Leasea's first post.

Okay, as you may all know I'm not as profuse with the words, but I wanted to say hello.  I hope that people will be able to come and experience this a bit more than just thru our eyes.  I can tell you what I love:

-  The awesome view from the back of our house.  There have been two mornings where I've been able to watch hot air ballons drift across the countryside.  Theres' a nice village that sits in the valley below that looks like what you would imagine the English countryside to look like.
-  I love the fresh foods.  Regardless of what you hear, English food is not bad.  You just have to venture out of what we flock to as Americans and eat English food.  The breads are very nice and fresh.  They melt in your mouth more so than Wonder bread.  Pasta, bread, meat, fish, etc... all fresh.  Not shipped from wherever.
-  History.  We have so very little history really.  I love the old buildings, the architecture, the churchs, the castles.
-The beach.  We haven't been able to explore much, but it will be nice for next summer.
-  Footpaths.  You can walk all over the place, where in the States it would be trespassing. 

I've enjoyed going to the different countries, but there's the one thing that I don't like.  I wish the family could go with me, but we'll be able to venture out a bit better as I get an understanding of what I'm doing.  I've been to Italy twice and France once.  Verona Italy is very interesting.  I've not been able to explore anything, but agian I'm getting a good idea for the family later. 
My first train ride thru France was weird.  Airports are easy to get around because everything is translated to English.  Train stations, not at all...  My phone was dying and I speak two words of French.  I obviously lived, but it was nice to stick my ipod earbuds in and listen to English music hoping I was on the right train and getting off at the right station.  Must admit I faired pretty well.  I went to Paris via Tours, but again I didn't see anything from the train except coutryside.

I want to say that I love and miss everyone back home.  Hope you are all doing well.

Have I mentioned...

...just how great Skype is? I mean, free calls/video calls anywhere in the world pc-pc for FREE! They are not paying me, and this isn't a commercial, this is a plea to all of our loved ones--we want to talk to you!

Megan--I see you are following along now. Thank you, I hope all is well. Please implore your much less attractive, "Bear in the Big Blue House" of a husband to download this as I miss him (and you and Avery. She'll be so grown by the time we get back!)

Bre--I know you are following too, and I know that with 37 blogs amongst the Powers family, surely someone is tech savvy enough to download this. Also, the kids, Bre, do it for the kids!

Kelly--Marley and Baylie could talk for hours! (Ok not really, I am definitely not ready for THAT!)

Jen--Ahem! Ahem! Sorry I had to clear my throat. Didn't you mention that you HAVE a webcam? We could see each other and chat, and the girls could see Aunt Jammer. How wonderful would that be?

Ahhh...ok. Enough of that. But you get the point. To recap: its free, we love you, and we want to talk to you. Yeah, we are selfish like that, so what?

FINE! I'll make it easy for you. Geez. Some people...

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/download/skype/windows/

Love you all!

I see dead people...in waiting rooms

Okay, I guess its time for a serious blog with some serious opinion. Well, you all know I can't be completely serious, but mostly serious will be the order for today.

Russell Brand, the Brit celebrity who thinks of himself as a comedian, (I thought to be a comedian you had to be funny, but who am I to question? He hosted the past MTV awards and did some stuff this year as well, more on tha in a moment) had some more things to say about the state of the US political system as it stands. Last year he made comments in poor tatse hile throwing support behind Obama. (Maybe that is how he won, British voters) This year while describing differences between the UK and the US (told you he wasn't funny, I mean how original is that?) he said this:

"In England, instead of letting people die in the streets like here in the US, we have free healf (they can't say "th" over here) care!"

Wow. I saw this on Sunday and was shocked that this nonsense had happened two years in a row. Well, we are on the "free health care" side now. Lucky us right? Let me paint you a picture

I took Baylie to the DR today to get a prescription refilled. Actually, let me start by saying I tried to make an appointment last week, but 9 days out was as soon as possible and we were told to go to the ER if we needed something sooner. Uhhh...OK. Anyhow, back to today. We show up 5 minutes before her appointment time with no one in the waiting room. Pretty good deal, since Bay is missing school for this. We have a seat as told, and just a scant forty-five minutes later we are ushered into the Doctors office. Now, mind you, no one has come or gone, which means the good Doc was sitting there by himself. As soon as we get in he asks what the prescription is for, we say ADD med, he says,

"Oh, you're American. We don't do that here. She needs to see a psychiatrist. I will refer you."

Uhhh.

So I say, "Great. How does that process work?"

"No problem," he replies, matter-of-factly. "They will contact you within two weeks, and you have three months to have an appointment made."

"Wow. (long pause by me) "That soon, huh?"

We are then shown out, clearly he has more important stuff to do, like twiddling of the thumbs, and cards for one.

So while, we may have people "dying in the streets" at least we're not dying 5 feet from the Doctor's office and getting the run-around all under the pretense of NATIONAL HELATH CARE.

But hey, we didn't have to pay for those (5)5 minutes, right?

Cheeri-o!

No, no, I am not giving up on my blog just yet, so put the celebration on hold friends.

Kelsie is now feeding herself Cheerios! Its not graceful, its more of a fist to the mouth, and open it up to let the Cheerio fall in. (about an 80% success rate.) Still, I am amazed at how these little things are so momumental now. With Rian, I ALMOST took them for granted. She was normal, it was a natural progression, take some pictures, update family, move forward to next life building block.

Kelsie almost didn't have a life, so each breath is monumental if you break it all the way down. She is the toughest person, packed into 18 pounds I have ever met. With apologies to soldiers (Cliff, Pop, Papa Paul, etc included) firefighters, police, and all the other admirable people bravely serving above and beyond, my daughter takes the cake on this one.

Even the silly things like putting clothes away are tearjerkers here. Yesterday, while putting away clothes for Kelsie that are too small now, and putting in clothes that will/do fit, Leasea got teary. Just thinking that she might never have worn these clothes, and what those smaller clothes going away meant. Yes, as you all have likely guessed by now, I ended up crying when she told me that story too. I mean, there is no way I can let Leasea be more emotional than me, I have to win at something!

I love you Kelsie!

Oh, and Rian was a giraffe on Friday too, FYI

Rian's version of the Dallas Zoo statue

So that wraps it up, guess I'll say...bye! (betacha thaought I was going to say Cheeri-o!)

R.I.P. Good coffee

You are reading the post of a broken hearted man. After being assured that my Keurig machine would work here with a converter, I now have no coffee machine. It ran one cycle, and much to my delight, I had a wonderful cup of Kona in just seconds. While attempting to refill itself, it shut down. Completely. I am hoping to have it fixed upon return to the U.S. because as I just found out, it would cost approximately 140 pounds to fix. That is about $235. And it still wouldn't work here, because I also found out, that it is more powerful than my TV, Computer, Printer and Xbox 360 combined.

So I gone from this

to this

And was hoping to go back to the prettier picture, but alas, I am stuck for awhile with the ol soluble yuck.

Keurig isn't even available here or for UK power. Oh, how the day has turned.

Also, our box spring doesn't fit up the stairs to our bedroom, so...its the air mattress for us tonight. Which would be ok...if I had a good cup of coffee to awake to.

Oh!

Duh...
My five for Dinner:
The Apostle Paul
Bill Murray
Jack Kerouac
Thomas Jefferson
Ryne Sandberg

To have a pint with:
Oscar Wilde
Ernest Hemingway
Benjamin Franklin
George Carlin
Ryne Sandberg

The bed is yet to come...

Okay, so admittedly I am not always the best at taking a long-term view of things. One of my several-ok many-faults. The fact that I recognize this at least, I believe, is good. I am pretty decent at knowing what I am not good at, just not great at fixing it. I guess we can add that to the list of faults. Wait, don't really make a list. Surely you have something better to do.

Currently, I am less than happy about our current posting. I am trying to remind myself we are only a month into it, and perhaps 6 months or a year down the road these will all be distant memories. Yes, Mom and Dad, I remember I didn't want to go to Germany and ended up loving it. No it is not the same. I am three times as old now. (3 times!?!?) I am old and cranky. I get fussed over little things and let other bigger things go. Why? You got me. Just my make up I guess. NO, I am NOT wearing make up.

These days are long. It is gray. It is windy. And supposedly this country is pretty old or something, so I don't think anyone is going to be changing to suit me. Which means, I leave it to all of you. You must all log on to a travel site right now and book flights over here. (Please confer with each other first, so as to not all arrive at once. Thanks) Don't worry about work or school or previous commitments; I'll write you a note.

Done yet? Alright then, see you soon. I'll leave off with this. During our golf outing yesterday, the guys starting having a "who would you like to have a dinner party with?" game, which turned into a "who would you like to have a pint with?" and so on. Please leave yours on the comments section, along with your dates of arrival and departure.

Oh, and the title? The "stuff" including our bed, should be here tomorrow. See how I tied it all together?

Some random house pics for those who were unable to view the ones from this summer.

Through the Master, looking over the valley

Exposed Brick wall w/ fireplace

From the backyard

Range has 8 burners, been using them quite a bit

The "backyard"/Stour Valley from Master window