USA to the UK - a friend visits

This past week we have enjoyed the company of Joan aka Marmepurl (Knit One, Raised 4).  You may remember last May we paid a visit to her lovely home in Virginia and she has kindly graced us with a return visit.

We have had a great time and its been fun showing her around our next of the woods.  We spent time visiting Burwash Manor, Ely, Madingley American Cemetery, Cambridge for the colleges and punting, the Gransden Show and even managed a good walk and some knitting, and of course lots of talking.

Burwash

Ely

adding to the prayer net in Ely Cathedral

The new visitor's centre at the Madingley American Cemetery is well worth a visit.  Very thought provoking, photos from the Cemetery's page

Cambridge

Country life at the Gransden Show - all the family came too

this is the only photo of me and Joan!

Our five days together went so fast and we managed to pack in plenty considering the jet-lag. The weather was very kind.  

On behalf of my family I would like to thank Joan for her lovely gifts; they were all greatly received, and I will be sharing the yarny goodness that she spoiled me with in a future post.

Until the next time.....

Spending time with Rufus

Yesterday we went to visit, it was hot so we went on the Harley, gave our new helmets an airing, realised it doesn't have a visor and my old one doesn't fit, need to rectify that before going to France.

Anyhow you want to hear about Rufus not Harley's. He was being fed when we arrived so I patiently waited for him to finish so I could get my hands on him. As you can see he is filling out nicely, he now weigh 8lbs 11.5oz. It was suggested that Tim and Rebecca might like to go out for some lunch and leave us to mind the baby.  We could see the look of panic on Rebecca's face! What will they do to my baby, I've only had him a short while, can they cope.... you know the kind of thoughts that go through your head.  Anway she reluctantly went leaving us in charge. 

Out came the camera and here are some of the resulting pictures.

After about 15 minutes of this he started to get grizzly, so we popped him in his pram and decided to take him for a walk.  As Peter wanted a pork pie - the butchers in Stamford do a really good pork pie, we headed down into town.  Over the recreation ground we went, volume getting louder so I finally relented and gave him his dummy (pacifier) and like magic he quieten down and went to sleep - see above and this is how he stayed.  We bumped into his parents on the market, and once Rebecca saw he was sleeping peacefully went off much the happier. Pork Pie and some cakes bought we picked up some lunch and headed back to the park where we sat in the shade while our little man slept on peacefully. Returning him home around 2:30.  It was such fun to be allowed sole charge of Rufus for a short while, so thank you Rebecca and Tim, be rest assured we would never let anything happen to him.  Hoping this is the first of many such outings. 

Being a grandparent is so wonderful, all the joy and non of the anxiety