Canadians Invade Birmingham

Yesterday was a lovely Saturday here in Brum. The sun was shining, the autumn leaves were falling and my old friend Stefania came to visit me! I'm sure anyone reading this has a friend or two like Stef; you all have a friend that you are at ease with no matter how much time you have spent apart. Apart from the occasional email or letter, Stef and I have had no contact since last year, and yet, I can just talk to her like any of my close friends. Honestly, sometimes our conversation revolved around mundane things like what books we'd been reading and what Canadian foods you can buy in the UK.But I guess that's because we go way back.

We decided to forgo seeing any of the sights, really, and just spend our day catching up. We took a walk around the Bull Ring, had a coffee at Starbucks and took a stroll through the farmer's market to buy some beets and parsnips for my Thanksgiving meal. Then, I took her back to the house for a tour and some lunch and we had time to go for a walk on the High St. I am excited for our next rendez-vous, when I can visit her in London!

Today, I slept in really late. There was no morning service for church because the roads are all blocked off for the half-marathon. So, I took my time getting up and just spent the day hanging around the house with the family. I showed the Mum my Martha Stewart Halloween magazines and now she's decided we're having a party! I've dog-eared a bunch of the pages with the ideas I like best.

I am reading 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' by Alison Weir. It is more of a history book than a novel, but I am really enjoying it, so far. Henry VIII was pretty scandalous, so it's pretty interesting. It's especially cool to read the descriptions of all the ornate clothing and elaborate pageants and banquets that went on. If you like Western History, pick it up!

Tomorrow, I will make Thanksgiving dinner for the England family. Turkey, stuffing, turnip, potatoes, roasted veggies, pumpkin pie (if I can find the filling) and apple crisp. I might have to save my mopping for Tuesday so I have enough time to cook all this tomorrow. Wish me luck!