Author: Jen

  • B Lush. MMmmmm, Yes, Please Do.

    What a strange few days I have had! The things which have given me such a fit before have started to become more comical and I think I feel a bit braver. Something has come over me that feels similar to armor, but with a sense of humor booster built in. They must have flagged…

  • The Caveman is Among Us

      Defending the Caveman, the one man show starring well loved Australian comedian Mark Little, is a witty exploration of gender roles and social opinion.  Upon entering the theatre you are welcomed into Mark’s slightly cave-ish living room, complete with cave paintings and Flintstones style furniture.  Mark’s spear is ready at hand–beside the remote. As…

  • It’s a Piece of Cake to Bake a Pretty Cake

    Sky news claims that 7 million London based workers stayed home from work yesterday and another 2 million played hooky today due to the worst snowy weather London has seen in 18 years.  Drew managed to walk to work this morning.  Living close to work has its benefits and its drawbacks…  I must say, though, I would…

  • Our First London Snow Day

    The snow has been pretty steadily falling overnight and throughout the day though the flakes do vary in size and the wind gusts come and go.  We’ve seen gently drifting ski vacation snow.  Then, there have been moments of blustery snow.  Mostly it has just been a constant dreamy downfall. Unfortunately, on my trip outside…

  • A Lazy London Sunday

    I would like to say that we went to the Chinese New Year Parade at Trafalgar Square this afternoon or to the fireworks display in Leicester Square this evening.  There was another cool event on my calendar that looked like an inexplicable mix of dance and art exhibit.  Unfortunately, I have finally admitted that I…

  • Of Bridges Burned

    While Drew was busy today, I joined Emily and Kerry for a walking tour of the area near St. Paul’s Cathedral, on the south side of the City of London.  Apparently Emily has become friends with some credentialed London tour guides, Keith and Gordon, whom I had the pleasure of meeting.  It is amazing the…

  • Curry

    Any blend of a number of spices, especially those used in Asian/Indian cuisines. (I used to think curry was a spice. Now, it gets on my nerves that people say they don’t like curry. If they say that, it is obvious they don’t know what curry is.) A meal that is flavored with curry or…

  • Freaky Friday

    I have no idea how to get off the phone with a Londoner.  There is a long string of “brilliant, excellent, absolutely fine, cheers, of course, lovely, just brilliant, tomorrow then, cheers, brilliant, wonderful…”  What can I say to let them know I understand that we are done talking and that we both intend to…

  • La Cage aux Folles (and an Interview)

    Along the river, near the North end of the Hungerford Bridge, the Playhouse Theatre is home to an extended run of the critically acclaimed La Cage aux Folles. Some of you are likely to have seen the film version which starred Robin Williams (The Birdcage), but I can promise that Graham Norton is stunning in…

  • A View From the Bridge

    I met Drew at his office and he grabbed a quick slice of pizza as we headed to the Duke of York’s Theatre.  It seemed quite the appropriate thing to do on our way to a play set in New York.  The theatre itself was the first proper English looking theatre I had yet been…

  • Do You Still Need Someone to Play the Lead Tree?

    My heart is achy (the good kind of sore, like you have the day after a 7 hour dance rehearsal) as I attempt to put a punctuation mark on the end of this week and begin a new sentence again.  As hard as it was to hear the recruiters tell me that I had not…

  • Blue. Blue Seven.

    I am married to my best friend. I can afford food, clothing, and shelter. I have marketable skills and an education. I live in London, a place where many people may never even have the chance to visit. This week there is evidence that more Americans feel hopeful. Although it isn’t always the most fun…

  • What if the Mightiest Word is Love?

    On this historic day it is still wonderful to be in London informally representing the country that has ushered in great change which will effect us on a global scale.  It is regrettable, however, to be so far from you who are celebrating–or at least witnessing–the changing of the guards.  Barack Hussein Obama was sworn…

  • What Day is it?

    On Sunday Drew and I decided to wander down Brick Lane. It’s famous for the groups that have historically lived in the area, the Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine offered every few feet, and the vintage shops and street market. The significance of Brick Lane’s history has been featured in novels and films. I had hoped…

  • Can’t Stop Thinking About You

    Today I walked a mile to my favorite grocery store to find out that it had closed early on Friday for a weekend of refurbishment.  The Grand Re-Opening on Monday won’t be in time to get the groceries I need today.  No bother, there are plenty of grocery stores in the area, I just thought…

  • Is it That Late Already?

    Sadly, I feel that there is very little news to report.  I have rearranged my CV so many times, and written so many covering letters, I am quite tired of myself.  I have lost count of the number of jobs about which I have contacted recruiters–or the numbers of recruiters I have contacted to be…

  • Where There’s a Will, There Something Good To Watch

    This evening in Leicester Square the critically acclaimed 7 pounds premiered at the Empire Cinema.  Crowds were already camped out when Drew passed through to go to the office today.  Drew attempted on his way home this evening to get a picture of Will Smith on the red carpet, but the lighting was poor. Lucky…

  • Hit Me!

    Hit Me! The Life and Rhymes of Ian Dury is a play wonderfully written by Jeff Merrifield, and well carried by Jud Charlton (playing Ian Dury) and Josh Darcy (playing Fred Rowe). There isn’t much of a storyline or a plot, but you don’t really notice until it’s over. The play is more of a…

  • All You Need is Love and Chocolate Chip Cookies

    While we were in Nashville for the Christmas holidays I took a trip Whole Foods for vegan chocolate chips. I was disappointed that the shelf had far fewer bags on it than I had intended to buy, but we will manage to ration them until May–or until someone visits. The point of the story is…

  • Reconsider Everything

    While walking through Green Park today on our way to take photos of Buckingham Palace, I heard a terrible commotion in the distance.  It sounded like someone giving a heated speech to a noisy and responsive crowd–like you see in old history films.  A detour down Piccadilly towards Piccadilly Arcade led us to the source…

  • Leaving Nashvegas

    The collection of mail on our doorstep is a testament to the great length of time we were afforded with family and friends. We didn’t come close to seeing everyone on the list, but we wore ourselves out trying.  Since our last post we saw two more beautiful (and growing) children and their parents and…

  • …and That’s Why They Call it a Clock/Radio-

    -because it has both. I noticed a few weeks back that my hair was suddenly a different color.  It had a darker, almost ashy sheen.  I wasn’t the only one that noticed, either.  Everyone that noticed seemed to think it was a nice change.  Though I did wonder what had brought about a sudden change…

  • Treacle

    You can read all about treacle on Wikipedia, but basically you can use it as a substitute for molasses in recipes. This is important to know if you are making chocolate chip cookies.

  • Here’s What I Know

    On days like today I have time to realize (or rather, run out of time to avoid) how much really has changed for me in the last year and a half or so.  It’s like remembering that no one is holding on to your bike as you peddle like mad down the street.  Usually on…

  • Wait, There’s More

    The longer we vacation in the states and the more questions people ask, the more strange things I remember about my new home in London.  For instance, toilets are shaped funny.  I had forgotten all about that, but in describing house cleaning to our cousin, that thought came to the forefront.  I can just say…

  • You Know You are Home When

    You have chores You can talk about gas – the kind that goes in your car and the kind that comes after chili You can laugh and cry when you need to You can tell someone that they are a little bit stinky You can ask for water and eat too much You can spend…

  • Where in the World are Drew and Jen?

    Northeast of Nashville there exist Christmas dinners consisting mainly of foods grown in a family garden and I have eaten some of the best sweet corn that grows on the planet.  There are so many family members to see, but not enough time to tell them what they mean; the last two and a half…

  • So, This is Christmas

    It is strange to be back in the town where we used to own a house, but don’t anymore – and it’s weird to be sleeping at my mom’s when I used to live in a neighborhood ten minutes away.  It can be disconcerting to recognize handfuls of people at a time where ever in public…

  • Wow, It’s Grey and Rainy in Tennessee, Too

    We have safely arrived at our Christmas Vacation destination.  I hope that our trip is not as exciting as the Griswold’s, though I do expect something really funny to write about. I have already had substantive conversations with two strangers and ran into an family friend I haven’t seen since I was kid, only to…

  • Can You Get Drunk on Hot Chocolate?

    Wow.  It has been a busy couple of days…  Yesterday I bought train tickets for my interview in Sutton and went to retrieve them.  Sooner or later I am going to figure out the easy way to travel by train, the way which does not involve going to some weird place to get your tickets…

  • He’s Right Behind You!

    This weekend Drew and I enjoyed ourselves at the Barbican Centre for two very different shows.  On Saturday we had a lovely lunch at the Waterside Cafe before enjoying a special showing of The Day the Earth Stood Still in a very nice cinema.  After the show we had dinner at Tortilla in Islington and…

  • Haberdashery

    A Haberdashery is a shop where sewing notions are sold.

  • Don’t Look Now…

    All this time I have had to make Christmas cards was foiled by my ignorance.  I’ve been searching for craft stores in London and I have pawed through stationery stores for the supplies I would need to glitter your mailbox.  Today I discovered something wholly new to me.  Haberdashery.  Mostly it indicates sewing supplies, but…

  • Would You Like to Dance?

    Where to begin… With a sequence of events not entirely unlike a roller coaster ride–the kind you wait in line nearly half a day to ride and get off feeling sick, exhilarated, and thankful to be alive–it’s hard to know exactly how to begin to tell the story of the last two and a half…

  • One More Small Hurdle

    I have been trying to be such a good girl this year, but I seem to be a magnet for slightly annoying chains of challenge.  There will either be nothing but coal in my stocking for the trouble I cause–or I will earn a medal by facing these challenges without developing a drinking problem in…

  • Take Me to Your Leader

    Who really runs this place?!  And why do I live in a country where I know so little about the government, its laws, and my relative role within this play?  I heard a rumor that they keep the Queen around because she brings in so many tourists each year, but I am intrigued by the…

  • Is Your Mouth on Fire, Too?

    Yesterday I got a new broom, cloth handkerchiefs, and a silicone device used in a frying pan to prepare foods like eggs or pancakes.  (I didn’t have to wait long to test out my new cooking tool.)  You would think Londoners never saw someone carrying a broom down the street before…  How did they get…

  • What’s That Smell?

    Term of the Day: Have a jolly good go Make the best effort (usually with light and fun undertones) While I am having a jolly good go at learning how to live the life of a Londoner, I also learn a lot about myself. I shouldn’t expect any less from this blip out of my…

  • Bits and Bobs

    Odds and ends.

  • You’ll Need to Bring This Back With You.

    Term of the Day: Bits and Bobs Odds and ends A good portion of normal, everyday Londoners order groceries online and have them delivered; they pop in to local stores for the random bits and bobs.  Within my frame of reference, that would have seemed very posh two months ago.  After discovering the challenges simple…

  • We Came, We Saw, We Chugged Hot Apple Cider

    So how about this new look, eh?! Props to a gorgeous webmaster and designer extraordinaire… More changes and updates to come, we hope you enjoy! If you don’t have something to drink and more than just a few free minutes on hand, go make yourself some refreshments and come back with a comfy chair. The…

  • Bap

    A Bap is a large, soft bread roll, usually 5-6 inches in diameter (like a gourmet hamburger bun).

  • MMmmmm.

    For my mom, who always wants to know what we had for dinner. Thanksgiving is alive and well for these two Huddlestons in London and we may not eat again until December.  Our lovely friends Virginia and Scott laboriously prepared for us a hand made vegetarian feast and allowed us to enjoy their sweet children…

  • Things for Which I Am Thankful

    I am one of those people who operates best with a plan and a deadline.  I also happen to be an extremely emotional person who attaches meaning to everything.  The flaw isn’t in my sentimentality or my best laid plans–it’s in the crying and pouting that ensues when Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t go as planned.  The…

  • Strange New Day

    Last night Drew worked well into the evening and he’s fighting a cold, so we snuggled a few extra minutes this morning.  He had decided to go late to the office if he woke up feeling as lousy as he did yesterday.  Though he didn’t sleep very much later than usual, it felt strange to make…

  • Simple Tips for an Easier Life

    As today was such a whirlwind, you will be treated to an excerpt from the draft of my upcoming book, under the working title I Still Need to Get the Copyright on This Stinking Book Title. I do hope you enjoy.   For the love of all things good in the world, pick one brand…

  • Biscuit

    (UK) Cookie–and sometimes cracker (US) Small, savory, bread-based food item eaten most commonly at breakfast

  • When You Put it That Way…

    Word of the Day: Biscuit (UK) Cookie–and sometimes cracker (US) Small, savory, bread-based food item eaten most commonly at breakfast A girl (and hopefully a boy) can be happy anywhere by creating little bits of familiarity around them.  What else is a house wife to do, then, besides make familiar foods?  I’ve tried something like…

  • Philately, Philatelist

    Philately: The study and collection of stamps Philatelist: Someone who collects stamps Correct use of these words in a conversation:  Hey, have you seen Dr. Philately?  I heard he had a Philatelist on the show the other day; apparently they are working through his addiction to that stuff on the back of lickable stamps.  Quite tragic,…

  • You Ought to be Ashamed.

    Words of the Day: Philately, Philatelist Philately: The study and collection of stamps Philatelist: Someone who collects stamps Correct use of these words in a conversation:  Hey, have you seen Dr. Philately?  I heard he had a Philatelist on the show the other day; apparently they are working through his addiction to that stuff on…