Cricket

Sunday afternoon on our walk we came upon a game of cricket.  At first I thought it was baseball in strange uniforms - I had to be informed that this was "cricket".  

The pitcher starts about 20 feet back from the pitchers mound, starts sprinting for the mound, leaps in the air, whips his arms around his head and throws.  Except for he doesn't throw to the batter, he aims for the ground about 15 feet in front of the batter, where the ball bounces once (like in ping pong) and then the batter tries to hit the ball as it bounces up to him.

The batter uses a bat that is flat on one side for hitting.  The only guys we saw hit the ball all fouled out, so I don't know how they run the bases.  We had to press on with our walk.  Love to all of you.

Contest! Contest!

The flowers at Ferndown are beautiful.  There are so many I thought it would be fun to have a little contest.  So here it is:

Correctly name 7 of the 8 flowers below (all taken at Ferndown) and I will bring you a Tunnocks' bar from England.  Tunnocks are those lovely little candy bars made in Scotland people have for treats or tea.  (Or if you're me, you have one whenever you walk through the kitchen...)

Good luck and may the force be with you.  Oh, yeah.  No Cheating!! Don't look at the comments before you write your answers!!

1. 

2.

3.

4.  (the red ones)

5.

6.

7.

8.

Clark's Blog Link

Sorry, I forgot to tell you how to get to Clark's take on things:   rfamilyfun.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

The first 2 Days

These 2 pictures were taken on a walk from Mom and Dad's home our first afternoon.  We strolled along little lanes with little cottages sprinkled here and there.  They all have fabulous names, instead of boring numbers, which I'll have to chronicle in another post.  

We rounded a corner, and here was this little parish church.

This was a typical view on the walk.  Yes, I mean it!

Then today we all went up to London on the train.  Clark and Dad went out on another outing to Lord Baden-Powell's estate (see his blog for pics and write up.)

Mom and I went to the new musical, Wicked, which isn't wicked at all, but very delightful!  This is the Wizard of Oz, from the witches' view.  It may be hard to be satisfied with small town plays after this!  Fantastic - as they say.

Try not to hold your breath til the next post, and kidlets, thanks for helping Mr. Bechtel, you're wonderful!

England

Tomorrow is the big day!  I have all my essentials packed (books), and need to pack some clothes and find my passport! (organized people, take a deep breath).

Trying to decide what books to bring was difficult; there are so many great english authors. 

 I am taking a children's library version of Canterbury Tales, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, a few Mary Stewart and Agatha Christie novels (well, they are british authors!), and my latest copy of Backwoods Home Magazine.  I've got to have a magazine for the airplane so I'm not stuck pricing patio furniture in the Delta catalog.  I know this is a lot of books, but I don't know what I'll be in the mood to read!

Grandma is also coming over this afternoon to bring me a "little something" to put in my luggage for mom and dad.  I hope it makes it to England...

I will be gone 9 days, which seems terribly long, but Braeburn and Golden Delicious are going to hold down the blog post while I'm gone.  Happy Days!

Culture Night on the Farm

Tonight at FHE we had a little culture.  The kids drew pictures while I read poetry. 

 Here are the results:

Braeburn used india ink to create his cowboy.

Golden Delicious used colored pencils to create her masterpiece.

Nova Spy did the traditional weaponry assortment.  "useful objects".

Prairie Spy went for the "Van Gogh" texture with markers

And Granny Smith gave us the Impressionist Monet watercolor

And for the final bit:  Our favorite poem of the night.

"This is Just to Say"

 I have eaten 

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

by, William Carlos Williams

Incredible.  We were speechless, and unable to press on to "Ode on a grecian urn", at least for tonight.  So much to look forward to.

To Mom ~

Our Family 1977 BG... (before Grant) 

To Mom,

I just wanted to make a little list of some of the things you've done for me:

• dressing me in ringlets
• doing school with me in Pennsylvania
• feeding me ham & beans on bread in the cinder block house
• making clown costumes
• making royal blue flapper girl outfit with fringe
• taking me to Young Artists
• taking me to violin
• taking me to piano
• singing The King of Love my Shepherd Is with you directing in Boise choir
• making banana cream pie, and oatmeal cake with coconut nut frosting
• going to Salt Lake to go shopping
• letting me drive in Issaquah
• teaching me what faith to be healed means
• taking me to voice lessons
• typing my college application when it was too overwhelming
• going on walks to discuss  "A" and "B"
• letting me get married in the Manti temple even though it wasn't convenient
• being a great midwife assistant
• making little dresses and little overalls
• coming to visit in Laramie
• helping me buy couches and a book case in Springville
• helping me move to the Lehi house, the St.Anthony house, the cottage, the cabin, etc
• making donuts
• calling me from England

and loving me.  I love you.  Happy Mother's Day.