Manic Monday?

Or will it be a Mundane Monday? For me, I hope that it's the latter. It's the last day of January which means that my last full month here in England starts tomorrow.

The DV's that came to our base were wonderful! Anyone who thinks that officers wives are stuffy and stuck up have not met the right ones! Mrs. W was so personable and endearing. She made it a point to engage everyone of our party in conversation. She was a blast in the antique store! Mrs. W and Mrs. C had me smiling constantly with their child like enthusiasm for the place. They were like a couple of kids in a toy store and anyone who saw them could not help but to smile.

Burns Night- who knew that Scottish Whiskey can make an awesome sauce for meat? Certainly not me that's for sure! But I tried it and liked it. I did bypass the haggis (there was no way that stuff was getting anywhere near my plate). I got to dance, had fun and the best compliment of the night was..."You're just like a real person". Well for the young woman who gave me that compliment...I certainly hope so! Sometimes it's good to be seen letting your hair down and just having fun.

Slide Show- going through the pictures for this slide show brought with it a wave of emotions and a flood of memories. I'm half way through the pictures and hope to make better headway this week with the digital pictures.

Now for more coffee, to get through this ocean of laundry and of course to read more some more of the latest spin off romance novel about Mr. Darcy and his passionate feelings for Elizabeth Bennett...Life is good!

quote of the day

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tune
Without the words,
and never stops at all.
-Emily Dickinson
US poet (1830 - 1886)

I dream of a life...

...beyond these four walls.

quote of the day

Love and magic have a great deal in common.

They enrich the soul, delight the heart.

And they both take practice.

-Nora Roberts

Busy is as busy does

It's a full week for me as there seems to be something going on every day.

Yesterday I got to spend some time with another moving company rep- she was estimating the load that her company will pack and put into storage for us. All I can say is that you know it's going to be a smooth move when the company rep says "I wish that more clients were as organized as your and your husband are". Now I did give a snort of a laugh when she said that because I felt like we were anything but organized. But apparently a lot of people say that about my house. Maybe it's just me feeling out of sorts or maybe it was that huge stack of pottery I had in the middle of the formal dining room table that I had yet to put away, LOL!

Today- well I've got to make something for the dorm dinner that's tomorrow. NO matter what I decide to make, I will have to leave the house to get things like eggs and some other miscellaneous dairy products (we certainly do go through the cheese at our house).

Tomorrow- I will be spending the day with the Dv's who have come to check out our little base, and go on the tours that the base has set up for them. There's also the dorm dinner that evening hence me making those cheesecakes today since I will be VERY busy all day tomorrow.

Thursday- I will be going through all of the pictures that I brought with me for the slide show (this is for my husbands retirement ceremony). There are thousands upon thousands for me to wade through- this is no small task in the least!

Friday- take kitty to the Vet and that nights is the Burns Night function- should be interesting. I have no intentions of letting Haggis get anywhere near me- just say NO applies here!

quote of the day

Love isn't a decision. It's a feeling.

If we could decide who we loved,

it would be much simpler,

but much less magical.

-Trey Parker and Matt Stone

"Sandie's Fantabulous Pottery Tour (w/lunch)- The Sequel".

What can I say, it was an amazing trip! It doesn't get any better than going out to Stoke-on-Trent with ones girlfriends! I can't begin to tell you how much we laughed. The places we went, the thing we saw and ooooh the things we bought!

For me, it was magical! I'm all about the girly stuff, you all know that. The colors, textures and various patterns of the pottery was intoxicating! To describe the euphoria I felt ...for me the analogy would be as if I was an alcoholic and I was swimming in wine. Yes, it was THAT good. You've got to be there when the doors open at the Wedgwood outlet- I learned this from my very first trip out there. If you go in the afternoon the shelves will be picked bare! We arrived at 9 am (just as I planned) and I set my girlfriends loose in the Wedgwood outlet! The selections were fantastic and extra discounts were being given to us- life is good! We were all dizzy when we left, we were all swimming in the wine so to speak. But a few minutes back out in the cold British air and we were on our way to the next place!

Next stop Burleigh- it's my own personal little slice of heaven! One of the things on my list- and yes I had made a list of things that I wanted to buy was a lamp. Not any old lamp would do either, I wanted a blue and white lamp as I'm trying to put together a "look" for my formal living room in my next house. I had dreamed about buying a Portmeirion Botanical Blue lamp until I saw the one at Burleigh. Bluebird is the patterns name and it's a rare pattern at that! Once I saw it I knew that it was the lamp for me! There were a few other items that I picked up while at Burleigh, some really cool items at that! They had these beautiful Christmas themed 8" plates for a whopping 50p each- I bought 12. They will go great with my Spode Christmas Tree dinnerware! There were tons of great deals to be had!

Now on to Cauldon Ceramics, home of the Original Brown Betty Teapot! Sure it's a small business, but inside that blue door was a magical place full of brown earthenware pottery! All 4 of us bought teapots galore, and ordered more to be delivered to us this week. Me? Well, I've got a covered sugar bowl and a creamer coming to me this week ;-) There's something about the Brown Betty that I simply LOVE! It's simple everyday look makes me feel as if I've come.

Now over to Portmeirion- This place (for me) is like walking into a British Flower Garden in full bloom! It's overwhelming in the sense of the selections and intoxicating! Since I already own quite a bit of Botanic Garden tableware, I was looking to get a few more serving pieces. I found that my pattern was on sale for an extra 30% off- yeah momma! I came out with bowls and platters and was very pleased that I didn't spend as much as I thought I would.

Now for those that don't know- Portmeirion also owns Spode- Oh yeah! Life IS indeed GOOD! Tons of Spode products in stock and I was looking around with big eyes. It finally happened...I found the pieces that I've been wanting for years for my Christmas Tree service. The last pieces to fall into my lap are the Teapot and the Sauce Boat with stand. The store had them on sale at an extra 50% off, I could not resist! For years I refused to buy those pieces because they were so costly and suddenly they were in front of me saying "look at me". I was like a kid in a candy store! I even bought some of the cutlery items. I came out of there one happy woman!

Last Stop, Ainsley China- I came here because I wanted to get a couple more Belleek China pieces. Belleek is made in Ireland and I blame my addiction to it on my mother-in-law as it all started with a cup and saucer. I now have a handful of pieces and I cherish them all!

I know that I will never be able to buy any kind of British or Irish made pottery at these wonderfully low bargain prices like I've been able to while living here in England. I'm going to have such wonderful memories wash over me every time I use any of my place settings and serving pieces. At times I feel as if I've been on a treasure hunt and found the most exquisite gem stones and pearls.

So the best part was being on a treasure hunt with my girlfriends and seeing them find treasures of their own. We all came away happy and content. Okay so that gourmet picnic lunch that I made for all of us helped too.

quote of the day

The universe is full of magical things,

patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
-Eden Phillpotts

Oh do be Serious!

I'm beginning to think that some of the folks that have Portmeirion items listed for sale on e-Bay USA are either delusional or are on crack. I'm hoping the former and not the latter. Are people actually willing to spend $150 on a retired Portmeirion rolling pin? $350 or more on a soup tureen? IN this economy? Oh do be serious! I keep telling our US military folks to buy the British pottery here, now while you can and while it's CHEAP! I love going to Stoke on Trent! I've been able to buy things here that I know I wouldn't be able to get back is the USA- not for the prices I've paid for here!



I'm getting excited about my trip on Saturday! It's not as if I "need" any more pottery, but I would like to pick up a few more pieces of Portmeirion Botanic Garden and maybe even some more Burleigh Pottery...who knows what I'll come home with ;-)

quote of the day

The pain of making the necessary sacrifices always hurts more than you think it's going to. I know. It sucks. That being said, doing something seriously creative is one of the most amazing experiences one can have, in this or any other lifetime. If you can pull it off, it's worth it. Even if you don't end up pulling it off, you'll learn many incredible, magical, valuable things. It's NOT doing it when you know you full well you HAD the opportunity- that hurts FAR more than any failure.

-Hugh Macleod

Count down to MORE fun!

I did this trip back in April and I'm about to do it again. It's time for...

"Sandie's Fantabulous Pottery Tour (with lunch)- The Sequel".

I chose 3 girlfriends who would never do this on their own and now I've got the whole thing planned. Where we'll go and what we'll see. I'm going to make us a yummy lunch. I gave them menu choices and they voted...they want the same menu that I made for the last trip (that's good for me as I can make those things with one hand tied behind my back and blindfolded). I want to treat them to a great day! Each of these ladies is special to me. This is My last hurrah and I want to go out with a BANG! So a trip to Stoke on Trent it is! I've been talking about doing this for MONTHS and now it's going to happen in a matter of days.

This week is a very busy week for me, so I've got to pace myself.
Monday- hunt up pictures for slide show (this is for my husbands retirement ceremony)
Tuesday- lunch with girls to celebrate Alisha's b-day
Wednesday- Retirement benefits seminar (yawn city)
Thursday- dorm dinner
Friday- quick trip to antique shop, prepare foods for trip
Saturday- Road Trip to Stoke on Trent!

quote of the day

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be,

and you help them to become what they are capable of being."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Girlfriends

Ones life is not truly complete without friends. I'm lucky enough to have met some amazing women along the way! Yesterday I had some friends over for lunch and it was great! I wish that I did that more often (note to self do this from now on until you move- have friends over for lunch at least twice a month).
So now I'm planning a little road trip with said girlfriends. We'll spend a Saturday together just simply having fun! Now for me to figure out the menu as I had given them a choice of going out to eat or me make us a lunch. I'm very flattered that they voted for me to make a yummy gourmet lunch for them. None of them was on the last trip so this will be fun. I could make the same things OR I could make something entirely new. I want to make this delicious cold salmon salad on a bed of butter leaf lettuce, it's a dish that I once ate at a snooty restaurant and it was to die for! I'm been itching to recreate it for quite some time now!

Now for me to enjoy my coffee, read some more of my latest FAB novel and plan some some stuff for my husbands retirement ceremony.

My one word for 2011

"HOME"

quote of the day

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

a day in the life...

Thursday was my cortisone injection day. I took the medical shuttle because I knew that I would not be able to drive myself home. I'll say it, I hate needles but deal with injections the best I can. Long story short, it hurt like hell, I fainted while getting the last injection and the shuttle driver had to help me out of the hospital- nice huh? Who knew I could possibly be such a wuss when it came to getting painful injections in my joints? Oh wait, I did.

While I was in a lot of pain yesterday I woke up feeling MUCH better. I didn't think that my wrists and elbow would be feeling better quite this soon, certainly not me.

Now for the fun stuff, I'm having friends over for lunch. I love doing this kind of thing (luncheons in my home) and especially with this terrific group of ladies! Three different ladies all with different backgrounds and views- each one of them as precious to me as sisters ever could be! So for me being able to treat them to something yummy is also a treat to myself. If you ask me, Friendship should always be treated as something special and magical!

quote of the day

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.

John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848)

It's the little things...

Have you ever had a friend who is simply for the lack of a better term- Having a Bad Day? I'm pretty sure that most everyone has experienced a bad or off day. Heck, I've experienced them from time to time.

But what do you do for a friend who is having a bad day? Me, I decide to do something about it, to take matters into my own hands! You can't take away what has happened BUT you can take a step to let them know that they are special, that they are loved. It could be something as little as bringing them a card to let them know that they are loved or baking them a special treat (brownies and cheesecakes are my speciality) or giving them something that you made with your own two hands. Whatever it is, never miss an opportunity to let your friends know that you care about them.

So with that said, I've already got my wheels in motion!

quote of the day

All of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
-Dale Carnegie

Making my own kind of Magic

Today is about my girlfriends- the ones that listen to me when I'm going off the wall about something that's just not right or when I'm bubbling full of excitement about my latest pottery purchase. They're the ones that love me for me...not who my husband is or who I can influence. They love me for who I am and how I make them feel. They are true Angels come to life. Indeed I am truly blessed!