England: Welcome to Bath and Morgan's Forge

Back to England! I'll have updates on Rick when we know more but right now we're just waiting for blood clots to dissipate before he can have surgery; then lengthy recuperation. Maybe remembering England will brighten up his days; it does mine! A visit from the Baby Grands sure helped -- even if Rick and Little Little Guy slept through part of it!

Our time in England was nearing its end and so was my foot! After our last morning in Oxford, Rick (of the newly trimmed haircut) and I made our way to the Oxford station and took the train to Bath. It was a most pleasant ride with green fields, cows and sheep, patiently grazing in the late afternoon sun.

Our first and only stop in town was at the grocery store for breakfast food. Then we hailed a cab and headed to our destination, Morgan's Forge. This charming house was located in Midford, a bit over three miles from Bath.

This is what we saw when we arrived!

Heaven. That's all I can say.



Morgan's Forge is owned by a former colleague of mine and his wife and had been her father's before that. It's located high atop a hill, a five minute walk down the hill to the pub and bus stop; a ten minute (or so...) walk back up!

Yes, it's steep.

But the views! Check out the sheep!

This was the view out of the upstairs front bedroom window. It's like something from an English novel.

From our bedroom window, a view of the terrace -- lovely purple flowers still in bloom!

Of course Rick settled in to check email as I settled. He was, after all, still working!

I poked around, checking out the garden and patio.

What a haven. If only it was warm enough to settle out there with a good book!

Soon it was time to hit the Hope and Anchor pub for dinner. It was located at the foot of the hill. That's not us in the pic walking down the hill -- but it might as well be! We did it a lot!

The Hope and Anchor was charming as all get out!

I had a delicious goat cheese/feta/roasted veggie pie with the salad and chips.

After being fully satiated, we walked back up the hill. It was pitch dark and so still. The only sounds were our footsteps. And then, we settled in the comfy living room, lit a fire, checked out British mysteries on the telly and planned next day.

For Rick, a bicycle rental and a road trip.

For me, a bus trip into the Cotswolds.

If, that is, we could leave our cozy space! (And we do! Next time!)

(If you are planning a trip to the Bath area and interested in learning more about Morgan's Forge, let me know!)

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Travel Break: Fun Mail!

I love it when I get good mail! And I was delighted when this arrived!

Yes, I was the winner of Life Imitates Doodles blog drawing! Two Hahnemuhle sketchbooks, a set of pens and the cutest little paper clips you ever saw! Of course, I started checking out the pens right away!

I also went a little wild on Amazon and ordered some roving for felting! Soft, lovely, luscious merino wool! It looks a mess now, but it came in nice tidy skeins or packaging!

So of course, I made a penguin. Still don't have the beak quite right, but I'm pretty happy!  And here's Sad Bunny again. I'll be sharing his little girlfriend soon!

More felties to come!

Break in the Action: Keep Calm and Stay in the Berkshires!

It was all going so well.

Rick did his trade show gig and it was a hit, bringing loads of good relationships and, we hope, sales.

So, it was back to Randy and Elaine's for some vacation time! We made a stop in Lee, Massachusetts, on the way home. I've always loved this beautiful church that we've passed by many times.

From any angle, it's a hit!

And the antique store was fun, too. No, I didn't buy this...

...or this...

...or these.

But I wanted to! And more! (And I don't even play the violin!)

We also made a stop at the Maple Sugar Shack.

Yes, maple syrup was in our future!

The plan? To enjoy a free day in Pittsfield. Family gatherings. Cross country skiing for Rick.

Well, it was a good plan.

The photo above actually looks like Rick's ankle was broken. It wasn't the ankle. It was the fibula. A bit of ice under freshly fallen snow took him out. (Correction -- they THOUGHT the ankle wasn't broken, JUST the fibula... we would find out otherwise.)

So, we spent a good chunk of time at the ER. And yes, Rick is OK with this pic being online -- it has already made the Facebook rounds; I don't think grief from Blogland could be worse!

Endgame? We both drove home in the same car. Jeanie was at the wheel but Rick drove from the backseat!

Several days later we saw the orthopedic specialist who did more xrays and it turns out the leg is broken in two places -- at the ankle and the fibula -- and surgery is required. In addition, the leg was so swollen he has developed blood clots (DVT) and is on medication for it.  They got him out of the splint and into a walking boot but he has to keep it elevated from a laying-down position. Needless to say, neither of us are happy but Rick most of all. It's the start of cycling season. He's probably the only person in Michigan who wishes it was still January.

I would be remiss if I didn't show a photo of the therapy cat! Daisy kept me from missing Lizzie too much on this trip! I think Rick's best therapy will be a visit from the Baby Grands. Till next time...

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Break in the Action: Road Trip to Massachusetts

You might think we travel all the time. We don't. It's just that it takes me awhile to write about it all and still have this blog make any sense!

So, a quick England break as I take you back to the land of snow (I can hear the screams already from my northern friends!) We recently returned from a road trip to Massachusetts -- part business for Rick, but pleasure too.

We started going through Canada -- we're about two hours from the border and it's easiest to get to the East by cutting across. My favorite part of this journey are the windmills around Strathroy. I am mesmerized by them.

(I can't drive and look at these so it was nice to be the passenger!)

We arrived at Rick's brother's home in PIttsfield. Randy and Elaine have the world's best bird watching station, a beautiful deck with loads of feeders.

Yes, those were turkeys at the feeder. It freaked me out when they flew up!

And of course there were large, clean windows to make for good photo ops!

The next morning we took the back roads to Montague, a little village with the wonderful Montague Book Mill, a used book store. I wrote about it a few years ago, here.

Set in an old mill on a river, it is charming both outside...

...and in.

The bathrooms are worth a visit, too!

I came away with a "few" books! I will need to live a long time to read all these!

Then we headed to Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, stopping first at the General Store, built in 1790.

It truly has something for everyone!

Especially if you have a sweet tooth!

"One Autumn night, in Sudbury town,
Across the meadows bare and brown,
The windows of the wayside inn
Gleamed red with fire-light..."  

The Inn is a historic landmark that is reputedly the oldest operating inn in the country, opening as Howe's Tavern in 1716, although its archives include documents from 1686 and beyond, including the official inn license granted to the first innkeeper, David Howe.

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the inn in 1862 when it was Howe's Tavern and later wrote "Tales of the Wayside Inn." It was later renamed Longfellow's Wayside Inn, presumably to take advantage of a bit of free publicity!

The property itself is a historic district that includes the Martha Mary Chapel, built by Henry Ford and named after his mother and mother-in-law.

Ford also built a working grist mill.  Until 1967 it made flour for Pepperidge Farms bakeries and from 1967-1969 for King Arthur Flour.

It was incredibly picturesque and there are tours -- but not during this weather!

The nearby garden had little to offer either, but I'm sure it is lovely in season. About the only thing blooming when we were there was me!

The inn, however, had a great deal of history within its walls. Rooms are reconstructed to the 1800s, showing a drawing room with original furniture...

...a bedroom that would be used by the owners...

...and the type of room that would be used by the travelers passing through.

We headed to the restaurant and since we were early got a wonderful seat, right by the fireplace!

And what a meal it was! Crostini and cheese was brought when we sat down, followed by the best New England Clam Chowder I'd ever had, a wonderful cod with crab stuffing and lobster sauce, beans, scalloped potatoes and Indian Corn Pudding. We were stuffed. But happy!

Alas, we weren't staying here. So off to our hotel and a big day to come!

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