Many of the local people that we have encountered are fed up with all the rain here in England. I do feel for them, but secretly, I'm still enjoying this wetness. It is still both fresh and novel.  Not so for folks who must deal with rising rivers and floods (in Scotland and parts of Wales, heavy storms have created real problems for many towns). That is a totally different situation, and if I were presently living there, I would not be so enthralled with these high amounts of rainfall.

But, where I come from, the days are mostly dry, hot with sunshine that lingers long past the summer season.  My hometown is a place where rain is scarce.  So for now, to be here with such moisture is a pleasant respite.  In fact, bouts of rain induces me to attempt some delayed laundry chores and reward myself with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a bit of book reading, which for me, is a throughly enjoyable task.  I have recently had a good read, Dodger, a tale by the marvelous Terry Pratchett.  Now, I'm having fantasies of molding my poor writing skills into something past the filling out of forms level and note taking level.  Reading, pushes me to read more.
I've also left behind my old grammar book back in the U.S. but only because it was so darn bulky and I needed to bring more pants. The hunt for a simple grammar book was in the process, when I happened to stumble upon a very small English grammar book in a local charity shop.  Here in England, a few T.V. morning shows have lively discussions about grammar and how to avoid americanisms, which apparently are creeping into the lexicon.  I will avoid saying, "I got down off my bicycle," and simply say, "I got off my bicycle." To be safe and since I don't have a bike here, I plan to avoid saying this particular phrase altogether. I'm a thick headed clod, but  a clod that's determined to improve, so I do apologize for any and all errors. Where is the proof reading icon on this page, because I don't see one.  Enough about grammar. (Fragmented sentences go with my style of thinking too!)

There are large segments of time when the rains cease, clouds drift to reveal a blue sky, a sky so gentle; a Turner landscape come alive.  Blue skies compel me to march myself into town to gather what I need from the local markets and clear, dry sunsets invite a velvety night sky to show me her stars.  So many sparkling stars brings forth childhood tales of Peter Pan and Mary Poppins.  Bundled in a warm coat, both my husband and myself, will take a leisurely stroll into town for a bite to eat, where  there are many fine choices, nothing grand, but restaurants which are clean, and serve flavorful food. Places imbued with coziness and persons imbued with a cheerfulness that coaxes you to return; these are all delightfully satisfying to a frightfully unsophisticated, newcomer like me.

In terms of taste, for most of us Americans, including myself, the high salt content is normal, but what I have experienced here and have found to my liking, is that less salt truly does bring out the flavor and essence of what has been prepared.  At home, I tend to use less salt and infuse more spices, herbs or broths in to my recipes, avoiding sugar, if possible. (fresh fruits or fresh juices can add both flavor and sweetness for my tastes) On a recent British cooking show, cook demonstrated and created sweet, chocolate brownies and mini cakes, that had been baked with red beets, both flesh and juice.  Avoiding over salting and sweetening is fine with me.  Cakes, biscuits,  (cookies for us yanks), tarts and other bakery delights are mildly sweet, not over done, and this is just fine for my tastebuds and my waistline which I think is diminishing from healthier fare and smaller portions and from so many walks to here and there.  Now, except for the truly sinful desserts, such as sticky pudding, then sugar, honey or caramels are king.  Here in England, the sticky pudding is not for the faint hearted or any one who works in the field of dentistry.  I mean, sticky pudding is killer sweet and too yummy for mortal words.

The Nags Head, a fantastic little country restaurant with some gourmet flare, and fine dining, serves up the sweet dish to perfection, in my view.  The Nags Head is a place not far from where we live and their sticky pudding dessert sent me into an immediate food comma, even after sharing the sticky pudding culprit with two other adults, I was drunk on the sweetness of it all.  This dessert should come with a its own warning.  This evil darling of a dessert was demolished in an appropriately slow speed and in a well mannered style.  This is the truth as best as I can recall. (Only a week ago.)

Taking this as a sweet spot to pause and seeing the sun peeking past those billowing clouds, I'll now tromp into town, if only to stand for a few seconds in front of of a certain bakery shop, to take large whiffs of trays of alluring little pastries all snuggled together.  It will be a fine test of wills, then on to grocery shopping and house duties!

May your experiences today, whether large or small, be good ones, encouraging and soul enriching. From, the scribbler.