Day 11.355: Home

We have arrived home after a long but largely uneventful day of travel.

Thanks to all those who made time to make our trip to the UK so special - whether pictured below or not. And sorry to all those who we would have loved to see but didn't manage to connect with in our all-too-short tour.

And for those for whom the year doesn't still have ten days to go, Happy New Year!

Day 11.354: Exile #2’s Sunday Column #231

Exile #2 writes...

Round about the time we moved to Maine, friends of ours, and fellow Brits moved back to the UK from Upstate New York, where we’d all been living. Today we spent a little time catching up with them. As you’d expect, we were all a little surprised by the physical transformations in our “children” but in so many ways they were just the same. It was great to hear what everyone is up to, and to have a final wander around a pretty British village. Tomorrow we fly home.

Day 11.353: Little drummer boy

To be fair he only looks so small because of the large drum kit he’s sitting behind. It happened as we went to see our friends - one of whom played drums in bands with me for  many years from our teens onward. We had a great visit today - being suitably astonished by each other’s teenage children and solved the wrongs of the world as well as we were able over cups of tea!

Day 11.352: Oakham diversion

On our way from my sister’s house to my parents’ house, we had a very pleasant detour to Oakham to meet a dear friend, a pub lunch with one last opportunity for cracker crowns and a sunset walk by Rutland Water.

Due to traffic problems on the obvious route, Google Maps took us on an interesting tour of Cambridgeshire after we left there, but we still arrived just in time for me to join Dad in his regular Friday night gathering at the pub.

Day 11.351: Walk in the park

We enjoyed several more meals around the impressive dining table today although our numbers were slightly reduced. There were still fifteen at dinner and a good crowd for an afternoon walk - I’ll let you count if you’re so inclined

Day 11.350: Boxing Day gathering

Large family gatherings have never really been a tradition for us, but we had 18 around this spectacular custom dining table a couple of times today - my parents, their children and spouses and their children and a spouse and a couple of other significant others from that generation. We all had a great time.

Day 11.349: Christmas, UK

Our first Christmas in the UK in 11 years went well today. We spent most of the day including lunch with Exile #2’s mum and then, in the evening made the short cross-country drive to my sister’s where a large family gathering was well underway.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Day 11.348: Oldest friends

When A/B, C and D visited us in Maine when we were barely moved in, I stopped short of calling them my oldest friends, but we should probably stop kidding ourselves!

We had a lovely visit with them - here we all are today (thanks to C for the photo):

I suppose some of us have changed a little since last time a couple of years ago but looking back a little further to a few days before the Exile started - we definitely looked quite different:

Day 11.347: Exile #2's Sunday Column #230

Exile #2 writes...

It was another busy and fun day today. We started the morning at my Mum’s church, then drove to the nearby Cotswolds. We started our drive at the very lovely Burford, went on through Upper Rissington to Bourton on the Water. Bourton on the Water is apparently known as the Venice of the Cotswolds. That may be overstating things a little but it is a picture perfect Cotswold village, full of quaint shops and tea rooms, set on either side of a shallow river.

The river is crossed at intervals by a series of low bridges and fords (a road feature that the young Exiles found a little unusual). We meandered and had a little something to eat before rounding off the trip with a visit to a local attraction that I will leave for Exile #1 to explore more fully.

Day 11.346: Trip to Bristol

We found the third row of seats in our rental car and drove over to see Exile #2's brother and family. It was a great visit - with some good food, conversation, some early Christmas presents and some fun cousin/nephew time.

Day 11.345: Assignment

Out for a walk this afternoon, E5N1 told me that he had been told by his teachers (who have given him permission to miss a few days of school) to take photos during his trip. There were plenty of classic English views to choose from:

Earlier in the day, we braved the pre-Christmas grocery-shopping crowds. I found the whole experience in the ridiculously over-crowded supermarket to be an enjoyable people-watching opportunity and by keeping a cheerful disposition and a smile on my face, managed to collect quite a few smiles from other shoppers too.

Day 11.344: Boston to a "T"

We had a good and fairly productive today - having all had a much needed and decent length (if not entirely uneventful) night's sleep.

Our journey yesterday was marked by several hours in the international terminal at Boston's Logan Airport. We arrived early and left late which is not ideal but much better than arriving late. I was slightly surprised that the kids were keen to fill in the missing letter in this photo op but I guess we all knew we had time to kill!

Day 11.343: Arrived in the UK

Safely arrived in the UK. Rather tired but otherwise well at this end of the day.

Day 11.342: Ballet observation

Due to our trip, Exile #3 only had one of her five dance classes this week but since it is observation week, we were able to go and watch her be put through her paces in her ballet class yesterday evening.

Day 11.341: Snowy send-off

Maine decided to give us a send-off as we prepare to head to the UK tomorrow evening. Views of our street as we were going to bed last night and when we got up this morning:

At least all the indications are that the weather should be clear for our travel day tomorrow.

Day 11.340: Exile #2's Sunday Column #229

Exile #2 writes...

It was lovely to be back at HopeGateWay this morning, although my mind was a little occupied with thoughts of home (P - hope you’re feeling better soon). Exile #4 was hard at work, helping in Sunday School and counting the collection (not at the same time!), whilst Exile #1 and I shared a modernized version of It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.

Not a picture from this morning, but it gives the general impression!

This afternoon Exile #4 has gone out to party with her youth group. Exile #3 is head down, powering through as much homework as she can (although sadly not enough to prevent her having to bring the rest with her when we travel to the UK - such is the lot of a Junior). It’s hard to believe it’s nearly Christmas but I’m glad that it is.

Day 11.339: Like water...but you can stand on it

Exile #2 and I made it out for a walk in the relatively mild morning today. Despite the warm-up, there was some ice on the river:

Closer inspection revealed that there were quite a few gulls standing on it:

Why they would choose to be on the river, but on a bit that was solid rather than either on the ground or in the water is not clear to me! Maybe they were enjoying the view too.

Day 11.338: Tired

It's been a pretty exhausting week despite the slightly-less-manic evening schedule. We made it to Friday night and the weekend is looking relatively quiet - but that just means there is time for us to rush around getting ready for next week which will be crazy in a different way.

Day 11.337: Roles 2 & 3 for #3

Here is Exile #3 in her other two roles on Sunday - as a Jack-in-the-Box and a Rocking Horse. It really was a great show and the brand new auditorium at Kennebunk High School is an amazing venue.

Day 11.336: Holiday Concert - take 2

Although it's the winter concert, it's actually billed as the Holiday Concert. It was great - with the band, orchestra and jazz band as well as three choirs! Both the girls are in one of the two auditioned choirs as well as this full concert choir:

Did you spot them?

Spoilers below!



Front row 3rd and 5th from the right hand side!

Day 11.335: Winter Concert - take 1

The girls had their first Winter Concert performance tonight. We are going tomorrow - I hope it goes as well as they say it went today. Here they are looking fancy, happy and tired after they got home:

Day 11.334: The dark parade

Here are some more of my pictures from Saturday night. I'm too tired for anything else even though tonight was the one day out of seven with no performance (the girls had a rehearsal for their concert that is tomorrow and Wednesday nights).