Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square
The Lions and Statues and the Fountain
were magnificent. Can you see Joseph
sitting on top of the Lion?

The square consists of a large central area
surrounded by roadways on three sides,
and stairs leading to the National Gallery

on the other. The Charing Cross

Tube Station is located close to the

Square and made it easy for us to get to the Square.

Nelson's Column is in the centre of the square,
it is surrounded by fountains designed by

Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1939.

Four huge bronze lions sculpted by

Sir Edwin Landseer
are amazing to see and they reminded us

of Asland in the Narnia Movie.

The metal used for the Lions,
is said to have been recycled from the

cannon of the French fleet.

The column is topped by a statue of

Horatio, Viscount Nelson,
the admiral who commanded the

British Fleet at Trafalgar.

The fountains are memorials to

Lord Jellicoe (western side)
and Lord Beatty (eastern side).

The Household Calvery Museum

The Household Calvery Museum

We saw part of the Changing of the Guard

and a fun museum where Joseph

could dress in the Calvery uniform,

and pose with one of the Guards.

This museum offered a behind the scenes

look at the work that goes into the ceremonies

and duties of the Guard. We saw the working

stables of the Queen's Life Guard.

Standing at "0 Degrees" on the Prime Meridian

The Greenwich Meridian

We stood on either side of

the line marking the time meridian.

We had an wonderful look at the clock

museum there, and the telescopes at the

space observatory. Not to mention

an amazing view from so high a vantage.

Although the climb to get there took

some doing and a break part way

up the hill however for me.

The Greenwich Meridian, is based at the

Royal Observatory and was established

by Sir George Airy in 1851.

The red ball at the top of one of the buildings

drops at exactly One O'Clock each day.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London

The ancient stones speak of times

long past, of a grim reputation

for a place of torture and death.

A fortress founded by

William the Conqueror in 1066.

We heard of many stories here, and some

were that it was once a Zoo and even a

private residence.

Now it is Guarded by The

Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's

Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London,

popularly known as the Beefeaters. They are

ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London.

They are responsible for looking after any

prisoners at the Tower and

safeguarding the British Crown Jewels.

But mostly they act as tour guides and for

us they were a tourist attraction too.

We enjoyed getting a photo with them.

The crown jewels were neat to see, and

learn about and oh so shiny.

The Crown Jewels have been kept at

the Tower of London since 1303,

except briefly during WWII.

It was here we also saw an

amazing collection of King Henry the 8th's

Armor and other weaponry,

entitled, "Dressed to Kill".

We heard the fun stories of how

The Tower of London is reputedly

the most haunted building in England.

The ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn,

beheaded in 1536 for trumped up charges

of treason against King Henry VIII,

has allegedly been seen haunting

the chapel of St Peter-ad-Vincula,

where she is buried, and walking

around the White Tower carrying

her head under her arm.

(Insert your own creepy music here)

So many amazing buildings to see,

and such rich history, made it a

great place for the whole family to enjoy

Our Vacation to London

Parliment Bldg. and Big Ben clock tower

Chenille Saunders performs live with Marvin Goldstein at the Grand Theater

Spending time with Chenille and Brother Goldstein was great fun!

Their concert was simply "Grand"

I hope there will be more of them.

Way to Go! Chenille.

"Encore, Encore"

Joseph takes First Place at Science Fair

Joseph took First Place at this year's Science Fair for 5th Grade.
His project was about the science behind Alka-Seltzer Rockets.

He was also in the local newspaper.

Try this experiment yourself sometime, it's really fun!!!

1 Fuj film canister filled 1/4 full of warm water
1/4 of an Alka Seltzer tablet

Drop tablet into the film canister with the water already in it, and put on the lid, shake it and turn it upside down and then back up. It should go about 20 feet in the air.

Kids can design a paper rocket to put around the film canister for more fun.
Experiment with different levels of water and tablets amounts.

Have Fun!

Quilt for Grandma

I made this quilt with help from my Mom and sister for my Grandma Sittre'.

It is the hand or foot prints of her Great Grandchildren, and a space for those I couldn't get in time. I hope she liked it. It turned out so colorful and fun. It was given to her at her Birthday Party this year.

Cutie-Pie Jordan

My Nephew, Jordan, is simply adorable.

I hope to have a photo of my other adorable nephew soon too.

Black and White Crazy Nine Patch Quilt

This Black and White Crazy Nine Patch Quilt was a gift to my sister,Tammie, for her Birthday. It was a design shown to me by Wendy Dewey, and it was quilted by Kristi Coombs. I loved making it and it was so fun, and well....crazy!