back home again

One of the most rewarding aspects of keeping a blog is the feedback we receive and knowing that others are enjoying what we post. For those of you who have left us a note either here on the blog or on Facebook, I wanted to be sure to let you know how your comments have been appreciated and how much we love to hear from you.

It has been fun taking you all on our journey to England with us! I didn't have as much time to post during our last couple of days there, so now that we are home again, I have some catchup posting to do. It is great to be home again and remember how much I LOVE AMERICA, but I also have to say it was the greatest privilege to visit the United Kingdom, and it felt so right to be there. Maybe it is because so much of our ancestry and cultural traditions came from England, or maybe it is because they speak the same language (sort of), but I love that it didn't feel completely foreign (except for the driving bit of course). It is safe to say I have FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ENGLAND and I hope we can go again someday.

A special thanks to Ian and Amanda for your tour guiding . . . and friendship!

Here is some evidence of the work accomplished while in England.

^ Stacks of catalog pages fresh off the press, waiting for folding and bindery.

^ Tom waited patiently in the lounge at the press. I was so glad for his company on this trip.

Day 5: England—Pubs

"Here we are together, drinking wine, ale, and stout. May the roof above never fall in and the friends below never fall out."

-Written on the walls of the Garrick


The two most important buildings in every English village are the church... and the pub. The pubs have been the center of village life for centuries. A proper pub is often located right next to the church.

Here is one of the oldest Pubs in Stratford Upon Avon—the Garrick.



For dinner, we went to an old Pub where Ian often went as a youngster, called the King's Head. It was a wonderful evening, and sure enough, it was located right next to the church. They were doing bell practice that night, and a cacophony of bells sounded throughout our meal. The ambiance was fabulous.

We ordered the quintessential Pub food—fish and chips and beef pot pie. This was the highlight of my day and a very memorable evening.


"Britain and America...two great nations divided by a common language."

– Winston Churchill / Oscar Wilde / George Bernard Shaw
(As it happens, the saying has been credited to all three of them)

Today we had the privilege of doing some sightseeing, and we admired so much the traditional English buildings left for us to enjoy from generations gone by.









And just look at the amazing architecture our generation is leaving for the world to enjoy:

I'm quite sure people hundreds of years from now will be walking the streets and admiring the amazing detail found on 60's style buildings such as these . . . or something. I've been told Prince Charles is an advocate of having new buildings built in the old English style. I can see why. A building like this sticks out like a sore thumb in England.

More to come of our adventures—Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon—but another day. We have been very blessed!



England: Day 4

I don't have much to share today, except that work went well. Tomorrow we have an opportunity to travel to Warwick castle, so I hope to have more photos to show you of the English countryside.

Until then, I'll leave you with a few tips on how to speak "British". Most of these are excerpts from this website and this website. Here are a few of my favorites (their descriptions, not mine):

All right? - This is used a lot around London and the south to mean, "Hello, how are you"?
Biscuit- cookie
Bloody - One of the most useful swear words in English. Mostly used as an exclamation of surprise i.e. "bloody hell" or "bloody nora". Something may be "bloody marvellous" or "bloody awful". It is also used to emphasise almost anything, "you're bloody mad", "not bloody likely" and can also be used in the middle of other words to emphasise them. E.g. "Abso-bloody-lutely"! Americans should avoid saying "bloody" as they sound silly.
Car Park - Parking lot
Caravan - RV
Cheeky - "Eee you cheeky monkey". Cheeky means you are flippant, have too much lip or are a bit of a smart arse! Generally you are considered to be a bit cheeky if you have an answer for everything and always have the last word.
Cheers - This word is obviously used when drinking with friends. However, it also has other colloquial meanings. For example when saying goodbye you could say "cheers", or "cheers then". It also means thank you. Americans could use it in English pubs, but should avoid the other situations as it sounds wrong with an American accent. Sorry!
Dodgy - If someone or something is a bit dodgy, it is not to be trusted. Dodgy food should be thrown away at home, or sent back in a restaurant. Dodgy people are best avoided. You never know what they are up to.
Flutter - It means to have a bet, usually a small one by someone who is not a serious gambler.
Lift - Elevator
Lorry - Truck
Moterway - Freeway. You also hear Carriage Way.
Quid - A pound in money is called a quid. It is the equivalent to the buck or clam in America. A five pound note is called a fiver and a ten pound note is called a tenner.
Shrapnel - Coins or change
Two finger salute - When you see a Brit stick up two fingers at you in a V shape, he may be ordering two of something (if his palms are toward you). The other way around and it's an insult along the lines of your one finger salute.

This list would have been helpful to read before we came. We've had quite an education since we've arrived. I would always say hello to the receptionist at the press when I walked by, and she would always answer "all right". Now after reading this list I realize she was actually asking "How are you?" but I didn't answer back. I just smiled stupidly because I didn't know what she was saying. Oops.

England: Day 3—an accident waiting to happen

Day 3 began with a delicious English breakfast delivered to our room. I quickly looked around for a tip to give the server, and intuitively grabbed the largest coin sitting on the counter, which logically would be worth the most money. I was aiming for 2 £. After he left the room I sifted through the coins and soon realized to my embarrassment that I had just handed him an ever generous 10 pense (which is less than 15 cents.) Hopefully I'll get a chance to make up for it tomorrow. Unless I am risking having the server spit in my food before he arrives at our door in the morning.


I don't have many photos to share as we have been printing most of the day. But the most exciting adventure to report has been hiring a car. (They don't rent here, they hire.) We had a lovely interview with the car (har har) and finally hired one with an automatic transmission and air conditioning. Driving a manual while learning to drive on the wrong (I mean left) side of the road and the right (I mean wrong) side of the car seemed an insurmountable challenge.

We are told it is a straight shot from the hotel to the press, but there are about 100 round-abouts between here and there, and it didn't seem straight to me. And then you go clockwise around them, counter-intuitively, and have to figure out which road takes you again in the right direction again. Good luck.

Lesson learned: your intuition will not get you far in England.

To top it off, Amanda (Ian's wife) kept texting to tell us how much she regretted not being with us in Leicester and how terrible it was that she had to spend her time in Hastings on the beach instead. She sent this photo to make us all sympathetic to her plight and we all felt very sorry for her of course.

We finished the day with some traditional Indian curry, and it was an excellent meal. I didn't know this before, but there are many immigrants from India because it was once part of the British empire. When power was handed back to India, it was with an agreement that Indian people could claim citizenship in Britain. As such, there are now about 1.6 million Indian people here and it remains the largest ethnic group in the U.K. today.

England: Day 2

As the printer we are using is in Leicester (pronounced Lester) in central England, we boarded a train from the St. Pancras station this morning to travel there. We saw a bit of the picturesque English countryside, and I can't wait to see more and take pictures between press checks.

The train station was a great building. Here we are taking it in with Ian as our very capable tour guide.





Once in Leicester, we visited the press to tie up a few loose ends and then made our way to the Marriott where we will be staying. (Lobby pictured above). It is very modern and seems a bit out of place after all of the old gothic architecture we saw yesterday, but it is very comfortable and nice. We spent the evening sleeping off a bit of jet lag, and here I am staying up way too late as a result (it is dinner time at home). We might get our schedules turned around just when it is time to come home.

Until tomorrow . . . Cheers!

England: How to see London in 1 day

I find myself in London this week. What a privilege, and Tom was even able to tag along. He has to put up with my working, but we will squeeze in some sightseeing as well. (As I type this, I am hearing myself say it in "British". By the end of the week I'm afraid I'll bloody speak it too.

Today, when asked if he wanted a newspaper, Tom smartly remarked "I don't read British, sorry."

^ We arrived at 7 AM, so we had a bit of waking up to do. A large latte would do the trick, along with the perfect English snack, scones with preserves and clotted cream.


^ We then took a relaxing riverboat tour on the river Thames. You can see St. Paul's cathedral off to the right.


Our guide, with his dry British wit, kept us very well entertained. "This first-class cruiser has many exits. In case of an emergency, please exit . . . any where you bloody like." And, "if you find your life jacket doesn't work, please return it to us and we will give you a new one."

^ One of the many bridges we crossed under.

^ The Millennium Bridge is known to locals as the "wobbly" bridge. I dare you to cross it.

^ The actual London bridge happens to be one of the most understated on the river. This is not the original. That one, as you may remember, fell down. This one was mostly built by women during the war. Leave it to the ladies to be the practical ones. Our tour guide tried to point out its flaws as we floated under it, but we all knew he wouldn't be finding any. After all, it was built by women.

^ This is the tower of London. It is mostly known as a place of execution for traitors. You can see a sign on the wall edge that reads "Entry to the Traitor's Gate" that is now covered by water.

^ The tower bridge.

^ This monument marks the place where the famous London fires of 1666 started.


^ This is the London Eye, the largest observation wheel in the world. Each car holds 25 people, and it actually takes a full 1/2 hour to revolve one turn. Our guide said you can actually get married in one. They have you married by the time you hit the top, and it's all downhill from there.

^ The Houses of Parliament

^ Big Ben, of course.

^ The Westminster Abbey. This place was beautiful.




^ Some London row houses. I'd imagine it costs a fortune to live here.

^ A taste of English gardening, with Buckingham palace off in the distance.

^ The back side of 10 Downing, where the Prime Minister lives.

^ More government buildings.

^ The bark of this tree must be where cammo comes from.

^ Buckingham Palace. We were not able to see the changing of the guards, so we might have to return there.

^ Our hotel, Le Meridian on Piccadilly Circus.


^ In our lovely room, leaving for dinner at La Caprice, where we met the CEO of the printer we are using here.

trip down memory lane; Part 2

Mom sent me a few pictures following my previous memory lane post about my dolls, Mandy and Jenny.

^ Here I am on my 3rd birthday with my new Mandy doll. Do I remind you of anyone?

^ Mom and I wearing our Sunday best. Mom is wearing a dress from the same material as the dress she made for my doll Mandy (last photo). I was wearing my favorite Strawberry Shortcake dress. I had Strawberry Shortcake everything at that time. Isn't my mom a beauty?

^ Here I am with my cousins, Bob and Bonita, holding my new Jenny doll. I must have gotten her when I was about 4 years old.


a trip down memory lane

While we were at the farm, we made a trip to the bookstore, where I purchased books to keep the girls entertained. Abby's choice was an American Girl book called "Doll School". It came with lesson plan folders, stickers to make books, easels and chalk boards... all kinds of great stuff to teach school to your dolls.


Abby has never been very into dolls, but after buying this book she immediately started begging for an American Girl doll. (Not a purchase you make flippantly, mind you, at $100 a pop.)

I went digging in the back of the closet of my old bedroom, and I came up with a treasure. Remember these?

This Mandy and Jenny. They were first made the year I was born. They aren't in perfect shape, having been colored on, hair cut, clothes lost, and toted around who knows where, but I am so glad my mom kept them anyway. They brought back many memories and I enjoyed seeing Abby enjoy them too.

My mom made these dresses . . .


and this red coat . . .


And to add even more to the sentimental value of these dolls, my late Grandma Florence crocheted these adorable hats and sweaters for them.


One of the draws of these dolls were the sewing patterns you could buy to make clothes for them. I wonder if you can still buy sewing patterns for dolls today? (Somewhere I have a picture of my mom in a dress made out of the same pink stripe/floral fabric as the dress she made for my doll. How cool is that?)

Needless to say, Abby had lots of fun playing school with Mandy and Jenny. Here is their "class" photo:


And school pictures (the background came with her book!)

I know. I'm such a girl.

harvest memories

Whew! What a busy week. It's about all I can do to fit in our summer chores; yard, laundry, housecleaning . . . when we are never home! It is all worth it, however, as we've had so many privileges.

It's high time I posted about our trip up to the farm to help with harvest. Here are a few of my favorite photos of the trip:

ˇ This is truly Big Sky Country.




ˇ Sarah rides the truck with Uncle Ashley



ˇ Wait, Grandpa Rog! Wait for me!


ˇ Sarah waters Grandma's flowers


ˇ Making root beer with Jan


ˇ Celebrating Aunt Ruth's birthday (and snitching the frosting off the cake!)



ˇ A ride on the combine with Grandpa


ˇ The pea field Tom swathed


ˇ "You been farmin' long?"


ˇ Riding out the sunset

Thanks for a great week, Mom and Dad!

out of a magazine

On our way to the farm for a week, we were able to stop and have lunch with our BFFs Sean and Holly. I just had to snap a few pics while we were there, and this is why: Holly is amazingly talented at finding used treasures and making them look fabulous. Their house looks like it came straight out of a magazine.






yucca surprise



We have had this yucca plant for 3 or 4 years, and this is the first time I've noticed it bloom. Wow! I didn't expect a tree to grow from it! Does anyone know how often it will do this?

4th of July

We spent our 4th of July weekend on the west coast, stopping for work in Portland, and then making our way up the coast to see Tom's brother Tim and family in Blaine, WA.
(Warning: I've posted a lot of pictures, so don't curse at me if this post loads slowly. I could have posted even more, but I thought I'd be nice and post them here instead.)

^ We took the scenic route up to Washington . . .

^ . . . and managed to see the bumpers of lots of cars.

^ Oregon wild flowers

^ A quick stop at the beach

^ An old shipwreck

^ Crossing the bridge over Astoria

^ We pulled into Blaine later than planned, but were greeted with a beautiful sunset.

^ Tim and Petra's beautiful home

^ Enjoying the local parade and car show (The Ford pictures are for you, Dad.)

^ Sweet Sofia Marie

^ Playing in Elijas' room

^ Walking down the hill to the beach for dinner

^ Images of Blaine

^ Down by the bay . . .

^ More beautiful sunset pictures

^ Fireworks over the bay

Thanks, Tim and Petra, for the great hospitality! We had so much fun.

On our way home we enjoyed a visit with cousin Lori in Seattle. Unfortunately, I forgot to get my camera out. Good to see you Lori and Greg!

We covered a lot of miles for one weekend, and we are glad to be home again.

island park

A great way to spend a summer weekend: camping and 4-wheeling in Island Park. See more pictures here.

^ Cousins in the creek: Tristin and Hannah

^Like father, like son: Lee and Tristin

^ Dashing Dawson

^ Sarah peeking out of the trailer

^ Order up a marshmallow and I'll cook one for you that's perfectly golden brown. Yum.

^ A moose sighting

^ Tawnya daring to get dirty.

^ Lee and Dawson: not so daring!

^ Cousins in the camper. (Don't ask me what Tristin is doing.)

^ Sneaking off with the treats (Sarah and Maddy)

^ Yummy spaghetti! (Maddy)

^ Irresistable Ilona

^ Covered in mud

^ Covered in mosquito bites

sweet pork

I have another recipe to share. I found this one on the blog Favorite Family Recipes, while looking for a way to duplicate the sweet pork at Cafe Rio. (For you non-Utahns, Cafe Rio is a local favorite fresh Mex restaurant that can't be beat.)


{ sweet pork }

2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

If you click on the blog link above, you can get the rest of the recipes needed to make Cafe Rio's sweet pork salad. However, we used the pork in tacos as a variation on our other favorite pork taco recipe. This one is more sweet, the other more savory.

Enjoy!

catching up

I've noticed several blog posts lately with the title of "catching up", a sign that we aren't the only ones filling our summer up (with things other than sitting in front of a computer). We've filled our summer with so much fun that in the midst of it I sometimes forget it is supposed to be fun. Does anyone else have that problem? This weekend is our first weekend home in over a month. That leaves my to-do list a mile long: yard work, laundry, washing car, errands (leaving updating the blog at the bottom of the list.)

So with that, I will work at filling in the blanks this week. These first sweet pictures are of Dane and Sarah at convention. Such great playmates! (Thanks, Amanda, for the photos!)


Notice the rain boots? They are courtesy of the odd amounts of rain we got in the month of June. We've enjoyed how green it has made everything. July looks to be much more hot and dry, however . . .

pico de gallo recipe

A perfect compliment to pulled-pork tacos or great on its own: this pico recipe is most delicious freshly made and eaten promptly.

{ pico de gallo }

Ingredients

Makes 1 3/4 cups

  • 1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
  • 1/4 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
  • 2 small serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed if desired, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
Note from me: I like to use on-the-vine tomatoes. They are a bit smaller so I used 2 instead of 1. The serrano peppers are excellent if you can tolerate the heat. (I removed all the seeds.) Although I haven't tried this, you should be able to tone it down by using jalepenos in place of serrano peppers. Use a plastic glove or bag over your hand when chopping the peppers as the heat and "burn" your fingers.

slow cooker pulled-pork tacos

I want to share with you a new recipe. It's tried and true—twice, and Yummy with a capital "Y".

{ Slow Cooker Pulled-Pork Tacos }


Ingredients
  • 2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • kosher salt
  • 1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
  • 18 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
Directions
  • In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.
  • Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
  • Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F.
  • Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

We like to buy the uncooked tortillas from the grocery store and cook them up on the griddle. It is imperative that you use fresh cilantro. A fresh pico de gallo makes this even better. I will post my favorite pico recipe tomorrow!