It's been about three years since I've bothered to blog. Without going into too much detail, I really didn't have anything positive to say, so I just said nothing. Also, I'm not a writer. Most of this will probably just sound like a silly woman babbling - which if you know me, is normal :)
My life has changed drastically since 2009 when I started this blog. It's been a little stressful. I ended my marriage of 10 years, left England, a country I love dearly and have lived in for the past 10.5 years.. and saddest of all, I left behind my step children and grand children. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them and wish things had gone differently. I'm hoping to someday move back, that is my dream :)
And.. I've also realized that I miss a lot of other things that I never thought possible. Like mushy peas! Oh, I can buy them here - if I want to pay £2.59 a tin! Or McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestives, which I rather liked with my coffee, those would cost me £5.29 for a small package! I have found HP Fruity Sauce (yum!) at the same store - and recently it's been on clearance - half price, down from £3.99 to £1.99 I now have 4 bottles of it :D
Last night, I went with an old friend of mine to a local so called "British/Irish Pub" here in Battle Creek, Mi. It's called
The Griffin .They did have some British type foods on the menu - Bubble and Squeak, Fish n Chips and Shepherds Pie, but my friend said they were rubbish so I stuck with basic munchies, fried mushrooms and cheese sticks! Tasty! They also have quite a lot of beers, ales, stouts and bitters (Click to view their
Beer & Cigar Menu ) most of which I didn't recognize as I am not a drinker of such ickiness ;) I stick to the boozier fare, had a couple (5) Cosmopolitans - lovely! Have you ever tried ordering a Cosmopolitan in a pub back in the UK? I got a lot of weird blank faces gawping back at me. The building looks nothing like a British/Irish pub really, and the flags outside puzzled me, so I asked the ever reliable Twitter - and got a two helpful replies.
Ireland: Provincial Flags (via
@stevyncolgan ) and
Flags of Ireland (via
@ewarthale ). The bartender didn't even know what they were. Thank you boys :)
Where I live now, is kind of in the middle of no where. Nearest *useful* shop is 4 and a bit miles. I cannot walk there. I miss being able to get up and walk to the shop, the butchers, cafe and post office. I need a car to get anywhere here, even to catch a bus (which I would catch at that store 4 and a bit miles away)! There really isn't much public transportation anyway. Yes, there are buses but only in town - they don't travel from town to town.. nor out where I live. It's very frustrating. I miss walking. I know, I could go out and walk in a big one mile circle - but to no where and the scenery isn't that great.
I also very much miss certain shops. Like
Boots ! I've recently found
Boots USA but they only sell Boots brand products - which is OK, but what I really miss is the
Soap & Glory and
Sanctuary Spa products they! Yeah, I can find Soap & Glory products here at a couple different sites, but it's much more expensive and the selection isn't all that great! I can't find Sanctuary Spa anywhere here - if anyone knows where I can find it in the USA - DO let me know. I'm lost without my favorite moisturizer :-/ I am also very much missing everything about
Marks & Spencer , particularly the food!
As I said, I am hoping to one day save up and move back - be near the kids. Until then, I will miss a very special place that has become my home. x
