Oh, Hi! I definitely remember you--and Isabella. How is she? I think of her sometimes--whenever I see a large poodle. Good to hear from you! Here is what I wrote about Bailey, after she left us suddenly. http://whatdoiknow.typepad.com/what_do_i_know/2009/12/bailey-pink.html And here is Sparky's story: http://whatdoiknow.typepad.com/what_do_i_know/2013/09/sparkys-irish-luck.html We were lucky to find each other, when I was grieving so much for my Bailey girl.

I know, that's how I felt. I don't trust people anymore--strangers anyway. There are a couple of cows nearby I visit sometimes. Maybe it's time to pay them a visit!

I wish I hadn't watched it. I was about to go to bed when it started, and I just sat and watched, horrified. At least Stranger Things was entertaining.

I really can't say, Beverly.

That's good to know. I shall be doing the same thing!

I'm glad you liked the setting; that's always a big worry for me--that someone local will read it and know I'm not from round there! Thanks for the comment!

Just read your post, and that is so, so true for me too! This: "the ancient old-world feel of Europe is just my style." I had no idea until I moved there how much I would really feel at home amidst that--strange, isn't it? I have always loved history and antiques so the idea of living amongst them should have been a no-brainer. Loved your post!

Sometimes I think it's the right of way access that I miss most, other times the weather/lack of bugs, other times the driving/lack of sprawl. I miss it all! I do need to move back. Hmm...

Marcus, I deleted it and will also delete this one, since it mentions the email address in the "reply to". We are still waiting to find out if it worked, but early indications are that it did not completely work, as we still see green balls on the tree; perhaps not so many as before, hopefully.

You're right, Debra, and I do like to poke fun at myself for constantly complaining when the truth is, I complained when I lived elsewhere too! There is no perfect place, so learning to thrive where we're planted will make for more happiness in the long run. But there's also value in just getting out all those frustrations, preferably to like minded people, and then letting it go. I do that quite a lot with my fellow ex-pats and ex-ex-pats.

I can't wait for fall, not just for the lower heat, but the lower incidence of snake sightings! <-- Things I never thought I'd say.

I actually kind of like raking leaves, but the problem is you can't just rake them once, it has to be done every. Single. Week. After a couple of weeks, and when you realize you're too big to jump in the piles, it's no fun anymore. We did get a lawn service, finally, after realizing there were better things to do on the weekend than take care of a big lawn. Today is nice, I'll grant you :)

Oh, I hope that means they either found homes or that sterilization has worked in bringing down the dog population. We saw lots of cats in Italy whenever we visited there. Maybe they should try the same thing as Athens in regards to dogs.

Yeah, I found it to be true for many places that I moved to. Ironically, when I moved to England I really started to love it after just a few months, as soon as the weather got better and most importantly, when the days got longer. So seasons have a lot to do with it.

Tara, I never even considered it was an "older" thing, lol! But you do have a point--I get more and more rooted to my habits the older I get. Love the familiar, you know what I mean? And thanks for buying Temptation! The research was fascinating, and of course there was much more than I could ever fit in one book. They are definitely a study in contrasts, and everything you think you know about the Amish is not necessarily true, I found. And, conveniently for me as an author, I learned that each congregation makes its own rules as to what's allowed, not allowed, so I could just make up what I needed to for my convenience!

At least the ice is beginning to melt today!

Oh yes, being able to pop to the local shop--that's another thing I miss. We often took the dog up to Tesco, my husband waiting outside with him while I shopped then he'd help me carry the groceries back. It was good practice for Sparky, teaching him to wait for me without going nuts. Never got to the point where he could wait outside by himself, like we did (occasionally) with our other dog.

One of the reasons we picked this house over others was the neighborhood, which isn't just a series of cul-de-sacs off a main street off a busier street. You can actually walk in a circle here, though the options aren't as many as back home in England. There are no public footpaths connecting streets the way there would be there, and the property along the river is all private, no trespassing, which is an odd concept after being able to walk anywhere along rivers in England.

I haven't noticed--they were lying out in the woods for several days, so maybe that washed the smell off. Sparky seemed to avoid the first one for a while, but when I put peanut butter in it he's okay with it. I really need to avoid letting him leave them out there from now on--I don't want any rabies carrying raccoons in my yard!

They probably do, however, I'm used to finding them at the supermarkets that were just a 15 minute walk from home. Finding a farmer's market (which I guess are seasonal) probably means driving a ways. The local supermarkets all carry the same three kinds: Idaho, red, and gold. I think, in general, the supermarkets there had better choices, not just of potatoes but of lots of "gourmet" items. Last night I made paella with the last of my paella rice, which I bought at Tesco. I bet I'll have to go to a specialty store to find it here. OTOH, I can easily find chipotle peppers :)

I will have to check that out. Thanks, Avelino.

I never got into the apps or sat navs; mostly I just memorized the way and blundered through! But I still have lots of Chilterns books. The thing missing from the apps is the lovely descriptions of the things you see on the walks, like "this house is where George III came to visit his friend" (and then realizing that you came THAT CLOSE to leasing that house. Oh well. Hope to get back soon and take some walks.

There's one near here, near Mt Vernon, and one day we saw someone trying to enter it in the wrong lane. Fortunately no one got smashed. The only time I've had to stop and think before entering is when I'm driving in Europe, where the roundabouts go in a different direction from the UK, so it's a bit disconcerting at first.

I will have to give honeycrisps another go. I think you are one of the Americans who told me about them, that summer... Man, I miss England! When you graduate we need to get over there and do some more traveling. Okay, that is possibly the wine talking, but if not, we should really do that.

Yeah, I read an article recently that talked about the total absence of any acknowledgement of slaves on plantations. Like they'd been airbrushed out of history.