So here I am, back in London now, settling into spending the rest of the week in an empty house. Dave won't be home from the USA until Sunday, and of course I am really missing Olga, whose presence I could always count on to keep me company. (Almost exhaustingly so -- she followed me from room to room!)
Fortunately, I have a lot to keep me busy. Yesterday I met up with an old school friend, Lenore, who was passing through London on her way back to the states from Scotland. (Linda Sue, she lives in Bellingham!) She'd spent six days hiking in the Scottish highlands with two friends, and it all went well until Storm Floris complicated their plans and they had to skip the last segment of the hike -- they were getting fierce wind, even worse than what I was seeing in Blackpool. Anyway, it was great to see Lenore, who went all the way through school with me, from first grade to 12th. Like my recent visit with Alan, another high school friend, I had a great time reminiscing and catching up with her life since. It's always interesting to see what people wind up doing. (In Lenore's case, she's teaching science, so we were able to compare notes on working in schools!)
On the way home I stopped into a stationer and bought a small, strong mailing tube so I could send Gwynneth those rescued cake knives with the ruined handles. She spoke up for them and has a plan to give them a second life. I packaged them up with bubble wrap and put them in the post. I was concerned about the legality of mailing knives, but the Royal Mail web site says it's OK as long as they're not legally prohibited blades and they're packaged securely, among other things. I told the clerk at the Post Office what they were and emphasized that they are not at all sharp, and she was unconcerned. So hopefully Gwynneth and I won't be arrested.
In the afternoon I had yet another conversation with some lawyers back in the states about estate planning. You'll recall that Dave and I have been trying for at least a year now to get a will (or something) written, and it's incredibly complicated because we have assets in both countries, and we're planning for two legal systems. We thought we had a solution until a financial adviser here raised a red flag about it. Now my first lawyer has essentially bailed on the project, and has referred us to a second lawyer who has more experience working with ex-pats in Britain.
And it's time to start gathering stuff for UK taxes, too. Argh! The bureaucracy never stops!
Meanwhile, the garden is in its late-summer phase, with the red-hot pokers (Kniphofia) blooming, as well as Japanese anemones, Michaelmas daisies, cardoons and other August flowers.
I was pleased to discover two little cherry tomatoes turning color, deep in our tomato plant. We have at least a handful of tomatoes on this bush but most of them are still green. I feel triumphant knowing we will have at least a small harvest! I'm saving them for Dave to pick when he gets back.
Dealing with taxes in one country is bad enough, without the additional hassle of dual citizenship and a second country's tax returns.
ReplyDeleteAs our tomatoes develop I remove some of the larger leaves to allow more light down to the lower fruits to help them ripen.
Yours are looking good.
I remember red hot pokers as being red, yet I haven't seen a proper red one for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteIt is reassuring when the first tomatoes start turning colour!
ReplyDeleteHow the garden still grows! I love these reconnections with high school classmates. There are a few (very few) I’ve been thinking of trying to connect with whenever I’m in New York but I never seem to have enough time. We’re arranging to have our Spanish wills done finally. Spanish inheritance law is different from the States, so our current wills would be invalid.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to catch up with Lenore. I hope she gave you a few science lessons as you rarely refer to science in this blog.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had such a lovely reunion with Lenore, and here’s hoping the cake knives make it to Gwynneth without any unexpected drama
ReplyDeleteThose moments, when you recall doing something mundane with the dog but now you're alone, are so sad for me. I try not to take those moments for granted.
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you got to meet up with Lenore! It's special to see people who've known you your whole life.
ReplyDeleteYour cherry tomatoes are so cute!
It's so nice to meet old friends. The years just seem to drop away.
ReplyDeleteOf course you're still missing Olga. My girlhood springer spaniel, Punch, used to sleep at the foot of the stairs, and I used to step over the then-empty space for months after he left.
You're not alone until your pet's gone, true. They're company, sometimes a bit too much, as when my cats would wrap themselves around my neck in a heatwave.
ReplyDeleteI love the word kniphofia!!