Church hunting - not an easy task

Hi - It's Monday Sept. 19.  My my - how time flies.  We've been in London almost 4 weeks - geez, that amazes me.  We're still settling in - but each weekend we've gone exploring.

One area of exploration is churches.  We want to find a home where we can begin feeling like part of the family.  One that has an inspirational Sunday service along with other activities and involvement opportunities throughout the week.

So far we've visited 3 churches - All Souls, St. John's at Hampstead (a couple blocks from our house) and St. James.  All three of these churches are Church of England but WOW - what a difference between them.  St. James was a very "HIGH" service. They burned incense the entire service - it was a bit overwhelming.  And they said prayers (example: The Hail Mary) that neither Paul nor I have said since we were young in the Catholic church.  The people were very nice - but we don't think St. James is quite right for us.

St. John's was similar to St. James - but no incense.  However, some of the prayers were sung in Latin by the choir. 

All Souls is a very vibrant and lively church.  They don't have communion every Sunday which we miss.  I am taking a Wednesday morning Women's bible study at All Souls so I'll get to know more people there.  It's a 25 minute tube ride from our house.

We also want to check out Holy Trinity Brompton - this is the birthplace of the Alpha course which is lead by Nicky Gumbel.  I'm very anxious to go there and see the church I saw in videos.  They also seem to have a huge outreach ministry. 

For all my friends from Christ Church - take it from me, it is not easy to find a replacement for Christ Church.  I know that every place takes time to get integrated - but........... I so miss Christ Church and my family.  Sunday mornings aren't quite the same yet.  Please pray for Paul and I that we do find the right church for us - where God want's us to be.

Ya'll have a wonderful week.  And I'll write more soon.

Love,
Suzy

My iPhone, my lifeline

Well, it's been a whole 3 weeks since we've been in our flat here in London.  Amazing!  Paul's enjoying his new job - still figuring it out but he's having fun.  And I've been having fun making a home.

The weather here couldn't be any better !!!  In 3 weeks we've only seen rain about 3 or 4 days, and that was just for a few hours.  The majority of the time it's been sunny, blue sky and about 70'ish degrees.  Awwww - the London weather!  I've been warned not to get used to this though....

Because of this weather, I haven't spent as much time inside.  It's more fun to explore. 
Hummm - in the past I used to pride myself on having a good sense of direction.  Whether in the Colorado mountains or the Texas flatlands, I was pretty good at knowing where I was and able to get anywhere (at least most of the time)   Well, I've taken this prideful attitude with me here to London - but WOW - for whatever reason, I have gotten totally turned around on many occasions!  I have lost my sense of direction.  There are even times when i'm walking home - I turn the wrong way.  I mean - REALLY???   What's happened to me??

BUT...... there is hope - my iPhone4.  This little device has saved me many times.  There are several Apps that I highly recommend:

• Maps:  Will show your location and you can enter an address and it will map it for you.  Kinda like a GPS.
• AroundMe: This is the coolest ever !!!!  Enter what you're looking for and it will find the closest to you. For example, this is how I found my hairdresser.  I just searched on Hair Stylists and then I walked to each one until I found the one I like.  I had my first London haircut earlier this week.  That's another blog :)
• Tube Map: (the tube is the subway system in London) This app will tell you which tube lines to take to get where you're going.  It also has a tube map that you can zoom in and actually read !  This is helpful for my aging eyes (that small print is impossible to read without glasses - ARGHHH)
• BusMapper: I am still not very good at using the bus system here.  It's still confusing to me - which direction, which side of the road to be on, which stop to be at, etc.  And this app isn't very flexible or helpful.  But at least it's something to try.  Sometimes I like to take a bus vs. the tube - so I can see the area.  The tube is very boring and dark.

If you have any questions regarding these apps - just ask.  I'm becoming an expert on them.  But never never ask me to give up my iPhone!!!! 

Have a wonderful, blessed day.  And stay tuned for more adventures :)

I made that !!!

Those of you that know me, know that I'm not much of a cook.  I cooked as a very young girl - but gave it up as I grew into adulthood.  I know - I'm backwards.

Well...... as a newlywed and a lady without a job - I've taken up this new hobby - cooking!  :)
I must say that it's been fun to figure it all out.  Starting from planning what to cook to finding ingredients in a London grocery store to actually making it.  So far everything has turned out pretty good (if I do say so myself).  Oh - and I've learned to cook on a gas stovetop (wow)

Let's see, I've made chicken with rice, a beef roast with potatoes and carrots, salmon with asparagus, pork chops, taco soup, eggs and bacon (my one breakfast).   You'll see a few pictures of these dishes - I had to prove that I made them so you'd trust me.
And with the generous wedding gifts of friends, I am buying everyday bone china that will show off these gourmet meals (ha ha)

I have been told that online grocery shopping is the best way to go, though.  Right now I'm walking about 0.7 miles one way to the store, Sainsbury.  The walk there is okay because it's downhill.  The walk home is the bummer - it's uphill the entire way plus I'm carry groceries.  I have learned to bring my backpack so I can carry the heavier stuff. We'll get this all figured out soon.


Stay tuned for more cooking adventures.

Weekend Adventure: Sept. 10 - 11

Hi - so many opportunities to explore London and we found several of them this weekend.  I love the weekends - Paul doesn't have to go to work :)

On Saturday, 11-Sept (I need to start using the English way of writing dates), we discovered the Thames Festival.  A multi-cultural arts, music, food festival that ran along the Thames river.  We started at one end and ended at the other.   It was a lot of fun - but what was really awesome was exploring the areas to the South of the Thames.  Alot of old old architecture and interesting looking Pubs.  We have to come back and try these places out.
We must of walked 5+ miles.  On the tube ride home we decided to stop at HomeBase - a Home Depot type store.  There are light bulbs hanging from the ceilings in our flat and we need to finally decide on shades to put on these bulbs.  HomeBase has some reasonably-priced shades.  This has been a major decision for us to decide on these darn shades!!!

We take the final 1/2 mile walk home and collapse on the couch. No cooking tonight - Domino's to the rescue.  And it was a good pizza too !!!!

It's Sunday morning and time to check out a new church.  But before that, Paul decides to hook up the printer we brought from Dallas.  He checked in the manual and found the printer was 110/220 compatible.  Next thing I hear is a big POP and him yelling out something.  I come to the study and the printer is smoking!!!  OOPS...... he looked at the wrong model # in the manual.  Lesson-learned: Always look on the device itself on what voltage it can take.
We found a nice Canon printer to replace it from Argos.  Argos is an on-line only Walmart-type store.  We've bought many of our electronics from Argos.

We also saw the memorials for those that lost their lives on 9/11.  The London BBC had several shows to honor these people.  It was very touching.

I hope you had a great weekend. 

Aug. 27 - Sept. 2

Back in London.  Haven't done much email or web surfing since we haven't really had internet or phone since we got here.  Finally got the broadband box and home phone set up Wednesday morning (Aug. 31).  The TV cable was installed Thursday late late evening.  There is a huge fiasco with Sky - the local TV, Internet, Phone provider.  They have a wrong address for us but keep promising they have the correct address.  However, all the letters required for TV and even the TV install man  are going to the wrong address.  Luckily there is a very kind man at this wrong address that delivers these letters to us.  Haven't met him yet - but we owe him big-time.  I'll write him a THANK YOU note.

Another adventure is trying to wash cloths.  The dryer is very weird and takes forever to dry anything. It doesn't vent to the outside so there is a water collector in the dryer.  You have to dumb the water every couple loads of cloths.  The washer is very small and takes forever too.

On Saturday Aug. 27 (before our trip to Paris) we shopped for a TV and fan. The fan is to help drown out the road noise since we're next to a pseudo-major road.   I really need a vacuum cleaner so I can clean but our credit card was denied so will get this another day. You'll love this - we loaded a 46" TV and the fan in the back of a taxi - too weird not having a car. 

Our first week in London has been very busy.  Next week we'll be hanging around London and get more settled.  Then off to find a new church and start meeting ladies around the area.

Paris Adventure: Aug. 28 - 30

Our 1st Paris adventure - Aug 28 - 30

Day 1: Sunday Aug. 28
Paul has to be in his Paris office  on Aug 29 & 30. And since we don't have Internet or TV at our flat til next Thursday we decide it'd be more fun for me to join him (he he)

We take the Eurostar train from London to Paris. It's about a 2.5 hour trip.  Too cool going under the English channel - it's mainly dark but cool to think your 210+ ft below the channel!!

It was an adventure trying to decide between taking a taxi to our hotel our the train.  We decided on train and the adventure was intensified. But we figures it out and made it to the hotel. After a quick snack we headed for a boat tour. Walked around Eiffel tower and the Champs Élysées where we ate dinner - admiring the Paris scene.  Then a walk up the Arch de Triumph to finish the evening.

Day 2:
Now it's Monday and I'm off on my own - scary!!!
Found my way to Notre Dame - that is awesome.  Then headed to the Pantheon. Had to pull out my iPhone to help with directions (the iPhone is becoming my best friend :) .  Alittle clearer to follow than the map. The crypts at the Pantheon were fascinating.

Found my way back near Notre dame to roam the tourist shops and stop for a refreshing glass of white wine while I wait for Paul to get off work and take the metro to meet me.

His coworkers told him of a great restaurant - the oldest in Paris. It's a bit pricey but very nice.
A late night stroll around the Lourve make for a perfect ending to the perfect day.


Day 3 - Tuesday Aug 29
Breakfast in hotel, a few emails sent then off for the day. Again Paul leaves for his office (I guess someone has to work :). )

I head to Musee d'Orsay. Didn't think there would be an hour wait at 10am. Oh well it's a beautiful morning.
It's huge inside. So many things to see. An hour and a half and I need a break. Better go to the nice restaurant for lunch. The special is salmon - it was so good.
I sat next to a cool couple from Melbourne Australia - John and Jane.  We talked the entire lunch and exchanged contact info.  How awesome to have a friend in Melbourne.  They may web visit us in London when they are there in s few weeks

Finish touring the museum and make an attempt to find Hotel DES Invalides (this is Napoleon's tomb).  No luck - but wonder around looking at other Paris marvels and end up on Champs Eleysees. Better stop for a glass of wine - still have time before I meet Paul.  We head back tonight on the Eurostar.

Warning when visiting Paris - watch out for scammers. One that was played on me twice in a couple hours was the "look I just found this cool gold ring and I want you to have it for good luck".  I think they want you to give them money in exchange for the ring. I gave the first girl some change but wouldn't take the ring. The 2nd guy I told hi this trick has already been played in me an he left quickly.  They know enough English to be scary.

I'm used to in your face begging / selling like in Peru so I wasn't prepared for this. Be careful all women traveling alone. 

Well - late Tuesday evening we're back on the Eurostar to home, London.   On to more English adventures.  Stay tuned.

Friday Aug. 26

Day 2 (Aug. 26) - it's Friday now and bummer - but there is no hot water.  Poor Paul - taking a cold shower before heading to work.  I called our property manager and he sent the heating guy to visit us.  It was a blown circuit. No issue it's all fixed and the man explained the whole water heating system to me. Much different than my world in Dallas.  There is no A/C in the house - except for opening windows.  There is radiative heat - that I think feels wonderful in the winter.  There are even radiators in the bathroom that are designed to warm your towel

I spent the morning unpacking boxes. Oh my gosh I have boxes and packing paper all over!!!  These packers in Dallas did am amazing job I continue to be amazed.
I think I'll be able to find places for everything - but there is a whole lot of stuff.  I didn't realize that all that was packed then needs to be unpacked - isn't that a funny concept?  I'm learning.  I should be smarter next time I relocate across the world.       

Aug. 25, 2011

It's move-in day Thursday Aug 25. Paul and I awoke at Marriott in Swiss. Cottage, ate some breakfast and loaded up in a taxi. It's just about 8am and we arrive at our new flat
Walk around, decide how to lay out a couple things and the front door alarm sounds. That's new to me. Got it figured out - pick up handset, see visitor and front door, ask who they are and then buzz them in. This is too cool.

3 guys arrive and they are super great. Kind courteous and professional. A little hard to understand at times but we got it figured out
They begin bringing up airship boxes.  Not too bad to unpack - this is easy - ha ha
Now the truck is here and more stuff starts arriving. And then the wardrobe boxes hit.  You gotta be kidding - who has this many cloths and dam shoes!!!!!  I'm dying!! 
Poor Paul - he's just now lost the bottom hanger space in his closet. I wonder if he'll notice?  Hope not. But then I think of Cindy telling me I have to let Paul have his own space.  We'll work on that later.

Okay cloths done ( so I thought) so now I'm on to unpacking kitchen stuff.  This is really pretty straightforward.  I don't have too much of this.  However they have wrapped the heck out of every piece - even the plastic items.  Geez - I have never seen so much paper!!!!  What do people do who actually have a normally- stocked kitchen ?????  There's no way.
But I'm lucky and 4 or 5 huge boxes later the kitchen is unpacked and everything fits with loads of extra space - yeaaaa.  Maybe I need to put some shoes in the extra cabinets.

Back to cloths. Those darn movers found more boxes with cloths in them. Not the wardrobe boxes but long flat boxes. These include fancy dresses, coats, wetsuits and a few big umbrellas ( which will be handy here in London ).

Oh ya - here's a box with Paul's stuff - poor man, he is going to be cramped in his shrunked closet :)
Well as you can probably guess by now I have overflowed into the nice- sized guest room cclset.  Shoes, summer cloths, fancy dresses are now filling that closet. So if you come visit don't expect to get any closet space!!  Sorry.....

The movers finally left at 7pm!  The packers in Dallas had taken everything apart - beds, desk, etc, it took the guys here in London to figure out how to put it all back together. They said they weren't used to the contemporary furniture I have.  But I tipped them well and they were happy.
Ohhh the foreman told me as I was signing the paperwork that he broke his engagement ring while putting together the futon.  I've never heard of a man getting an engagement ring. I think it's a cool concept.

Now it's about 7:30pm and I haven't eaten much today.  Paul is at a welcome party with his work group. They went to race go-carts. He saId they could go up to 50mph!! WOW. That's fast. Paul didn't win the races but he had fun.

Meantime I washed my hands, tried to fix my hair and put on a pair of workout pants and then headed to town for dinner.  Found Cafe Rouge. It was nice.  Paul met me there a bit later for a drink. 
I think this is what London is all about!!!