The Cotswolds #1 - Bourton-on-the-water

The Cotswolds are a very famous, picturesque area of England made up of 13 little villages. The Cotswold area was famous for its wool, the whitest wool in England and that made up its industry and made it a very prosperous area for a long time. It was so significant, that even today, the Speaker of the House of Lords sits on a 'woolsack' to indicate where the medieval wealth of the country came from.

The thing that strikes you now is the architecture. The buildings are all made of 'cotswold stone' a limestone unique to that area that is very heavy in fossils resulting in a very attractive pale tan color.
We visited three of the closest towns to us and this one, Bourton-on-the-Water was my favorite. It is not 'on the water' like you would think, but does have a river running through town in canals and so is called 'the Venice of the Cotswolds.'

The Cotswolds #2 - Stow on the Wold

Stow-on-the-Wold, don't you love the name? A "wold" is a hill, so it was the city 'Stow' on the hill. You can see wonderful examples of the classic Cotswold fence, built out of the local limestone.

This sign says this is the oldest inn in England, opened in 947AD. The funny thing is, it has been open all that time (plenty of time to practice) but the sign also says it is only the "Eighth Best Inn in England." (another thousand years and maybe you'll be #1)

The Cotswolds #3 - Burford

Beautiful Burford, a small town of just over 1,000 but very charming as you can tell. The houses with the flowers growing on them were my favorite in the Cotswolds.

Baseball Boy

John is on the middle school baseball team. We got to see the last games of the season, a triple header.

1. On the way there - the M25 - typical British humor, "Give Peas A Chance"

2. John playing outfield

3. John at bat - he walked this particular time

4. Here he is on first

5. Made it to second!

6. Made it to third!!

7. On the way home!!!

8. Mr Cool scores!!!!

Berry Cottage, 5 Cheapside Road

Just some shots from around the house on a beautiful British Spring day.

The front garden

The shed in the back yard - actually what the British call a "listed building" meaning it is being preserved as a historical item. So we can't paint it, or put nails in it, but we do store stuff in it. Note the slate shingles. Amazing.

New Hat! (The London Temple)

When we first went to the temple last year it was interesting to note that the London Temple did not have the traditional statue of the angel Moroni atop the spire. When building the temple, the building authorities felt it would be distracting to the pilots landing their planes in nearby Gatwick airport. The spire was lit when the temple was open, however, it just wasn't as dramatic without the golden statue. That was in 1958.
Since then, the opposite has happened. The pilots used the spire as a guide to the airport (sort of a beacon - get it?). So last Christmas, at the 50th anniversary of the dedication, the temple got it's new golden hat.

Amanda's Prom - May 2009

Okay, tell the truth. What's your Prom fantasy? To look gooooood! To ride in a limo? To go with the cutest boy there? Amanda says,
'BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!!"

And here's the pictures to prove it.