And by Queen, I mean the much-loved late QEII, in deference to my much-loved late Grandma Fern, who hated Camilla Parker-Bowles with the fire of a thousand suns.
Not That Kind of Weed
I am happy to report that, after seven solid mornings of work, I have finally got the weed situation under control. In the berry patch and veggie garden, it looked as though someone had planted a thick groundcover throughout. After my first hour of weeding that area, I looked up and felt a sinking despair, with a mere three square feet cleared and so much left to go. However, as my former boss used to say when we had a financial position he wanted to reverse, I just chipped away at it and here we are.
Who’s Eating Off The Floors Anyway
The hardest thing about travelling is leaving Rex behind, it’s true, but it’s also true that Rex is JUST FINE. He’s better than fine, actually, because he boards at a kennel that is known as the Country Club for Pets at which he a) has his own “suite” for sleeping and eating, b) has playtime with other dogs, and c) is known and loved. There are young people whose entire job it is to play with and cuddle the dogs, and one of them runs the Instagram account, so I was able to check in daily to see the big galoompa bounding around, wagging and barking. He always jumps into the car enthusiastically when I ask him if he wants to see his friends, and then he jumps into the car enthusiastically when I pick him up. He’s basically enthusiastic about everything.
Everything, except water. Unfortunately, due to a plethora of dogs and Sunday staffing, the kennel was unable to bathe him before I picked him up. No problem, I thought. He needs a cut anyway. I called the groomer only to find out that his girlfriend was on vacation, and will not be able to take him until this coming Thursday. Let’s just say that Rex is very, very dirty, and leave it at that. Things are not improved by his love of rolling in dead dry grass, and because his fur is just generally filthy, brushing out the grass only lodges it in further. Basically, he spends the day shedding things all over the house. I can feel little…somethings in his fur, said a gentleman I speak to daily on the walking path, as he petted Rex. Clouds of dust rose from Rex’s off-black body, like that of Pigpen’s from Peanuts. Those are grass seeds, I replied grimly.
My sister-in-law, unaware of Rex’s absolute fear and loathing of water, suggested I put him in one of our walk-in showers, just to get some grime off. I immediately pictured a terrified and traumatized Rex bursting, Kool-Aid Man-style through the shower door, leaving a Rex-shaped hole and shattered glass in his wake.
Well, it’s a small price to pay for his happiness, and in the meantime I am vacuuming a lot. Pristine floors are overrated anyway.
The Royal We
Weeding backlogs and a filthy dog are worth it to be able to travel to places I’ve always dreamed about. One of my clearest early memories is from the summer that I was six, and was staying with my grandparents: Grandma Fern woke me up at 2:30 am so we could watch the Royal Wedding together. I remember watching Diana getting out of the car absolutely ensconced in silk, and that gigantic dress and train seemed to me the absolute height of beauty. Nothing could have been more gorgeous. Nothing could have been more special than being awake while everyone else slept, just me and Grandma Fern. Thirty years later, I got up at 2:30 in the morning for another Royal Wedding watch with my Anglophile friend Julie (HI JULIE), who provided tea and scones with clotted cream. The moment I got home I phoned Grandma Fern, and we spent a lot of time dissecting the details, including whether the aforementioned Camilla Parker-Bowles should have been INVITED to her stepson’s wedding. She is NOT his stepmother, do not say that, do not ever say that! She’s nothing but a home-wrecker, Grandma said sternly. Grandma Fern was not interested in the expectations of the era and time healing wounds and the heart wanting what the heart wants. I changed the subject to Kate’s sleeves.
Ever since that day in July 1981, I have been interested in the British Royal Family in general, and Diana in particular. My interest may have bordered on obsession; I still have all my scrapbooks, special edition People magazines, and the myriad coffee table books featuring Diana, the Radiant Princess that I would receive as Christmas gifts. I have not one but two paper doll books of Diana and her clothing, one to cut out and one to keep, and let me tell you, that wedding dress was a bitch to cut out. I am rarely, if ever, affected by celebrity deaths but I was devastated by Diana’s. I avidly watched The Crown up until Season Four, and then shut it off, never to return, because I could not handle reliving the crash, fictionalized or not.
It felt surreal to be in places I had watched and read about. I teared up when I saw Buckingham Palace, thinking how much Grandma Fern would have loved seeing it.
I share a birthday with the late Queen Elizabeth, and to see Westminster Abbey, where she and all the other British monarchs were coronated, was incredible. It is impossible to thoroughly tour everything in London in only five days, but this was on my must-visit list. My husband booked us tickets, and we spent a few hours audio-touring and being amazed.
I did not realize how many burial vaults are in Westminster Abbey, not only of monarchs but also notable scientists, politicians, and writers. There are over 3300 people buried there! Jane Austen is not one of them, but she has a memorial stone in Poet’s Corner.
Another place I wanted an in-depth tour was the Tower of London. I love these kinds of historical buildings and as we went through the rooms, I imagined what it would be like to live or be imprisoned there.
The Tower also is the home of the Crown Jewels, and we were able to see them as well as the changing of the guard in front of the building. It felt incredible to be there, like I was a tiny part of history.
My husband had planned a secret afternoon post-Tower touring, and that included a rooftop flower garden and a walk to a tiny church, St Dunstan, a medieval structure in the middle of city streets. I love a medieval structure!
One of the biggest highlights was seeing Hamilton at the Victoria Theatre, which was a three-minute walk from our hotel. Hamilton is my favourite musical, followed only by Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, so I was VERY excited. It did not disappoint! For those of you who remember my 2020 obsession with the soundtrack, you will know how moved I was for the entire time, and how I sobbed when it was quiet uptown.
London! What a fabulous city, I cannot believe I was THERE. I looked at the Rosetta Stone! With my own eyes! And you can bet that I said Look kids, Big Ben! Parliament, approximately one million times over our five-day visit. Mostly in my head, to the benefit of my marriage.
Weekly Reading
I will share my vacation reads in a separate post (spoiler alert: I had a LOT of DNF’s), but let me tell you about this incredible week of reading: two of my favourite must-own authors had new books out, David Sedaris and Ann Patchett. Since the Sedaris came out a month after my birthday, and months before Christmas, I pre-ordered it. I didn’t even know that Patchett had a new book coming out until it was already released, and when I discovered this fact I jumped up from the table where I was having pre-game drive coffee and scurried over to where our safari-mates, a delightful couple from NYC, were seated. The night before, the woman and I had bonded over our shared love for Patchett, Elizabeth Strout, and my Fuck the Patriarchy lipstick case. I think I had jazz-hands as I told her that there was a NEW ANN PATCHETT OMG and of course I bought it when I went to pick up my preordered Sedaris after arriving home.
All of which is to say that it has been a five-star reading week!
The Land and Its People. I will say I had a tiny bit of trepidation because Happy-Go-Lucky, Sedaris’ last collection, left me upset and depressed. If you know, you know. However, The Land and Its People affected me in the same way Calypso did – I found myself laughing until I cried. A few of the essays about his parents are heartbreaking, but mostly I was literally guffawing the whole way through. GUFFAWING. I also – as with Calypso – found myself feeling seen, as he talked about DuoLingo, getting his steps in, and going on safari in Africa. This was absolutely wonderful and hilarious and felt like a breath of wry fresh air.
Whistler. Ann Patchett can do no wrong in my view, and this glorious new release is no exception. Oh! I loved it so much. It’s the story of a woman who encounters the man who was briefly her stepfather, after over four decades of absence. It’s about secrets and family, friendship and love, trauma and healing. All the characters are so rich, and the story is just so beautiful, made even more poignant as the stepfather was based on her late, dear friend Jim Fox, and that there are three fathers featured in the book, which Patchett famously has written about having. The main character and her sister are around my age, and there was so much that resonated so deeply, from aging parents and cleaning out houses to the claim that “old men love me.” Girl, same. It’s just a breathtakingly beautiful book and the ending left me staring into space for many minutes. It’s just so hopeful and gorgeous, with a message that people are good and decent, despite how things sometimes feel.
The thing about going away when we did is that when we left, it was spring, and now it is full-on summer! I have to keep reminding myself of the day and month. It’s the last full week of June already! It looks to be a beautiful one here in the Okanagan valley, and I hope it’s beautiful where you are. xo
Well I mean… Rex! I love everything about him, even the thought of a cloud of dust following him around like Pigpen. i’m glad he had so much fun, and also glad you could see him on instagram while you were gone (I still remember the time you went away and didn’t get photos from the place he was boarding, and you were sure he was dead). Anyway! You’ll all be happy after his bath.
I love the story of you and Grandma Fern watching Diana’s wedding together in the middle of the night. Such a sweet bonding experience! Your photos from London are incredible. The whole experience sounds amazing, including seeing Hamilton. You can’t really top that. Well, you also saw Elisabeth… just one incredible experience after another.
Hahahaha yes, I’m glad you remember that. My friend Jen: “I’m PRETTY sure they would call you if he was dead, Nicole.”
I know, seeing Elisabeth on our last night was just the perfect farewell to London!
Isn’t it completely astonishing to look up at/in all those old, old buildings and think about Who Did That and HOW? I did learn a lot about both of those things simply by reading the book Pillars of the Earth, but still!
I’m a huge Sedaris fan, and Calypso is my alltime favourite. I’m glad to know the new one is so similar. Looks like I’m adding to my TBR pile again.
Nance, Nance, NANCE. If you loved Calypso you MUST read this. It’s great! Let’s bond over Calypso for a moment: Stepping Up. Carol the fox. LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE. It’s so great and I think you will love this (as I said, I was a bit worried after reading Happy Go Lucky, which I felt was a grim read).
OMG–so many things in Calypso! And now I must reread it. Immediately. Sedaris is so good at seemingly rambling hilariously, then coming right back to his original theme. I was so excited to see him live years ago. He is stellar.
Nance, yes, it meanders and meanders and then suddenly you are back at the point, and it’s just so good!
(one of my favourite lines from Calypso has to do with a cow having a calf, and then later he sees them together and instead of it being a warm bucolic scene it just reminds him of two strangers standing in line at the post office)
You are such a jet setter! Sounds like you had a wonderful time in London.
When we were at the beach, my mom got daily pictures of her cat from her cat sitters. The neighbor kid who watched Walter and Willow provided no proof of life, but we hadn’t asked him to do so and when we got home, they were fine, which is more than I can say for the plants he was supposed to water.
We were going to listen to David Sedaris (I think that book) on the drive from Michigan home last month, but the audiobook wasn’t currently available for loan at the library so we went with a novel instead.
Oooh which novel?
Oh NO, your poor plants. Are they dead-dead or do you think they can be resurrected?
Run for the Hills, by Kevin Wilson. It’s about a group of four half-siblings (aged 11 to 40-something), each with a different mother, who are on a road trip to find their father, who abandoned their families. It’s more lighthearted than it sounds.
The neighbor kid was watering our garden and he missed a bunch of seedlings in pots. He just forgot where everything was. Some sunflowers, zinnias, and cucumbers died, but there were some of each to transplant into the ground. The biggest loss was to the cucumbers, but I direct sowed some when we got home and they are growing. Still, it’s late in the season for them to be so small and I’m not sure if we will get many cucumbers from them.
Oh, isn’t that the same author who wrote about the twins who spontaneously would burst into flames? I can’t think of the name right now…googling…Nothing To See Here! That was it.
Boo, I’m sorry about your baby plants!
I last visited London on my own in 1999?! There were still flowers being left for Princess Diana. We are hoping to go to the UK next year and I really want to see the memorial and inside Westminster Abbey. I love your pics! Also, my husband or daughter put bathing suits on and actually get in the shower to bathe our dogs. It’s a sight to see!
I would totally do that if I thought Rex would tolerate it! Alas. Here we are, ankle deep in filth.
Oh you will love Westminster Abbey and the memorial garden! Anna, it is a rose garden! I just got teary thinking of what Elton John looked like at the funeral singing England’s Rose.
Grandma Fern knows what’s up. I still think CPB is trash. Just trash. She was a homewrecker. THERE WERE CHILDREN involved. Just know that there is someone else in this world willing to take up Grandma Fern’s celebrity grudges. (My best friend’s friend from high school didn’t like Gwen Stefani because of something having to do with Gavin Rossdale and TO THIS DAY I do not care for Gwen Stefani.)
There’s something very telling about all these monuments and giant plaques for men and then just a tiny little mention that, oh, yeah, some women are creative, too. *sigh*
Engie! That is EXACTLY what Grandma Fern said! She could not abide infidelity in any circumstances, but infidelity when there were children involved? Absolutely unforgivable. I am not a grudge-holder, so if I need one I will ask you to do it! Also sometime I should talk to you about the JonBenet Ramsey case, which Grandma Fern was super invested in.
OMG do NOT get me started on all the men who get allllll the accolades when it comes to literature. I get very salty just thinking about it.
I am glad that Rex is so well cared for while you are away and that you do not need to worry at all about whether he is happy! That’s priceless!
I was so impacted by the passing of Princess Diana as well. I was glued to the coverage. Gah. It was so devastating. I can understand grandma Fern’s views on CPB. Bleh. I mean I also think King Charles is a horrible person, too.
I am glad you loved Whistler as much as I did. Patchett is so talented! I believe she is married to an older man and I know she does not have children so some of it felt a bit autobiographical but she has said in interviews that this is less autobiographical that some of her other novels. Which is your favorite Patchett? Mine is Commonwealth!! I want to know about your DNFs, too!
Lisa, yes she is married to an older man and that older man is a doctor! So there is definitely an autobiographical skew there. I also love Commonwealth! I don’t know if it’s my favourite because I cannot possibly choose a favourite. I do love Commonwealth, Bel Canto, and the Dutch House very very very much. But Whistler! What a great book.
I was so, so sad when Princess Diana passed away. I remember watching her funeral on TV… and then William and Harry’s weddings years later.
We really only had one full day in London and it wasn’t enough time. I will definitely go back some day (though will admit returning to Edinburgh/Scotland is higher priority for me… I LOVED IT there).
I am on the holds list for Whistler and hope it comes in soon. I’ve heard nothing but great feedback about it.
My husband and younger son LOVED Edinburgh! They loved Scotland in general, actually!
I just got choked up thinking about the funeral, and Harry leaving a card on the flowers.
I love your enthusiasm, even when it’s about something I myself am not enthused by. How you love life! It’s inspirational.
Hahaha thank you C! I do love life (and I assume you’re talking about the Royal Family, although maybe it’s weeding? Lol!)
I’m glad you enjoyed your time in London! It’s such a great city with so much to see. I loved the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. So much history.
Ann Patchett is a favourite and I have Whistler on hold at the library.
My sister is visiting for a few days and we are going to watch Hamilton on Disney+ later today!!
LOOK AROUND LOOK AROUND HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW
I love Hamilton SO much, the music is just the catchiest and so clever!
London was just a dream and I’d love to go back. There is so much to see and do!
Diana 4 Evah!!! QEII 4 Evah!!! And let’s face it, Kate 4 Evah!!! If the subject is any of those three, you have my attention. I remember seeing the royal wedding (at the same age as you lol) and doing the math that it was too late/I was too young for Charles and would be too old to marry their oldest son so there was no way that I could ever be queen. I guess I’ve gotten over it over the course of the past 40 years, but man it was a bitter pill to have to swallow.
Go Rex go!!! Living the good life and causing chaos everywhere he goes!!!
YES YES YES to Diana, QEII, and Kate! Class acts, all of them.
I DID THE SAME MATH. Since Wills was born the same year as my brother, though, I have felt a warm big-sisterly feeling for him my whole life. Even now when he’s like 43.
This was so fun to read, and so visually fulfilling, that I almost didn’t leave a comment: the feeling was “What can I possibly say to all that??” Then I thought: “I can at least say THIS.”
Plus, Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout are in our style overlap, and I SOMEHOW DID NOT KNOW EITHER OF THEM HAD A NEW BOOK OUT. I was still thinking Tom Lake and Tell Me Everything were new, and so I hadn’t even been LOOKING OUT for new ones!! This was incredibly happy news.
Ah! I adore you. Thanks for saying THIS!
I know I know I knowwwww both of them having a new book out in a six-month span is a GIFT.
London is such a fabulous city!! I loved Diana and can still cry when I see an a retrospective on her. I so loved seeing how she was with her kids. William was born three days after my first child so I felt like we were connected lol. I now love following Will & Kate and want very much to believe they are as happy as they appear in all the clips we see.
I hope they are, Pat! I will admit right here that I was absolutely devastated at the estrangement between Will and Harry – I felt when they were younger they had the sort of camaraderie that my boys have, and one of my sons shares a birthday with Harry. I felt it was so sad!
My friend Sammi and I went to an Elton John music night and they showed photos of Diana during Candle in the Wind and we both were holding hands and crying throughout!
Maysie’s fur also holds on to “treasures”; it’s just wild. On her doggy daycare days, we have to do a whole wipe down and brush out because I’m so allergic to so much “in there” (other dogs, pollen, etc.), but she loves the attention and routine. I was so into British Royal history when I was younger; I had a biography of Queen Elizabeth that I reread for years…
Rex also loves to be brushed! But when his fur is this length it just seems to get worse and worse. Ah well, two more days until the groomer!
London looks amazing! Princess Diana was so special, and I remember being shocked and devasted when she died. I canceled my subscriptions to People magazine and Paris Match after that, feeling awful that I had supported the industry that took her life. Sob!
It’s wonderful that Rex has such a fun time at the doggie Country Club! And how great that you can check him out on Instagram while you travel.
Grandma Fern sounds wonderful.
The paparazzi industry was just brutal then! I think it’s maybe better now? I don’t know, honestly, but it seems like there aren’t any magazines that will pay big bucks for THE photo, you know?
Rex loves it there! It’s really cute. I love how the young people there make reels, etc. Oh! I should send you the link because even though he’s not there, the dogs are really cute.
Oh! I would love a link!
done!
Sometimes you read a post and just go — Yes! I had that same fixation with the royals and Diana and I still have file after file, book after book, about her (and more books about the others in the family). And yes, I watched the royal weddings (and funerals) with a fellow Anglophile complete with full tea. I remember every minute of the evening I heard she was in that crash and the day after. And then, there was England. You have to return, you know. There is so much to see and you saw some wonderful things — but yes, so much more! And you will, because you can’t just go to London once. You have to return. It’s required. And I can’t wait to hear about your next one.
Sedaris and Patchett are two of my all-time favorites and “Whistler” is on my birthday list. I’m so glad you enjoyed it– I keep hearing wonderful things. I have Sedaris’ “A Carnival of Snackery” on my reading pile but can’t imagine why I haven’t read “Calypso.” Looking forward to “The Land and Its People.”
Big smiles from here — and thanks for coming over!
Oh I will definitely return, Jeanie! And when I do I will give all the details!
Calypso is great, especially if you love Carnival of Snackery, because you can see some of the notes that made it into essays!
Westminster Abbey was a must for me too, and I absolutely loved seeing it, but the crowds were awful and definitely took something away from the experience. Getting in and out of some of the chapels was a squeeze that I hated.
I have never read anything by David Sedaris, but I have put the book on my list.
We have four more days until we leave for 6 weeks, and I need to get the garden tidied up so it isn’t a complete mess when I get home. The must do job though is setting up a trellis for my peas.
Westminster Abbey was busy but I didn’t think it was too bad when we were there. There were a few squeezes but in general I thought it was okay as far as tourist-heavy spots went. Maybe a different time of day or year?
I didn’t realize you were going for six weeks! That would take a LOT of logistical planning, I think! You’re going to Germany, I believe?
I’ve been to London only once, during a forced layover on my way to Europe (I got stuck in a snow storm just before Christmas). I didn’t get to see much (Big Ben, the Tower Bridge) but I vowed to come back sometime… you definitely made me want to put this on my bucket list. There’s so much to see, so much history! I am so glad you got to go and visit all the sites!
I knew that Rex loved his “doggie camp”- you’re lucky you have such a great place to take him to when you travel. He looks so majestic that it’s almost funny that he likes to play in the dirt and doesn’t mind getting dusty 🙂
I’m glad you think he’s majestic! Most of the time he’s very silly. His favourite thing is to roll around, usually in dead grass but judging from his coat he was rolling in the dusty gravel of the dog park!
I’m so surprised you haven’t been to London more! I always think Europeans could just pop on a plane and go wherever so inexpensively. The costly part is getting from North America to Europe! You’ll definitely have to go, I think you’ll love it!
Me too, Nicole, me too!! I still remember racing home from school in 1981 (it was a Wednesday!) because I didn’t want to miss a single second of The Wedding. And that dress!! I was completely obsessed with Diana, so I totally understand the memorabilia collection (or is it a full-blown shrine?)
I’ll never forget that Sunday morning and hearing the news about the crash in Paris. And then the funeral… wow.
What do you think about Kate? Do you think she’ll ever reach Diana’s iconic status?
Oh, and here’s a random royal fact I only learned last week: you’ll never see members of the Royal Family with a mobile phone during official engagements. I have never noticed it – I think it’s pretty cool.
I KNEW we were kindred spirits, Catrina. That makes so much sense about the mobile phones – and now that you say that, I have never seen a phone! I adore Kate and she’s been doing so much good work around children’s health and mental health – she just might reach Diana’s status! Do you listen to podcasts? A woman I met in Morocco got me hooked on Palace Confidential, which is basically Daily Mail writers talking about Royal Family doings. I kind of love it!
Oh, I will search for it! Sounds like a new addiction coming up, haha!!
pre-pet owner me would wonder how could you tolerate a dirty dog making a mess at home, now I fully understand 🙂
I didn’t know about your obsession with lady D but also makes total sense, hahaha… London is such a pretty place.
where are you heading next? latin america any time soon? you’ve been traveling a lot!
I love Whistler!!! the plot didn’t seem interesting at first but it’s so good! I also wonder if the fact she doens’t have kid is due to her own family story. I’m starting sedaris now.
It could be due to her own family story. I think she’s been asked about it and said she never wanted kids. Also I believe she’s a stepmother? I could be wrong but I think her husband, who is older, had kids when they got married. I should check that before I post this but hey, it’s early!
Next trip is not to Latin America, but it is to a Spanish-speaking country – Spain!
The last time I was in London was in my teens/twenties, so a VERY long time ago. For some reason I remember a pic being taken in the wax museum, me standing beside Alfred Hitchcock! Of all the people there, why did I choose to stand beside him? Maybe because I was into Hitchcock books at the time. I haven’t been to England in a very long time, but was in Scotland 3 years ago. If I do go back to England now, I’ll be much more interested in the history, although, while standing in a museum in Scotland, while looking at artifacts from another country, I couldn’t help thinking it was not where they belonged. Some had been returned, but some had not. So …there’s that…. the history, I mean. I too watched Diana’s wedding, don’t care for the rest of the royal family, but I did love and admire her and her death was so tragic. Like everyone else, I so wanted a happy ending for her. I plan on buying Whistler. Love Ann Patchett!
Pearl, I get you. I refer to the British Museum as “stuff the British stole” because THEY DID STEAL IT. However, I was pretty excited to see the actual Rosetta Stone.
The wax museum and Alfred Hitchcock! I would have never guessed!
Rex looks particularly full of exuberant joy in that photo! I am sure he was delighted to have you back. And hooray for getting the weeding under control!
I just love hearing about your time with your grandmother and how she inspired this long-term love for the royal family. I cannot imagine waking up a six-year-old in the middle of the night, and yet it sounds like it was truly a formative memory and such a wonderful bonding moment. What a testament to the importance of taking opportunities to build connection even if they may feel inconvenient. (I am not saying that your grandmother felt inconvenienced in anyway! I am just thinking of myself. There have been times recently where my kid wanted to get up to see the blue moon, for instance, and I was not into it because I want her to have a full night of sleep. But maybe the experience of waking up together and seeing something special would have been a better choice. )
Suzanne, that is it exactly. Who among us would have gotten our six year olds up for any reason? I mean, my sons were in kindergarten and grade one for the Will and Kate wedding and I sure as hell didn’t get them up (although I will say their interest was…scant). I feel like my parents were not there, and Grandma was babysitting me, but I don’t know that for sure. I do know that it is kind of wild to get a kid up that early AND it led to one of my favourite memories, so this is something to remember if I should ever be so lucky as to have grandchildren!
Nicole, I also had a grandmother who was not a fan of Camilla Parker-Bowles! In deference (or maybe fear, I don’t relish being haunted) to her memory, I will not tell you what she said, but it was not polite ;-). I hope your groomer returns soon, the extra house cleaning that comes with a dirty dog is no joke. I am trying to figure out how to keep Walter Melon cool in this heatwave. He will swim, but the lake is two hot trains and a 2.5 km walk away. He refuses to be bathed, we don’t have easy access to a garden, and he is deeply suspicious of the watering can. For now I’m squeezing a wet sponge over him, which he tolerates but also suspects.
I don’t even think I could get away with a wet sponge, to be honest. I do not know how the groomer handles him, but somehow she does. She’s tiny too, I don’t think she weighs more than he does! Ah well, I’m all for outsourcing the difficult things in life!
Lol I feel like your grandma and my grandma are right now discussing that whorish home-wrecker!
Oh, poor Rex! Although it sounds like he had a blast at his country club. <3 He's probably going to feel AMAZING when he's all cleaned up.
I loved London so much, too! I don't have as strong a connection to the royal family as you do, but it was just so beautiful there. We toured Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, too!
Yes, and I can’t wait because it’s hot here now – and he’s HOT.
London is fabulous!!!
Pretty sure if I ever end up in London, the sole purpose will be to recite, “Look, kids. Big Ben! Parliament!” as often as possible. Luckily, Tara won’t mind. She’ll be saying it just as often.
I plucked a few raspberries from my backyard orchard (err…fenced off raspberry area) this afternoon, and was dismayed to see how overgrown the weeds are. Sigh. There goes my weekend…
Mark, I mentally repeated it so much it just became part of my personality.
There’s nothing so delicious as berries from your own yard!
I just finished Whistler yesterday! SO GOOD! And how did I not know about the new Sedaris book? Ordering that from the library STAT! Your trip to London looks fabulous. I would love to see and do all of that. And I’m with your grandma. HATE Camilla!
In July 1981, I was with my birth family on a vacation at a resort on Lake Michigan. I remember seeing parts of the wedding on the TV in our hotel room. I don’t think it was live due to the time difference.
The new Sedaris is excellent – as I said, I was a bit worried because Happy Go Lucky was so…dark and depressing. But I think you’ll love this!
How did I not recall Rex’s fear of water? I mean, I just thought he loved EVERYTHING!
Grandma Fern cracks me up with her hatred of CPB. I mean, was she a homewrecker? I think the marriage was doomed to begin with, as he really wanted CPB to begin with, right? No matter, the marriage was never gonna make it. She was much too pretty and kind for him. 🤪
I cackled: “Look kids, Big Ben! Parliament, approximately one million times over our five-day visit. Mostly in my head, to the benefit of my marriage.”
I just finished my trip to Whistler yesterday after an almost 11-hour drive. IT Did not disappoint! I knew about David’s new book, but was completely caught off guard by Anne’s!
Hahaha NO, he hates water like you would not believe! Even on the hottest day, he will maaaayyyybe put his front paws in the creek to take a drink.
Suz, this is what I said to Grandma, it was doomed to begin with! I mean, these days anything goes with regards to who can get married to whom in the royal family, but back then things were different. I guess Grandma thought that if he committed to a woman, he should stick with that commitment, and she isn’t wrong. But yes, very complicated, very doomed.
Ah, memories. I went to London with my family as a young teen, and my brother and I were left behind at the Tower Bridge. Thanks for the reminder. 😉 (I would have loved to see Phantom in London. Alas, it was not to be.) (Also, I hate to say this, but… I have never listened to the Hamilton soundtrack. I know. Am I even a person??) I’m so glad you had such a wonderful trip.
Left…behind! Well! That would be an adventure for sure, not certain if it would be a fun one!