Hever Castle

I have finally arrived safe and sound in London, my final resting place for the duration of my stay in England. I am living in a little village called Edenbridge just south of London, but I will be spending most of my days shuttling children around in nearby Oxted. Pictures of those locations to follow.

The Olympics Are Sadly Over...

This Saturday we went into London to hear a lecture at the Christian Science Reading Room set up near the Olympic Park. At first it was hard to find because it was in a sort of shopping mall, but we did track it down just in time to hear Suzanne Riedel talk about healthy competition. There was a good group there - all the seats were filled and there were even some people standing in the back. It was crazy to be in London so close to the end of the Olympics, though. There were millions of people everywhere! The pink people, by the way, are very super helpful and friendly. And very pink. Every advert and ever shop window all over the city is Olympic-themed. There are also a whole lot of foreigners wandering around. If you're wondering what language they're speaking at the next table, just look over, because they're inevitably wearing their country's flag somewhere on their person. I just have one question:

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS!?!?

The Olympics, etc.

Let the Olympic games begin! This is an amazing time to be in England right now. In a country that's still skipping after the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June, everyone is now absolutely ecstatic that the Olympics have finally begun! I have never seen the British so proud to be British as they are right now. Although we Americans decorate most everything with our flag, the Brits have always been much more reserved about showing off the Union Jack. Not so 2012! There are flags everywhere! Jubilee bunting still hangs over many pubs and I've seen whole parks bedecked with London 2012 flags. Storefronts and private residents are waving the Union Jack high with proud in a way I never would have expected from this quiet (ahem!) island nation.