Around the World, Disney Style (Middle of May Catch-Up Pics)

Taking pictrues in the different countries in the World Showcase at Epcot is so fun! Sara Kate and Ellie took it to a whole new level! :)  The whole group in Norway started off the fun. O, Canada!

 France.

 More France, OOO la la.

 Morocco

 Japanese cuties.

 Italy.

 Germany.

 China dolls.

China nuts.

Mexico.

Adios!

Mexico Crafts

These pictures are of the little crafts we're taking to Mexico.

 These are the craft ideas I'm taking to Mexico.  Clothespin/popsicle stick airplanes, clothespin/pompom caterpillars....

 More clothespin fun.....

 Jingle bell necklaces and pipecleaner/bead heart necklaces....

and nametags.
I have some ball hats to paint names on for boys and hair ribbons and nail polish for little girls at the feeding program.
I'm also taking paper, watercolors and cardstock for "frames" for their artwork.  Extra pipecleaners  and beads will fill in the gaps!
And I don't know what happened to the picture, but I also have some sheer ribbon with 5 or 6 beads, tied in a bow for bracelets.

Marathon Man and our Last Nite in England

 While Craig went on his little run (ha!)  I reorganized my suitcase and went shopping at the shopping center next to the hotel.   I forgot to rotate the above picture.  I was going to buy these jammies for the boys but didn't think they would appreciate them. :)
I got to walk around the stadium and sit on the bottom row to wait for Craig to come running in at the finish.  He said it was a hot race and he just took his time and enjoyed it.  From the look on his face, he did!  It's a good thing he said that or I would give him a hard time about the guy dressed like Tarzan and the guy dressed like a Viking coming in before he did. :)

 Sweet, sweaty man.  Everyone around us said, "Awwwww!  and Craig said a guy at the corner said, "Well done, cap, you finished the marathon AND got the lovely lady kisses!"

 To London and a walk over to Harrods.  It's a very fussy department store but fun to look at.  They do have a very cool food hall. Craig got a slice of Beef Wellington, a serving of Duck with Bubbles and Squeak on top (squishy pea stuff) and port cherry pie.  He liked it. I had a yummy chicken kabob.

 After we ate we took the tube (minding the gap) over to Bond Street and came up right under Big Ben.  It was so nice to see him again.  He's my favorite in London.  These are the Houses of Parliament.

 Big Ben!  Love that the double decker is in the picture.

 The front door of the London Supreme Court.

 

 St. James Park in front of Buckingham Palace.  While we were walking here we saw a HUGE fox skulking around in the flowers.

 One more of the Big Guy.  The clock had just chimed 9:00.  Beautiful music!

 We stayed at my favorite little hotel, The Leonard.  This 1806 sampler hangs on the dining room wall.

What a fun, cozy, adventurous, hilarious, relaxing trip I've had with my man!  Happy Birthday to me! :)

Sunday in England

 On Sunday morning we got up, ate our wonderful full English breakfast again, yum!  and then took a walk around Chipping Camden.  Almost all of the houses looked like this.  They're so sweet and so well taken care of. The following is a walkway someone constructed through a hedge.  It's probably about 300 years old. Just kidding, I don't really know that.  We walked all the way to the edge of town so I could see the sheep again. :)

It's so rare that I get a picture of myself that I really love that I had to include this one.  Happy girl.

We meandered our way toward Milton Keynes (the place Craig would run his marathon).  We saw LOTS of sheep (!!!) and more beautiful little towns.  Some people we met at the theater last nite suggested we stop at Charlecote Park near Stratford.  We did and it was so neat.  It's a HUGE park, garden and manor (home of the Lucy family) that's part of Britain's National Trust.  If you have an annual pass you can get into any of the hundreds of National Trust parks all over the country.  There were tons of people there, touring, picnicking, playing.  
This is a little aviary in the garden.  What a cool playhouse it would be!

 This was in the children's area, a little fortress entirely made of sticks.  I think the kids should build one in our backyard this summer.

 The manor.  It was beautiful inside, too.  Had an original letter from Oliver Cromwell inviting George Lucy to be a part of Parliament.

Tonite we are staying in an actual city, Milton Keynes.  Craig runs in the morning.  Our hotel is connected to the stadium.  When we open the curtains, we can see the field.  A kids soccer game is going on now.
We also went to what we believe is the world's largest Wal Mart to get some snacks.  They close on 4:30 on Sundays (good for them!)  and all but ONE of their 54 lanes were open!!!  Amazing concept, huh?  And their cashiers had nice comfy chairs to sit in to scan items.  They were not grumpy at all!
G'nite.

I Can't Hold My Likker, said Robyn

OK, so you don't freak out over that title, I'm going to explain it first. :)  Last nite when we got to the hotel after seeing the play, there was a bottle of champagne waiting in our room with a "Happy Birthday from the staff at the Noel Arms" note on it.  I guess I must have told the lady at the desk the day we checked in that it was my birthday trip.  Anyway, I figured, they were nice enough to give it to me, I might as well try some.  I've tried it before and didn't like it, but this time we had CHOCOLATE to go with it, so I happily guzzled (not really) one glass.  By the time I was halfway through the second my head started spinning.  I've heard the phrase, "It went straight to my head,"  and for me, it's true! Craig was disappointed.  I didn't get snuggly, or giggly, I just got plain mean.  I think I smacked him once.  I felt like if I moved I was going to fall off the planet.  SO, no more of the bubbly for me, ever.  It doesn't even taste good.

 

 ANYWAY, here's how we spent our day.  We spent the morning driving around to little market towns.  Every town had some kind of market going on in their town hall.  A flea market, two antiques markets, a fibre market (knitting, weaving, yarn) and I saw a sign for a farmer's market. We had fun going to the small towns and shopping around, enjoying the scenery and the sites.  The lady who told us about the fibre market in Chipping Norton said there was a lady in the town called the "Yarn Bomb".  She knits little symbols and ties them on doorknobs and light posts on special days to spread cheer.  Like she does hearts at Valentines, shamrocks for St. Patricks and poppies for Armistice Day.  Isn't that fun!  The lady said, "No one knows who she is, but I DO!"  After our morning adventures we went back to Chipping Camden and changed clothes and tried to get on the internet again, (GRRRR!).  Then we drove to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see As You Like It.  We walked in the park, saw the church where Shakespeare is buried, shopped a little, picked up our tickets and sat on a bench by the Avon to eat supper.  The play was ok.  I've seen it 4 times now and loved it every time but this one.  They sleazed it up too much.  Disappointing, but there were enough good parts to make it simply ok.
    
THIS was one of my favorite things of the day.  In Stow-in-the-Wold, we searched out St. Edwards church, a stone Norman church built between the 11th and 15th centuries.  It was so beautiful!  My favorite thing was the back door.  It it built with two live yew trees on either side of the door.  SO cool.

 This one's going in a frame!

 This stone carving was commissioned for the millennium for the church.  A delightful little old man, named Clyde Bekket, who we met in the church, said they had a contest to see what would be commissioned.  He said wood and tapestry was suggested but in the end stone was chosen because there was less of a chance that someone would nick it (meaning steal it).  He told us all about the church and we learned a lot from him.  I asked a lady who was fixing the flowers if it was all right if I took pictures and she said yes and would I pop something in the box.  Which means would I put some money in the collection box.  Which I did. :)

 This was taken in Bourton-on-the-Water.  This overlooks a little stream, only a foot or so deep.  They play a traditional soccer game in the water at the end of every summer.

 Bourton-on-the-Water.

 My new obsession is....SHEEP!  They are everywhere and so adorable and it is spring and so there are lambs galore.  Oh my goodness.  I want sheep.

 The Cotswold sheep.  They are very fluffy and have long, skinny legs.

 This is my new friend, Liz.  We pulled off the road to go to her pottery shop, which is in the back of her house.  She was so fun to talk to.  She let me take pictures of her sheep after I left. :) (pics following)

 To get to Liz's shop, you follow the red arrows around her house.  You have to duck under the washing line to get there.  I love the English.  No homeowners associations here!!!!!

 One of Liz's baby sheep.   OOOOOO, I want this one.

 I love the black faced sheep, too. I think these are Sussex sheep.

 Door at the church where Shakespeare is buried.

 In the Stratford park.

 Ellie's boat!  We ate dinner on the bench that is half in the picture on the left side.

 Love my Ellie!