Category: In the Village, England

Hoar Frost

Sorry to go on and on about the weather. It’s just so variable here in England, but just now, invariably cold. I’ve never lived anyplace with 0C temperatures or less for more than a weekend skiing. We have our two wood fires going, as well as the central heating, which I like, but Bernard likes… Continue reading Hoar Frost

Socializing and Studios

Parties, parties, parties: on Wednesday, at Anne’s, we met two new (to us) Shere couples, a striking woman with gray hair cut in a brush style, and her Danish/British husband whom she met through a newspaper ad.  The wife has lived in Shere for a long time, and knows everything about everybody.  Can’t wait to… Continue reading Socializing and Studios

Sunday morning snow

We woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow on rooftops and cars. The temperature was already up to 33F, though, so I bundled up in tights, corduroys, undershirt, t-shirt, sweater, quilted jacket, white wool scarf, ski hat, thick socks, and mittens, to take Tasha for her morning walk. She is still coughing… Continue reading Sunday morning snow

Sunshine

That is actually the name of a book.  Written by an Englishman, of course, who is obviously so obsessed with the sun that he has written a whole book about.  The complete title is, SUNSHINE:  ONE MAN’S SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS.  His name is Robert Mighall, and you can read the review, if you want to,… Continue reading Sunshine

SPRING

At last.  The white drops drifting through the air are petals from flowering fruit trees, not snow ; the breeze wafting through the leaves is warm, not cold, and the sun glints off shiny new foliage instead of  rain-drenched tree trunks and side walks.  Excuse me.  In England, we say pavement, confusing to a Yank… Continue reading SPRING

Clotheslines

  I received an email from an old (I use the term advisedly – we are now in our 7th decade) friend, talking about clotheslines.  It hadn’t occurred to me that Americans no longer use them much.  I have lived in France and England for the last 15 years, where most people hang laundry outside… Continue reading Clotheslines

Post Office Closures May Affect Health

Loneliness is bad for your health. Most of us intuitively know there is a  mind-body connection with regard to anger, stress and heart disease.  Now, research launched in 1994 by a psychologist, John Cacioppo,  at Ohio State University, has shown that loneliness has physical consequences as well.    Lonely people get sick more often, and… Continue reading Post Office Closures May Affect Health

Weather

I am beginning to get some insight into English talk about weather, and what weather reports mean.   As someone who grew up in an exceptionally balmy area, Orange County, I acknowledge that I have a skewed view of climate, and a personal thermostat which will never recover from those early years in southern California.  It… Continue reading Weather

THE HOLIDAYS

I have been composing blog posts daily, lying awake at 4:00 AM.  The trouble is, I don’t get up to write them down.  I am now wondering if it is worth it to try to catch up on the holiday activities or just start from here, January 7, 2008?  The thing is, we had some… Continue reading THE HOLIDAYS