Merry Christmas

 

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas! :-)

My Graduation Weekend

So I'm finally here to talk about my graduation weekend a week late. Sorry about that :-)  I'm getting caught up slowly but surely. Anyway, it was a great weekend and it was a big moment in my life. It was also just a lot of fun!

We took the train into London on Friday around eleven o'clock and we had a good journey. I love taking the train!  It's a great way to travel and only takes half of the time that it would for us to drive to London. We ate something quick at the train station when we arrived in London and then we headed to our hotel to check in.

Once we got checked in we decided to get out and enjoy the city. We walked around a bit and did some people watching and then decided to go the O2 complex to have an early dinner. You know how I love taking pictures of food, but I forgot because I was feeling greedy and went ahead and ate. LOL. We ate at a place called Nando's. They have really good spicy food and it's right up my alley.

After we left Nando's, we walked around the O2 Arena. That is one thing that I love about the O2...there are loads of restaurants and things surrounding the arena so you can do everything there. On that particular night there was a Rod Stewart concert getting ready to happen, but we got in and out of the restaurant before the rush.

After we left the restaurant area of the O2, we went outside and walked around. This is a picture of this cool structure that's outside the O2 and I love the way that it was catching the evening light. It's called the Peninsula Spire.

Next to that is this interesting building called the Ravensbourne. It looks like a big toy to me. It seemed to glisten that day.

The next day was the Saturday and it was my graduation day :-) We had to get up really early in order for me to be there to get robed up and everything. Everything was very well-organized and The Barbican where it was held was lovely inside. It's a nice size...not too big, but not tiny. Before the ceremony, there was a mini concert given by the Westminster Brass band. They played about five songs and then the faculty marched in. Here's a slightly blurry picture of the band onstage.

My graduation ceremony was the last one that the chancellor of the university was going to preside over, so it was a special ceremony. The chancellor was David Putnam and he has had an amazing career within many arenas. The thing that I was so impressed by was that he produced the Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire, along with many other films. He was so genuine and inspiring when he spoke. I just loved it! There were two honorary degrees given out. One was given to Anthony Barnett, who is an activist and the other was given to the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. It was so wonderful! I truly felt this was a milestone in my life...I really felt it and I'll have that memory forever :-)

After graduation, we headed back to the hotel so that I could change out of my uncomfortable outfit ;-) And then we headed to our favorite place to eat....Sophie's. I was feeling so good that I got a cocktail and it was so good! It was called a Frozen Sicilian and it had vodka, lemon, and raspberry in it. Check it out!

And here's my appetizer. It was calamari and it was so good.

I forgot to take a picture of the main course because I was greedy again. LOL. But I had a peppered steak salad and it was great too.

After we ate, we decided to take a good stroll around London. Here's the thing, I don't drink much so that cocktail had me feeling beautifully fuzzy. LOL. I was fine, but just laid back as heck ;-) I was so relaxed and everything.

We walked all around and eventually ended up in Trafalgar Square. It was really buzzing with people, but it didn't seem overcrowded at all. I got free hugs from these two girls who were dressed up like two cats. I've often seen them or others like them there, but I never joined in. Well this time I did and it was great! :-) I just felt in love with the world that evening! Here's a picture that I took across Trafalgar Square and if you look in the center and in the distance you can see Big Ben.

It's always a hive of activity there and there are always sidewalk performances or something going on. There is this section of Trafalgar Square with this pedestal called the Fourth Plinth and it features an ever changing display that lasts for a particular period of time. Currently there is a huge blue chicken called Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch. Here's a picture.

That weekend was one of the best I've ever had and I'll never forget it. I saw so much, I did so much, and I loved it all!

P.S. ~ I just realized that I didn't tell you about my broken heel. This post is already long enough so I'll save that for another post :-)

Quick Note

Hello there. I just wanted to let you know that I'm currently working on my post about my graduation and I will be posting it next, on Tuesday. Thanks for being patient with me :-)

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Graduation Post Coming

Hi :) I just wanted to check in to let you know that I'll be posting about the London trip and my graduation this past weekend in the next couple of days. I'm a bit behind with things...aren't I always? Lol.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be sharing my experience here complete with distinguished people, broken heels, and cocktails ;-) My life is like a sitcom sometimes. Lol.

I'll be back....  ;-)

Graduation

 

On Saturday, I'll be reaching a milestone in my life. I'm going to be graduating. I've completed my bachelor's degree after lots of studying and I can't believe that it's done. This is something that I've wanted to complete for a while and now the end of this chapter in my life has come.

I went to university when I first graduated from high school, but I left because I got bored and I just started working. I was lucky because things worked out for me. However, always in the back of my mind, I thought that someday I'd go back and complete what I started. It's been an interesting journey and I'm glad that I made the decision to go back to study.

I'm finding that it hasn't sunken in yet that this moment has come. I guess that it'll feel real when I'm there walking across the stage. I'll surely be thinking of my mom and dad at that moment and I'll be wishing that they were there. But I know that I carry them with me in my heart always, so they will be there.

We're on our way to London today in preparation for Saturday and I'll let you all know how it goes when I return home. It's always interesting to go to London, so I'm sure I'll have a story to share.

Until next time...

Catching Up

Hello there. I can't believe that it's been two weeks since I wrote anything here. Wow time flies! Well, never fear I'm going to get back in the saddle in the new week ahead. I've gotten some things out of the way in my life, so I can now make this site the priority that I want it to be again.

I guess that I'll offer a preview here, kind of like a movie trailer. Okay, well this week I'll be having a guest post on a great place to experience in Australia. Also, I'm going to resurrect a series that I've long ago let lag behind here. I don't know if anyone still reading remembers when I used to talk about foods that I eat here, but I've got a short post about that. And also I'll be sharing an achievement that is coming full circle next weekend.

So hopefully you'll come back again to see what I'm talking about. I hope that everyone is having a good weekend. Talk to you in the new week.

Until next time :-)

Balloon Crowns

Today I had to walk up to the High Street because I had to visit the post office. I went up first thing this morning and it was good to get a chance to get some exercise along with running my errands. It's quite a workout because the walk to the High Street is uphill all the way. And let me tell you, in the past I used to be huffing and puffing when I finally got to the top. LOL. But now it's all good.

 

Anyway, I went up to mail a package off and I saw that they had cookies and candies set up on a table inside the post office. There was also an older gentleman there who was making balloon shapes and animals. All of this was because the post office in our town recently reopened after being closed for a few weeks for renovations. So they were celebrating. The post office is a combination kind of a place. It's a post office, newsstand, general store type of place.

 

So when I left, I passed by the older gentleman who was making the balloon animals and shapes and he says, "Would you like a crown?"

 

This is my crown below :)

 

 

 

I gladly took it and thanked him. I stuck it on my head for a minute, but then I thought it might pop or float away, so I carried it down the hill and back home again. I thought that it was so sweet of him to give me my very own crown first thing in the morning. It made me feel like a kid again. Who knew that I'd trudge up the hill this morning like any other day, but come back down the hill a newly crowned queen ;-)

 

P.S. ~ I just looked at this picture again and maybe it's just my dirty mind, but the balloon looks kinda rude too. LOL.

 

Until next time...

I Have a Dream

As many of you already know, today is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others took a stand that day and I am grateful to them all every day.

 

 

 

I wasn't alive when the march happened, but I know for sure that I have definitely reaped the benefits of the work of Dr. King and so many countless others whose names we will never know. I have seen the 'I Have a Dream' speech many times as I'm sure many of you have and it never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It reaches deep and it continues to resonate in ripples through the generations.

 

I think that growing up on the outer edges of metro Atlanta was a blessing in my life. As I was growing up I was able to visit many sites that hold significance in Dr. King's life and it was so great to have that education right in my backyard. If you are ever in Atlanta, please visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. You will be able to visit the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center, and Dr. King's birthplace. I highly recommend having a visit, because it truly makes Dr. King's work come alive and with every visit I always come away with thoughts of how I can do more.

 

So as we commemorate the March on Washington today, I hope that we can all reflect on how much progress has been made and put action towards making this world a better place for all people. The work continues onward.

 



Adventures and Daydreaming

I have another picture to share today. I took this one a few days ago when I was having a walk further out in the countryside. The sky was so blue and the trees were so green. Notice the little white streak in the sky? Well that was the trail of an airplane passing overhead. I wonder where it was going? When I see an airplane passing overhead, I always wonder where the people are headed and what adventure awaits them. It's fun to daydream about that sometimes :-)

Clouds

This is a random picture that I took yesterday. I love taking pictures of clouds. They are so dreamy.

 

Have a wonderful day!

Book Lovers Day

 

Illustration by Ghergich & Co.

Today, August 9th is Book Lovers Day! I LOVE reading, so this day is right up my alley!

Every since I was a kid I've always loved going on adventures through the pages of a book. Books can help us learn and grow and offer us a chance to see the world through someone else's eyes. I love that!

So here's to Book Lovers Day....and here's to books :)

Standing Out

 

I saw this cute little daisy the other day when I went for a walk. I love that it's not afraid to stand alone and stand out with all it's beauty. There's a lesson there  :-)

Getting Back to Creativity

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here before, but I love jewelry, especially unusual pieces. So the other day, I got a new pair of earrings at a street market. They were inexpensive and I just loved the look of them. They're not too large or too small...they're just right...light and airy.

They're tree of life earrings and I thought that they were interesting.

I used to make jewelry a few years ago and lately I've been thinking of starting up again because I used to enjoy it so much. Now that I'm finished with my university work, I'm interested in moving ahead with my creative pursuits again.

I'm having to work up to it with the creativity though. I've had my head stuck in the books for so long with all of my study and analysis, therefore my creativity has gone a bit rusty. I'm sure you know what it's like when you've been so into one way of using your brain and then you want to switch over but you can't. Well, that's me right now. However, slowly but surely I'm finally finding my creative feet again. It just takes time.

I'm finding that taking the time to appreciate other people's creativity is opening me up again. I guess that it's like physically having to work a muscle to get it back into shape again. It's like waking up again in a way. I guess that my creativity has only been sleeping and now it's stretching and awakening to a new day...the next chapter in my life :-)

An Introduction to Cricket

Today I want to share a post from my friend Sharon. She loves cricket and her enthusiasm for the sport has made me interested in learning more about it. So if you're like me and want to know more about cricket, read further and learn about this intriguing sport.

                                               
The scene is set. A beautiful bungalow somewhere in Wiltshire, the windows opened wide. The television is on in the lounge and kitchen and the radio on outside. The occupants are lounging in the sun, when the radio demands they rush to the window to watch the action. Its summer 2013 and the fates have combined two of my favourite pastimes, reading in the sun and cricket.

Since he was a boy my husband has taken every opportunity to follow cricket. Today we are lucky enough to have Sky Sports H.D. but when he was a lad my husband listened to test match special on the radio, bringing to life the nuances of the beautiful game and introducing him to some of the exotic locations that host it.

We still enjoy the radio commentary with Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott sparring but Blowers, the affectionate name for Henry Blofeld is the cricket commentator who for us remains the link to the immortal voices of Brian Johnston and John Arlott. 

We married in 1984 and had two daughters in 1989 and 1992. Throughout this time the radio was a big part of our life although I never showed much interest in the game, I remember thinking ‘seriously, they play for five days and then it can be a draw? They stop for lunch and tea and the shipping forecast interrupts the commentary whatever the state of play!’ Bizarre ideas!

My husband Andy often suggested going to a game and tried to entice me with the idea of a perfect family setting, a picnic and a blanket relaxing in the sunshine... we never did. He had been to one day games but never a test match, then one day in 2004 we were having dinner with friends and he was talking about how he would love to see a test match live. Our friends expressed an interest in joining us and my first introduction to the game was at Trent Bridge in 2004 against New Zealand. I was hooked, a whole day of sitting in the sun, drinking cider and watching a game that is so fascinating with its quirky rules and traditions.

Since then we have had some amazing and frustrating days. We have sat in the rain, umbrellas up waiting for the start of play, attended Edgbaston for day 5 of the 2005 test that was the turning point for England’s Ashes victory and witnessed the only time a test team, Pakistan refused to come back on the field over a ball tampering controversy at the Oval in 2006.

Our experiences have been diverse; we have watched England in Cape Town and Galle and attended the 2013 Cornish Cricket festival in Truro supporting Andy’s boyhood team Somerset.

Going forward we would like to visit as many different grounds as possible, international venues, English test grounds and county grounds, with this in mind I thought I might set up a blog looking at the experience of attending a cricket match from the point of view of an older women.

Yes I love watching the game but it is also important to know what cider they stock, the quality of the food and that all important factor the toilet issue! We have just been to the County Ground in Taunton and are attending day four and five of the Durham test and the T20 final at Edgbaston. I’ll let you know.

Letting Go

Over the weekend I took a walk just to clear my head and relish the good weather that we've been having. We've been having a proper summer this year...complete with sunshine, warmth and everything!  Who knew that summer was supposed to be like this?  ;-)

Anyway, as I took my walk, I looked down and there was this little patch of clovers. I wasn't searching for it, but there it was...a four leaf clover.  When I was a little kid, I used to love to search for four leaf clovers, but I hardly ever found any. I guess that I was looking too hard.

When I found this one the other day, a lesson crossed my mind. I was reminded that sometimes you just have to let go and that is when the doors will open. I know that sometimes I'm guilty of worrying about things and making myself go crazy, but often when I just let go, things work out even better than I could ever imagine.

So here's to letting go...

Beauty

Here's a quick photo that I took today. I had to catch this butterfly very quickly because he was gone in a flash. That's what I loved...that it was here and then gone. It made me appreciate capturing this fleeting moment even more. It's not the greatest picture by a long way, but he was so beautiful and I'm so appreciative that he stopped by to thrill me for a minute. Now I share it with you :-)

The Saga Continues

Just a quick update about the plant outside. As I said in a previous post, stuff happens! LOL

 

Well, the plant is still dying, but I'm impressed with its hanging on ability. Who knew? Even though it was looking really crunchy before, right now it actually looks a tiny bit better than it did. I'm one of those people who doesn't give up easily, so even though things looked bad I decided to water it a bit more to see if some simple TLC could help it. And it did somewhat. The bugs have still been having their way with it, but at least it doesn't look quite as bad.

 

There are all kinds of philosophical things going through my head during this saga of the houseplant. Who knew that it would get this deep?  ;-)

 

Anyway, just thought that I'd share. Also I hope that everybody is having a good weekend!

 

Talk to you later...

This Moment

 

It has been a few days now since the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case and it's still hard to wrap my head around the acquittal of George Zimmerman. I haven't known what to write here about it that hasn't already been said, but I just feel that I should etch this moment into the fabric of my space here on the internet. Like many, I was hoping and praying for the best, but when the verdict came I was not surprised because of the way that the trial seemed to be going. And I'm sad to say that I just wasn't surprised in general.

All that I can say is that I pray for Trayvon's parents and his family. The hurt that they felt when they lost him those many months ago must have surely been made worse when they heard this verdict. I can't even fathom what they must feel. My heart breaks for them and I send all my love...

Stuff Happens

Ugh! Do you see what happened to my Salvia? This is what my beautiful plant looks like now after bugs had their way with it.

Here's what it used to look like...

Oh well. It was beautiful for a while :-)

Happy Weekend

 

Today is a sunny and warm day, so I'm celebrating that summer is here finally. We've been having a very chilly spring and early summer, so I don't know how long this will last. But I'm going to enjoy this summer fun while I can :-)

 

Here's a look at what a tiny corner of our backyard looks like. This is one of my favorite plants. It's Salvia. I love the vibrant red color!

 

We are supposed to have great weather here this weekend, so I'll be out enjoying it! I hope that wherever you are that you are enjoying your weekend too...whether it's rain or shine.

 

Happy Weekend! 

Beautiful Surprises

I wanted to share this photo that I took the other day. It's as you can see a white feather. It was so beautiful and it was just nestled there in the wild rose bush. It was such a sweet surprise to see it there, right where I could see it from the window. It was in perfect view...not too high, not too low.

I've often heard that a white feather can be the sign of angels who are about. I like that idea :)

Have a great weekend!

Taking a Nature Walk



Today I wanted to share some of the pictures that I took a few days ago when Brit Boy and I went walking in a lovely nature reserve here in Wiltshire. Everything was especially green and the sky was so blue. It was so good to get out to enjoy nature like that. It reminded me of taking walks back home. It was a beautiful day!

 

 

Until next time...

Straight From My Heart

Hello all!

I'm still scanning through my pictures from the walk that Brit Boy and I took at the nature reserve, so please bear with me. I didn't realize that I had taken so many pictures until I loaded them onto my computer. The nature reserve was an amazing place and I just kept taking more and more and more pictures. I love taking pictures so my camera is never far away from me :)

I'll be sharing some of the photos in the next couple of days, so please come back for that. It will be more like my posts from the old days of this blog and that's something that I want to get back to. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've been taking loads of pictures all during the time when I was studying for school and unable to get here to blog. Now I can share them. Some are quite random and some are picturesque. My collection is a regular hodgepodge, but I've always thought that that was the strength of my blog before...the focus on a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Kind of like my philosophy on life :)  It will be nice to get back to what I love again!

So today I will share one of my random pictures. It's a potato that I found in our cupboard the other day. I thought it looked like a heart. What do you think? Of course if you look at it another way it could look like someone's backside. LOL.

I vote for the heart though. What do you see?

 

From my heart to yours...have a wonderful day! :)

Hello Sunshine

We are currently having some of the most beautiful weather here in Wiltshire! It's the best that we've had in a long, long time so I'm relishing every bit of it. About a week ago and before that, it was more like October ;-)

 

But this...this is what we've been waiting for!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!

 

 

I hope that it's beautiful wherever you are in the world!

 

Until next time...

Rainbows and Good

 

Today I want to share a photo that I took a few days ago, it was right around the time when I was turning in my final essays for school. Actually this is one of two rainbows that I saw back to back. I saw them both right after I had finished my work. It was later that evening and I was sitting down to watch television with Brit Boy. We were having some weird stormy skies during that week and they reminded me of the thunderstorm skies we have back in Georgia, minus the thunder and lightning here. I know that the timing sounds too perfect, but I swear to you it's true. I took both rainbows as a sign of good...just good in general after a rough and hectic month or so :-)

 

Therefore, I want to share some goodness of the rainbow with you on this Sunday!  Good just for the sake of good and also as a reminder of how beautiful nature and our planet can be!

 

Happy Sunday! 

I'm Back

Hello!!!!!  :-)

I just wanted to share that I've finished my courses now, so I will be back to blogging much more full time over the next few days. I can't wait!

I've been saving things to blog about for weeks, so I'll be sharing pics and things on a regular basis for a while.

I did something today that I haven't done in a while...I actually read a book that I chose. Woo Hoo! I've been enjoying my courses, but the drawback was having to read some things that I just didn't enjoy. The bright side of it though was that I enjoyed a lot of the books a great deal, so it worked out in the end :-)

It just felt so good to dive into my pile of books that I've been saving all of these months. I've decided to also write some posts about what I'm reading from time to time...the good and the bad ;-)

So thanks for continuing to visit me over these long stretches when I wasn't able to blog like I wanted. I appreciate it so much!

Until next time...

I'll Be Back Soon

Hi there!

I just wanted to stop by and say hello and to let you know that I will be back posting regularly very shortly. I've been taking pictures all over the place when I can, so I have a lot of pictures and some words to share :-)

For the next two weeks and a few days over, I will be finishing up my final assignments for my courses, so I'm still unable to get here like I want. But I'm on my way back! I hope you'll come back to visit me. I thank you for your patience over this time.

Have a great week! :-)

Flowers for An Anniversary

Today is our wedding anniversary and over the weekend Brit Boy gave me these beautiful flowers to start the celebration early. They remind me of the flowers that he sent to me on our wedding day! :)

 

Here's to true love!

Walking Around Avebury and Silbury Hill

Hello! :) I wanted to wish everyone a happy Friday! I'm still slugging it out with schoolwork, but the light at the end of the tunnel is slowly approaching. Since I can't write a decent post right now, I hope that you'll enjoy these few pictures that I took a few days ago when Brit Boy and I went for a day out and a nice walk. It was a glorious day and we were able to visit one of my favorite places in all of England...Avebury. We also walked past Silbury Hill which is quite nearby the Avebury stones. It was a long walk, but it was so exhilarating and reminded me of the long walks that I used to take back home.

 

Avebury sign

Silbury Hill

Some of the Avebury stones




I hope that you'll visit me again when I'm able to blog like I want to in about a month and then I'll have lots of photos to share along with a few stories. I definitely want to share more about Avebury...it's a fantastic place. I have so much to blog about when I return. Thank you for your patience and for visiting me!

Have a great weekend!

Daffodils on a Monday

 

I hope that everyone had a great weekend :)  Mine was good!

 

I just wanted to check in and say hello. I'm still in the middle of finishing off some school work so I can't write a longer post. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I will be joyously returning to more frequent posting at the end of May! I'm so excited!

 

I thought that I would share a bit of our garden with you today. These are some of the lovely daffodils from our garden that I rescued. The rain had battered them quite a bit and they were drooping over, so I we brought them inside and they perked up. It still doesn't feel very much like spring here, but these beauties help me to remember that spring is here...it's just sleeping a little longer :)

 

I was playing around with Photoshop and this is what happened ;-)

 

Until next time...

 

 

I Love Being Creative

Today I want to share a post written by my dear friend Colette. She is a wonderful writer and an all-around creative person that I admire so much! Whenever I am struggling with my own self-expression, I always look to her as an example, because she embodies the true imaginative spirit. This post is a glimpse into the mind of this beautifully creative soul that I'm proud to call my friend. Without further ado here she is...  :-)

***

I was asked to be a guest on Dori’s award-winning blog and of course I’m honored. I didn’t know what to talk about so she said that I can talk about anything. I remember a writing instructor once saying to write about what you know, so I will share a little about myself.

If my memory serves me correctly, Dori and I go way back to the year of 2003 at the same workplace in Atlanta, Georgia. We worked in different divisions of a sales and marketing team, yet we became the best lunch buddies. Out of that came our weekly writing workshop. During that time, we came up with so many ideas, including sharing the stage to perform our respective one woman shows.

One day at lunch, Dori shared with me that she was to moving to Europe. I was in shock and didn’t want her to leave, but I couldn’t be selfish. As much as I didn’t want her to go, I knew she had to follow her heart. I told her I would miss her and our writing time together. We made a promise that we would keep in contact often and to this day we have kept that promise.

In our busy lives, we manage to email each other mostly every week and sometimes daily. We even got a chance to talk on Skype once and chatted for at least three hours.

Throughout the years, Dori and her husband have visited the States and we always have fun when she comes home. I've promised her that I will visit her and her husband in Europe and my promise still stands.

Now I will share with you what Dori hears me talk about all of the time...

 

I didn’t tell you my name! :)  I am Colette Paul. Yes, I have a French name and I still haven’t traveled to France, but I am coming and you will feel my energy when I am there! My goal is to travel the world, spread love and write about the beautiful people that I encounter. We can use more love, smiles, respect and positive thoughts for each other, right?

A puzzling thing about me is that I suppressed my talents for so many years that I forgot about them. I focused on raising my son before my divorce. I didn’t even think about God’s path for my life.  I was busy being a wife and mom of a young male child and I was busy trying to climb the corporate ladder. Many times I applied for the same outside sales position at work, but I never got the position. I prayed and asked God if the job was for me and to open doors for me to get it, yet it never happened.

I realized that I locked my talents away and I decided to brush them off and sharpen my craft as a poet and a writer. Shortly, after Dori crossed my path. She shared with me she was a writer and I was impressed that she was such an incredible storyteller. 

Shortly after, we saw a writing contest in a local paper called Creative Loafing and we submitted our work. I wrote "The Front Porch", a short story which came to life and ten years later it has evolved into Zoe’s Summer Blues , a middle grades book manuscript. I’m getting ready to submit it for publication. Dori has been my cheerleader the entire time. 

I’m developing as an artist. I’ve started singing again and I’m working on a one-woman show. I’ve been in my first short film called, The Hem Line. The director asked me to write a poem for it also.

Recently, I’ve joined a business called It Works Global. It has an ultimate applicator wrap that tightens, tones and firms in 45 minutes, along with other amazing natural supplements, and skin care products.  I feel this vehicle will help me become free with my time and financially independent so that I can complete my purpose with my God-given talents.

Soulful House Music and African Dance are my favorite forms of music and dance.  I’m healing from knee issues so I have to sit until I heal, yet it doesn’t stop me from dancing while I sit in my chair working on a story.

Riding my bicycle for long distances is my favorite form of exercise. I haven’t been on my bike since 2010. My mother broke her hip in 2011. It was a downhill battle after that. She never fully recovered. She passed away March 1, 2012. I thought that she would go to rehab to get stronger and come home. She never made it out of the rehabilitation and long care center.

I’ve never felt so unsure, frightened, and lost. There were times the only thing I could say as a prayer was, 'God help me'! Out of all of the experiences of hardship I’ve come upon, I knew I couldn’t make it through this one.

I’m still numb that my mother isn’t here. I still have nightmares of her being ill in her death bed.

She suffered so long and her final months were horrific. The good thing is that during those dark days, I met my current boyfriend and he kept me laughing to cope through the terrifying times when I walked into my mother’s room, not knowing what she would look like. She’d physically changed from a robust, beautiful woman to a white- haired skeleton with fragile skin. I think the ancestors and Mom’s prayers brought my boyfriend and I together to help me through her transitioning.

During my mom’s final months I was in the process of purchasing a property, processing a break-up of five years, helping my son get through his expensive high school senior year and prepare for college.  I don’t know how I made it.

I accepted that God called me to write, and eventually, I needed time alone to do so, but I didn’t know I would feel so bad going through the process to get to the other side. It was just too much for anyone to go through all at once.

My son is now in college.  I am now an empty- nester. Other than being on the same job of sixteen years, (the only consistency in my life.), my life has completely changed. I know now more than ever that I have a calling on my life as an artist. It’s time to move towards it.


Visit Colette at her blog: Coco Thoughts

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Seven Years and Counting

Seven years ago today, I arrived on these shores to start a new chapter of my life. I had flown through the night from the southeastern United States to this lovely island where I live now.

This is a picture of the beautiful blossoms that I left behind back home in Georgia. They were at the edge of a field that I had played in all of my life. So right before I left I took a picture of them so that I could freeze them in time and remember them just as they were right before I left. I guess it was my way of holding onto a bit of my roots as I was preparing to move so far away. Also, we had just lost my mom so it seemed like I was leaving everything behind and it was a tough time. When I saw these beautiful pink flowers I felt happy and calm because nature can always do its work on me in times of stress. It's hard for me to worry about anything when I see God's beautiful work right in front of my face :-)

I knew that I was setting off on a journey in more ways than one and I was intrigued to see what would come...

***

When I flew over here to England, I left in the dark of night on one side of the Atlantic Ocean and arrived on the other side of the ocean in the light of the morning. I was glad to see Brit Boy and I was glad that I had arrived safely. We drove home from the airport and I walked into our little yellow house here. The first thing that I did was to go and look out of the window and this is what I saw in the backyard.

There were beautiful pink flowers here to greet me on the other side of the world and I smiled.

 

As always, nature brought me peace :-)

It's been an eventful seven years. I can hardly believe that that much time has passed. I've gained some things, I've lost some things, but I can honestly say...it's all good. I can't complain. I'm grateful for life and I can't wait to see what the next seven years will bring and the next and the next...

Bournemouth and The Jacksons

Hello there!

I wanted to share a photo that I took about two weeks ago when we were down in Bournemouth. It's a picture of the pier. I'm so late in mentioning our trip, but I've been doing school work like a crazy person lately so I haven't been able to get here like I want. But soon I will be back here full time again so...Woo Hoo! :)

Anyway, this is a photo that I took on my cell phone and you can see my gloved finger in the upper left corner. LOL. Yeah, I could have photoshopped it out, but I thought that it was funny to leave it because it reminds me of how cold it was that day. I took several photos like that because my hand kept slipping...probably because my hands were getting numb ;-) Yes, it was that cold! I guess that it was extra cold because we were near the ocean, but wow it was cold! It was a gloriously sunny day though. Right after I took this picture, Brit Boy and I hightailed it away from there and went into the town to get warmer.

As you may remember, I posted a while back and shared that we had gotten tickets to go and see The Jacksons perform. Well, we went down a few hours early before the concert and hung out. Bournemouth is one of my favorite places to visit. We did a bit of window shopping in the town centre and then we had an early dinner. Then we went to the concert. It was so great! This was our first time ever seeing The Jacksons and I have to say, they are amazing performers. You can tell that they have been performing most of their lives because they really know how to put on a show! I sang along to every song. LOL. They took us all down memory lane and it was an amazing trip. Brit Boy and I enjoyed it so much. We don't get to do things like that often, but when we do it's always a good time!

I don't have any photos of the concert because my cell phone camera is not that great, so it takes lousy photos indoors. Still, I'll never forget the fun we had so it's all good. And hey, if we get to see them again, maybe I'll have a new cell phone by then ;-)

Have a great Friday!

A Taste of Home

Brit Boy and I had a good weekend. He got a chance to go to see football/soccer and I got the chance to catch up on some reading for school on Saturday. Then on Sunday we took a trip to one of my favorite places. It's a place called Dobbie's, which is a garden centre, but so much more than that. I've written about this store before. You can check out that post here. 

 

I love visiting because they have a wide variety of beautiful plants and flowers and seeds and all kinds of outdoor stuff that really appeals to me. It reminds me of a store that I used to visit back home with my dad when I was a little girl. In addition to a wide variety of plants they also have gifts and things for the home. They also have a restaurant and a section with food.

 

Ah, now we come to the real point of my post. I was so thrilled to find the cookies pictured below.

 

I haven't had any Pepperidge Farm cookies in years...probably since before I came here. I've never seen any in the supermarket here, but perhaps I've just overlooked them. Anyway, I was thrilled to find them and bought a pack. They are so good and until I took that first bite I had forgotten how much I missed that taste. As I've written here before, sometimes a taste of home is such a welcome thing when you're so far away from home. It's been a long time...I need a visit back home I think :-)



Happy Birthday To My Blog

Today is an important day in my life and it all has to do with this blog. Today is the 5th anniversary or birthday of my little blog here and I can't quite believe that it has already been five years! Where does the time go?

First of all, starting this blog was one of the best things that I ever did. Writing this blog has been very cathartic especially in the early days and it has brought me such healing. When I started on this journey, I had no idea how much a seemingly simple act of writing a blog could do so much in my life. I can remember myself very vividly on the day that I wrote that first post. And in reading it back today it is like going into a time machine. I remember being in a state of mind where I was still grieving the loss of my mother even though I thought that I was doing okay. Also, I was recovering from an injury that I had suffered in a car accident. And I was trying to work through major culture shock. I didn't write it all out in that first post, but I alluded to it a little. If you'd like to read my first post you can do so here.

Even though I didn't scream it all out in so many words back then, I remember that time very well as I look back and I see some growth. No, I don't have it all figured out and I don't think anyone does, but as an ad used to say back in the day... You've come a long way baby!  :) I haven't really thought about all of this a lot because I've just been living my life, but I guess that's how it is, isn't it? We go forward and take stock from time to time, so I guess that this is me taking stock. Just like everyone else, I'm a work in progress and this blog has helped me immensely!

I had thought about starting a blog for a long while before I actually started. And then one day I just decided that this was the day and even though I couldn't have known what it would bring me, deep down inside I knew that putting my words out there would start my healing. I know it may seem like I'm making a big deal out of starting a blog, but I can't overstate how much of a lifeline it was to me as I started out.

I started this blog on March 4th and as I mentioned in my first post, there was power in the date. When I say the date, I take it into my consciousness and "March Forth" and to me it means to march forth into your life. Words definitely have power! I took a deep breath and plunged right in. And even though it was a simple act, it was my act of going forward in life. I could hear my mom saying to go on and go forward. My mom figures very prominently in the earlier days of my blog and I know for sure that having this blog to write definitely helped me to cope with her loss. I still miss her every single day and I'll miss her, my dad, and my brother for the rest of my days. But I know that writing this blog has given me the outlet that I sorely needed in those early days and I am grateful.

And speaking of gratitude, I want to say a HUGE thank you to you, my readers :) I appreciate your support so much and connecting with many of you through email and social media has been a pure pleasure. I know that my posting has been rather sporadic over the last three or so years. It's been nowhere near as frequent as it was in the beginning, but I thank you for sticking with me over these years. As you may know, for the last few years I have been taking up some university study so my posting has been all over the place and nowhere near what I would like it to be. But with all being well, in about three months (fingers crossed), I will be done with that and I can recommit myself here at this blog that I love so much. I want to return to the much more vibrant posts of old and I hope that you will come along with me as I reboot my creativity and share my little corner of England with you :)

So in closing I'll say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

FROM A YELLOW HOUSE IN ENGLAND

 

Have a great day everyone and hey, have a piece of cake! :)

The Daffodils Are Coming

Happy March and also Happy Women's History Month!

Even though it's still very cold here, like it is many places right now, I still get optimistic when March rolls around because I know that spring is coming eventually :-)

 

Above is a picture of our daffodils which are getting ready to bloom out and that makes me happy and brings about thoughts of spring days ahead!

 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend. Brit Boy and I are headed out on a road trip over the weekend, so I'm excited about that. Whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope that it goes great!

 

Until next time...