OH for the love of England

Once again back in Ohio, and the weather is pretty typical for January, very cold, gray and rainy, somewhat  reminiscent of Wales ( the 7 years I lived there I think it rained most of the time).  

It was only a few days ago that I was in sunny Panama, and yes I'm missing the blue skies and sunshine, but honestly I don't miss the sweltering heat, being a Christmas baby I love the snow,  frosty mornings, and log fires.  I'm actually more comfortable in a cold climate.

My niece from South Africa has been in London for the past 6 months, and has just booked her ticket home because she can't stand the dark rainy days any longer.  January is often a miserable month, especially in London, but even in South Africa they're having rainy days, and when I think of living in a county where you have iron bars at every window and door, razor wire and electric fencing around your garden walls because of the enormously high crime rate, England suddenly doesn't seem that bad, even in the rain.

  

I miss so many things about England, in my mind it truly is the most picturesque country, the West Country and the Cotswold's are my favorite areas, with all their quaint little cottages, and beautiful flower filled gardens.  I love driving through the country lanes, where tall hedges form high walls at the sides of the roads, and tree branches overhang the lanes forming a thick canopy overhead. I love the solid stone buildings that have such a sense of permanence and history. I love the integrity of the British people,  the "what you see is what you get" no bullshit attitude. I love the way everyone rides their horses along the country roads, and the green, green fields that are full of grazing sheep and cattle.  The daffodils, bluebells and crocus that grow wild everywhere in Spring. I love the old country pubs with their log fires burning brightly in lovely inglenook fireplaces.  I get so excited about British produce, locally grown fruit and vegetables so delicious and bursting with flavor.  The cheese, OH the cheese, especially Cheddar cheese, produced in caves in Cheddar, there's nothing like it.  Yes, there are many, many things I love about my home country; so why am I not living there still, you may wonder?

England is a tiny island that has so much to offer, but on the negative side, and the reason we left to live in another country is quite simply the English weather.  I love blue sky, and rain free days, I love deep snow in the winter, but still with blue skies.  I love seasons; in England the seasons seem to all merge into one another, with no definite separation, October could be April, November could be March, August could be May, the seasons there seem to have evaporated. And yet I still miss so many things...

I love living in America, I love the weather here, even on rainy, cold January days, because I know those days will be of short duration, and the blue skies will be back in a heartbeat, I just have to wait it out.

Beautiful Wells Cathedral