Living in a place that is dark, wet and deary in the winter necessitates a winter escape to the sun. We’ve tried a few places in Europe, but our favorite so far has been the Canary Island of Lanzorate. The four-hour flight straight south keeps us in the same time zone, and just 80 miles off the north coast of Africa. Ocean currents keep the climate mild year round; temperatures range from low to mid 60’s to low 80’s.  Being located north and slightly east of the island of Fue

Years ago, we discovered an alternative to vacationing in hotels. Across the world, we stay in apartments, cabins and houses rented through companies like Airbnb or VBRO. The concept might not be for everyone, but the extra space and interesting locations are a good fit for us. This lodging option is available in major cities, but we generally prefer places off the beaten path and that’s where vacation/holiday rentals excel. While we were living in Colorado, friends came to

My non-UK friends sometimes ask about the best time of the year to visit here.  My answer is always the same:  April through mid-September, unless you like to be wet and cold. I’m not being a smarty pants (I see how some might suspect that of me…).   The weather in autumn and winter in North Yorkshire is utter shite.  Every single day, the odds are against the sun breaking through the cloud cover. It’s not terribly cold but Minnesota standards but 40 degrees F, with rain and

Such a simple question, but it has the power to dramatically impact a person. My son and I were returning home from spending a month in...

Recently our family went on a trip exploring the channel coast in the United Kingdom.  Besides a number of the classic sites (e.g....

I’ve been lax in posting lately. We’ve been on two big adventures in the last three months, and the weeks have sped by without me sitting...

Every Monday and Wednesday night, the ponies watch Dennis leave with a giant stinky black bag and two giant sticks. This week they...

When my nieces and nephews were kids, they referred to me as Cool Aunt Paula. They are all grown up now and have kids of their own. I...

It only seems right that the upon their arrival to North Yorkshire the ponies should be introduced to their horse neighbors. The size...

Today Dennis and I went out for a drive and we took the pretty ponies along. We hiked to the top of the Coldstone Cut and showed the...

People all across England and Scotland had pancakes tonight for dinner and so did we. Why, you ask? Because it’s Shove Tuesday. Yeah, I...

Saying the past week has been hard is a monumental understatement. I traveled over 4000 miles to lay my father to rest. As I wait in the...

In the past few weeks, I've had to dig deep. My father left this world and I found solace in expressing my feeling with words. I'm proud...

The contents of this post appeared in the January 2nd issue of the Courtland Journal newspaper published in Courtland, Kansas. I was born...

One of the best parts of living in English is that you are surrounded by so much HISTORY. About 10 miles from our house is a place called...

In my quest for fulfillment, I volunteer for a program called “Digital Champions”. The program helps anyone needing assistance conquering...

This acronym makes U.K. high school students and their parents’ cringe! During the past year, our lives revolved around something called...

Last month our family lost a very important and furry member.  Spruce drifted off to sleep for the last time on a Saturday afternoon. His...

Most farmers are the salt of the earth kind of people. They don’t count hours, just work until the job is done. Farmer are always amongst...

We are fortunate to live somewhere with a several supermarket chains that offer everything you could want. There are, however, some...