We had snow

I received a text from Ricky early in the morning to ask if I knew it had been snowing in London at 7am.

Although I was up and about I was not aware of this.

A few minutes later he sent another text to say it was snowing in Cambridge.

We had been contemplating where we might go for the day and as soon as Marcele heard news of snow that was our destination for the day.

The temperatures had certainly plummeted but it was worth the effort to go.

We got an express train to Cambridge which took about 45 minutes from Kings Cross station.  It seemed hardly any time at all and we were beyond city limits but it was quite a while before we actually saw snow.  When we did it was just delightful.  Acres and acres of rolling countryside sprinkled with snow, heavier in some part than others, very, very pretty.

Cambridge itself did not seem to have much evidence of snow but that did not seem to matter.  A very helpful cab driver dropped us near Kings College so that we could have a good wander around the city streets.  I captured some remnants of snow in the foreground.  Aaron was very intrigued by the abundance of bikes everywhere.  Economical travel for students, no doubt.

Living down under and having watched shows like Inspector Morse, it all felt like familiar territory to come here - well worth it and the effects of the snow on the scenery was a real bonus.

Kensington Palace

What would a trip to London be without a visit to at least one of the Royal landmarks so it was off to Kensington Palace for us.

I had seen advertised an exhibition of the life of Queen Victoria and I thought this could be of interest.

I did find it very interesting and in particular loved the garments of the era which were beautifully displayed.  

In addition to the exhibition you could also visit the Queen's and King's apartments.

The coronation garments of King George III  in the King's Apartments were particularly magnificent.

As interested as I was in everything that was on show I struggled with the poor lighting.

There was quite a lot of information on hand to read but I did not find it easy.

In the end I spoke to one of the guides about it.

She went to great lengths to explain that they had to take care to have minimal lighting to protect the textiles in the exhibition because of their great age.  However, she did add at the end that a lot of the palaces were closed for the winter months and that they were only closed for three days of the year.  This meant that other castles had more in their budget for lighting but Kensington Palace did not have enough so this was part of the reason for dim lighting.

You can have a great exhibition but never mind if the people can't see it properly, we just don't have money for the lighting.

 So to lighter matters.

Squirrels scuttling across the grounds of Kensington Palace.  This one was quite familiar with people and was making the rounds to see if someone would provide his meal for the day.

Aaron had a lot of fun feeding this one some nuts.

We moved on from here and caught a bus to Trafalgar Square, a favourite spot for me and so to the National Gallery to have a look at just a little of the magnificent art collection they have.  This is the third time I have been there and it never ceases to fascinate me.

Aaron and Marcele had never been there before but felt it was somewhere to which they would like to return .

We met up with Ricky for an evening meal together and then on to the theatre to see  One Man Two Guvnors. What a fun show that was.  The others had all seen it before but felt it worth a second viewing.  I would happily go back to see it again too.  It was very cleverly done.

Please excuse the hat

If you knew me, you would know I do not like wearing hats, but during my time here in England I have really felt the need, so if you have to wear a hat why not have something bright so you don't get lost in the crowds.

Images in this post are from our outing to Southend-On-Sea.

Even though it really is a summer resort I wanted to go there just because I could.
It boasts the world's longest pier, 1.3 miles I believe, and fortunately, for people like me, you can take a train that will take you to the end of the pier and back.  I do believe it might be a nice walk in warmer weather but I think we could have become very cold had we chosen to walk the plank this day.
The Adventureland Park at the base of the Pier was closed for business during the winter months but one could only imagine what a hub of activity this area might be in the summer.  I was happy to able to observe in the peace and quiet of winter.

A visit to a local restaurant Tomassi's was required and both Marcele and I enjoyed a sampling of plaice.  Deliciously fresh and tasty.  I was very impressed.  The restaurant was already decked out with Christmas decorations and Aaron just had to try the Christmas turkey meal.

Spotted near the railway station - a fish and chip shop selling fish and chip combinations with curry sauce - not quite what you would expect - chips and curry sauce - is this really England?

Maybe I am back in New Zealand?

Sunday morning, after attending family service at a local Anglican church, Aaron, Marcele and I set off to Notting Hill to meet up with Ricky.

He said he wanted to take us to a restaurant there but did not give an indication as to what sort of a restaurant it might be.

Ricky's favourite chef is Australian celebrity chef, Bill Granger, and he was taking us to his London restaurant, Granger and Co.

We had to wait some time to get seating for a table for four but it was well worth the wait (much better experience than that of the Chinese restaurant the night before).

The first thing Ricky did was order a flat white and when I saw the fern decoration in the froth I thought for a moment I was back in New Zealand.  Ricky said it was the best flat white he has had since coming to London.

Bill Granger's food was delicious.  He has what I would call a simplistic style in presentation.  His food was lovely and fresh and well presented.  The menu is simplistic too but good enough for us to have a variety of meals, banana pancakes for Ricky, the full Aussie breakfast for Aaron, a lovely fresh salad for Marcele and I had a BLT on sourdough bread - yum.

Following on from this delicious fare we took a bus to Camden Town and spent several hours exploring the market scene there.  People galore, even when it was getting close to 5pm on a Sunday people were still coming in droves.  The markets of London are a great way to soak up the tradition of this lovely old city which will always be a favourite of mine.

A bit of a giggle

We waited for Ricky to arrive on my birthday and then the family was taking me out to see the play, The Mousetrap.

We had to get to Leicester Square by train and then a bit of a walk to the St Martins Theatre where it is showing.

On the way we decided to walk through Chinatown and thought perhaps a meal at a Chinese restaurant might be a good idea.

Most of the eateries seemed to be thriving with customers waiting at the door to get in.

We found a place we thought we liked. It was busy but the waiter assured us that if we would like to go downstairs they would have a table for four in 'just a moment'.

Downstairs we went and moved to one side to make room for others who were waiting too.

We waited and watched as the head waiter went backwards and forwards many times accepting, table for 2, table for 3, table for 9, each time assuring us that they would have a table for us in 'just a moment'.

Eventually we became concerned that it was getting too close to theatre time to stay any longer when they finally cleared a table for us and we sat down.

However, our dilemma continued because they then ignored us and did not send a waiter to serve us.  In the end Aaron decided to protest by leaving.  A waitress asked me why we were leaving and I said that we had to be at the theatre. 'Oh don't worry', she said, 'We can cook your food and hold it for you.'

Marcele and I looked at each other and had a bit of a giggle - there was no way we would be letting them cook our food for us!

We moved on and having found the theatre we spotted a Moroccan style restaurant close by and had just enough time to have an appertiser each - very nice alternative.

Our arrival at the theatre was just on starting time but at least we got there.

The Mousetrap was very good and well worth the effort of going to.

Birthdays and such

Mixing travel and birthdays and international date lines can be a bit confusing - almost like having two brithdays rolled in one.

My travel to London commenced on the 30th November and I arrived on the 1st December (my birthday).

However, I had already been receiving birthday greetings on the 30th from friends and family down under where it was already the 1st December.

It was a bit of an all day and night affair getting here from Seattle but all was well in the end.  Aaron (my eldest son) was at Heathrow to meet me and after a considerable journey by taxi we arrived at their home in Wimbledon.

Aaron and Marcele have recently purchased their first home, a one bedroom apartment in Wimbledon and it is very nicely appointed.

Marcele had put together a collection of goodies for my birthday so that was a lovely surprise.

Birthday goodies were opened.  Included in the image on the right is a lovely red top that Lisa bought for me at a craft market we went to in Seattle.

My youngest son, Ricky, joined us later in the day to complete the family circle.

I had a wonderful time in Seattle with Lisa, David and Jackson, but I can see that my time in London will be equally as good.

The Salish Sea

Our travels through the San Juan Islands on the Washington State Ferries were very peaceable on tranquil waters.

We left Friday Harbor on the 1.55pm ferry and even though it was relatively early in the afternoon, to me it felt like it was close to dusk.

The overcast skies played with the sunlight and I played around with the settings on my camera to try and capture the moment as best I could.

For those who love yachting how wonderful it must feel to traverse these tranquil waters at such a time as this.

Being able to take in this scenery was the icing on the cake at the end of a wonderful excursion.

Travel and Smart Phones

On advice from friends at work David took me out for the day to take a ferry ride to Friday Harbour on San Juan Island close to the Canadian border.

As we traveled past several of the islands we saw a number of lovely houses nestled in isolated locations.

I know this is some peoples dream life style but not for me.  Maybe it is because I have never driven a car but as I get older I really appreciate being close to facilities for shopping and medical needs.

David takes out the smart phone and starts looking up information to find out whether the people who live on these islands are really so isolated after all.  Indeed there are shops to service these people and air strips and one of the islands even supported two air strips.  Of course, these islands are serviced with a regular ferry service with room for motor vehicles so I guess you could live in splendid isolation but still get back to the real world if you have to.

After a good wander around the shops we talked about where we might have a bite to eat for lunch.

We stopped outside the Cask & Schooner which boasted an English style pub menu, with meat pies and mushy peas or bangers and mash or fish and chips.

I was a bit dubious as to how authentic the food might be and we wandered up the street to look at some other restaurants.

Once again David took out the smart phone and with a little bit of research and help from the app, Yelp.com, he was able to confirm that the Cask & Schooner had pretty good ratings 4.5 out of 5 so we went back there and had an enjoyable lunch.  The cheese platter appetiser was a highlight and in spite of the English style food I had a good old American hamburger.

It was a lovely day, greatly influenced by the use of a smart phone - how times have changed.

Pelindaba Lavender

When I visited Friday Harbor on San Juan Island I really enjoyed browsing in the touristy shops that abounded there.

One of these that caught my attention was a lavender shop - Pelindaba Lavender.

When I asked if they lavender came from the island I was advised that they have a 25 acre farm there, one of the largest in all of the USA.

Lavender products abounded even down to lavender scented shortbread.

David sample lavender scented herbal tea and bought some lavender scented honey pictured here with sprigs of lavender in the jar.

I bought lavender scented wet wipes for travel beautifully packaged.

The products were abundant and the packaging added a lovely finishing touch - purple tissue paper and black paper carry bags.

A pleasurable experience and just a part of a fully enjoyable day.

Surprised by scraps

Our friendship goes back a long way.

We worked together in Australia and then she moved back to that States and I moved home to New Zealand.

Our communications are spasmodic but still the friendship is there.

She knows I love craft and especially patchwork.

If there had been a chance I would have loved to meet up with on this visit to the States but it was not to be.

She wrote to me and said she had a few 'scraps' she would like to send to me while I am in Seattle.

Something to tuck in my suitcase to take back home.

My goodness, the 'scraps' arrived - all in favourite colours and probably 5 to 6 yards in total - if they weren't going to be 'scraps' I wonder how much there might have been.

Thank you, Susan, for surprising me with 'scraps'.  Truly delightful and a lovely something to take with me as a happy memory of my visit.

Susan and I have birthdays within a day or two of each other.  She sent me this lovely birthday card as well.  I think kitty looks almost surprised as I was!

Love those pansies

Spotted in a supermarket in Seattle.

Pansy seedlings happily waiting to be sold and planted out to bring a bit of cheer in the garden through the winter months.

Yesterday, spotted in a window box at the front of one of the shops in Friday Harbour, San Juan.

Just doing their job - bringing a bit of sunshine and brightness into the world.

I really do love those pansies.

The bluest skies

The bluest skies in all the world are in Seattle - at least that is what Perry Como used to tell us in the words of the song.

For the most part the skies have been overcast since I arrived in Seattle and that is understandable for this time of year in these parts.

Yesterday afternoon the skies cleared to reveal that yes, we do have lovely blue skies in Seattle.

It was so nice I took a walk in the local neighborhood and captured a bit of the sky and some of those trees which are so prolific.

The many trees seem to add a charm to the city of Seattle and they give the impression of living in a holiday setting rather than everyday working life.

I really have been enjoying the landscape here.

The weather forecast was for more clear skies today and Tuesday but so far this morning we have mist. Maybe it will change later.  David plans to take me on a ferry cruise tomorrow so fair weather would be nice.

Tacoma and the Museum of Glass

Yesterday we had a family outing to Tacoma and the Museum of Glass.

First, though, we took time out for a family breakfast.  What better to entertain a child while you are waiting for the food to arrive than a tablet.

Jackson is intent on explaining to James the intricacies of the latest game he wants to play.

On to Tacoma and the Museum of Glass.

We were in time to watch glass blowing happening at one of the regular workshops they have.

In addition a fascinating gallery with some amazing glass creations on display.

Not to mention the shop with more amazing bits and pieces on display and for sale including this Christmas trees adorned with beautifully created glass baubles.

Outside there is a walk across the Glass Bridge.

I had envisaged walking on glass but not quite.

Along one side of part of the bridge - glass panels enclosing a myriad of beautiful glass ornaments.

Further along the bridge there was these overhead panels encasing literally hundreds of glass sculptures in all shapes, sizes and colors in a seascape theme.

Thanks to David and Lisa for creating the opportunity to share this lovely exhibition.

Uncle James

Jackson has happy memories of visits from his uncles and he has been happily anticipating the arrival of James.

After watching one of his new (to him) favourite movies, Home Alone 2, this morning he wasted no time in getting into deep discussion about the games he likes to play.

This discussion was followed by several rounds of UNO and now David, James and Jackson have gone out for a drive.

Having an uncle around to take an interest in the activities of a young man can be such a fun thing.

James arrives

David and Lisa sent out the invitation earlier this year for his 3 brothers and me to come and share Thanksgiving with them.

I arrived last week and James, the only other one who could make it, arrived yesterday evening.

David and I went to meet him at the airport and this is where we found him, tired from the long flight and waiting for a connection from San Francisco to Seattle, but he is safe and sound and that is the most important thing.

We have another guest arriving today and so we are celebrating with our Thanksgiving Dinner one day late.  Lisa has done a lot of the preparation already and so we will enjoy a family time together today.

Thanks for coming, James!

'Tis the Season - for martinis?

Sister Linda said she was in need of a new t-shirt for the coming Christmas season and could I keep a look out for her whilst in the States.

I had not really seen anything along these lines until yesterday I paid a visit to a Walmart store and I found this one which was a must have.

If you know my sister, she loves to celebrate Christmas with lots of lovely food and a few martinis along the way never go astray.

Just another thing to pack and send.

A little bit of fabric

If you are a quilter and you happen to visit the United States you are bound to be tempted by the amount of quilting fabric available.  The price can be tempting too.

Yesterday I went with David to Bellevue where he works.

He dropped me off at Quiltworks Northwest which would have been any quilter's delight.
Lovely and spacious with a feast of quilting fabrics and beading supplies.




Although I don't have images they had lots of tuffets on display.  Anyone who knows the story of little Miss Muffet may have some idea of what a tuffet is all about.  They had similar product throughout the store, ranging from small circular pillows to large stools.

If this is of interest to you, you can buy patterns for tuffets here.

Of course there was lots else but these were new to me and they were done in such lovely bright colors and so appealing.  Great way, apparently, to use strippy scraps, but I can't imagine having to spend the time and effort stuffing them.

Lots of lovely goodies, and yes, I did succumb to the temptation and bought a little bit of fabric.

When I had finished indulging myself I went for a wander to look at the other shops in the mall and found a remainder outlet store called, Tuesday Morning.  I wasn't expecting it but some of their remainder items was quilting fabric, oh dear, some more fabric found its way into my shopping cart.

By the time David picked me up at 1pm I was quite ready for some lunch and so he took me to a lovely Thai restaurant and then home.  The first thing I did was pack a box of goodies to send on home ahead of myself.

I felt quite pleased with myself by the time I filled the box but today I went to the shops again and then some goodies I bought on line arrived and so I think a second box will have to be packed.  Such are the delights of travel.

Time to make Christmas cards

In Jackson's class there's 25 pupils including himself.

He has committed to making cards for each of his fellow pupils, teacher and members of his family.

Something he needs a bit of help with so Lisa, Jackson and I sat down the other morning and gave it our best.

Lisa and I had been to a craft shop and picked up bits and pieces of Christmas theme           embellishments.  Lisa already had cards, glitter, card stock and cutter and so there was a huge variety of options for us to have a go.

After a couple of hours we had completed 15 cards.

This was one of Jackson's creations - not bad for a 6 year old.

Texting gloves?

My sister Linda loves purple and she loves bling so when I saw these fingerless gloves today I immediately thought of her.

I took a closer look after purchase and they were tagged as 'texting gloves' - oh really!

I must really be behind the times.  I really thought these were known as fingerless gloves.

Maybe Linda will be able to text more efficiently when she wears 'texting gloves'.

Time to hug a snowman

Before I left home I started to research about craft/quilt shows that I might be able to go to in the Seattle area.

I found out about a craft fair in Puyallup and on Thursday Lisa and I set out to spend the day there.  On the way we saw a much smaller craft fair being promoted and kept it in mind for another day.

Again the scenery along the way was pretty with lots of tree lined streets.

We got there just after opening time armed with coupons to give us half price entry.  We were met by a lady who was wanting to give away complimentary tickets so we did not have to pay for entry at all.

I had envisaged the fair to be much bigger than anything I had been to in Australia or New Zealand but that was not the case.  There were demonstrations of new craft ideas as well as workshops.  We watched a few of the demonstrations but did not stay for any of the workshops.

Some of the stalls were wall to wall people and we did not even get to take a look but overall we had a good look around and a few quilting goodies were purchased.

One of the items being demonstrated was the bloc-loc ruler.  They came in a whole range of sizes but I bought just the 6.5 inch square ruler which I think Linda and I and our Sweet Pea sewing group will get a lot of use from.

Surprisingly we were finished in about 3 hours so we headed back to Bellevue for lunch and to spend some time with David.

On our way home we realised we still had time to go to the smaller craft fair and this is where I got to 'hug' the snowman in the image.

This craft fair was totally different to the first one.  It was all handcrafted items by local artisans.  The theme was Christmas and there was a huge variety of goodies.  Christmas candies, cookies, jams, ornaments, knitted garments, jewelry and much, much more.

It was a lovely experience to be able to go to two totally different craft fairs in the one day.  I came home with goodies from both.

Many thanks to my daughter-in-law, Lisa, for taking the time out to make my day.

Toffee Apples - lovely to look at

Yesterday David and I went to the Seattle CBD and spent a leisurely time at Pike Place Markets.

Before we even got to the market I found this store totally dedicated to toffee apples of every type imaginable.

I think if I bought a toffee apple like this I would not be able to get past the glorious topping - the apple would go to waste.

If the first selection was not decadent enough how about this chocolate delight?

I have to say I was happy to look not touch and move right along to Pike Place

where we saw the most unusual cauliflowers I have ever seen - and at US$7.00 each I hope they would be worth the price.

What about elephant garlic?

These were the size of extra large onions.

I wonder if the flavour would be as good their smaller cousins?

I was not the only one taking photos of these vegetables.  I could see others were intrigued too.

Fish vendors were there as well with handsome fare from the Pacific.  A salmon lovers heaven. David and I had a very nice lunch at a seafood restaurant which boasted sea views from every table.  Great food in very pleasant surroundings.

Pike Place markets abounded with food, craft and souvenir stalls of every type imaginable.  We were there on a Friday and it was quite busy.  I think I would be happy to leave the weekends for the many tourists I am sure would be there.

My first spotting of snow capped mountains, I think in the Olympic National Park.  Just a little reminder of those mountains I left behind way back in New Zealand.

Blog Give Away

I recently posted about a blog giveaway - pansy silk print and hand dyed silk ribbon.

Thank you to those who left comments.

Connie, I would like for you to have my give away but I cannot find a way to be in touch.

If you like to e-mail me at peggy.crazyquilter@gmail.com so I can organise to mail it to you.

Notations

My six year old grandson, Jackson, loves playing chess.

He went to a Chess Camp on Monday and came home with a medal for winning four tournaments. He seemed very pleased with himself.

When David and Lisa relocated from Dallas to Seattle, David organised for Jackson to go to Chess Camp during the summer vacation and Jackson became convinced that the whole reason for relocation was so he could go to Chess Camp.

It worked in well for the family that he thought so.

On Wednesday afternoons he has a chess class after school finishes.  David and I picked him afterwards.  We asked him what he learnt at chess that day and he said, 'notations'.

When questioned further he seemed not to know what notations meant.

However yesterday, when Lisa and I returned from a lovely day out we found David and Jackson just finishing a game of chess and there was Jackson making those notations.

On your way, chess champ!

Snoqualmie Falls

Yesterday David and I went to Snoqualmie Falls which is a place of interest for tourist and locals.

The drive there was very pleasant with interesting terrain, trees, mountains and lake views along the way.

The weather was drizzly but we made the most of the day.

When we arrived I took this photo but it only revealed part of the falls.  David suggested we move along the walkway to get a better photo of the whole of the falls but when we got there it was so misty this was the best I could do.

Apparently in the summer months the place is awash with visitors but there was only us and two others to share what could be seen.

My first thought was of hydro-electric power and was the water being harnessed.  I turned around and there was a wall panel describing exactly this and how proud the State of Washington is to be using this type of renewable energy.

From here we wandered back to the small township of Snoqualmie to have a look at what was available.

On our way we saw this grand old train which is one of the ways of going to see the falls.  I did not see it in action but David said last time they were there they took the ride.

Across the road and back to the shops.  It was Tuesday and not much happening in a tourist town.  There was an old curiosity shop which I was curious to have a look in, but no, they close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

We walked a bit further and came across this 'quaint' thrift store.

I just love the rocking chair look out the front.

We did go inside and have a good look around.  Everything was very well presented, clean and tidy but the prices were a little high so we left without making a purchase.

Eating choices were minimal but we had seen a cafe that offered home style meals and so we

opted to go there.

As curious as I was about the curiosity shop I was even more curious when I went to the ladies wash room and there by the wash basin was a stocked wine rack ready with glasses for drinking.  What was going on here?

Maybe if I had inspected closer I may have found the bottles to be empty but even so why locate this in the ladies wash room?

Leaving that behind I returned to our table and was pleasantly surprised to see David had ordered tea and it had been served to him in a pot.  Most unusual for this part of the world, I thought.

I had not had any tea since arriving in Seattle but the thought of tea served in a pot was enough for me to decide to do the same and I thought the teapot my tea was served in was very cute.

The tea was good. 

Apart from one other we were the only customers and we enjoyed a quiet, leisurely lunch with good food.  The drive home was pleasant and made even more so with the sun breaking through for the first time - yes, they do have lovely blue skies in Seattle.

Those autumn leaves

I don't seem to be able to get past my fascination for the color of the autumn leaves that the North American autumn brings.

At the moment part of the lawn at the front of David and Lisa's home is just a carpet of red autumn leaves.


I took these photos this morning about 8.30 and even though I was outside there was insufficient light for the camera so it defaulted to using a flash to take the photos so the images may appear more pink than in real life.  Very rich colorings nevertheless.

I will be back later to report more on my day's outing to Snoqualmie Falls.                            

Early days in Seattle

My blog journey started in December 2005 when I visited with David and his bride, Lisa, in their home in Lewisville, Dallas.

With the approach of Christmas I was rather intrigued with the number of blow up theme items that decorated the neighbors' gardens.

Yesterday, upon arriving in Seattle I felt like I had gone full circle when I saw this lawn decoration of Pilgrims for Thanksgiving.

Oh the memories all the little things that are different from regular life give us.

Probably the comparisons that come to me on this visit are more the differences between Dallas and Seattle rather than between the United States and New Zealand.

Dallas is pretty well flat - not too many hills found in those parts.

Quite different in parts of Seattle and whilst this picture does not fully reflect this, the road is quite steep with an equally steep incline on the other side.

You might notice a touch of autumn in the color of the trees and from the leaves under the trees.

I am really enjoying being back in Seattle.  I was only here overnight a few years ago.  I had hoped I might have the chance to return and find it hard to believe it has actually happened.

Nice to think I will be here for three weeks to absorb all that there is here for me.

San Francisco

Just killing time at San Francisco airport, waiting for my connecting flight to Seattle. About another hour before boarding time.

I had tried to get a standby upgrade from Auckland but that did not happen.
However I happened to be sitting in a row with empty seats and being able to lie down was a bonus, even if airline seats are not built for that purpose.

Apart from listening to squeals of a fractious child behind me and an adverse reaction to coriander in my evening meal all is well.

More from Seattle real soon.