“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

Lots of our friends are asking us what we’ve changed since Mom’s diagnosis. Wondering if you’d like random snippets of info? If you like, I’ll do more at random times.

CANCER PREVENTION TIP #1: DRINK ENOUGH WATER EVERY DAY UNTIL YOUR PEE IS CLEAR. (Yep, I said pee!) The darker yellow it is the more dehydrated you are. Cancer cells LOVE dehydrated environments. So, water is one of your new best friends! (And don’t worry, after about a week of this, your body will adjust and you won’t have to go to the bathroom so often!)

For our family that don’t use facebook, we’re catching up on our photos in our Google Picassa albums… check’em out! Captions coming soon! These albums are private, though. You need a Google account (which is free!) and then we need to add your email address (Google ID) to our list of approved people. So, please let us know if you can’t see our photos and we’ll add you (if we know you, that is!)

I give up… I can’t remember to keep this thing up to date. You might as well get a facebook account and find us there. 🙂 We had an amazing Christmas in South Africa – photos on facebook! 🙂

I love Fall. I love the colors (even though they aren’t as bright as NY). I love the seasonal foods like Pumpkin Pie and Apple crisp.

There’s things I miss, too. Like the the apple cider! But there’s other bonuses here in England to make up for it, like mulled wine and cozy fireplaces with fireplaces! I just asked for mulled wine at a pub a few weeks ago and the laughed and said it was too early… oh well, I tried!

Of course, Fall includes my birthday, which was GREAT this year because Mom and Dad came for a visit! Be sure to check out our photos which I’ve finally updated both on our facebook page and our Picassa albums.

Check out Keith’s impromptu video here: Fall.

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If you can’t access our Picassa albums, please email me so I can add your current email address to the permissions for the private albums. We decided to make our albums private because of my job (I wouldn’t want some clients figuring out where I live!) and there’s just some dramatic people you don’t want having that kind of access into our lives. Being able to see this blog is enough! 🙂

I can’t stand it any longer! There’s only 3 more days until my parents come to visit but I feel like it’s never gonna get here!

Keith and I are busily making plans of things to do, places to show them. Maybe we’ll only get half of them done because I tend to over-plan, but hey… it’s better to me prepared, right? 🙂

We just got tickets to see a Shakespeare play next week at the Globe Theater in London, an exact replica of the theater Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. We didn’t get the £5 tickets for the floor (standing room only) where the peasants used to be… we got tickets for the teeny tiny little wooden benches where the elite used to sit. It’s my birthday, we deserve it. 🙂  Plus, we’re not even sure if we’ll understand the play in Old English, so at least we’ll be comfortable and under a balcony if it’s raining! Oh yeah, there’s no roof on the theater.

We’ll be sure to post photos and updates of our adventures with Mom and Dad!

It’s unfortunate that this year’s 9/11 memorials are over-shadowed by a selfish, so-called pastor that is eager for attention from the press. He does not represent me, my country or my God. Because we’re better than that. What does represent my God is forgiveness, grace and mercy.

But enough about him.

I don’t think it’s healthy to dwell on the past. But I don’t think we should forget it, either. While I love living in England, today is a day I wish I was home. I really liked going to 9-11 memorial services when I was in New York. I think it helps to bring us back to earth a little… helps us remember the love we have for our country and stop squabbling over politics, even for just one day. I like that.

So, for today, no politics. Just patriotism. Pride. Loyalty. Love.

God Bless the USA.

“Time is passing. Yet for the United States of America we will never forget September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer that died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.”

I love taking screenshots when I’m on the webcam with my family! They are so fun, catching people with natural expressions. Once in a while, however, I ask people to pose for me.

These shots from a Skype date last week are priceless. My family was vising my grandparents last week and we had a great time on Skype… made me really want to be there!  At the end, I asked for a group shot and, because it’s a low-resolution shot, I said, “Ok, stand still for the shot, hold your breath and freeze!”  Look between the two shots, my nephew took me literally! He’s so sweet and tries so hard to please people! 🙂

Here’s a few others from our Skype date that were just too cute not to share. I love how much Johnny loves his GG and Big Papa! 🙂

Uh-oh! It’s almost been a year since we’ve posted a blog entry! I guess we’ve just been having too much fun! 🙂  You’ll have to check out our photos to get an idea of how we’ve spent our year… it’s been an amazing one!

Fall is my FAVORITE time of the year. Yes, it’s FALL. Not Autumn. 🙂

I’m from New York where we say Fall… where we love anything with pumpkin (Pumpkin Latte at Starbucks, Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, even a pumpkin as decoration on our front porch)… where it’s almost sacrilegious to go the whole season without going apple-picking with loved ones and then going straight home to bake something yummy like apple pies or apple crisp… where we take drives just to look at the insanely bright colored leaves… where we drink so much apple cider it makes our stomachs hurt (cold, warm with spices, with steamed milk at Starbucks)…

I’ve found NONE of that here. Not even a pumpkin on a porch. (I can’t even find canned pumpkin here for baking!)

I know I’m a true New Yorker when you miss these little things. And I’m a true New Yorker because they aren’t so little…

But I know I’m happy where I am because I’ve give up a real NY Fall any day of the year to be here.

P.S. We’ve had a busy Fall! We just put up a new album of photos in our picture section… check them out!

Vacations go WAY too fast! It seems like we just got here (USA) yesterday and tomorrow is our last day!

We had a whirlwind of a week and a half… so busy, but so many awesome memories.

We’ll get home, get over jet-lag and post more details and photos ASAP!

–BeX

P.S. Happy 5 Monthaversary, Babe! :*