Happy Birthday, Anne

A very happy birthday to my sweet sister, Anne. Hope it's the best year yet. Thank you for taking care of The Laser and Lucy while they wait for their passports. We all appreciate it. Love, J, N, L and L

Helmet Chic

It's fashion week in Milan this week, and well I was struck by a few images I came across.

Images via A Cup of Jo

Only Italian women (and maybe French women) could make a helmet look tres chic. Never in a million years would I look this fashionable in protective gear. Milan must be the city with the most motorbikes per capita so I guess it's just part of the culture to make a statement with your helmet.

Image via The Sartorialist

Um, hello. A bright yellow skirt and a helmet to match. Do you think they buy helmets like accessories to match outfits? And driving in wedge heels to boot.

Image via The Sartorialist

More lovely yellow in New York.

Unfortunately, I think I will be channeling more from Harry and Lloyd than their Italian counterparts. "I get 70 miles per gallon on this hog"

Misc.

Thought maybe you didn't see enough cows in the last post? Haha. These are my favorite, though. Oreo cows.

I have tried to grow some herbs and other little plants, and I just can't get my light and water ratios quite right. I did not inherit my mother's green thumb. But I've kept an orchid alive and thriving for weeks now. I'm so proud.

And this last one is for laughs. My new helmet for scooter classes...

Sunday bike ride

Here are some pictures from our afternoon bike ride today.

Lots of cows and a peacock just hanging out on the roof of a gastropub. Normal day in England.

Small cars only

The roads here are pretty tight. Parking spaces are even tighter. Here are a few pictures of some 2 way traffic roads.

I give Neil credit for being able to handle these small roads. Not sure I could do it and trust that I wouldn't hit a brick wall or maybe worse. Plus he has to deal with some of my back seat driving. I have driven, but I leave the longer trips to Neil. So you can imagine my extreme excitement when last weekend the Smith's surprised me with a vintage 1964 Italian Vespa. The absolute perfect set of wheels to handle the Oxford roads... not to mention an amazing antique that I will love riding. I'm so very excited about this. A few little changes and repairs are being made. I just love it!

Swamp Bugs

Mom, I know you may be worried that I might be losing touch with my southern roots, picking up British slang, and saying 'cheers mate' instead of 'bye y'all.' Or maybe that I've stopped drinking CC's in favor of tea. But you can rest assured that I'm still holding tight to a lot of southern traditions. With college football back on you can bet we will be cooking some red beans and rice. Neil and I are staying up late tonight to watch the Tigers and Tar Heels battle it out (but really it will be a one sided battle, right? Let's hope). 8pm kick off, means 1am our time. Real fans, huh?

You will also be very happy to know that I've been nourishing myself with some good ol' crawfish. That's right, they have crawfish here. They may be from the Thames, called crayfish, and served cold in a mayonnaise type salad on a po'boy brown roll...but they are pretty darn good. I might just have to break out the trinity and show some English friends how to really cook them swamp bugs- Étouffée! Or better yet, if I can find them live in bulk next season, we may be rolling out the paper and having ourselves a good old fashion cajun crawfish boil.

Okay, we're off to watch some football and enojy some American traditions across the pond. A very happy birthday to Neil's dad, Jim. Hope you're having a great weekend!

Cotswolds

We took a lovely day trip into the Cotswolds. It's exactly as you would imagine. Picture perfect English countryside towns and villages just about an hour outside of Oxford. If you ever come visit, this little trip is a must do.