarkably quickly!

I will just let the copious pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!

This is as close as I would allow myself to get a photo, didn't want to get arrested, but this is the American Embassy in London.

This is for the Moore family! You have a building in London!!!!

Name of the Pub (we did eat there and it was brill!), I can't make this stuff up!!!

Hotel land............nothing to be said other than this is London and we have just sat down.

Selfridges in London. Department store with a long history and known for it's high fashion. (I didn't go in!)

Down a side street..........such a surprise but they have literally every countries cuisine in London.

Fabulous window display. And the taxi below is just too cool.



Fashion from London, just so groovey

Fab building

 



This is carved from soap!!!!

Just a cool shot, think I was on a tour bus when I took this.

Ping Pong in the square, think that they are trying to make it fun in the city.

Weathervane.......I told you, details man!

Lord Nelson on top of his column in Trafalgar Sq. Plus one of the Lions from the same said sq.

Now if you had the key to these gates, you could go straight down the road to Queenies house! This is the end of The Mall and Buckingham Palace is what you can see in the far, far ground.

Cor Blimey Govnor That's Big Ben and a London Bus all in one shot! Actually several buses!!!!

Now this is Horse Guards and that I think is a female solider? What patience and I had to wait for the crowd to clear around them for a photo of this sentry box.........

 So I put this in to show you the sites, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the crowds walking along the bridge and the PACKED tour bus. Did I mention, London was mobbed!!!!

All day long I ring this bell! But I have a lovely outfit on.!

I managed to get this photo, after Isaac spotted this as we whizzed by on the tour bus on our way to St Paul's Cathedral. 

You be lookin' at the Cathedral and this is from the bus! Captures the scene I thought.

 Oh do I look weary, being on hols is tiring, but this is a Paul's Patisserie and we have cake! I know confusing, we are near St Pauls cathedral and this place has nothing to do with it, it is a  French chain shop selling yummy stuff!

That's what it looks like inside. Very rustic and French.

Old bus front and back

 

This is a new building on the London sky line called the Shard

St Pauls from the Millenium Bridge and yes it does move a lot! The bridge not St Paul's

Yes they have painted the trees!

London is definitely on the up, so much construction going on.

Wonderful graffiti.

Look closely at the name of the place on the bus? It says Nunhead.........well I thought that it was funny.

Old and new, the Gerkin and the Tower of London

This is a marker to show you have now entered the City of London (an old marker)

You might be able to make out, the people walking on the bridge..............loads of them.

Another groovey cab

We know who you are, that's Big Ben!

This is the cue for Madam Tussauds (didn't go in! this was also a shot from the tour bus)

This is on the BBC building

The Apple building

These mosaics are all over the building

I was so pleased with this shot, the bus was turning a corner and I just snapped and got the divers.

We went to the London Underground and Transport Museum and we found a place for Issy!

Look Mum I can drive a bus!

These next few snaps are just fab features around London

Striking out along the River...........That's the Thames and the boys. We are on our way to Cleopatra's Needle.

Same said needle

The Sphinx

Britannia and part of the Houses of Parliament

An electric sports car

Onto Greenwich and the time meridian

The Cutty Sark, the fastest tea clipper!!!!

Fully restored and lifted and look that would be Louie holding it up.

We even managed to get to Deptford and Eileen and Charlie's pub. This picture is a good likeness and hangs in the bar. Eileen is Kay's sister and also knew that a boy liked chips!

Oh the joy of the underground! 

Onto Sarah's and here's the kids old and new playing!

So left to right, Louie, Robert, Isaac and Heather.

David and Damian outside and they decided that badminton was in order.

The star! Sarah's family dog, Mole

Lou on the trampoline!

This is the scene by the house, just idyllic

Isaac and Mole and a true bond was formed! Isaac is trying to teach Mole to fetch!

OK boys lets go on a Boat trip, and yes that is Louie driving.

More bleep Weathervanes, this is Cambridge

Wow the bikes

Wanted everything in this window, so just took a picture of it.

This would be Cambridge in the summer, mobbed!

A descendant of the tree that Isaac Newton sat under. (Honestly, I'm not making this up!)

I love this picture, John (next to Isaac) had been avoiding my picture taking and just as I took this scene and Isaac had been right next to Sarah, blocking John, Isaac side stepped and I clicked and got John!

The Botanical Gardens that Sarah and David and family took us in Cambridge.

Louie, Heather and Robert

Prefect! John and Isaac

A game of tip!

Wonderful street names

Hats the boys bought in Cambridge and yes we were crazy enough to carry these all the way home to the USA!

Sunset at Sarah's and a perfect Fen night. (The area that Sarah and her family live in England SE is called The Fens)

Damian and Isaac fishing and Isaac did catch something!

York and the River Ouse outside our Hotel window.

Canada Geese..................bloody noisey

The Shambles, one of the oldest shopping streets in Britain.

This is a man on a bike and he was there everyday being a living statue.............

 

Clifton Tower, oh and Louie

The steps were scary

View inside and view out to the Minster in the background.

Louie as a Bishop and doing a crowning..............no I don't know who the other kids were!

Micklegate in York is really old and we found this wonderful old church.

York was a walled city and we decided that we would walk the walls, think we lasted 5 minutes.......we all needed the loo and really the walls all pretty much look like this!

Underneath this pub was the remains of an actual Roman Bath! cool. The fact I remember from the film we saw, was that the Baths were noisy..as Roman soldiers plucked there hair from their bodies.......this included the arm pits!!!!!Ouch!

There were loads of little alley ways in York, it is a really higgley piggley place and they had lots of renamed lanes?

 

This is the Minster. The largest Gothic Cathedral in Europe..wow

For Louie and all of us we went to the National Railway museum and here is the Mallard above, and the Flying Scotsman below (waiting for her paint job, she should be green)

The Rocket and a happy Boy! We road on it, and that is genuine happy Damian.

Of course Louie loved it too.

We went on a boat cruise of the River Ouse and found Canal Boats

This is a gate house for the bridge we passed under and it connects to the Walls.

Another interesting Pub name

Gate House

This is an American shop in York! They must have a lot of American's studying there.............wow

 

While we were out and about we went to the Minster one day and behind the Minster they were filming for the PD James novel that is being adapted for TV, Death Comes to Pemberly............they were on break and I snapped the actors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are a lot of gates to the City of York and this is another

We are on the home stretch folks and this is Caroline and Isaac in the Isle of Man

A threshing machine at the Southern Agricultural Show, a must see event on the Manx social calendar.

Caroline and me!!!!

One of the events that they do and this was Caroline's friend!

Alley ways in Castletown, where Caroline lives and we went to school from the age of 11. So we know it well. This was my favorite secret walk.

Around the harbor in Castletown

Wonderful lighthouses. Looking to Langness in Castletown...note the sky in these pictures, it was blue nearly the whole time we were there.

This is Milners Tower a folly built at the top of a hill in Port Erin where we stayed and I decided to walk the boys up it! It was a really windy day.

This is view back to Port Erin

Isaac is sheltering from the wind!

The moorland of the hill

Views from the top and the Calf of Man. The most southerly bit of the island, is a smaller island.

Isaac requested before we went to the Island to visit the Wildlife park and here are some of the animals we saw.

 Now we are homeward bound! Thanks for sharing our holiday. I have tried to not bore you but still give you a taste of the 3 weeks. There is loads more pictures and words, but this sums it up. Wonderful time and great places. We saw lovely family and made the most of it. It was great to see it all, and it is great to also be home...........love to you all far and near.