Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Week Ahead - November 25

Outside my window...31 degrees outside this morning and very windy - here's hoping it blows the leaves out of our yard into the common area (where they will be picked up by the gardeners with their mega-vacuum) and not the other way around!  Forecast for the week is cold and wet.
 
I am thinking...we'd better drag the Christmas boxes out of the garage before the rain starts. 

I am thankful...that things are relatively slow for this coming week.

From the kitchen...fish and chips.

I am hearing...the heater and the wind outside.
 
Always one of my favorite things...Christmas goodies in the local British food stores.  There are two quite close by and I've already got a few things squirreled away.

I am reading...nothing right now.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...Sophia's riding lesson tomorrow, a quiet Thanksgiving for the three of us and decorating for Christmas.  There's another craft fair next weekend - the big Virginia Beach Christmas Market - not sure if we'll take a trip down there or not.  Got to get my Elf on the Shelf schedule going this week as well...D Day, or should I say E Day, is one week from today.

College Update...A short week coming up and then the last week of the semester before finals.  Where has the time gone?  Sophia got all of her first choices for the spring semester and will have 26 credits to transfer when we move.

Volunteer Update...Trained two volunteers last week and have two more scheduled for December.  Haven't heard anything from Vic's command - so hoping that means they've found someone else.

Travel and Family Field Trips Update...Headed up to Langley to check out the commissary yesterday - don't know what made me think it would be any different from ours (it wasn't).  No traveling over the holidays for us and for that I have mixed emotions.  I'm thankful that we won't be on the roads but I wish Mum and Dad were still with us so we could all be together.  Ugh, the holidays are such a tough time.

Edward the Elf will make his first appearance with a Cadbury Advent Calendar

Leave a comment below if you'd like to share your Week Ahead.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Reading & Watching Wednesday

I love Reading & Watching Wednesday over at Mrs M's Meanderings and though I'd give it a go in my quest to be on the computer less and read more!


I've started to re-read Lauraine Snelling's Red River of the North series.  It's quick, it's easy, and it's very enjoyable.  Since I'm on Ms. Snelling's mailing list, I received a stack of bookmarks last night announcing the release of her new book, An Untamed Heart, which is the prequel to the Red River of the North series.  It's most definitely going on my Christmas list.


As for watching, well it's Netflix as we've recently disconnected our cable.  We spend far too much time watching the telly so it was our attempt to trim down the options.  It's time to work through our huge DVD collection as well.


After working my way through all thirteen seasons of Midsomer Murders, I'm giving Inspector Morse a try.  It's a bit slow-moving but I'll watch a few more episodes before making my final judgement. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Christmas City Swap

http://blog.allisonlehman.com/2013/11/second-annual-christmas-city-swap/
If you like Christmas and you like swaps, check out the Second Annual Christmas City Swap brought to you by be up & doing.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #1

If it's Tuesday, it must be England is my weekly tour through my England bookmarks, photos and articles I've saved, places I've visited, places I want to visit, yummy foods, and all things royal.  This week's feature is Remembrance Sunday, the annual wreath-laying service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/8886894/Remembrance-Sunday-in-pictures.html
Through the annual event on Whitehall, the nation pays homage to those who died in two world wars and in many other lesser conflicts from the twentieth century to the present.
The Queen, other members of the Royal Family and leaders of the country's political parties join representatives of the Armed Forces and ex-servicemen and women for the two-minute silence and the last post.
Her Majesty then lays a wreath of poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph, followed by members of the Royal Family, representatives of the political parties and High Commissioners from the Commonwealth.
A short religious service follows. After the reveille and the national anthem, The Queen departs. The war veterans then march past the Cenotaph to pay their respects to the fallen. A member of the Royal Family takes the salute as the war veterans finish their route at Horse Guards.
- http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/RemembranceDay/RemembranceDay.aspx

Monday, November 11, 2013

The Week Ahead - November 11

Outside my window...forecast for the week is cold, mid 40s and 50s, although we're in the 60s on Friday.  Is it fall or not?
 
I am thinking...Christmas is coming and I bought my first Christmas item today - a Charlie Brown gingerbread house (it's actually a dog house) kit.  Holiday fun for the whole family!

I am thankful...that yesterday's riding lesson was uneventful - Hercules refused one jump but Sophia held on tight and stayed in the saddle.

From the kitchen...chicken adobo with rice and with any luck, I can get Vic to cook it.

I am hearing...Vic listing to the news.  We canceled our cable but for some bizarre reason, we still get Fox News.
 
Always one of my favorite things...Christmas craft fairs - round two of the Santa's Stocking event in Virginia Beach.

I am STILL reading...The Five Love Languages - Military Edition by Gary Chapman with Jocelyn Green.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...nothing today and nothing tomorrow, lunch with the Navy Mustang Spouses on Thursday, taking MudLynn to the vet for her annual vaccinations on Friday, and Santa's Stocking on Saturday.

College Update...Still going strong.  Sophia is still working hard on her reading and assignments.  She's also working on a college application for her number one choice in Washington.

Volunteer Update...One more new volunteer to train this month and I have a couple of prospective volunteers who are still not responding to my e-mails.  Guess I'll have to call them.  I have an appointment with Vic's command next week to talk about the Ombudsman position.

Travel and Family Field Trips Update...Headed up to Smithfield this weekend - a delightful little town with a quaint Main Street.  We had some Smithfield Ham for lunch and then checked out the Christmas Store before driving past the Smithfield plant - ahhh, the smell of bacon!
White House tours have resumed so I put our name on the list - hoping it comes up sometime in the spring so we can take a trip to DC and take in a few more sites before we head to the West Coast.

The Old Isle of Wight Courthouse

Cute little mice nestled in the branches of a Christmas tree

Leave a comment below if you'd like to share your Week Ahead.

Veterans Day


To those who serve and to those who have served...thank you!

Welcome


Hyacinth Bouquet, isn't she amazing?  Keeping Up Appearances is one of the most hilarious BBC comedies and if you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing.  Ok, it's an old series, 1990-1995, but it's often included in PBS' lineup of Britcoms, available on Netflix, and on DVD.  Check it out.

I couldn't think of a cuter title for my new blog than The Lady of the House Speaking.  Hyacinth always answered the phone that way and my Mum who is sadly not with us any longer could mimic her perfectly.  I can't think of Hyacinth without thinking of Mum.

I've had a private blog for some time after a rather dismal experience with one out in the blogsphere.  Ugh, nuisance followers are the pits.  However, I've decided to enter the arena of public blogging again because although there was one bad apple, I met some amazing fellow bloggers (who, for the most part, have moved from blogging to Facebook) and I'd like to make some new blogging friends.

So, I'm Pamela, wife to Vic, a Naval officer, and Mom to Sophia who is a college freshman.  The Lady of the House Speaking is my daily (setting the bar high there!) thoughts, hopes, dreams, and miscellaneous chatter about everything and nothing.  I love (not necessarily in any order) England, royalty, 19th and 20th century European history, drinking tea, reading, writing, traveling, ladies who lunch, the military, Christmas, scrapbooking, entertaining, and so much more.  Welcome to ("The Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) Residence,) The Lady of the House speaking"

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Mind the Gap!

Since I have combined my former Christmas blog, All Wrapped Up in Each Other, with this one, I thought it best to insert a bridging to post to explain the gap.  All posts dated prior to this one are from All Wrapped Up in Each Other.  This new blog, The Lady of the House Speaking, began on November 11, 2013.