Trail

Why yes, yes I did complete my writing goal this weekend. Thanks for asking! Now I have a new goal. March 15. Contest entry deadline.
 
One foot in front of the other. Walt Disney once said..."It's kind of fun to do the impossible." Onward! Now back to England I go for this post!

Remember...we're in Jane Austen territory!

Once we settled into our bed and breakfast and had a bite to eat, we went for a walk through the village. Our innkeepers gave us a trail map. And not just any old map. A Jane Austen Trail map!

Come on along. I'll show you the highlights.

 I have to admit, I'm really bad at reading maps. Like, really really bad. Just ask Mr. Wonderful. When we started, I thought there would be signs for every stop along the way. Wrong!  Not that simple. You actually have to read the map. Go figure!  I'm so lost without my hubby. Just saying!

First stop. 1 High Street.
A place Jane Austen dined at one time.

4 High Street
Jane Austen doctor lived here. 

10 High Street
Bank

Swan Hotel and 31-33 High Street
The coach stopped here. Jane hitched a ride sometimes from here to London.

74 High Street
Surgeon home

89 High Street
The family who worked on the cottage that is now the Jane Austen museum once lived here.

106-110 High Street
Jane Austen brother James once lived here.

 

This is a photo of the village. I could live here. Easily. It's just a quaint little place to amble down the streets at a quiet pace.
And to be so close to where Jane Austen walked. Oh the joy. I love English villages.

That and the smell of lavender. Go ahead. Take a big whiff.


 

 

So glad its cold outside

I will make this brief.

I'm so glad it's cold where I live. That sounds crazy because right now it's tundra cold. Like Polar Vortex cold.

I have spent the last three hours writing and editing my work in progress for a contest entry. It would be quite distracting if it were nice outside.  What I do for fun!

I'm definitely working my word these days. Intentional. Deadlines help. For a good portion of this month, I have been eat, sleeping, and breathing words. Lots of words. But, I love it. And this is where I will be for the next few days.

See you Monday.

Eating out

Pubs in the UK.
Each one unique in their own way. Most are like entering your own dining room and all have a cozy feel to them.
Take the George, for instance.

A pub our innkeepers highly recommended.

An inviting sign as we peered inside.

"My kind of place." I winked at my hubby.

"I'm guessing we're staying," he replied.

He knows me.

We could have taken a spot at the picnic tables outside, but opted for inside instead.

 See what I mean? Homey.

  Warm and welcoming.

Melt in your mouth, amazing. And the oil and vinegar...WOW.
The bread was obviously homemade and just the right warmth. We had seconds!

Just the right amount of food. England has the portion control thing figured out. We could learn from them.

The George. I highly recommend.
I try to find places such as this pub where I live here in the states. I'm not a fan of chain restaurants. My goal is to always eat somewhere warm and inviting. They're out there. You just have to look a little harder here in America. Eating out just takes a bit of strategic planning and a desire to not just eat, but have an experience while dining.   

Plaques

Did you know blue plaques can be found all over the UK? They're basically a historical marker  commemorating a link to the location of a famous person, event, or sight.

It's true! I found myself keeping an eye out wherever I ambled in England.

They're everywhere. You just have to look!

I kind of figured there would be one at his house!

Mr Wonderful even found one. And to know it is a favorite movie character was icing on the cake for him.  Bond. James Bond!

Our Innkeepers told us to keep an eye out for this one particular plaque while we walked about Alton. We had a good chuckle.  Quite sure the owner of this home gets a good giggle when he sees tourists stop and have a look. Clever I say. Clever.

Book Club

For being such a book lover, I have never been in a book club.

I have a good friend that raves about hers. The group has been reading together for over sixteen years. Sixteen years.
This is my year of intention. Time to find one. 

Not long after deciding, I happened to be at my library. As fate would have it, there at the counter in plain sight was my invite. Don't you love the advertisement? No need to try and persuade me. I was all in. Where do I sign up?

 The first meeting is next week. We travel to different restaurants in the county where I live. Books and food. Win win! The first four books have already been chosen.
What I already knew about book clubs is that the picks are usually ones you probably wouldn't choose to read for yourself. Different genres are good. Keeps you well read.

Here's the first book of the year...

It's about hockey. That's all I know so far, but there's a deeper story within these pages. I'll let you know how it ends.

Bed and Breakfast

We made it to our first destination!
I got out of the car and literally kissed the ground. Driving on the wrong side of the road is not for sissys. Just saying.

So great to park the car and just walk where we wanted to go.
But first, our stay.

This is England. My happy place. Outside of London. The countryside.
We stayed at St Mary's Hall. A refurbished church in Alton, Hamptonshire. Otherwise known as Jane Austen territory.
Joan and Jack were our hosts. A lovely England couple.

Hubby thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Jack. They soon found they had motorcycles in common and that was that. Their conversations left Joan and I to talk of our own interests without the boys!

 

We had our own private suite. This bed and breakfast is exactly what you would dream an Inn to be in England. Pure loveliness. Delightful.

Oh to go back again.

Our breakfast table. Don't you love the woodwork?

We woke the next morning to breakfast and a card from Joan and Jack wishing us a Happy Anniversary. How lovely to have been in England on our 30th Anniversary. What a lovely start to a lovely day.

We felt special. Honored guests, to be sure.
With full stomachs, we were ready for our next adventure.

Here's a hint...Hamptonshire =Jane Austen.

Looking back

I've been spending the last hours of 2018 looking back.
I still can't believe I got to do all these amazing, wonderful things in this, my year of jubilee.  It's crazy when I think about it.

I don't want it to end, and yet, there's more than I can possibly imagine if I only just believe. 

It's all there, you know. The dream. All we have to do is think it and work really hard to make it a reality. 
I WENT TO ENGLAND THIS YEAR!

People...I got to go to my happy place in 2018! It was brilliant and spectacular and educational and splendid. I will go back again one day soon.   

One thing for sure, I'm going to enjoy the ride while I wait!
This photo was taken in front of a Bed and Breakfast we stayed at while in Oxford. It's so idyllic. The innkeepers have this great story of how they came upon this quaint place. One dream led to another and soon, they found themselves owning it!

Perfect setting for a Hallmark movie don't you think?!

May this be the year of intention for all of us.