Tag Archives: California

Bonfire Night and A Drive in the Wilds of Wiltshire

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot! (English Folk Verse, c 1870) When we lived in America, the ushering in of November brought … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood Memories, Family Traditions, Friendship, Mothers & Sons | Tagged America, Bonfire Night, California, Childhood memories, Family Traditions, Fireworks, Friendship, Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes Night, Mothers and Sons, Seasonal Traditions | 88 Comments

The Cry of the Vixen Fox and a Homemade Halloween

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

Last week, Hubby and I took Aspie Daughter to the local joke shop to visit the Halloween display there. It is gruesome, bloody and foul and my daughter loves it. She bought a few wonderful items such as a skeletal, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asperger's Syndrome, Childhood Memories, My California, Suffolk Tales | Tagged Asperger's Syndrome, California, Childhood memories, Children, Ghosts, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Red Fox, Sewing, Suffolk, Vixen Fox | 53 Comments

James Hadley Chase and American Pancakes

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

The first time I ever read a book by James Hadley Chase, the brilliant author of American noir genre crime novels spanning from 1939’s ‘No Orchids for Miss Blandish‘ to 1984’s ‘Hit Them Where it Hurts‘, I was all of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, My California, Recipes | Tagged American Pancakes, Betty Crocker, Books & Reading, Britain, California, crime novels, James Hadley Chase, Los Angeles, Noir Genre, Pancake Recipe | 37 Comments

Remembering 2001 and a Birthday Kingfisher

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

Do you remember where you were on the evening of September 10th, 2001? I remember it well because I was quietly celebrating my birthday with my lovely children and their father having dinner at a local steak house in our … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds of a Feather, Current Affairs, Family Life, Family Traditions, Musings, Nature & Wildlife | Tagged 9/11, Birthday, California, Celebrations, Current Affairs, Diana Princess of Wales, England, Ex-pat, Family Life, joy, Kingfisher, Loved Ones, Musings, Photo of Kingfisher, sorrow, Twin Towers, USA, World Trade Center | 26 Comments

The Great British Staycation and A Brew Up California Style

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

A news report stated that due to the Great British Summer we recently enjoyed (all three weeks of it, now, sadly, just a distant memory…), travel agents were reporting a twenty percent drop in booking for last-minute getaways to the … Continue reading →

Posted in My California | Tagged Brew Up, Brighton Beach, British Staycation, California, Childhood memories, Family Life, Holiday, Pacific Ocean, Picnics, Seaside, Tea, Tupperware, Wicker Picnic Hamper | 17 Comments

Ladybird, Ladybird, Fly Away Home…

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

Well, it had to come to an end sometime. After more than two weeks of uninterrupted sunshine and soaring temperatures here in the UK, with yesterday being the hottest, and stickiest day yet, the heat wave has broken. We are … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood Memories, Current Affairs, Family Life, Garden Snippets, My California, Nature & Wildlife | Tagged British Summer, California, England, Garden Centres, Gardening, Gardens, Greenfly, Heatwave, Ladybird, Ladybug, Met Office, nature, Roses, Thunderstorms, West Country | 11 Comments

Of Mad Dogs & Englishmen & A Very British Heatwave

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

So the heat continues to rise here in the UK, and it is hot! On Saturday the thermometer in our garden read just over 38 degrees centigrade (100 degrees farenheit) in the sun! Now that is hot! Of course, being … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood Memories, Current Affairs, Family Life, Musings, My California, Photos | Tagged beach, British Weather, California, Crete, dry heat, Heat wave, humidity, Musings, Noel Coward, Photos of beach, Summer, Sunbathing, Sunshine, Thermometer readings, video games | 30 Comments

Our Spooky Loft, A Queen Wasp & it’s Hasta La Vista, Baby!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

I don’t like going into our loft at the best of times for two very good reasons: For one thing, last summer, when I had to go up there for something (always looking for ‘something’), just as I poked my head … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Life, My California, Uncategorized | Tagged attic, California, cats, Hasta La Vista, husbands, loft, spooky movies, travel, Vacation, wasps | 15 Comments

Spring Is Sprung & My Hummingbird Tale

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

Spring is sprung The grass is rizz… I wonder where the birdies is? Every spring time I think of this little poem; it takes me right back to when I was nineteen and working at the Post Office in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Life, Garden Snippets, My California, Sweet Robin | Tagged California, divorce, England, English Garden, English Robin, Family Life, hope, Hummingbirds, San Diego, Spring, travel | 30 Comments

A Fridge Magnet’s Wisdom & My Little Gardening Man

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Sherri Matthews

It felt positively spring-like on Wednesday. The sun shone all day! It’s all gone downhill since then. Today, Friday, and its back to more rain in the air, although not quite so cold so things are looking up I suppose. “Perhaps we shall … Continue reading →