July 5, 2006

Hello, all!

I trust you all had a wonderful 4th of July. I hung
American flag bunting across the front of the house
and the kids went off to school. It was sports day at
school (the afternoon spent competing in various track
events) so the day had a different fun filled feel, at
least. The school flew the American flag-loved that!
We came home and grilled brats (from Costco-the most
American place here outside the American Embassy in
London). Siobhan informed me that it was the worst
4th of July she'd ever had. I agreed with her and
then she told me it annoys her when I agree with her
like that. Hmmm. Thankfully, we are now on the 5th
of July and our moment of self-pity has passed.

Last week, Jim took Michael and Ryan up in a four
seater plane that was piloted by a colleague. The men
all enjoyed the views of the cotswolds and while the
pilot avoided flying directly over GCHQ (the British
version of the CIA building here in Cheltenham), they
were able to fly near it and it was pretty cool. Its
in the shape of a donut-all steel and glass. Everyone
here assumes that Jim is working for the GCHQ. Its
the first thing people ask when they hear the accent
and find out we are residents, not tourists. This
pleases Jim to no end. He does this really bad, suave
voice (like he is James Bond) and says, "If I told
you, I'd have to kill you..." This coming from a guy
whose most dangerous mission each day is getting the
Volvo out of its parking spot! Anyway, the boys had
great fun flying, stopped for a pint on the way home
(which both Michael and Ryan love to say) and, as
Siobhan and I will take our turn in the small plane
next, I've started praying we don't meet anyone who
owns a hot air balloon!!

We also joined the Sandford Park Lido which is a very
dignified way of saying, "Public Pool". It is a
wonderful old facility. Built in the 1930's, it has
retained a very nostalgic feel. It reminds me of a
venerable country club. Hedges, fountains, flower
gardens, flagstone pathways, red tiled roofs,
manicured grass. Having said that, I assure you
that not one of you has ever swam in a pool as crowded
as this pool gets. It is the only outdoor pool around
for miles. EVERYONE was there during our recent heat
wave (85-90 degrees for days). The lack of parental
supervision rivals McDonaldland play areas, only with
water, but Aidan loves the children's pools (made
before the concept of zero depth or people suing for
falling onto flagstone surrounds), so I'll be happy to
take him. Jim and the big kids weren't as
enthusiastic as Aidan and I were. Apparently, there
was one too many floating band aids in the big people
pool.

The heat wave was lovely. It was perfect summer
weather. The only day it really got to me was
Thursday, when I spent 4 1/2 hours defrosting my tiny
little European freezer. It was so hot outside, the
sun from my conservatory beating in on me and there I
was with steaming pots of water, scraping the inside
of the freezer. I felt like I was in some kind of a
time warp. Who defrosts appliances anymore? I felt
like going home and apologizing to my cramped
side-by-side that I have wished would die since the
day we moved into our house. Lesson here: don't take
for granted your spacious, self-defrosting freezers!
Don't take for granted a fridge that can hold more
than three meals!

We went to Blenheim Palace on Sunday and enjoyed a
picnic. Blenheim is the birthplace of Winston
Churchill and is still a family home. It was
breathtaking. I've decided that I'm more of a palace
kind of girl than a castle kind of girl. Castles are
too drafty. Truth be told, though, the interior
decorator that lives inside of me really wanted a go
at the boat house. What a glorious conversion I could
do...

My parents come tomorrow! I cannot wait! It will be
fun to share our new life with them. The kids will
give them a tour of the school and we'll bum around
the cotswolds. My mom is used to being holed up with
our kids for long periods of time. My dad, not so.
We'll put him in charge of the grill. No doubt
they'll return to the States with a heightend
appreciation for peace and quiet!

Saturday is the last day of school for the kids.
Summer officially begins for the Pierces.

God Bless,

T-Ann