I'm going to be an aunty (again) !! :)

Spending time in Connecticut each year is wonderful, full stop. However, this time was particularly lovely on account of the company of my good friend and soul sister, Tracey. I only with I had more time to spend with Tracey and her little growing friend.; our busy work schedules did not allow for much down time.

I am grateful to be part of the experience of her pregnancy. I fear that because I am relatively in-eloquent and not the best photographer, I this meager blog post does not do justice to my enthusiasm for Russel and Tracey and their little wee baby to be!! Ah, but look at that photo, she is glowing more than the light shining through the kitchen window... pure sunshine. Congratulations Tracey and Russel. <3

Hatch Pond Lakeside Cottage, Kent, CT

For the past 4 years I have had the chance to work in Kent, CT for a few weeks in the Spring. The people with whom I work have always been lovely and the past two years we have also had a place to stay that is also beautiful. This cottage near Hatch Pond in South Kent is a place I would visit just to sit (as shown above) and enjoy the atmosphere. However, there is very little sitting to be done and much work when in Kent. I hope to come back to this place sometime when I am less busy and enjoy this home away from home.

Our host, Michael, is a antique dealer and he and his partner rent this house out to those in the area. I think it is simply lovely and would move here in a moment were it a viable option!

Complete with a wood burning stove. I had a friend who was quite keen on wood burners and though I knew they seemed nice... I thought that perhaps the open fireplace was just as good. I think these few weeks with a wood burner has changed my mind. I love having one around and perhaps one day, when I grow up, I will have a wood burner of my own! Of course, I will also need someone to be living with me that is willing to deal with the spiders that sneak out as a result of keeping wood in the house. :) Ideal!

Airport adventures.

I am not sure if it was because I went to bed at 12:30 last night or that my shuttle picked me up at 3:15 this morning (which means I was up at about 2:45AM) but this morning was such an adventure! The jury is still out, at the moment, but closing in on a conclusion that the San Fransisco Airport is strange place. This morning I arrived on time, lovely people and then in security they have installed some manner of space machinery that takes full body scans as you hold your hands over your head. Perhaps these are the norm at other airports... but I am a frequent flier and this was my first encounter with the magic chamber of security land.

I was a little hungry and decided that I would stay away during the flight (I don't sleep terribly well on planes) so once in the terminal went hunting for food... and Starbucks. It just sounded delicious for some reason, who knows why? (it was 4:30 AM) Would you believe it? There was not a single Starbucks in the terminal. I don't think I have actually ever seen that happen in a major international airport in the United States. Granted, sometimes there is a Tully's or Seattle's Best, etc... but usually some sort of chain coffee shop... not in this terminal. So I noted that as strange and looked for my other food options. Seemed to be a choice between a fairly crappy coffee shop type place, a Hudson news snack special or a pseudo-French restaurant, I chose to dine at "Perry's"

This might be a bit of a rambling post but let me set the scene for you for this place, it was odd. First of all, it was set up like an outdoor cafe in France with checked table clothes and fake shrubbery, but it was not out of doors... on the other side of the picket fence and shrubbery was the bustle of individuals looking for their gates. I chose to sit in the "outdoor portion" and ordered a cappuccino (which I am fairly certain was left over greasy spoon coffee with frothy milk splashed in it) then perused the menu to find that I could have been eating at Denny's... but a Denny's without any vegetarian options (so at least it was French in some ways) I asked the waiter if I could substitute something vegetarian for the bacon/ham/sausage option with every meal. Out came a fruit cup with the perpetually in-season melon and pineapple to which I am allergic. He was nice about the allergy and brought me blueberries and strawberries instead (that was sweet.) I sat to enjoy my greasy spoon/french meal and began to notice the music mix which consisted of R & B which never made the radio and had lyrics such as "Your smile is like a flower in my heart" "I gave you my heart and you put it in the trash" and other such winners... mixed with a bit of Kenny G and the Rolling Stones, because why not?

The good news is that my seat faced the security entrance to the terminal so it was prime people watching, even if I did feel like I was in a fishbowl, so I enjoyed the whole odd morning immensely! Happily boarded the plan to JFK and even splurged on watching the King's Speech along the way. Great choice, good film. If you learn only one thing from this blog post (or anything at all) it would be to go and see that film. It is brilliant.

Okay! time to take this jet-lagged self to sleep!