Apparently, some people believe President Barack Obama wants to turn the United States into a socialist country — with fears that this would be a terrible step in the wrong direction. Fair to say, most people with these fears have never lived in a socialist country. I have, in Britain, for 12 years. I thought…
I groaned about getting up at 3:15am, but it was well worth heading out to Stonehenge for the summer solstice celebration this morning. It was my second time out for it, and it remains a pretty mellow party. I also have to chuckle about how with thousands of people there, we still manage to bump…
Almost as if to wish me off, Queen Elizabeth II came to visit today. OK, she came to the nearby Larkhill artillery school, which is now being redesignated the Royal Artillery Barracks. A bunch of school kids were invited to witness the opening, and our youngest’s son’s class went. So why not — let’s take…
In case you missed it, a British professor found himself wrestled to the ground after jaywalking in Atlanta last week. It brought a giant smile to my face to read this, not because of the thought of this man being accosted in this way. Rather, it’s because I know from personal experience that Brits don’t…
Blogging on Christmas Day? With the children entertaining themselves with loads of gifts and visiting cousins, I thought it would be fun to share what it’s like to have Christmas in Britain. That’s especially after a good friend sent best wishes via email along with the joke, “Do you have Christmas in Britain.” He actually…
Despite living 10 years in Britain, I pretty much haven’t lost my American — Californian — accent. Sure, if I haven’t been back to the US for a month or two, I’ll have a bit of a lilt, in particular going up with my voice at the end of sentences. That goes away after a…
Saturday is Reeve’s day for us here in Wiltshire. That is, our weekly visit to Reeve The Baker. While I sorely miss not being able to swing by a Taco Bell for a seven layer burrito, finding Reeve’s was an unexpected treasure when we moved here eight years ago. If you’re heading by to see…
I’m a member of American Citizens Abroad, which is a non-profit group designed to help represent the interests of Americans who live outside the United States. Someday I’ll dive in deeper on our many issues, such as how we don’t get counted by the census and how we are a bigger voting block than some states, with our own…