Wednesday 29 October 2008

American Reflections 4


I realise that my reflections are coming out rather negatively and I don't want to give the impression that we didn't enjoy ourselves, because we certainly did. The people we stayed with and met were a great joy, hospitable, caring, kind, fun which was way the most important thing.
Food however was a whole new experience, more than you might think. I calculated last night, reading back through my diary, that we ate out about 24 times. It's the American way. And one elderly relative said she hadn't cooked in 20 years. I don't think that meant she ate out a lot, she just bought stuff readymade. It's cheap and it's easy and Americans work hard enough to appreciate eating out. And yes, my family will say I am a food snob, but let's just say that on the whole I'm glad the prices were in dollars. Over- salted and over-sugared was the general lament. An example of the general difference in diets (well mine, if not yours,) is that it was nigh impossible to buy natural yoghurt. HoF says by the end of the month he could only get in one of the five pairs of trousers he took.
The top photo is of Beckie's at Union Creek, Oregon where we ate out for dinner and breakfast. Speciality: pie. Speaking of which, in Minneapolis, we were treated to outings to a pie restaurant where a flip menu at each booth illustrates the range of fillings on offer and to a milk shake parlour with an amazing array of choice. Fun, I confess. Years ago, when a small American in my Sunday school class said his favourite food was pie, I didn't really know what he meant. Now I do.

Growing weary with eating out, we searched in a supermarket for something for breakfast in our motel. All in one packet we got a juice carton and a bowl filled with cereal and a cereal bar. The coffee was free from the foyer. Not sure how the Pringles got in there.
So right now, we're enjoying eating in.
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Tuesday 28 October 2008

American Reflections 3


HoF prefers this photo for our anniversary

The second Jones reunion took place at Lake Zurich which didn't bear much relation to its namesake. There were fewer of us but it was still a joy to meet more cousins.
A surprising (to us) number of cousins are in to hunting. It explains something about Americans and guns, and incidentally, shows Sarah Palin is not a rarity. Guys and gals both like to go and hunt deer, pheasant and wild turkeys. My English cousin Betty remembers going poaching with her brother who was famous for his skills. I had always thought he did it for the domestic pot, but apparently there was a dealer who came to the end of the lane to exchange cash for game.
We are glad to be home. The acres of 'temples to shopping' which connect the suburbs were dispiriting and although we saw a variety of scenery it is in such large swathes and on usually straight roads that the impression can be monotonous. In England, every wonderfully twisty corner of the road brings a new view, and round here anyway it's of 'uppy-downy' countryside as the Irish cousin says. I reckon we live in the best place in the world. For now anyway.
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Friday 24 October 2008

American Reflections 2


This was a sign outside a Wisconsin Lutheran church. Some states do not allow churches to get involved in political campaigning. We heard a Talk Radio programme in Oregon where the presenter, who did all the Talking, said Obama was evil in relation to the abortion issue. It is a topic that divides families. I know my opinion on the topic but am not sure that the political arena is the right place to discuss it, any more than for divorce. One family we were with went on a demo. Their audience was increased by the traffic jam caused by the HoF inadvertently driving in the wrong lane in the street!
On the other hand, I'm rather impressed that the churches are bold enough to take a stand on anything. Would yours?
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American Reflections 1


A sign on the side of a warehouse. We also saw a truck, it's side totally covered with the slogan 'Jesus Christ is Lord not a swear word'. Such signs are fairly liberally scattered about. No wonder politicians court the 'Religious Right', the four churches we went to were well attended, and with all ages too. And that in spite of the fact that only one of them was modern in the sense of having contemporary music. It was quite puzzling. How has America managed to remain 'backward' in this area? I thought that in the countryside it might have been because the church played a central role in the scattered communities, but why then is our English village church so poorly attended? Moreover, there are loads of different denominations in America, one for every personality as my cousin said.

I would like to be able to say that it is because they are all full of the Holy Spirit, but I'm not sure about that. The ones we attended were all pretty relaxed though, warm and friendly, with laughter in the air. And three out of four were decidedly old-fashioned by our standards with hymns and choruses decades old, in spite of overheads.
I found the whole subject thought-provoking.
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Wednesday 22 October 2008

Return Journey


On our last day in Oregon we visited Multnomah Falls and did what felt like a month's worth of exercise in climbing up to the top. A mile the signpost said but it was a very steep, zizzaggy mile and felt more. We were treated in the evening to a meal in a snazzy restaurant by the Columbia River and found that there was elegant food in America after all, but at a price, so the HoF suffered the usual pangs of embarrassment.

38th Wedding Anniversary. Photo taken en route (pronounced rout here) to the plane back to Chicago. On Sunday at the last Jones reunion we were given a cake with Happy Anniversary iced on top. It was good to meet new cousins, and even some returnees who had travelled three hours to be with us again. I left my jar of Marmite with the English sister-in-law of our host. Tomorrow we fly back to England, via Amsterdam. Speak to you then.
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Thursday 16 October 2008

On the Farm


In spite of not taking any work clothes the HoF managed to help out on the farm and everywhere we've been he's been Chief Computer Fixer too.

The Horse Whisperer!
We have left the farm now, said goodbyes to the folks there and have one more day in Oregon before we fly back to Chicago.
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Tuesday 14 October 2008

Pacific North West


We made it to the Pacific, dipped our fingers in the ocean and picked up a small white pebble from the beach for a souvenir. Then we drove back all in one day to the cousins where we are staying in Clatskanie. This is the couple whom H&J met when they considered buying a farm over here, and they have since purchased this place where they have sheep, chickens, cats and dogs. They work extremely hard, both getting up very early and going out to work six days a week as well as the farm work. And they've given up their bed for us, sleeping in the basement.


Clatskanie base. It has been a delight to us to meet not only cousins but ones with 'like precious faith'. We have really enjoyed their company and had lots of laughs.
Have you seen a house before with the front door on the first floor?
Today we are off to Seaside, which is at the seaside, not surprisingly.
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Saturday 11 October 2008

Politics and Oregon


We explored Corvallis on our first night in Oregon and had our first independent meal in an independent cafe and brewhouse. I recommend Golden Glo. The second debate by presidential candidates was on the TV. Only the older folks were watching. Folks here generally seem to think that the selection on offer is a choice between two poor ones. One untried guy, who Chicago folk say has done nothing for them, and one rather elderly guy who's choice of running mate has alarmed them. We bought a book about Obama and left it with the Minneapolis friends. I think if you read about his fusion of Christianity and Islam, you would be alarmed. Have a worrying feeling he'll win though, because just like England before Blair, Americans want a change. They may get more than they bargained for.
I think it's bizarre seeing the Obama/Biden signs. Looks like someone's made an anagram of Osama Bin Laden.

Crater lake, the deepest in America. Really is as blue as this.

A native
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Minneapolis


Childcare

Skywalks ?think that's what they're called


Sculpture

Sorry if you're getting confused. We are currently in Oregon but it has taken a while to upload photos. So these are of Minneapolis, twin city of St Paul where we went by double-decker train from Wisconsin. We stayed nearly a week with friends who we met many years ago in the south of France.
Re our previous comment about women and trousers. It seems that the only ones wearing skirts are:-
New Agers with dreadlocks and flowery clothes
Muslims
Mormons
And one English female.
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Friday 10 October 2008

Maggie Mae


While we were in Wisconsin we were treated to breakfast out at Maggie Mae's Cafe in Oxford. Ruth, our hostess, rang to book a place but was told that Maggie had a sore throat and wasn't singing that day. She had just started cooking the bacon when the phone rang and we were told Maggie had just started singing, so hurry on down. We had a super breakfast of cinnamon pancake stack with bacon and maple syrup (yes all on the same plate) and refills of coffee while Maggie serenaded us with Country songs and yodelling. Apparently Wisconsin people are called 'Cheeseheads' but don't take it as an insult.
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Wednesday 8 October 2008

Oregon

We have flown west, put the clocks back another two hours and are having time to ourselves. The Head of Finance has been so sociable for the last ten days that he is quite done in. He enjoyed an extended time of silence at the wheel of a car today to recuperate. If you get out your atlas, or use GoogleEarth, you can see Corvallis where we are spending the night. The HoF has spotted these differences in America:-
All have syphon toilets and hence need large plungers for unblocking.
No-one drives diesel cars
Toll roads where you have to get off and pay at each interchange unless you are a local with an electronic sensor in the car
You can turn right at a red light
Most of the women wear trousers all the time
No-one has an electric kettle
Lots of people hang on to big old cars
Light switches, electric plugs and hairdryers are permitted in bathrooms
Service operatives, waitresses, station personnel are very articulate and polite
They do not all have enormous beds

Monday 6 October 2008

Moving on


Want one? It is called a segue, if I've spelt it properly, and the security guards in Chicago were using them. I'd love to try.

We are moving on from Minneapolis and the State of 10,000 lakes tomorrow. There is almost an English feel about it, with protected green walks around the lakes and pleasant shops. I particularly like the way in 'our' street, that all the house frontages are lawned and there are no driveways, cars being garaged at the back. We have had comfortable quarters and enjoyed good company and experienced various American eateries, including a pie restaurant and a milk shake one. Our waistbands are tightening. From tomorrow none of our immediate family will be left in Old Blighty which feels kinda scary, as if no-one is holding the fort. As for the American 'dialect', I am still having difficulty pronouncing 'Mall'. Just can't seem to open my mouth wide enough. Friday we went to the Mall of America, enough retail therapy to kill.
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Saturday 4 October 2008

Wisconsin and Jones Reunion


After Chicago we drove three hours north-west to Moundville, Wisconsin. This is the village where one Thomas Jones lived after he emigrated from our village in the Marches. His brother was my ancestor, and it was Thomas' letter to another brother and which he wrote in 1880 but was kept in the family, which eventually connected us. It was something of a miracle as the American family thought Thomas was an orphan and the village parish registers had Thomas recorded wrongly.
Here I am standing in front of the house built by Thomas' son and where his granddaughter was still living in when the family re-connected in 2001. What we didn't know was that a Grand Reunion of Thomas' children had been organised with us as the great attraction! So we displayed tree charts and photos, a copy of The Letter and the emails that flew back and forth as the connection was made. I felt like the Queen to have people so keen to meet me. It was wonderful to meet so many cousins.
AND there's another reunion in a different place planned for the end of the month
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Thursday 2 October 2008

Larger than life


More Chicago pics. I'd seen this place on the net, and wanted to see it in real life. The photo doesn't show the way the face changes expression, or the children playing in the water.

Gardens and skyscrapers.

Chicago by night. The streets did seem paved with gold.
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Wednesday 1 October 2008

Chicago


Here we are! If you've been wondering, we've been out of reach of the internet, or at least, of broadband for a whole week. Sob! What addicts we've become. Our first day in USA was spent in downtown Chicago, seeing Millennium Park with the Bean, above and the view from the Sears Tower, below.

We are enjoying seeing different aspects of American life, from big city, to suburb, to rural township. The weather was kind when we arrived too, and our summer clothes had an airing.
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