Friends – Drew and Jen go to London

Lifeline

Jen — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:45:01 +0000

Anyone with children knows that sanity can be a hard thing to come by. Anyone surviving on three hours of sleep and one cold container of spaghetti over any given three day no-shower brand new baby cry and poop fest understands that a new parent is a always a minute away from calling it in during those first ten weeks (and beyond). Anyone with baby puke in their hair needs a lifeline.

Meet my local teamâ€“

Photo courtesy of the Wigleys

These gorgeous women have answered my call at all hours of the day and night. They have made me tea, sandwiches, cake, and more cake… They have laughed at my texts and my inappropriate emails. They have comforted me in moments of irrational trains of thought. They have shared their hearts and gone into battle with me. They have lent me things, allowed me to lend them things, given sage advice, acted like I was wise sometimes too, gushed over Kenneth, invited us over, popped around, breastfed in public with me, talked about poo, taken longs walks, arranged for girly cocktail nights and just been otherwise fantactular.

They are the mums of these incredible babies.

Separately, we second guess our every move as we dance and or feed in the dark morning hoursâ€“but together we make one helluva competent parent. We are a force to be reckoned with when we take on the town. It’s not entirely unlike a scene from Charlie’s Angels. But with fistfuls of teething rings and coffee instead of guns. And buggies and baby carriers instead of fast cars or chase sequences. Perhaps with less make up. And the explosions are a little different. Ok. It’s nothing like a scene from Charlie’s Angels; never mind.

Charlie should be so lucky.

Mama Got a Massage

Jen — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:04:23 +0000

This girl (the one who is not me), her name is Elsa.

She takes photos. Lately, she takes a lot of photos of my growing belly.

Well, she had this brilliant idea to send me for a massage.

Did you know that there is such a thing as a table for pregnant ladies who want a massage?

Yes. There. Is.

Thank you, Elsa. I feel new.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Other People’s Children

Jen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:33 +0000

Girls in wacky tights look good in photos with babies.

See, what did I tell you?

Some day, I won’t have to borrow other people‘s gorgeous children. For now though, it is a pretty sweet deal. That’s my girl Kassi on the left and baby Maggie on the right. Maggie’s mom and dad were on a date, but my other Thomas family members are there. (You might have to squint.)

The point is that I’ve been thinking about this whole baby thing. I am not thrilled with the wait or the struggles of late, but I am also scared stiff that I might find myself in fast forward. Maybe the best thing to do is figure out what lesson I am supposed to have learned and just get in the flow. That seems to be where all the cool cats are hanging these days… In the flow.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Jane’s Balls

Jen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:00:37 +0000

There doesn’t need to be a reason, but Drew’s awesomeness is as good a reason as any I can think of to make Jane’s Balls.

I don’t know what kind of crack she puts in hers that makes them so much better than mine, but they are and always will be. This run has been fairly successful, though. With constant practice, one day she might hire me to work as one of her pastry chefs…

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Placebo Effect

Jen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:00:45 +0000

Many more days than not, I think I should pursue a new line of work.

This new job should include color. And dancing. (why not?)

It wouldn’t be terrible if the new job included nap time.

For now, that’s what nights and weekends are for.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

The Last Straw

Jen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:48:03 +0000

The straw that breaks the camelâ€s back is usually a small thing. And most of the time the thing that helps you back on your feet is a small thing, too.

Thank you, Laure, for the precious gift.

And thank you for the right words at the right time. It was absolutely perfect.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Location, Location, Location

Jen — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:27:02 +0000

Once there was a girl named Sian. She taught me the slang meaning of ‘greedy gannets’ and other valuable phrases. She mentored me, trained me, and witnessed me singing Ice Ice Baby at an inappropriate hour of the day in what could be construed as an unprofessional move on my part… She was my travel buddy.

There is still a girl named Sian, in love with a boy named Mark, as I hear it told. These two best friends have taken off on vacation to the land of Oz where surfing is much more popular than in land locked London. And they might be on vacation for a long, long time.

I ache for them at the same time that my heart leaps for joy in my chest. With sincerest hope, I wish them both all the very best.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Fat and Happy

Jen — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:37:03 +0000

We three chefs of London, N1, have forged new Thanksgiving traditions…

Wine is a relatively new addition for me; and you can see that we really don’t need it. We are quite silly already.

First, we start with a big mess. Then we make it an organised mess with too much cream and/or butter while we pretend to look at recipes.

Eventually, it looks like this.

And we are happy.

And then there is pie.

I am not eating ever again until next year.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Missing: One Pumpkin

Jen — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:06:35 +0000

The days are growing shorter all the time, there are rumors of snow (did I just type that out loud?), and I think the hay-fever has cleared. This can only mean that winter is really here to stay its course this time. And here I am again making the grocery list that has too much butter… Finding the strength to celebrate, despite my mother’s leaving, has not come to me all at once. It has come in waves of responsibility and true thankfulness.

2010 has not been without challenge, but I think it has firmly sunk in how truly rich I am. What I have is miles more than I deserve; it would be nice to know that everyone wakes up to the smile of their best friend (I hope your best friend doesn’t tickle you before you are very awake). I’d like to know that everyone has the means to have big-family-gathering, Thanksgiving-style feasts. It would be great to have Dr Who style transport to all the places I’d like to be, but I’ve got a stable job — these days they both seem equally hard to come by. I have beautiful friends â€“- here, there, soon-to-be-elsewhere… Just sharing with each one a walk on the same stretch of road in the journey of life is an incredible gift I get to keep opening every day.

That family of mine… Dang, Gina. We cause each other a lot of worry; Drew and I both get that sensitivity honestly. But I do not have a doubt that I am always loved, completely unconditionally. If there is any one of us that doesn’t know that yet, he or she just isn’t ready to hear it, but it is always true.

There is nothing else I need. I’d like some of the green bean casserole that my dad is making, but I will have to wait for Christmas. But there is nothing else I need.

May you have everything you need, too…

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

A Song For You

Jen — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:40:20 +0000

â€˜You taught me precious secrets / of a true love withholding nothing…
If my words donâ€t come together, please listen to the melody /
[be]cause my love is in there somewhere hidingâ€

I have not said â€˜thank youâ€ as many times or to as many people as I should. In the aftermath of 2009, I felt loved at the least – if not carried.

Angels walk among us; I know because one of them sent me spoons.

There was also a sweet personal story, a recipe box, recipes, vegan chocolate chips, beautiful cupcake cups, and an exquisite apron.

The first thing these spoons made was Vegan Pistachio Rosewater cupcakes.

Maybe they weren’t as pretty as the photo in the cookbook, but making them was music to my soul. Who knew a girl could find so much joy in spoons and corn meal?

Thank you, Thomas family, for this and your many beautiful gifts.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com