Rape Seed or Snot Weed?
14:01 | 
Posted by
Christine Balmer |
When i first saw the budding spring i was absolutely dazzled by the rolling yellow fields. It was like sunshine was scattered like glitter. I had never seen anything like it. What are these glorious flowers...they are called Rape Seed. Now, i know that the name sounds kind of grim (believe me i know about the strange names, just up the road is "Barff Meadow" yes, that's right, Barff Meadow, its a street...makes you want to live there doesn't it?) Anyway, Rape Seed, lovely yellow flower. Rape Seed is highly prized for its super healthy oil (as a food) environmentally friendly uses for making diesel.
So...what else does Rapeseed make? It makes snot, by the bucketload. I actually thought that i was SICK! I was sneezing violently, to the point of nosebleeds. Coughing, watery eyes, i often sneezed mucus on my own face and hands. Yes, I'm admitting it! First, i didn't know that i could produce this much slime, and second, the sneezes and spewing were completely sudden and beyond my control. I'm not even embarrassed about snotting on myself anymore, its THAT beyond my control.
So, i hear through the grapevine that the popular opinion is that i have "Hey Fever"! When i considered this, i thought "You've got to be kidding me! Hey Fever? This has to be way worse than just Hey Fever!" Well, it seems hey fever is what this is, to a degree i have never seen before. I never thought i would receive an ass kicking by a little yellow flower!
May Day Celebration!
Braeden and Khalid's school just had their May 1st celebration. It was a lively event with lots to do. Khalid ran in the "Busy Bees" nursery school relay race and came in fifth. All the children received a faux gold medal made of sturdy plastic and a tri-colored ribbon to secure around his neck. He is a champion indeed. He was so nonchalant about this race, stopping in the midst to wave to mom and smile, clopping along in his rain boots just enjoying being in the race.
The boys also had a great time with their face painting and horse back riding as part of the days events. The bouncy castle was set up inside and seemed to swallow the room.
Choo-Choo!
Yet another family outing, we decided this time we would go look at the steam trains. While the experience as a whole was very fun, especially for the children, I have to say yet again I am unimpressed with the food. I've decided to rate food places as we go to them so everyone who reads this blog will understand just how bad standard fare is in the U.K. I am told that the U.K. has more 3 star restaurants than any other country…my questions is this…where the hell are they? I'm not the world's most dazzling cook and to be honest, there have been one or two "oops" in my kitchen. But even I, void of my magic wooden spoon, can whip up a meal better than these places that boast "seriously good food" on their sandwich boards decorating the sidewalks.
To begin our journey, we arrive in the little town of Lugborough where, after some shuffling and minor traffic jams we parked our car in a grassy area. Very similar to the grassy parking available at the local fairgrounds, only smaller. The day was very windy and somewhat cold and it seems everyone had come out to see the steam trains. There was your typical gentle pushing and shoving and I must admit the "I-have-to-be-first" Syndrome is a lot more acute than in the states.
We boarded a stationary dining car, and I use the word dining loosely. Sandwiches and tea/coffee were served. All the sandwiches coated in butter, the coffee was of course, INSTANT *gag* and cold. As we looked for a seat we noticed that many people had decided they would keep their table while waiting for the next train to come. Though they had no food, drink or anything else, and people were wandering around looking for a place to sit. The manners I've seen here make me wonder how any of us American's could buy into the civil graces and revere England for its manners when this is the is how the locals behave. Of course, it would be just as bad to ask someone to give up their table, so way back in the last car we found some rickety wooden folding chairs and some equally unsteady tiny tables to sit at and attempt to eat our food. I winced after two sips of coffee and decided I need to lose weight anyway, so no lunch for me.
We finally boarded the steam train, railway guards meandered around watching passengers board. The private cars (the sort you see in Harry Potter movies) were taken and held fast, so we found ourselves in the open public car rolling at speeds of 20 mph. The scenery was amazing and the children were both intrigued at the countryside. The train made slow clacking sounds as it progressed 5 or so miles to the next station. Of course we had a round trip ticket and enjoyed stepping off the train to enjoy the little village of our destination before making our way back to the grassy field where we parked our car. All in all, it was a good day. The children excitedly marched toward the car after raiding the souvenir shop. All in all it was a great experience and I love that we can say we've ridden on a steam train!
Its a Charmed Life
Our happy little neighborhood in Glentham boasts many enchanting sites. From the Crown Inn (our local pub on the corner) and the Cherry Tree Farm Park (where we buy all our fresh produce), we find we love spending time walking around our little village.
As we walk as a family we play in the playground, walk up paths to where we can peek through the foliage at the shetland ponies, and even come across a street name that makes you say "What were they thinking?"
All in all we live a charmed life and we enjoy where we live so very much.
The Deep Blue Sea
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This past weekend we took our family outing at The Deep, an industrial contemporary building in the heart of the city of Hull. This particular part of the city appeared a little shabby and the darkened gray winter sky gave it the appeal of a dilapidated industrial complex. To be fair, i should mention that as we drove home, the shopping complexes and more residential areas seemed to have much more charm than the port like area that we had spent the day in.
As we entered the Aquarium at Hull we noticed quite quickly that the Aquarium wasn't entirely devoted to aquatic life, in fact, it seemed they were quite diversified offering such toys in their gift shop as the "Peppa Pig Puzzle" for children, about ice skating no less. What does this have to do with the Aquarium...um, still trying to figure that out!
We carried on through the meandering walkways and ramps, finding these interesting monitors with trivia and games throughout. Most having to do with building a prehistoric sea animals or asking the reader how they think something was made and other such questions. We did feel there was far more technology than fish, but the point is, the children seemed to have a really good time.
We did see many glamorous displays of fish, walked through a glass tunnel that made it seem we were, like Moses, passes through the depths of the ocean itself.
Probably my very favourite sea creature is the Sting Ray, when we went to the aquarium in Houston they had a tank of wee ones that you could reach in and touch as they went by. Their slick, velvety texture wasn't at all as creepy as you might think, but rather lovely. Here we found Sting Rays happy to pose for the camera and much larger than i had previously seen.
I think the children's favourite part of our visit was visiting the interactive area. Here was an artificial sea floor, where digital fish swam around. The point was to see if you could stamp the fish as they swam by. However, these lightening fast pixellated fish would slip by to avoid the stomping feet of our hyperactive children with their exhaustive enthusiasm.
The children's play area was a bit thread-bear, and the 3D movie was watched from the middle of the exhibit area, sitting on the floor with a projection screen on the wall. The kids didn't seem to mind and i thought this was an opportune time to go have a cigarette. The din in the place was so loud with background noise i didn't hear my husband tell me that to get outside would be like walking miles, so having not heard the warning, i walked the winding paths and sloped, turned corners and followed signs. Finally, arriving at a glass enclosed elevator positioned to ascend up the side of the main fish tank (to peer in), I, in my genius decided not to wait for the queue to dwindle and took the stairs. All eight flights of them. Arriving back at the Cafe where we had just finished our lunch i ask the ticket attendant where i might go to have a cigarette, she pointed to second elevator down the hall and gave me another myriad of directions that made me wish i had brought a map.
Once outside the crisp winter air blew my ski jacket around me to hug my shape as i lit up my cigarette holding onto it so as not to have it swept away on the sea wind.
Having felt I completed my daily workout, I made my way back inside, from the beginning and wound down, down, down the spiraling ramps to where my family waited for me. The children climbed on a display sea snail and i couldn't help but snap a shot!
But we did see some fish along the way and Michael and I were enchanted by what we did see. The children were pointing and shouting through the thick glass as though the fish might suddenly stop and favour them with a wave.
It had been a very long day, from just before lunchtime to just after dinnertime. I still feel thrilled at passing the many landmarks on our journey. One such landmark of note was Killingholme Creek (which when we drove over it had a lot more water in it than the picture shown).
I am told the Mayflower was a very small ship, only carrying 90-100 people, and yet, this Creek is where they sailed from. It is possible that the creek has somewhat filled in due to erosion over the past many years. Immingham, the least charming town i have ever seen, has the great honor of boasting the bon voyage of The Mayflower. I never gave much thought to the fact that our ancestors came to the Americas on the Mayflower, as far as i knew as a child, everyone boasted their ancestors came over on the Mayflower. It wasn't until my mother produced a book in my early teens, our family Geneaology, that proved, indeed our long dead relatives did make this journey. So, it was a bit of an "Ah ha" moment and a brief introspective time for me, as I have been to Plymouth, from where they arrived, and Now I have driven over Killingholme Creek from whence they set sailed.
The children happily played Rock, Paper, Scissors from the backseat of the car and Michael then told me we were approaching yet another landmark. It seems i slept through this particular historical item on the way in.
I looked and there saw a suspension bridge that could make the citizens of San Fransciso weep. I am told (and have verified) that when it was built in 1981 it was the longest single span suspension bridge in the world, at a staggering one and a quarter miles long. It held its record for sixteen years, now in fifth place, the record is owed to Canada, but it remains the longest in the U.K. ...and yes, we drove over that bad boy!
see below for more fish pictures...
a walk in the clouds
We've taken several family outings, some extravagant, some just around the corner. Two weeks ago we decided to go on a family walk, something we've been doing regularly (and yours truly has lost a whopping 14 pounds!)
We decided on this particular day to walk up to the local Parish church. The children thought the place was in a state of disrepair but when you explain to them that the place was built in 1756 and not broken, just old, they become a little awe struck and appreciative for its longevity (as much as one can expect from children).
We toured the frost bitten grave yard, the erect gravestones seemed to roost in the grass with a stillness that created a deafening silence. We sat outside the church entrance on a cold stone benchfor a bit of a rest.
