Another birthday

Another birthday has whizzed by for me. I love hearing from friends that I see rarely and from those I see everyday! I want to share one of the cards that I especially enjoyed, this one from my Maryland friend and fellow wine taster, Anne.

I also thought I'd share my cakes!  I got two: one from my Mom & Dad, and one from my sis-in-law, Kathy. Both were delicious and creative.  My Mom's was creative in the baking and Kathy's was a smidge creative with the age (very close to actual - ahem).  Its good to know people who will lie for you. 

Mom & Dad with me

Kathy's cake creation - Thirty-nine and holding

Catching up with friends

A few fun things that have gone on between trips east, west and north:

Carolyn (big - as apposed to Carolyn (teen)), aka Otis, my roommate from university, and her husband, Jim, and daughter, Tamarra, came down for a quick visit. It is always fun to see them again to rehash the old days and catch up on the new. Their son, Nathan, couldn't come with them this time. He's heading into his senior year at Tarelton University in Texas, playing baseball as a star pitcher!

And a weekend prior to this visit, we checked out a local brewery with Marian and Dave for a few tastings and a tour. It was very interesting and we'll have to now check out their award-winning Ramstein oktoberfest lager beer in a few months! Check out: High Point Brewing Company.

And before that, back in June, we visited the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club wooden boat and classic car show. It is the only time of the year the club is open to the public so we joined our friends, Cindy and Kenny, the current LHYC Commodore, for a beautiful day by the lake. Don is itchin' to get back into boating ... some day ...

Summer of 2010 - so far so good!

Croeso i wales!

Welcome to a little Welsh language lesson. We heard lots of Welsh spoken in North Wales amongst the locals dining at nearby tables or in stores. They spoke to us only in English, always friendly and kind. Apparently the Welsh language is well preserved in the north where it is the only language taught in school up to a certain grade, and less so in the south where they are more influenced by England. Signage is all bilingual. What is most interesting is the juxtaposition of consonants (like double 'F's at the beginning of a word, for example) and the unique sounds made with these combinations.  A few examples (love the 3rd sign!):

Here is the alphabet, days of the week, and numbers:

And last but not least, our B&B, named Bryn, which we learned is Hill, shortened from Ty Bryn or Bryn Ty (forget which is way is correct), meaning Hill House as it was once known. It was a beautiful home overlooking the valley and right outside the Conwy walls built with the castle between 1283 and 1289!

A jolly holiday

We recently took advantage of our new empty-nester status and the fact that Don was in the UK on business late in June. I flew over to meet him on July 1st. It was nice to arrive from a red-eye flight and be able to go directly to our hotel where Don was already checked in. (No pretending to sightsee through bleary eyes until our room was ready.)

While Don worked I did a little touring on my own, including the Tate Modern where I hadn't been before. We met one of Bryan's friends who is studying and working abroad for the summer one evening and it was fun getting his perspective on the Brits - all good.  

Blenheim Palace - Woodstock in The Cotswolds

After a day or two in London we drove northwest to the Cotswolds. Incredibly quaint and beautiful with lots of great towns all located near each other.  We stayed in Chippping Camden. Great restaurants and lots of sheep.  We also spent a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon where we did an entertaining walking tour with a talented guide.

Sheep & Cotswolds countryside

Don on Sheep Street, Chipping Camden - "Baaaaa"

From there we drove up to North Wales where we stayed in Conwy, a gorgeous walled town on the edge of the Irish Sea. Our B&B was right outside the walls. From there we could walk up the Conwy mountain for a better view of the sea and could drive through the beautiful valleys to see ... more sheep, and a slate mine. North Wales sheep cover a more rugged territory than Cotswold sheep if you're wondering.

Conwy Harbor & Castle

Then back to the London area where we spent our last night in beautiful Richmond, a trendy town on the Thames close to Heathrow. We caught a few World Cup games in pubs along the way but by this time England was beat out unfortunately. All in all it was a brilliant holiday!

Recommended reading:  The Welsh Girl

Happy 18th Birthday

Carolyn turned 18 last week while Don and I were out of town. It was during her first full week of classes at PSU so she celebrated with her new friends. I moved Carolyn into her dorm two weeks ago with Bryan's help. He drove in from Pittsburgh to help me. (Don was in the UK that day.)

We thought of her all day on her birthday and managed to catch her for a quick phone call. Now-a-days 18 doesn't provide the same benefits as it did in our day but it is still a milestone in a young person's life.

It's also a milestone in every parent's life: "Can you believe we have an 18-year old?!" An 18 and 20-year old in our family now! We can remember their "birth" days like they were yesterday, and we're still in awe.