I see London, I see France...Part One

For those who don't know, Henry and I went on a European trip extravaganza for about two weeks and went to London, Paris, The Black Forest, and Rome.

We got back about a week ago and have so many stories to tell. In the next few posts, I am going to try to focus on London and then move onto to Paris without leaving out the details. So before you read on, you must understand that on our trip, Henry and I spent the most time in London, England.

We did this for two reasons:
1.) Henry really wanted to go to London
2.) I am slightly obsessed with London since I studied there in the fall of 2002. (Shout out to the Daniel House.)

Anyways, on the flight to London, I knew that I wanted to be completely refreshed, so I had travel sickness medicine, sleeping medicine, ear plugs, neck pillow, and an eye cover so I could sleep on the plane and get up and go once we landed. Henry, on the other hand, decided to stay awake and before the day was over, had been awake for 36 hours. Henry on no sleep kind of reminds me of 7 th grader who has spend the night playing video games. You know, glazed eyes, random twitching, and trying to fall asleep standing up.

Well, during our 36 hour day we went to a bunch of London landmarks and the first one we went to was the Daniel House. For those who don't know, that is the house in London where the Samford students are housed and nothing about it has changed. Henry took a few photos of me at the house, but another landmark that Henry took a lot of pictures of were....cars.

Just one of the many landmarks Henry found interesting.

My dad even commented on these car pictures and wondered why we took so many. Like I said, if you know Henry, you understand why he took pictures of cars. After the Daniel House, we walked around London and saw many of the traditional landmarks, grabbed some food, and then went back to the hotel.

On the next day, Henry and I went to one of my favorite museums and that was the Imperial War Museum. I know it is kind of a "dark" place for me to like, but it has three really neat exhibits that just give me chills whenever I go in them.

1.) World War II Blitzkrieg reenactment shelter- Basically, you go inside this bomb shelter and a whole story plays out in front of you...including the shaking of the shelter when the bombs hit.

2.) World War I Trench walk through model- You walk through this trench that has everything that you would find in a trench, including the mustrady gas smell.

3.) Holocaust Exhibit- Amazing and bone-chilling every time. Whenever I walk out of it, it makes me so thankful that we were of part of WWII and that we stood up to this evil.

Henry enjoyed it as well, but he also found some things that I wouldn't necessarily get into..like the real tanks! Henry got really excited about this one because "my grandfather rode in one of these when he was riding through Germany!"

I didn't want my picture taken in front of the tank, because frankly, I have not interest in them, but I did want my picture taken in front of this little piece of the Berlin Wall. The message on it is especially relevant to my life right now.

After we left the museum, we ended up walking around London once again and made a mental note to come back to Buckingham palace when there was a changing of the guard. This is before the crowd showed up...

Then this video shows when the crowd showed up and just how many people were there. We really didn't get a very good view of the guard changing, but we did get an excellent view of the band that played before the guard changed.

During this scene, Henry and I are having the following conversation that was not recorded.

Henry: Marj, do they do this EVERY day?

Me: Yeah, I think so.

Henry: But why??? Such a waste of money. The U.S. would never waste money like that.

Me: Well, people enjoy it.

Henry: Ah, so they only do it for the tourists...to draw in money.

Me: NO! The British are just like this, they are very ceremonial.

Henry: If you say so...but I think it is for the tourists.

Me: You'll see, once this trip is over you will understand.

Once the band got inside of the gate, their tune changed and Henry won his argument. Can anyone guess what movie this song is from???

Yep, the theme of Mission Impossible. I was left speechless. I really could not explain why they were playing this song except for the delight of the tourists...which they were delighted. I think would have even threw money through the bars if there was a way to collect it.

I guess things have changed since I have last been to London.

Moving on, Henry and I took a day trip to Windsor, Oxford, and Stonehenge and below are some of the pictures of Windsor.

The castle is beautiful and it makes me wish that I had a "country" home that looked like this.

Well, I will add more later, apparantly I can only add so many photos on blogger, but I will leave you with this.

We went to Stonehenge on the summer solstice and the druids were out in full force.

Very Interesting.

Harry Potter Chaos

I am going to talk about my trip a little bit out of order because I want to start with some of the craziest things that happened first and work my way towards the not so surprising stuff.



One of the last stops on our European Extravaganza was Rome and while we were walking around the city, we stumbled into a "mall" that had hundreds of people waiting near Harry Potter posters. Now, using my deductive reasoning, I figured out that these people were waiting for actors that were promoting the movie and I was absolutely right. I verified my conclusion by talking to the Vodaphone salesgirl who informed me that three major characters from the movie were coming.



For those who know me, you all know that I am Harry Potter enthusiast, so I insisted to Henry that we stay. He agreed and so we joined the masses and started to wait. Now, I did not know which 3 major characters would appear, but I used my deductive reasoning skills again and I just assumed that it would be the THREE major characters from the movie.



Well, I was wrong, it was actually the twins and the wierd blonde hair girl that can see dead things and they walked past me in such a blur that only Henry could get a really great picture.





It was kind of neat...for like 3 seconds, but then all of those Harry Potter crazed teenagers just couldn't quite contain themselves. They started to scream...and push. Here is the video before things got a little...um, hairy.

Once this video was over, Henry decided to pull us out of the crowd because it was pressing on us so much that we almost fell over. Apparantly, it got so bad that the Harry Potter actors had to be escorted away early and the fans almost rioted. Check out this article...you will need to scroll down to the bottom to read what is relevant.

http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/video-evanna-lynch-phelps-twins-apologise-for-rome-harry-potter-event-crisis-82433/

Anyways, I know I a little bit of a crazy Harry Potter fan, but I had nothing on these fans.

Thank goodenss Twilight isn't out yet, or Henry and I might not have made it back.

Where Did my Muse Go?

Well, it happened again...the blog has been neglected and it has been several months since I have last written on it.

However, I have a really good reason and that has been I have been completely uninspired to write.

Where did this lack of inspiration come from?

It didn't come from a busy life or having nothing to write about because I have tons to write about.

It came from a big life change that came suddenly and completely threw me for a loop.

I. am. moving. to. Memphis.

Away from my family.

Away from my friends.

Away from my job that I love and have spent six years making a second home.

Away from a life that I have built with my husband.

Away from everything that I love.

Now, this isn't bad news, it is quite exciting, but it just kind of came out of nowhere and smacked me out of my comfort zone.

Wait, smacked isn't the right word...more like yanked.

Anyways, with this big life change looming in the future, my inspiration to celebrate the life I am living now by writing about it on the blog just disappeared.

All I could think about was that I am moving in July and all of things that I had to do to get ready for it.

Now, Henry and I move next weekend, mostly everything is done, and my inspiration is slowly coming back.

One of the main reasons my inspiration is coming back is because I finally acknowledged this move for what it is actually is...meant to be.

I am meant to move to Memphis.

I will move to a new family.

I will move to new friends.

I will move to a job that I will make into a second home.

I will move to build a new life with my husband.

Instead of having only one place that I will love, I will have two and both will be equal parts of me.

It took a lot to get me to this point, but now I am excited to see what doors God will open for me.

And my inspiration is slowly starting to come back, so I am sure more things will happen in my life besides more entries on the blog.

Now, on a completely unrelated note, Henry and I have been quite busy and that includes a trip to Europe. Here are some pictures to tie everyone over until I write about it.

Eiffel Tower

The Daniel House

Where's the Beef?

That is the catch phrase in my household this week.

If you can recall an earlier post, I pledged that I would start a Vegetarian diet this past Sunday and try out this lifestyle for one week.

Well, I am currently on Day #4 and am ready to report about my preparations, challenges, and successions on this new diet.

Preparations
With Henry and I, we usually plan what we are going to eat during the week and then buy groceries to fit into that. However, there are times when the food runs short and we have to make up a meal on the spot.

This could be any of the following:

1.) Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
2.)Sandwiches and Progresso Soup
3.) Chips and Salsa
4.) Bowls of Cereal
5.) Take Out

Usually, I opt for number 5 because I really don't like any of the other things for dinner and my go to place is Five Guys. (An amazing burger place.)

Now, being a Vegetarian for a week, if this situation occured, then it would greatly increase my chances of "cheating".

Therefore, I planned for the whole week and even looked up some tasty Vegetarian Recipes.

Some things that were on my grocery list that are normaly not there is the list below:

1.) Eat Smart (A Deli Meat that contains no meat. Just Veggies and Protien)
2.) Tofu Firmly Packed
3.)Leeks
4.) Goat Cheese
5.)Red and Green Peppers
6.)Eggplant
7.) Artichoke

I used these items for Eggplant and Artichoke White Lasagna and Tofu Fajitas.

This leads me to challenges and successions.

Challenges
Cooking Eggplant and Tofu is really hard.

I had to fry the Eggplant in Olive Oil and I kept burning the slices or dropping them on the floor. (Who knew they were so slippery?)

Tofu is a very strange substance that requires draining, patting, and careful cooking when it is being sauted. I would hate to see was soft tofu is like when you cook it in a pan because my kept crumbling into small pieces.

However, the hardest thing is to get Henry to eat this food.

Do I really need to explain this one? :)

Seriously, Henry has been really cute about trying the recipes and always eats at least one plate before he fixes a sandwich.

Successions
Never having cooked eggplant or tofu, I must say that I did an ok job fixing both recipes and they actually tasted good.

I will definintely cook them again.

Another success is how I feel.

I was pleasantly surprised to notice how much more energy I have this week as compared to last week.

I am not sleepy after lunch, I don't need as much sleep at night, and I wake up ready to go in the morning.

WHO KNEW???

I will say that my diet hasn't been strictly veggies/fruits the whole time.

I have also eaten Boca burgers, Kashi Microwave Meals, and the Eat Smart Luncheon "Meat", but I really notice a difference in how I feel.

Well, that is all I have to report right now, but I will let you know how the weekend goes.

Henry is betting that I can't make it to Sunday and is even going to tempt me by cooking Veal Marsala Saturday night.

We will just see about that!

The Ghost of Valentine's Past

So, I never really thought of myself as a hopeless romantic, but there is something about Valentine's Day that I adore.

Maybe it's that the day's colors are pink and read.

Maybe it's because chocolate is the usual gift and everyone knows how much I adore chocolate.

But, what I really think I love about this day is that it is a day where love is celebrated and I just really love that idea. (No Pun Intended.)

Our lives can get so busy and it is way too easy to just go through life without pausing and really taking time to appreciate someone that you love in your life.

Valentine's Day is an answer to that.

So every year, I try to find the perfect card and the perfect gift and try to show that special someone how I feel.

However, I didn't meet my husband until I was 23, so needless to say that I have had other Valentine's in my life, which leads me to the purpose of this blog.

The other part that I like about Valentine's Day is that it brings back wonderful memories of other people in my life that deeply cared for me.

I really treasure these moments in my heart because they were creative and plastered a smile on my face that lasted the whole day.

Now, if there is ever a moment in my life where I become a Scrooge about Valentine's Day and refuse to "share the love", I know which five moments the Ghost of Valentine's Past will show me to melt my heart.


5.) When I was growing up, my mom would always make a huge deal about any holiday and that included Valentine's Day. She would usually give us candy and balloons, but for a few years she gave us a "walking" balloon. They were huge, fun, and would scare my sister and I at night.

4.) During my senior year at Samford, I participated in Step Sing and unfortunately, one of the practice dates fell on Valentine's Day. I went to practice and when I came to my apartment, I found a dozen beautiful roses sitting on my desk with a lovely note. To this day, I still blush when I think about it.

3.) Last year, I received numerous Valentine's gifts from my students. Now my students cannot afford very much, so they get most of their gifts from the Walgreen's down the street which means that they are not of the highest quality. One of my more musically gifted students gave me a plastic rose that lights up and plays a song when you press a button on its stem. She told me that every time she hears that song in her music class, that it reminds me of her.

That rose still sits on my desk and I play the song when I am having a bad day.

2.) These next two gifts I combined into one because they fall into the "homemade" category. One student made me a card out of construction paper and it was BEAUTIFUL. It was cut into a bird and would flap its wings when you opened it. Gorgeous.

The other, was a poem, that I keep in my binder and read it when I need a "pick-me-up". It is laminated and I will never lose it.

1.) My number one Valentine's Day moment is reserved for my one-and-only, Henry. You see, Henry and I met on February 8th and our 2nd date was on Valentine's Day. A lot of pressure for a new couple, right?

Well, he showed up with a single red rose and took me to the Tin Roof and we had a blast. One of the best Valentine's Day dates I have ever had.

Needless to say, I do not think I will ever become a Scrooge, but for those who are skeptical about this day, hopefully my trip down memory lane will inspire to get passed the "greeting cards just invented this holiday" and just show someone that you care.

It is not too late to change the future!

Now to my Valentine, I love you and Happy Valentine's Day!

And the answer is...

So if you have read in an earlier post called, "Vegan, Vegetarian, or None of The Above," then you know that I have had a very important choice in front of me and I have made my decision.

My decision is...VEGETARTIAN!

I will start this Sunday(Feburary 20th) and will take this week to gather more recipes and prepare for my one week without meat.

Also, when I finally embark on the meatless journey, I will document day by day to let everyone know how it is going and to tell you about the food choices for the day.

Maybe before I start, I should get one of these? The book sounds pretty interesting...

Snow Days, Smoe Days..Can't we just have spring already!

This is a picture of the last blizzard that knocked me out of school for three days.
Henry left work early (because of a doctor's appointment), but he came to play with me at a park that is near our apartment.

You can tell that Henry plays...um, a little rough.


Anyways, the same blizzard that hit my dear friend Ashley in Oklahoma has made its way to good ole Nashville, Tennessee.


Now, in anticipation of this storm, my school let out 2 hours early and my kids left saying that they will see me on Monday.


Sigh. They are probably right and it looks like I have some more snow days coming my way.


Now, some of you are thinking, isn't that a good thing?

Don't you get paid for just staying at home and keeping warm?

Well, that might true, but there are numerous reasons why these snow days are starting to become more painful than joyful.

1.) We make up the days in the summer. I do NOT want to be in school during June.

2.) Kids are wild when they come back. After a few days of no schedule and staying up late, they are pretty wound up when they stroll back into the classroom. It is the equivalent of getting the kids back after a break and reminding them that the school year ends in a few months, not a few weeks.

3.)I am the only one who gets snow days! I don't have a lot of teacher friends, so when I get a snow day, I am just sitting by myself at the apartment. Again, not so bad, but this will be my ninth snow day! It gets kind of boring and there is nothing left in my apartment to organize.

As I look out the window and gazing on the inches of snow that are collecting in my apartment's front yard, it looks like I will be out tomorrow.

I am so over the snow and am ready for spring.

I mean at this point, I would rather deal with Tornado warnings than Winter Advisory Warnings!!