What you get when you marry a Vet...

So, the two newest members our family!  About a month and a half ago, while I was in Germany watching my two nephews, my husband calls to ask if I wanted a kitten.  I was initially hesitant.  But when someone says to you, "It's been abandoned by its mother and it's too young to take care of itself, so it will die over the weekend if we don't take it home..." you don't really feel like you have a choice!  That is how little Parsnip came to live with us.  She's now about 10 weeks old and has already destroyed about 4 wires in our house!

Then, only two weeks ago, while I was at work, my husband called me again.  I guess I should preface this by saying that we have talked for a long time about getting a dog, specifically a black lab.  I grew up with one and absolutely loved her!  But Glasgow is not really the place to find a black lab in a pound.  You usually just find boxers and shelties (fighting dogs... tells you alot about Glasgow!).  So when he called to say that he had a 11 month old black lab who was going to be put down unless we took her, again, what can you say??  She had eaten something that required massive abdominal surgery and the previous owner couldn't afford it.  So a couple days later, not knowing if this dog was going to survive the surgery and the recover, we took her home stitches and all.  So far so good, though she's not fully house trained yet.  But Molly doesn't have a mean bone in her body... she could only lick you to death!

So as a warning to all my dear single girlfriends... just be aware that if you marry a vet, this may happen to you too!!  :)

P.S. That is our friend Rob who is holding Parsnip.  It was his wife, Fiona, who named her.  And they have kind of become adoptive godparents to her as they've taken her a couple times that we've been out of town!

November Fun

First... THE MISCHIEVOUS FULLER BOYS

The first week of November I headed off to Germany to see my sister and her family.  I haven't seen any of them since our wedding in June, but although this trip allowed some visiting, it was a bit more practical than that.  My sister was heading off to a conference with women from her church and needed someone to watch the boys.  So my job?  Watch the two boys, Scott who is two and potty training, and Joshua who just turned one while my brother-in-law Dave was at work.  Well, I think pictures will do it more justice...

The boys are staring out their back window at their neighbors new dog.

Joshua's favorite past time in the kitchen, rearranging mom's spice drawer and dumping them in the oven drawer.

Joshua... I think there's something on your face...

Scott's fascination with lady bugs.  

(Which, just for a note of interest, are called lady birds in the UK... weird eh?)

  The boys just having fun... I love their laughter!

Is October almost over... all ready??

Time is just flying by!  And I am failing miserably at keeping up my blog.  So here I am, repentant once again for neglecting to update.  This past month has simply flown by.  There have been a couple new things to keep me busy like leading a Bible Study with Rupert on Thursday nights, walking a friends dog a couple times a week.  There was a trip to Edinburgh for a friend's hen party.  And a lunch with a woman who is a midwife here and served for 20 years in Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand.  

Helen, the midwife, and I had a wonderful lunch, talking about missions and midwifery.  I was quite relieved to hear that when she first went to the field, she was quite nervous about using her midwifery skills without the comfortable surroundings of the hospital she was used to.  That is something I often think about... but to hear how she worked through that and how God provided for her was incredibly encouraging.  Helen lent me a book called, "My Seventh Monsoon" by Naomi Reed, an Australian who moved with her husband to be physiotherapists in Nepal.  The book is about different seasons in our lives, and how we so often long for the next season and forget to be thankful for the one we are in.  Something, if you have read my other blogs shows, that I have been struggling with.  Here is an excerpt from her book:

I guess the changes can be anything.  The people we live with, the town we live in, the church we attend, the roles we assume, the friends we keep.  The backdrop changes and we find ourselves in a season of adjustment.  The adjustments take our time and energy.  Sometimes it feels like it is taking all our energy.  We wonder whether we have anything left over and we decide that perhaps we don't.  The season feels too strange.  And it can go on for a really long time.  I guess the thing to remember is that we do eventually get there.  At some point we end up looking back and realizing that we must have crossed over the 'normal' line.  We don't even know when we did it.  Imperceptibly, ever so slowly, life has taken on its new shape.  It has become the new season.  We don't even recall what 'normal' is anymore.  Or indeed if life ever was.

That excerpt almost perfectly describes my transition to life here in Britain.  Life simply has a new shape.  And thankfully, I'm not fighting it (much) anymore.  Well, a new season for me will start in just a couple of weeks.  I will begin working as the part time secretary at our church.  No, this is not the nursing job that I had been expecting to get when I moved here.  But it is a job where I can serve the local body of believers, and therefore serve my Lord.  I am excited... a bit nervous not having done much secretary work, but excited to be getting to know my brothers and sisters here more.  

Well, I wish I could show you a picture of the leaves changing here.  It is quite beautiful.  Hopefully you are enjoying the autumn season wherever you are.  

Pictures from my new city

The top two pictures are of the St. George's Tron Church Halls.  It was originally the meeting place for the Free Masons in the City, complete with secret hallways!  But now, while the main church building is being refurbished (after 200 years), we are meeting here for all of our services.

The main church building is located on this street, Buchanan Street.  It is supposed to be the busiest and most profitable street in Europe (who'd have thought?).  You can see what it's like on a normal Saturday.  I can't imagine what it's going to be like for Christmas!  The church is the second building on the right. 

This painting is in the City Chambers.  It is the story of the patron saint and city seal of Glasgow.  Let me see if I can re-tell the story... The Queen of Strathaven was having an affair.  Her lover had given her a golden ring; but she had lost it and knew that if her husband, the king, found it she would be in a pretty sticky situation (from what I understand, Kings back then didn't take too kindly to being cheated on...).  So she sought help from Saint Mungo, who had a fisherman capture a fish, in whose mouth was found the lost ring.  The story goes that the birds in the trees sang and St. Mungo rang his bell, and all was better.  Now, whether the king ever found out, I don't know.  But St. Mungo made it onto the city seal, along with the fish, the ring, the tree, bird, and bell.  Great story, eh?  Just the kind of guy you want as your patron saint!  

No Recourse to Public Funds

Saturday morning, bright and early in the morning, we were awakened by the door bell.  No one but the mail man comes around, especially at that time in the morning.  So after the initial confusion (one always gets confused when one is woken out of complete slumber), finally Rupert hopped downstairs to open the door.  Standing at the door, the mail man handed him a stack of mail and a package.  This has been the common occurrence for the past 2 months.  The mail man comes, the mail man goes, and we are left with a stack of bills and an occasional letter or package.  After waiting each day for two months for the mail to come, I had taught myself to stop hoping.  So when Rupert nonchalantly came back upstairs with the mail, I didn't think anything of it till he handed me the package.  And there, inside, was the long awaited end to the last two months.  To finally have my visa in my hands was such a relief, such a sigh of release, like I had been holding my breath since I had sent it off in the mail.  To read the details of the visa, however, were a bit anticlimactic: "No recourse to public funds".   But why should I let that get me down?  I AM A LEGAL ALIEN! 

Sorry so long!

It's been a bit of a crazy mess with the internet company lately, hence the reason I have not written in a while.  Thankfully, that side of life is figured out and I don't have to make a special trip in town just to go to an internet cafe.  Here's some updates since the last time I wrote.  

1. Soccer here is a boy's sport.  They are always getting together, but the girls are left on the sideline.  A friend here, Karen, who grew up in Japan, and I have started a girls soccer team on Tuesday nights.  And we are having a blast!  

2. Rupert and I are hoping to start helping with the Thursday nights Bible study called, "Release the Word."  We might be leading a table of either young careers or college age.  We are excited that this will help us learn to be in ministry together.  

3. Walking down the streets of Glasgow one day, I passed Dr Corde from ER.  You know, the English doctor who married Dr. Green and had his baby?  But I was not stalkerish, so no pictures.  When I told my sister, Kate's response was, "Yeah, I got to tell Queen Latifa that I like her bag in the Chicago airport."  Gotta love our fascination with TV stars.

4. Today, Rupert started his new job in a mixed practice in Paisley.  It is such a blessing to have a steady job that has allowed us to stay in Glasgow.

Well, that's pretty much it.  Will update again later.  Hopefully will take some pictures too!

Rupert and I attend St. George's Tron Church.  This Church of Scotland church is located in the middle of the busiest shopping streets in the heart of Glasgow.  For those in the States, the equivalent would be the PCA denomination.  I love the solid doctrine, passion to spread the gospel, and commitment to loving the church.  This church has wide open arms and is so welcoming!  Last Saturday, we had "Tron in the Park" which was a play on words for "T in the Park", a festival held in Britain every year.  After a huge potluck lunch, we all joined in for "The Tron Olympics" which held such events as weightlifting, tennis, swimming, and canoeing.  This is a picture of Rupert competing in the weightlifting events.

 It was pretty stiff competition.  

And yes, for those of you who are wondering, it is a potato.  

Encouraging Words

I love the body of Christ.  God was so wise and so loving when He gave us other Christians to encourage each other and help us along in this race.  I recently emailed a woman who has acted as my mentor in so many ways.  I was explaining the difficulties recently experienced trying to get my visa and my nursing license.  To be completely honest, I was complaining and allowing myself to wallow in my own self pity (albeit, I liked to think it was a shallow puddle).  This is what she wrote back to me: 

"You know, the best place for you to be right now my dear friend is at home, creating a safe and comfortable nest for Rupert.  RN stuff and jobs can come later.  This is just perfect.  You are getting to know your new homeland and a new husband and being home gives you opportunity to spend time with your beloved Savior and create special things for your beloved husband... try new recipes, put some flowers around, add a new touch to the bedroom... create romance... make him feel welcomed as he comes home each day.  God has given you a gift.  I will pray for your license my dear friend but enjoy this special time." 

What encouraging words!  I am so thankful for such women!!  And so I just had to share it with you all.

This is one of my favorite wedding pictures from the end of the night when Rupert and I were leaving.

Good news first?

Rupert's job right now is with an agency that hires him out to different vet practices around the UK.  It's great in that he gets lots of experience, but not so great because you can't depend on always having work.  Last week Rupert had off and we spent the week doing little things around the house.  But this week he's in Derby (pronounced Darby... it's 5 hours away in the peak district in Derbyshire where Mr. Darcy is from!).  So it's not very predictable or steady.  But the good news is... (drum roll please...) he's got a permanent job!  It's in a nearby town and will allow him to work with small animals and farm animals.  We were all very excited about this.  In fact, there is an older gentleman at our church who has been praying for Rupert to find a job so we could stay in Glasgow.  We had him over for dinner the other night.  We thought being an older man he would want an early dinner and leave early.  So we had dinner all ready at 6pm, and he stayed and taught us the history of the Church of Scotland till about 10:45!  When we relayed this story to a couple of american friends here, they commented, "Old Scottish people are lingerers!"  We had too much fun with him!

Sorry, yet another digression!  But we are praying that this job will help prepare us more for the mission field, allowing Rupert more experience with farm animals.  As far as a job for me, I am still waiting on my marriage visa.  And I have started the application process a second time for transferring my nursing license.  This time I will be able to apply through the European Union now that I am married to an EU citizen.  Hopefully they will be a bit more lenient and helpful.  But until then, I'm here doing my gardening, meeting women for coffee, and tonight going to see Mamma Mia!  

A wonderful discovery

We are still in the midst of organizing our house.  Lots of little things are left to be done, like painting, setting up beds, going to the trash dump, etc.  One random thing we've been looking for is a nice mirror to go in our bedroom.  There are no electrical plugs in the bathroom (they claim it's for safety reasons) and so I'm left to blowdry my hair in front of the hall mirror, which can be very inconvenient.  Again, shopping for a simple mirror can be quite an adventure as we try to merge differing tastes and a tight budget.  So off we went yesterday to town to check out several antique shops.  In and amongst the Betty Boop paraphernalia and massive toy ship constructions, we did find some unique mirrors.  Unfortunately, we couldn't decide between the little golden cherub one or the massive silver filigree one.  Needless to say we left the shop mirror-less.

As we walked down the street, we found a shop I had only heard about, "Lupe Pinto's Deli".  The shop front boasted of mexican and american food.  We were quite disheartened, at first, to encounter curry mixes, thai noodles, and european coffees.  But there, at last, we found a small shelf.  It was as if I had discovered the holy grail.  Odds and ends of American cuisine awaited us: skippy peanut butter, bisquick, Aunt Jemima syrup, grits, canned yams.  Back in Virginia during nursing school I fell in love with a cornbread mix.  It is the cheapest one you can find on the grocery store shelf, but it is incredible (and incredibly easy... between the ease and the cost, it is a college staple).  And there it was, staring back at me... Jiffy Cornbread mix!  I walked out of that shop on a culinary high as my little bag contained double portions of canned pumpkin, Toll House chocolate chips, and jiffy.  It was a good day indeed.

Birthday and the rest of the week

Forgive me for not writing for the past week.  Last Monday, July 21st, was my birthday.  It was my first birthday as a married woman!  And Rupert did a wonderful 

job.  I had breakfast in bed and a wonderful trip to St. Andrews.  St. Andrews is known for several things... 1. the University (where Prince William and Rupert's sister Victoria went) 2. The golf course that is often the site of the British Open 3. The beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed and

 4. The city where the Scottish Reformation started.  Interestingly enough, the foremost opponent of the Scottish Reformation was a man by the name of Cardinal Beaton!  This man ordered the execution of numbers of 

protestants and even had John Knox jailed as a galley slave.  

What a wonderful heritage I have!  Haha!  But it's fun to think that (possibly) one of this man's relatives has come back as exactly the kind of person he would have executed!

Well, anyway, this past week has been full of more gardening, cleaning, organizing, and spending time with people from the church.  Nothing too exciting has happened... well, other than getting a FANTASTIC  coffee maker.  Yay!  

Ok, well here are some pics from St. Andrews.  When something more thrilling occurs, I'll be sure to let you know!

Traditional Scottish Games

Sometime, back in 450AD, a 

Scotsman came upon a stone and thought, "I wonder how far I could throw this... I bet I could throw it farther than Angus!"  So he called his buddy Angus over and said, "Angus, what would you give me if I could throw this stone farther than you?"  And of course Angus replied, "There's no way you could throw this stone farther than me!  Ha! 

 I'll bet you my best cow!"  But of course no good Scotsman is sufficed by the competition in something so silly as stone throwing.  Next came throwing a hammer.  Then a tree.  But it didn't stop there.  They wrestled, raced each other, tried to pull each other over a line, all to prove the manliness of one Scotsman to another.  

Ah, but today we are civilized.  Today a Scotsman has more sophisticated means of displaying his manly achievements.  What do they do today?  They compete... for a trophy instead of a cow.

Rupert took me to my first-ever highland games on Saturday.  I had a blast and of course had to share it with you all!

Settling in

There have been a lot of blessings these last two days.  I am in a waiting period.  I am (was) waiting for our marriage license so I can apply for my marriage visa.  For those who don't know, I arrived here in May on a fiance visa.  It is a six month visa that allows me basically to live and get married.  Now that we are married (yay!) I can apply for a "Further Leave to Remain due to Marriage" visa.  This grants me another two years here in the country and the ability to study and to work.  But until I have said visa in my hands, I am chillin at home.  Not much to do except clean, cook, decorate, write thank you notes (which I really need to get cracking on...), and garden.  A regular miss suzy homemaker.  And for those who know me quite well... the idea of this might be a bit ludicrous!  But here I am, doing the house wife thing; and learning to love the idea that I can make things at home comfortable so I can relax with Rup when he gets home from work.  (Rupert's work will have to work for another post)

Anyway, I digress.  I was going to tell you about the blessings!  On Wednesday, I received a phone call from our church office with them asking if I could come in for a bit to help out.  And then I had lunch with a new friend Caroline.  She will be marrying Kieran (the photographer from our wedding and one of Rup's best friends) in December.  So of course we chatted about weddings.  Continuing on in the blessings, yesterday our marriage license arrived.  Now I can apply for the marriage visa.  Please pray that it goes smoothly as we both would like me to be working, and soon.  Yesterday morning I eagerly awaited the arrival of (drum roll please) my shipment from the States.  I now have all of my worldly goods (minus three boxes remaining at mom and dad's) with me.  Which provides another means of entertainment as I organize them all.  All of these things are helping me to settle in here.

 

    This picture is just to remind me of the beauty of Corsica.  Currently I'm looking out my window at the picture of a typical balmy Glasgow day (60 degree and rain).  I love this city! :)

But their wives do!

As my husband and I basked in the warm Mediterranean sun on our honeymoon (which, by the way, was only a week and a half ago), I decided to broach the subject of a blog.  This was a delicate thing to discuss with my husband as I had quite an idea of how he was going to respond.  Here I am, your stereotypical military-brat american girl.  And there he is, your posh, boarding school englishman.  So any subject of online journaling, I knew, was going to be a bit tricky.  

You see, just the other day we had a "discussion" of what kind of bread to buy with our hotdogs for a cookout.  I, of course, went straight to the traditional white bun that any good ol' american would.  My husband's (at that time my fiance) face turned whiter than the bread itself, aghast at the idea that I would choose anything so refined, so disgusting, that would "sit like a rock in the pit of your stomach."  He himself went for the heaviest, nuttiest, how-many-grains-can-we-fit-into-a-loaf bread.  

So you see, there's a bit of difference in taste at times.   And I had a funny feeling that this was going to be one of those times.  I was completely justified in my feeling.  His response to my question, "honey, what would you think of me starting an online blog, so my family and friends can keep up with our happenings and see pictures and stuff" (you can tell I was quite eloquent in my request...) was a mere look of disbelief/you've-got-to-be-kidding-me/oh no.  

I quickly changed tactics and asked him if he had a blog, what would he name it?  Something witty, something ironic, something rupert-ish.  And thus came about the name for this blog: Englishmen don't blog.  It took me quite a while to get used to the idea of it... but I feel now like it is the perfect name for this American/British couple who can't agree on what kind of bread to buy.  (We have solved that problem now by making our own bread... praise the Lord for bread machines!)

So, this blog is for friends and family who wish to take a peek into our daily lives here in Glasgow as we figure out what in the world is in store for us.  Thankfully God knows that, and at this point, that is a major point of comfort for us!  

Goodbye for now... we'll talk again soon!