Blog - The Brit on the Block

Yes, we have no tomatoes….

When I was a kid, and our family took a road trip, my dad would get us up at four o’clock in the morning so we could get on the road bright and early. We’d be so excited….mum would get the thermos full of hot, sweet tea, and we’d down our cereal and toast in record time. The car would have been packed the night before, and off we’d set with our favourite toy, a book to read in the car, and the ever-present scent of egg sandwiches assaulting our noses and making us salivate. We’d feel like we were on a grand adventure, and we were always so thrilled to arrive at our destination four hours later. That’s right, FOUR hours later. By British standards, that was considered to be a long drive, worthy of all the food consumed en-route. Any journey longer than that would require a stop-over at a B&B.

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Food Glorious Food

In the thirty plus years I’ve lived in the USA, I’ve long heard Americans joke about British food. There are two predominant comments.

British food is ‘bland’ and ‘has no seasoning/flavour

How can you eat kidney pie? (This is a misconception. Small pieces of kidney are mixed with tons of steak to add flavor, and it is called a STEAK & Kidney pie)

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Aging ain’t for sissies……

I wasn’t going to post this latest blog as it seemed so trivial and silly in light of the awful tragedy in Manchester. I didn’t want to be disrespectful at a time of great sorrow. But then I decided that I should go ahead, because I am British, and proud of my people. They, (like the American people) pull together when there is a real threat to divide their nation, they do NOT let anything stop their lives from continuing as normal. The British have survived wars, invasions, and will never surrender to terrorism and tyranny. My hearts go out to all those devastated by loss and injury, and my pride goes out to the country that is in my soul.

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Sprinkle Sprinkle….

Gump and I lived on the east side of the river before we got together and married. I lived in a small 1930’s abode, cute, clean, and happy (think Pleasantville). He lived in a 1960’s ranch style home, furnished with patio furniture, a dark and gloomy place I christened ‘the Batcave’ – Our tastes in décor, lighting and paint were poles apart, but we both loved working in the yard (although mine looked much better)…..and the soil was rich and bountiful.

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Punk or Princess?

This week I got to be eleven. I went with two dear friends to see the movie ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

It was like role reversal for me. Back a hundred years ago, I went to an ‘R’ rated movie (A Clockwork Orange) when I was 14….and they thought I was 18 (it was the boobs). Fast forward 43 years…….this time I went to a kids’ movie and I’m 57…. I didn’t even have a grandkid with me. Yep, I’m living on the edge folks.

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Baby it’s Cold Outside

When I was a kid, I was an army brat and I flew all over the world – Several of those times, my sister Denise and I would fly unaccompanied, she was 12 and I was 8. We would be put into the care of flight attendants as we flew from Africa to the U.K., via exotic places like Rome and Entebbe.

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Buddy, can you spare a carrot?

It’s so difficult to write this as I am having trouble containing my excitement….Beyoncé (she is so famous, that her name is in this program’s dictionary) is having twins….wow! Seriously?……this is the important news of today? Look, I’m no expert, and I must not use this little platform of a blog to shove my personal opinions down each of your throats, but I really am gagging………

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Happy New Year!

Here we are, an old year behind us, one that seemed to whiz past like a high-speed train. And my, what a year…..I could rant about all the political unrest, a really strange election, awful wars across the world, hate radiating between people in this country, and a wobbly feeling in the pits of our bellies at what the future might bring…. but I won’t.

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