G R O C E R Y S H O P P I N G . . . . .

Grocery shopping is a different experience here. This is something that I have had to get used to in the last couple of weeks. The carts in the store are WIERD!! First of all they are all chained together and you have to put £1 in the little coin slot so that the chain will be released--thus you are entitled to drive a buggy-cart-whatever the thing is around the store. It is possessed. The wheels on it are not right. I don't care which side you push, pull or YANK...it will not go straight! I found myself leaning and pulling on it as hard as I could to keep out of someone else's way. OH--and that's another thing..."I" am always in someone else's way. It's another thing to get used to--people don't really move over or step aside in an aisle or on a sidewalk. I think if I didn't move over then they would run me over. No big deal. Different country, different ways. SO, today is Monday and I had errands to run--not in a car mind you--I have none. I walked down to the cleaners with one pair of slacks in a plastic grocery bag. Dropped them off, continued on, crossed the bridge over the river, went to a couple of other stores, stopped in the bank to change the pin on my new debit card and also to ask them how to fill out a check :) -- they are different than ours, went to the post office to mail KATIE pooh her birthday card. In the post office you have to take a number. There were 27 people in front of me. Hmmm...I didn't want to wait. I kept my number, walked back home, dumped the packages, took a bathroom break, drink of water and then grabbed my groovy new grocery cart (displayed for you in the above picture--hehe), went back to the post office with now only 3 people in front of me! Got the card mailed and was off to the grocery. In the grocery, I strategically loaded up my groovy new grocery cart from heaviest objects to lightest and also had a hand basket with some stuff in it. Went to the check out unloaded it all, paid, reloaded it all and then headed back home with my cart and one bag in my hand. So, I'm walking along---the sidewalks are stones, uneven...I bit the dust--you know--FELL DOWN!!!!!!!!! Holy noodlehead!!!!!!!!! I was stunned!!! :) hehe....so it's on a narrow street and this car is right next to me and the guy says with English accent, "Are you OK?" I said I was and that I just needed to wear different shoes the next time I did this! 10 more steps and from another car the man asks me if I am OK. Funny times!! So there you have just a bit from my day. I sure hope yours was as great as mine!! :)

ARLEY HALL AND GARDENS

Arley Hall and Gardens - found this online and it is about 1/2 hour's drive from where we live. Normally you can tour the Hall but there was a wedding so we just did the gardens. There are a lot of different gardens, all different and so pretty. Fun day! I'm totally in love with the English gardens here. The flowers are beautiful. There is also an old barn on the property where you can buy lunch - yum yum!

Chester Cathedral

This Cathedral was unbelievable! Wood carvings were so intricate, needlepoint cushions on the pews, mosaic murals depicting events from the Bible. The Cathedral was very large and spacious with a self-guided tour using headphones, so we could wander wherever we wanted to go and at our own pace. Loved it!

2nd picture: the organ sits just beneath all these organ pipes and all of this is located above one of the huge archways on the side of the Cathedral. On Tuesdays they give free organ concerts that we plan to go to tomorrow.

3rd picture: "The Bishop's Pulpit" - right behind the wings is a very large OLD Bible

4th picture: "The Bishop's Throne" which is called the "Cathedra". Because there is a "Cathedra", this is a "Cathedral"

Pictures of Chester

Grosvenor Park...

right across the River Dee from where we live

the footbridge over the River Dee...

our apartment is the 2nd house to the left at the end of this bridge

we cross this bridge to get to the park--within 5 minutes and the city center--within 10 minutes

a view from our river boat tour on the River Dee

Chester is known for its city walls that were built by the Romans back around 700 AD. Over the years they have been repaired and improved but left as authentic as possible. This picture is from the wall when I was here in May.

This is part of the Roman Wall that Rachel and I walked on this past week...the whole wall takes about 40 minutes to walk.

Hope you enjoy these pics! Will post more later and hope to make them a little more interesting!

Learning to Blog

Hello far away family and friends,

Right now Rachel and I are sitting in our "Flat" overlooking the River Dee with the windows open...no screens...while the breeze comes in and people are strolling along the river. The kids are out of school and we can hear them walking along the river also. Rachel has set up my blog for me and is now "testing" me to see if I can write a new post all by myself. A few minutes ago, I erased something she had just done. I erased it because I thought she wanted it gone. Alas...she did not. Her comment to my actions were, "this is going to be harder than I thought." Wow...ouch!!! She will really be surprised when she sees how well I have done this!

I hope you enjoy this blog...it is here to enable me to post pictures and messages that I would love to share with all of you while we are living in the United Kingdom in the town of Chester!

Cheerio!