Tagged: obiterphotos

15
Jul
2013

LONDON, PART THE FIRST

We left Salisbury on the 11-something train and found our way to our final destination…a few blocks down from the Gloucester Road Underground station. Anders had downloaded an app called Tube Map which made our visit much easier…it has the full London Underground map with all kinds of information like departure times, lines, notifications about delays or closures, when the first and last trains are going, etc., but the best part is that you don’t need to be online to get routing info or stand by the huge confusing full map and trace lines in a confused attempt to figure...

13
Jul
2013

FOURTEEN

It’s hard to remember the details this far forward, but I remember how I cried when the ultrasound technician confirmed that our second child was a girl. I was so glad that I wouldn’t have to consider being pregnant again, since we’d have one of each which is what we both wanted. Of course, then Karin arrived and was the biggest tomboy ever born, so all I could think was “be careful what you wish for”, haha! Neither of my kids wanted to actually leave the womb, and despite being three days early, a welcome change from her big brother...

09
Jul
2013

STONED ON SUNSHINE & SIGHTSEEING AROUND SALISBURY

We had mostly great weather the whole time we were in England. Lots of sunshine and I even got sunburned a bit, which is rare since I don’t sit in the sun very much. After we left the boat back in Leighton Buzzard, we took the train to Salisbury. I think of England as being so small and populated that it’s coast-to-coast towns but there sure is a lot of beautiful landscape and farmland everywhere. Salisbury is a lovely old medieval town with a great deal of ancient architecture. All you have to do is look up above the first...

05
Jul
2013

LONGBOATING

We flew into Stansted and took the train to Leighton Buzzard, where we spent the night before picking up our longboat the next day. After dropping off our suitcases in the shipyard, we walked back into town and hit the Tesco for groceries, enough to supply breakfasts and a couple of other meals for the week on the boat. We didn’t see much of Leighton Buzzard, just walked around a little bit, and spent a pleasant hour in the church of All Saints which had a lovely old cemetery huddled within the close. When I looked up Leighton Buzzard on...

13
Jun
2013

ANOTHER (SCHOOL) YEAR GONE

I can’t even look at my children sometimes without boggling. They’re both taller than I am and it’s happened so fast. Martin will be 16 in December. I just asked him how old he was and when he gave me a very sarcastic, “I’m FIFTEEN”, I said, “That can’t be right.” Time flies, yes, it does. They both had their last day of school yesterday and when I said I was probably going to go to Martin’s if they were at the same time, Karin got all upset and said no one loved her. So I was relieved to find...

02
Jun
2013

SITTING, SPECULATING, SINGING, SHOPPING, STYLING, SPROUTING

There’s a dove perched on the ridge of the neighbor’s garage. He looks cold. It’s windy and grey, a high white cloud cover, and the air coming in through the window I opened earlier is chilly. Yesterday was humid, so despite the bleakness, the temperature drop is actually a welcome one for me. Not that I want to wish away summer, but if I could have my sunshine and cool breezes year-round I’d be a happy camper. It’s a quiet, uneventful weekend. Karin was sick last week again so she’s not playing in the soccer matches going on. Martin is...

17
Dec
2012

IT’S BEGINNING

Our washing machine is trying to escape. Every time it hits the spin cycle, it vibrates so ferociously that it moves forward at least a foot. “Back!” I say, when I come in to check how far it’s gotten, “Back, I say!” and I manhandle it back into its space under the counter. Then it hits the next spin cycle and lurches forward again. We can hear it all through the house. I’m on load 3 of packing preparation. Packing hasn’t actually commenced, though suitcases have been brought down by (protesting) children from the attic. I refuse to go up...

20
Jul
2012

WEEK IN REVIEW PLUS A BIRTHDAY GIRL

Liz: Tomorrow you’re going to be a teenager and I’m going to be old. Karin: You’re already old. Hrm. Obviously, she’s been practicing. Karin turned 13 on Friday the 13th but there were no thunderstorms to mark the occasion like there were the day she was born. And nothing unlucky happened either, except that the Converse sneakers that she got from my Mom didn’t fit and are going back to the US to be exchanged. She got the soccer shoes she REALLY wanted and tickets to see Veronica Maggio in concert, among other things. 2 days later she left for...

07
Jul
2012

SHOT

Not surprisingly there are few to no images of the men behind the cameras during our family reunion in northern Germany…I ended up with none of Tom, Sarah’s husband, and only got some of my brother because my mom shared her photos with me. John, Sammy & Mom (photo by Simone Slaughter) John & Sarah (photo by Linda Slaughter) Sammy & Simone (photo by Linda Slaughter) Rachel (photo by Tom Fletcher) Sarah (photo by Tom Fletcher) Simone, Sammy & Bryce (photo by Tom Fletcher) Anders (photo by Karin Ek) Bryce (photo by Karin Ek) Typical pastime (photo by Anders Ek)...