follow-up to yesterday's random musings

1. Jimmy's traveling name is Nigel and Mac's is Nicholas. I still don't have mine and time is ticking.

2. We spent a lovely day in the town of Cirencester where I got a beautiful early Christmas gift (not opening until Friday morning, though) of a gorgeous silver bracelet that says "love conquers all" in Latin and made by a local silversmith. We also went to an artists' cooperative where we got this exquisite Christmas ornament made of handblown glass. It will be a nice contrast to the ornament Mac picked out in London, which is very big and very shiny and features the British flag. It will not be missed on our future Christmas trees.

3. Unless you happen to be in the neighborhood of Stonehenge, I wouldn't recommend riding 1.5 hours out of the way to see it, especially if it's raining and it's about 33 degrees. Soooo not worth the money we paid to take 2 photos in the freezing cold, driving rain. If you do choose to ignore this advice, don't wait until later in the day to go to Stonehenge in the near-freezing temps because when it's time to turn around and drive home, the temperature will most assuredly drop below freezing because the sun sets by 4:30pm, the roads will get dangerous and the snow (really a blizzard for somebody from South Carolina) will start to fall. The long trip home becomes even longer, which isn't so much fun with a 7 year-old in the backseat constantly complaining.

4. We hit a farm stand on the way home that was FABULOUS. We are cooking a traditional British meal of some sort (I don't think a traditional Christmas meal, but maybe Sunday lunch) for Christmas. I have my order in with the village butcher to pick up a rack of lamb tomorrow, and we bought all the veggies at the farm stand today. We're having potatoes, parsnips, brussels sprouts, and carrots, all roasted in goose fat (which we bought a jar of in Cirencester). Our friend Donald makes the best roasted veggies of all time and he (and the man in the Cirencester market today) said that goose fat is the way to go. We also bought our yorkshire puddings and the ready-made gravy with which to drown the said puddings. Oh and we bought those cute Christmas crackers that you pull apart and out comes a paper crown and prize. I can't wait! I just hope Santa finds us here.

4. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to the children's church service at St. James Cathedral here in Chipping Campden. This cathedral was built in the 15th century. Can you imagine? My only concern is whether they'll have heat. I want to wear my fancy sweater but that requires heat. Let's hope.