Portobello Road + The Hilarious Dog

I realize now that the title to this blog post is misleading. I really wish that I could share some pictures with you involving a circus caliber trained dog doing some sort of wacky dance down the vibrantly busy streets of Portobello Road on a Saturday afternoon. I can't give that to you, I'm afraid. But you have gotten this far so....you know....you're committed.

In all seriousness, I wanted to follow up my last post, which was a really important one to me, with one that was genuinely lighthearted. My Mom would high-five me for that. She would want me to share some things with you that were fun...and funny.

A couple of weeks ago Michael and I made our first trip over to Portobello Road. We live just a few blocks from the north part of it, so got up on a Saturday and made our way down to the chaos. It's a good chaos, really. There are loads of antique shops, food stalls, produce stands, and live street performers that make you feel like you are doing something "cool" with your weekend. We tried our best to be cool, but I'm sure others were on to us.

The next two are for Dad....milk.....

and golf. What else could one need?

I seem to be happy with this bracelet, but get ready....

here comes the series of photos where I look pissed off at jewelry.

Who knew that I was such an intense shopper. 

The sun ended up coming out of the clouds that day so Mike and I took Otis to this enormous park that is just a quarter mile from us. The park and woods around it are absolutely beautiful. I am a serious outdoors girl, so finding a bit of London that is nearly devoid of other people is really rare...and welcome. 

We walked along and enjoyed the quiet.

At this point we already thought that the park was pretty cool, and then.....we came upon this...

and this...

"This" may not seem like much to you. But when you have a two year old black lab it is literally the best thing in the world. Needless to say, Otis was really excited as well. This is where the hilarious dog part comes in.

Run to Dad!

 And there you have it. Portobello Road and The Hilarious Dog. I hope I didn't let you down. 

My best friend in the whole huge world is coming to visit tomorrow. She couldn't be coming at a better time. She has been there for me through every hurdle that life has ever made me jump over, especially this last one. She is my family....my home. 

We will have one hell of a time this weekend!

(Pictures to follow...)

Best there ever was.

Please do me a favor. Yes, I mean you...the person reading this right now. Think back and try to remember your all-time favorite memory of you and your Mom. I don't mean an "oh haha yeah, that time was cool" kind of memory. I mean the time when you first realized that your Mom was above and beyond the norm. The first time that you saw how gorgeous she really was, or how strong she really was. The first time that you thought of her as your friend. The time that things changed for you. Do it now...I'll give you a moment....

My favorite memory is from when I was nine years old. My Mom usually tucked me into bed when I was younger and would read me a book before I fell asleep. When all of the books had been read a thousand times over, she started making bedtime stories up. Some of them had a serious moral to them. Some of them were completely lighthearted. Others were hilarious. One particular night, it was time for bed, and I requested my usual Mom story. It had been a long day for her and she kept telling me that she would spend the entire following day thinking of the "best ever" story to tell me tomorrow night. Being nine years old, and me, I bugged her for my story until she finally conceded. 

She wearily began the tale, her heart half in it (give her a break, she worked all day and then made dinner!). But as the random characters and ridiculous situations transpired, the story got funny. I mean really funny. I started giggling...and so did she. I was under the covers and had to pull the blanket up over my mouth and nose so she couldn't see how hard I was laughing. I didn't want her to stop until she was finished, and seeing me crack would have sent her over the edge. She kept going, but her words started mingling with snickers. A few breaks were taken to restore a sense of order. But all composure was lost when the story ended in a bit of bathroom humor, and all hell broke lose. My Mom collapsed on top of me and we laughed so hard together that the act of breathing took a toll. Tears rolled down our faces as we both did that silent, wheezing laugh...you know the one I'm talking about. When we finally came around, she went to kiss me and say 'goodnight hun'. But I think she also meant to say 'babe' at the same time because what came out was "Goodnight, bung". We fell back into hilarity again.

The point is, I remember after she turned out the lights and left my room that night, I thought to myself, "I wonder if my friends' Moms are this cool?"

My Mom passed away last Sunday, June 9th, at 9:55 in the morning. She fought like hell against breast cancer for nearly four years and was the epitome of strength and grace the entire time. There is not enough matter in the universe that could fill the hole that is in my heart. I have lost my best friend. My Dad and I, and the rest of our beloved family, will carry her inside of ourselves for the rest of our time.

The past few days have left me wondering if I should even keep blogging. Should I be posting pictures of me going on adventures and having a good time when my Mom is gone? Is that ok? Should I feel guilty? But as I sit here and ask myself those questions and can actually hear my Mom answering them. "Oh honey, don't ever be afraid of having fun...I am so proud of you, and seeing you happy makes me happier than you'll ever know." That is my answer.

I don't want this blog post to have negative tone, because my Mother was the most positive and kind person that ever was.  My reason for posting tonight was to show you how beautiful her life was. She taught me and my Dad, and the world, so many wonderful things. Her generosity, warmth, and love of life was something that truly changed you if you had the privilege of knowing her.

So here it is, in a select group of pictures. Images that reflect my Mom and what she loved about me, my Dad, and our family. Take a deep breath...

Look at that car! (and those pants)

Total babe.

Played with me in all the seasons....

and loved watching me and Dad play cards.

Always treated my best friends like they were her own...

and was always up for goofing off.

Loved her family to the moon and back...

and loved me unconditionally...

Always proud of me.

Had, and will always have, a man that loves her more than life itself.

Dear Mom, 

If this has to be the end, then I want you to know that you were the best that ever was. This is not the end for me, no sir. I will never stop telling people about you and I will always walk in your footsteps. I will lead by your example and tell my children that their Grandmother was phenomenal. 

It is a beautifully sad sunset for now...

But I will always save a seat for you, knowing you are right next to me...always.

Love,

Lauren

Dining In.

London has some amazing restaurants. That little stereotype about the food being subpar over here has, so far, proved to be completely false. You can pretty much find any type of cuisine that your heart desires and it is usually within walking distance. Michael and I have a running list, similar in length to the dictionary, of the bars and bistros that we want to sample while we're here.

As much fun as it is to go out to eat every night, I think that I love dining in just as much. Cooking has always been a passion of mine and there is nothing better than sitting down to a meal that you created. Even better, growing your own food and cooking with it is the ultimate culinary endeavor. 

Living in London isn't exactly conducive to growing fields of corn and green beans (but that would be awesome). We may not have acres of land at our flat, but we do have a balcony! A balcony with the capability of holding many potted plants. Last week, Michael surprised me with a starter kit for gardening glory.

   

Carrots, green onions, basil, and rocket (arugula). And this spicy little guy...

We'll see how green my thumb is. Hopefully I can succeed enough to get at least a salad out of all of it. 

In the meantime, we set out to the market to get the goods for our first home cooked meal in our new place. The menu for the evening was kind of a surf n' turf. Turkey burgers with aged cheddar and pea shoots, mussels with garlic and white wine, roasted asparagus, and cole slaw. I have to say, we were pretty proud of the outcome.

A bag o' mussels...only two quid!

We ate our first supper on the balcony and enjoyed the new view.

For dessert, we had strawberry shortcakes. 

I think that's enough food for one night. Time to go try another restaurant and check it off the list. 

Thanks for reading!