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Monday
05Jan
Kingsdown Kontemplation
Monday, January 5, 2009 at 02:36PM
Once a small fishing village, Kingsdown is located on the southeast corner of England near Dover. See map. Hubby and I had the honor and privilege of living in this quaint village for two weeks over the Christmas holiday. This is a totally different way of life than the hustle and bustle of every day Lexington. Take a walk down the roads of Kingsdown on a brisk early weekday morning and you will be greeted by one of its many residents with a happy "Good morning" or dare I say it, a "Merry Christmas!" Compact cars lined the roads with no more room for a customized Hummer than a delivery truck. The butcher...yes, I said butcher...was something out of a Sweeney Todd production sans Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, of course. Turkeys hung in the back of the shop and all family hands were on deck to make sure the villagers' daily meat requirements were met. Next door the hair dressers clipped away while across the street, the post office girls served up sherry and biscuits (that's cookies to you and me) on Christmas eve. I could get used to this life. Ah, if only I were a successful fiction writer, I could wake up in pajamas and enjoy a cup of tea before meandering to my sun room to write. Someday perhaps. Meanwhile, enjoy the sights of Kingsdown. 
Look closely and you will see that this charming dwelling is called "Well Cottage." Perhaps that's because a WELL is located on the front porch! It is my understanding that in England, houses have names, not numbers, although I think that tradition may be changing with the times. Please correct me if I am wrong on this fun fact.
St. John's Church was built by a nobleman in 1850. We did not walk into this particular church but over the next week or so, you will see plenty of Norman and Gothic-inspired architecture in the churches that we visited.
Do they really call it FOULING?
We were lucky in that it didn't rain until the day we left. On many days, the thermostat read 3 degrees (C). Thanks to the jackets given to us for Christmas by my mom (as well as long johns, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats, and hoods), we stayed mighty toasty. This weather ain't for wussies! Every morning, hubby and I woke up, downed a cup of java, then headed out to Kingsdown Beach. Depending on the direction we went, the walk took about 40 to 50 minutes. The waves of the English Channel crash upon the beach as the white cliffs of Dover stand gloriously in the distance. Here we are standing just on top of the cliffs overlooking Kingsdown Beach.
The beach is lined with pebbles, not sand, and we trudged through the pebbles each morning to get our daily workout. Thank goodness for the pebbles because they kept my weight at bay despite all of the wonderful traditional English food that was prepared on a daily basis by Ma England.
As time permits, I'll share more of our trip to Kingsdown.
Look closely and you will see that this charming dwelling is called "Well Cottage." Perhaps that's because a WELL is located on the front porch! It is my understanding that in England, houses have names, not numbers, although I think that tradition may be changing with the times. Please correct me if I am wrong on this fun fact.
St. John's Church was built by a nobleman in 1850. We did not walk into this particular church but over the next week or so, you will see plenty of Norman and Gothic-inspired architecture in the churches that we visited.
Do they really call it FOULING?
We were lucky in that it didn't rain until the day we left. On many days, the thermostat read 3 degrees (C). Thanks to the jackets given to us for Christmas by my mom (as well as long johns, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats, and hoods), we stayed mighty toasty. This weather ain't for wussies! Every morning, hubby and I woke up, downed a cup of java, then headed out to Kingsdown Beach. Depending on the direction we went, the walk took about 40 to 50 minutes. The waves of the English Channel crash upon the beach as the white cliffs of Dover stand gloriously in the distance. Here we are standing just on top of the cliffs overlooking Kingsdown Beach.
The beach is lined with pebbles, not sand, and we trudged through the pebbles each morning to get our daily workout. Thank goodness for the pebbles because they kept my weight at bay despite all of the wonderful traditional English food that was prepared on a daily basis by Ma England.
As time permits, I'll share more of our trip to Kingsdown.
Sunday
14Dec
Even Stinkies Deserve Thanks
Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 09:32AM
Christmas, they say, is a time of giving. We give presents to those we love which symbolize our appreciation and love for them. Why not, then, give gifts to those four-legged creatures that are not our whole lives, but that make our lives whole. I call them Stinkies but they are most commonly known as dogs.
I regret that I did not write down the source of this peanut butter dog biscuit recipe. It may have been the Lexington Herald Leader, may have been Martha Stewart Living. If anyone recognizes the recipe and knows the source, please feel free to let everyone through the comments feature. I made a batch for my mom and dad's stinky, Max, and also had enough left over for my own stinkies. They loved them so much that they licked the floor where the biscuits once were for a while after ingestion. If you have a stinky you love, try them. This batch yielded about 40 biscuits and is heart healthy!
1 T Baking Powder
1 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Milk
Set oven to 375 degrees (F). Mix above ingredients together then roll out and cut out cookies. Place cookies (biscuits) on greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
I regret that I did not write down the source of this peanut butter dog biscuit recipe. It may have been the Lexington Herald Leader, may have been Martha Stewart Living. If anyone recognizes the recipe and knows the source, please feel free to let everyone through the comments feature. I made a batch for my mom and dad's stinky, Max, and also had enough left over for my own stinkies. They loved them so much that they licked the floor where the biscuits once were for a while after ingestion. If you have a stinky you love, try them. This batch yielded about 40 biscuits and is heart healthy!
1 T Baking Powder
1 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Milk
Set oven to 375 degrees (F). Mix above ingredients together then roll out and cut out cookies. Place cookies (biscuits) on greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
Thursday
11Dec
My Own "Blogs of Note"
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 02:52PM
Blogger has a feature called Blogs of Note that highlights some really insightful blogs! Here are some blogs that I like to read on a regular basis.
The Max Files - A gentleman contemplating life from the South end of Africa. I love the pictures. They simply whisk me away from the doldrums of work and take me to a place completely different from where I am. I just discovered this blog and have so far not been disappointed.
Mrs. Who's Open Book - This chick's blog is hysterical! A teacher by day and blogger by (probably) day, night, and weekend, Mrs. Who places a consistent smile on my face...almost daily! For Fun Fridays spotlights links to virtually any silly mindless thing to waste your time away.
The ELFF Diet - If you ever need dieting inspiration, this blog is the place to visit. As you can see from her picture, this lady is in a great state of health! But she wasn't always this fabulous. Read her story and gain motivation! She'll get you working out if no one else will!
Moose on the Loose - So she's a friend of mine. She also has lots to share. Dive into her adventures in parenting and take a gander at her recipes!
Kalofagas - Talk about cooking! If you like Mediterranean food—and we all know I do—this guy has the insider scoop! Complete with pictures, this blog connects relationships and living with the foods we choose to digest.
The Pioneer Woman - Once a city gal, the Pioneer Woman met a rancher, fell in love, and now lives out in the middle of nowhere...which is why her blog is so rich! Photography, cooking, gardening, ranching...she covers it all. The bassett hound, Charlie, is totally worth checking into.
I'm always looking for new brain food. If you have any of your own "Blogs of Note," let me know! I'd love to check them out.
The Max Files - A gentleman contemplating life from the South end of Africa. I love the pictures. They simply whisk me away from the doldrums of work and take me to a place completely different from where I am. I just discovered this blog and have so far not been disappointed.
Mrs. Who's Open Book - This chick's blog is hysterical! A teacher by day and blogger by (probably) day, night, and weekend, Mrs. Who places a consistent smile on my face...almost daily! For Fun Fridays spotlights links to virtually any silly mindless thing to waste your time away.
The ELFF Diet - If you ever need dieting inspiration, this blog is the place to visit. As you can see from her picture, this lady is in a great state of health! But she wasn't always this fabulous. Read her story and gain motivation! She'll get you working out if no one else will!
Moose on the Loose - So she's a friend of mine. She also has lots to share. Dive into her adventures in parenting and take a gander at her recipes!
Kalofagas - Talk about cooking! If you like Mediterranean food—and we all know I do—this guy has the insider scoop! Complete with pictures, this blog connects relationships and living with the foods we choose to digest.
The Pioneer Woman - Once a city gal, the Pioneer Woman met a rancher, fell in love, and now lives out in the middle of nowhere...which is why her blog is so rich! Photography, cooking, gardening, ranching...she covers it all. The bassett hound, Charlie, is totally worth checking into.
I'm always looking for new brain food. If you have any of your own "Blogs of Note," let me know! I'd love to check them out.
Tuesday
09Dec
Falling Back to Sleep
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 08:30AM
Anymore I find myself waking up in the wee hours of the morning...and I'm wide awake! I lie there and lie there and toss and turn and think about what I need to do the next day and about life in general and why we're here and on and on until...finally, I decide that I need to relax and just get back to sleep. Without sleep, I'm just a crumpled ball of misery when I wake up in the morning and that's just not good for a relationship!
I've discovered a new technique to get back to sleep. In my mind's eye, I think about my toes and start imagining them in a totally relaxed state. My toes, in turn, start to relax. As they relax, I imagine that they are transitioning from flesh color to a soft greenish-purple. Once I get that visual in my mind, I move up my foot to my ankle and apply the same technique. When I come to a point on my body that is sore or tight, like my back, for instance, I imagine that area relaxing and turning a soft pink. In fact, the last image I remember from last night was my lower back turning a hushed, muted pink.
While I wasn't totally rested this morning, at least I wasn't a grumpy pants. And the sleep I did get was full of dreams. That means I achieved REM.
I told Hubby about my technique this morning and he said I should write about it on my blog. I said, "won't they all think I'm nuts?" I think his response was that they already do so what's it matter!!
Happy sleeping everyone!
I've discovered a new technique to get back to sleep. In my mind's eye, I think about my toes and start imagining them in a totally relaxed state. My toes, in turn, start to relax. As they relax, I imagine that they are transitioning from flesh color to a soft greenish-purple. Once I get that visual in my mind, I move up my foot to my ankle and apply the same technique. When I come to a point on my body that is sore or tight, like my back, for instance, I imagine that area relaxing and turning a soft pink. In fact, the last image I remember from last night was my lower back turning a hushed, muted pink.
While I wasn't totally rested this morning, at least I wasn't a grumpy pants. And the sleep I did get was full of dreams. That means I achieved REM.
I told Hubby about my technique this morning and he said I should write about it on my blog. I said, "won't they all think I'm nuts?" I think his response was that they already do so what's it matter!!
Happy sleeping everyone!
Monday
08Dec
Funky Finger Monsters Mention
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 02:55PM 
What trip to the skating rink would be complete without finger monsters? And Hubby bought me two. I named them Wellington and Fred. I loves me some finger monsters.