"Carte Blanche" - Daniel Palmqvist, 2006

When I began "Lord Celery" last year, I really didn't know too many people who were blogging. So I started using that little randomizing button that Blogger provided to surf around to other people's blogs, just out of curiosity. The very first one I came across that intrigued me was Wendy's "Finding Blanche". I still read it as often as I can...although I have to admit, Wendy, that I've been a little delinquent in the second half of this year.

With all of the things going on in the world over the past few days, you'd think I would have loads of ideas about what to write while I eat my lunch today. But I found myself just staring blankly at the screen, unable to even start drafting anything. Then I read Wendy's latest "Finding Blanche" posting and saw the artsy photo she added. And that did it.

As John and I have been organizing our individual life possessions into one household, we've run into the expected duplications. One of them is something I had made for myself, John, and our friend Claudia the Christmas after my beloved little Westie died. We now have two of them in our house, printed onto canvas and prepared for hanging on the wall. The image never ceases to make me smile. I'm not sure what we'll do with the second one -- maybe one upstairs and the other downstairs???

Perhaps you'll enjoy this digital version as well. It was the proof sent me by the photo processing company. (And if you have a lot of time on your hands, you can see more photos of Mac on his own website -- frozen in time.)

Thank you, Wendy, for inspiring me to post this today...


(Click on the image for a larger-sized version.)

Personally, I think Mac would have been very amused at being given a blue nose!

Janet

"One-Two-Three, You Really Got A Hold On Me" - Eddie Rabbitt, 2003

Something that John has always done -- so he says -- is starting to happen to me, too. John's dreams are very creative, including very intriguing names of people, places, etc. In the past, my dreams could be complex but almost never included a person's, a thing's or a place's name...at least not one I could remember when I woke up.

But over the past couple of years, that's starting to change.

In case any of you wondered, "Lord Celery" was the name of a person I dreamt about early last year. So was this year's "Alfie Lafalfie". (I'll try to post there more often, by the way.)

Last night, I had a dream about a little book. It was called...

"Three Little Songs About France"

I wonder where this stuff comes from.

Janet

Photos: Thanksgiving Dinner

No, Bronx Boy, it was not turkey and the traditional "fixin's" -- I requested Chicken Quesadillas and Mexican beer!

And it was great!

Janet



(Click on each photo for a larger version.)

"(It's Just) Another Day" - Paul McCartney, 1971

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends, family, and blogger buddies in America!

"It's just another day." That snippet of lyric is courtesy of Sir Paul.

Why today's subject song title? Because it's the song that was going through my head during my morning commute into Oxford this morning. Apart from John's early-morning greeting and the same from my friend Cindy during our commute, it's just "another day" here in the UK.

Thanksgiving remains my favorite holiday of all time. This is my 4th Thanksgiving Day spent in England, I always feel a little low. I just can't help feeling homesick.

John's coming into Oxford later this morning to take me to lunch. And he's making my dinner tonight when I get home to the North Oxfordshire countryside. (I'll try to post a photo of our dinner tonight, as a "PS" to this message.) And it's a beautiful day here.

But it still doesn't feel right, somehow.

I shouldn't feel too sorry for myself, though. Walking through the city centre of Oxford this morning, I saw this sad sight in front of the Oxfordshire County Courthouse (near our office)...



Somebody was "sleeping rough", as they call it here.

I have a lovely home. I'll have more than enough to eat today. And when I'm in the arms of the man I love, I am "home".

What am I complaining about...? I have so much to be thankful for. And that's what Thanksgiving Day is all about.

Janet

"Abraham, Martin and John" - Dion, 1958

From Wikipedia...relative to today's sad anniversary.

I just cannot believe it's been 43 years.

Janet

"Janet Says" - Jerry Jeff Walker, 1969

Do any of Lord Celery's readers still own any "Janet and John" books from their childhood?

The names "Janet" and "John" together generate the same amused look in the UK as a couple named "Dick and Jane" would in the States.

Poor John! It's incredible he even became my friend back in 1995, given the remote possibility of our eventually becoming a couple!

The old-style Janet and John books have been updated for UK schools, so their legacy continues. Terry Wogan, a very popular DJ (and TV presenter also) on BBC Radio 2's breakfast-time show has recently been reading a new series of Janet and John stories on the radio. CDs of the stories are being sold to benefit the UK charity "Children In Need", which is a great cause.

I discovered last night that quite a few of the new Janet and John stories are posted on the web. Take a look and have a good chuckle. And for my American friends, let me know if you need anything translated into US English!

By the way, here's what the new Janet and John look like in British textbooks...

The only thing I have in common with the new "Janet" (besides being female, of course) is the enormous feet! I'll allow John to provide his own comments on any comparisons between himself and the new "John"!

Janet

"East End Girl" - Cock Sparrer, 1997

Tonight's my last night as an East End girl, here in London. I head back home to John and the North Oxfordshire countryside after class tomorrow evening.

I watched "EastEnders" on BBC 1 tonight as I ate my room service dinner. Each eposide begins with a map of one of the the curvy parts of the River Thames, on the east side of London. Here's a screenshot of what I'm talking about...



Watching the intro, I suddenly realized that just to the right and down a bit from the "C" in BBC is exactly where I'm staying! How cool is that?

Here's Multimap image of the location of my hotel. Take a look for yourself...


(Click on the image of the map for a larger version.)

Oops...the red circle around my location didn't copy. Oh well...I'm just to the left (west) of the "Exhibition Centre", north of the Royal Victoria Dock. That's the waterway I was standing next to when I took the photo of the Millennium Dome and Canary Wharf two days ago.

It's been interesting staying here, but I miss my "husby" and wanna go home!

Goodnight from East London!

Janet

"Right Track Wrong Train" - Cyndi Lauper, 1983

The title of this posting says it all.

I thought I was such a big girl. This morning, I left my hotel...I made the connection between the Docklands Light Railway train and the Tube perfectly...and I got to our client's office at Canary Wharf a little bit early. I felt like such a "Londoner"!

But tonight, I took the Tube back from Canary Wharf to Canning Town, and then I took the first eastbound DLR train that arrived. I was on the right track, but I took a train heading toward London City Airport rather than to the ExCeL centre. At least I realized it before I'd gotten too far.

So I got off at the first stop -- West Silvertown Station-- and crossed over to the other side to take the ride back to Canning Town. There was only one other person on the westbound platform with me. It was a little spooky...but I entertained myself by taking a photo with my digital phone. Would you like to see it?

Here you go...


(Click on the image for a larger version of the photo.)

I'll try it all again tomorrow! I'll bet I do better!

Janet

PS OH...and I've figured out that I'm not south of the Thames here after all...I'm still on the north side, just farther into the east side of London than I've ever been before.

"London Town" - Wings, 1978

At LONG last, here's a new Lord Celery posting!

I frequently travel into London to run training classes. And I just came back into the city during the day today, as I'm teaching Wednesday through Friday for a company based in Canary Wharf. The closest I could get a hotel room, though, was east of Canary Wharf in the area of the ExCeL Exhibition Centre (note the British spelling), at Royal Victoria Dock.

I got here early so that I could make a dry run from the hotel to the Docklands Light Railway station, to make sure I don't get lost in the morning. I just don't know this part of London at all. And as it was still light (although very rainy), I took a few snapshots for Lord Celery's readers. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the sights south of the Thames!

As always, you can click on any of the images for a larger version.


The white building, in the left center, is where my hotel is located.




Here's the ExCeL centre. It was quiet there today...I guess there are no major conventions in town at the moment.




I walked over to the waterside and saw quite a view -- the Millennium Dome (left center) and the high-rise office buildings of Canary Wharf (right center!) It's too bad that it was such a rainy day, but the view was still beautiful.




Meanwhile, here's the tiny bit of "view" from my hotel room!


Hope you've enjoyed this mini-tour!

Janet

"Me and Mrs. Jones" - Billy Paul, 1972

Is there anybody named Jones reading this?

If so, are you headed for the convention in Cardiff today?

I'm on vacation this week and enjoying the luxury of watching "breakfast TV". My favorite is the BBC Breakfast program on BBC 1.

This morning, I heard about Jones Jones Jones. It's an attempt today, in Cardiff, to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of people with the same surname in the same venue. And all of the performers for the event will also be Joneses!

Did you know that Jones is the 2nd-most-popular suname in the UK and the 4th in the US?

So if you are a Jones and are headed for the event today, don't forget your passport...if you want to be counted for the record! Gotta keep up with those Joneses!

Janet

"Ghost Town" - Before the Dawn, 2006

Belatedly, here are the Halloween photos I wanted to post on the 31st but couldn't...and, as usual, you can click on any image for a full-sized version.



Here's the scary litte fellow who is hanging on our front door. (I have to tell you that he keeps turning around to face the door...a bit spooky, too, as he also "taps" on the door from time to time!) I'm surprised we've gotten any mail at all over the past few days.



I realize that it's hard to see detail in this shot, but I wanted to show you the winch (original to the "granary" end of this barn conversion, where we live) from which our larger ghost is hanging.

Again taken from the outside, here's a closer view of our hanging ghost.

And this final shot was taken from inside the house...through the balcony doors.

Janet