CONGRATULATIONS

Having read my blogs in the past and if you are a FB friend you know how I feel about being a grandma and grandchildren.....they are absolutely the BEST!

I miss our two little ones (Joe and Joci) in the UK and love, love, love seeing and talking to them on skype. I do not know what I would do if I could not do that. They are changing so much and growing up so fast. And...what an adventure they are having so young in their life. I am so fortunate to have been close to and involved with them while here in the States...being a part of them. I love seeing their eyes when they first see you and know the love.

Brandon too is changing so fast. He got a rough/late start and is busy catching up and doing it quickly. He is such a joy and so loving. He is not stingy with his hugs and kisses either. His smile and his love is priceless and he has me all wrapped up.

Now, welcome to Brody, 10-17-11. How it all comes back when you hold them up against you. The smell, the soft skin and hair. The little noises and movements. The feeling that is just not expressable (is that a word?). Your heart is making adjustments, folding him in with Joe, Joci, and Brandon. He is now part of our group. And I can't wait for him to give those hugs and kisses.

I'm telling you....Grandkids are the BEST!!!!

SUCCESSFUL RETREAT

First of all, just to let everyone know I am having a bit of trouble making corrections to past posts. So I apologize for all the words that are not spelled correctly.

NOW, on to the retreat. New location, a bit small for the staff and events but it worked. Participants were in cabins and were able to bond with their room mates and each other. The food was absolutely GREAT. You would have thought we were in a 5 star restaurant and very healthy too.

The staff always work together to provide a wonderful experience, and this year was no exception to that. The give-a-ways provided by so many individuals, clubs and organizations were so appreciated.

Each year I attend I am amazed by the attitudes of these ladies that have had a major event change their life. They didn't ask for it, they didn't deserve it, it just happened. And, you don't have a lot of choices, but these ladies have fought back and created a new life with it. You know what it is...that big elephant in the room...Cancer. I've been there, am there, and you have to chose life and fight back.

All ages, all stages, all walks of life...a wonderful retreat for 14 wonderful ladies.

The First - Second CFR Retreat for Arizona

That does sound a bit confusing. However this is a big event for Arizona's Casting for Recovery. For those that don't know, CFR is a national non-profit Breast Cancer Survivor Recovery/Health/Wellness program providing no-cost weekend retreats to 14 women who are BC survivors. We have had as many as 81 women apply for these 14 positions and this year we were approved to provide two retreats which will give 28 women the opportunity to attend a retreat.

There are many changes for this first; new location (The Whispering Pines Resort in Pinetop, AZ), new staff in training, and new fishing area/location on Sunday.

It all begins Thursday the 13th with staff arriving and setting everything up and getting ready for our ladies to arrive Friday afternoon. And, of course it all ends on Sunday after the ladies have fished, enjoyed a wonderful luncheon put on by the White Mountain Fly Fishing Club members and head back to their homes.

I will report more after the retreat...can't wait to see and hear the expressions of joy from these ladies and the staff.

Thoughts

All in all, we had a great trip to the UK and the continent. Of course the best part was visiting with the kids.

I was very anxious about the whole thing. Traveling in a totally different country and cultures. Not knowing the language along the way. Getting lost (of course we always found our way), just having problems.

None of this happened. Well we did get lost a few times along the way but we always found our way after a while.

I tried to single out exactly what the French looked like and what the English looked like but in general they are just like us here in the States...we are all so different but yet the same. I love that saying...it applies to so many things.

The way of life in the UK is very different in the everyday life. Everything is smaller: the homes, washing machines, refrigerators, garages, roads, sidewalks, etc.

When looking out of Joe and Joci's upstairs room I could see in every backyard clothes lines. So I don't think many people have cloyhes dryers.

Homes are either attached (like a two story town home) or unattached (single house) and pretty small.

"Mind the Gap" means watch out for the space between the subway and the landing. "Proper crossiant" means it was a crossiant which was correct in taste, etc. "Hi ya" means hello. There are no bathrooms or restrooms...they are all toiletts. And most importantly...where is the ICE. They have it you just have to specifically ask for ICE. And I'm pretty sure that we were the only one asking for it.

I have always said that regardless of what size the town, city, etc. you have to have at least one church and one tavern. Well, I noticed in the continent there is always at least one plus church (really old churches) and lots of bakeries and a few taverns (along with a sign showing Tubac is available...tobacco).

Well, for now that's it. I will probably remember more and more and will post.

Trip Back to the States

We were pretty tired after arriving back in the UK from the trip. Spent the next day shopping (Xmas items, etc.) and spending time with the kids. Thursday morning we got up at 4:45 and the "Hire" car picked us up at 5:30 to take us to the Airport. It was 1 1/2 hr trip. The line at the Delta counter was really long but did go pretty fast. Next the security check and than on to the gates.

It seemed so much longer coming back then going. We had a lay over in Detroit and had a Mexican meal which was really good. Going thru customs, etc. went really much faster then we thought it would.

The plane at this point was really small and packed. And again, seemed to take forever to get to Phoenix. Matt picked us up and we stopped for pizza on the way home. After arriving home, we got all unpacked, all clothes were dirty so just put them in a laundry stack...and away to bed.

Took another day to catch up on sleep.

Heading Back to England

The last night we stayed in Callais at this very old hotel right by the port. The downstairs looked really nice but the room was the worst we have had for a while...even in the states.

We had gotten there early and had driven all around the town. We had walked to the restrauant down the street and got some wonderful wine. I can't even remember what we ate. The next morning another continental type breakfast but not nearly as nice as the others.

We dropped the car off and got on the ferry. The same routine only in reverse to Milton Keenes.

Overall, great drive about.

DRIVE ABOUT

This included Belgium, Germany and France. We took off driving taking all the two lane (I swear some were one lane) roads. It's just like on TV when you seeing them driving in the little towns that there is absolutely no room for 1 let alone 2 cars in the streets. Of course we would get lost and then found. The little towns were so much alike and yet so different from each other. I have never, never seen so many statutes and churches. Every town, regardless how small or big had their own huge church...very old, stone buildings.

Every town had as many bakeries as bars and lots of "tubac" shops. I have never tasted such wonderful crossiants. And, the coffee you would have thought would have been so strong but it was wonderful as well. Just sugar, no cream. (I kind of think not sitting in a pot on a burner helps a lot!)

We stayed over a bar one night, had some drinks and ate at a restrauant that had wonderful food. We ate at a little restrauant in the middle of nowhere and again had absolutely wonderful food.

We stayed in Rouen which we arrived while it was pouring rain right next to the river. We had eaten so late in the day that we actually went to bed without dinner. The next morning we were looking for a cafe and stopped at this little place that turned out to be the locals' coffee and tubac stop. When we asked about breakfast we got two crossiants with the coffee.