Posts Tagged ‘gail’
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
The most pleasant of English country towns you will ever find! The Kallas’ and the Morales’ dropped in on friends, Gail and Karl, and cousins Carol and Chris…friends and family!
Picture rolling lush green hills, dotted with fluffy sheep and frolicking lambs, stack stone fences and corner pubs, steak and kidney pie, and puddings, pints and pubs. “oh to be in England, now that spring is here (name that author).”
Daffodils line every lane and drizzle freshens each morning. Tho’ we still bundle up as it’s in the 40′s and 50′s, inside it is cozy and the aromas of Karls cooking warms the soul.
Hoping to help Gail during her (English) Mothers’ Day rush,we found we were of most help staying out of her way in the teeny flower shop. Steve was a “runner” for some deliveries but we depended on Karl to show us more of his neck of the woods.
Tags: barnoldswick, carol, chris, donna kalla, flowers, gail, house of flowers, karl, ken kalla, mothers day, steve
Posted in England, Family, Friends, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Back on the road; this time to Hollywood, California. Steve was covering a convention for Pfizer …. Our hotel was right under the Hollywood sign, and right down the street from Grauman’s Chinese Theater and all the footprints of the stars. That seemed to be the headquarters for all things weird, and tours and Wax Museaum etc. I did the typical “tourist” thing and took a tour of the stars homes, Madam Taussauds Wax Museum, and just people watching. Gail and Carl joined us….that’s her accosting Spiderman. Fun and Funky!
Tags: gail, grauman chinese theater, hollywood, karl, madam taussauds, pfizer, spiderman
Posted in California, Friends | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
I can’t even make out this language…dots and dashes and shapes that all make up the language of this barren and intriguing country.
We landed here after two successful flights on Ryan Air, and because of their strict weight allowances on baggage, we were wearing 5 & 6 layers of our heaviest clothes to make it under the 15 gram per bag ( we were within half a pound on each). We roasted on the planes, but needed it when we got off. It is a gorgeous day, puffy clouds, and snow falling like dandruff but not sticking: it is 32 degrees. Having left Gails at 5am, we will take a quick walk around our Radisson Artrium Hotel, clean up, and call it a day.
On a side note, everyone here sounds like the swedish chef on the ol’ Muppet show.
tak,tak (thank you in swedish)
Tags: arrival, flights, gail, luggage, muppets, ryanair
Posted in Europe Trip 2009, Sweden | 2 Comments »
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
Designing Woman
Gail Usher
• Shop Owner
• Newly Elected Chamber of Trade President (by a landslide)
• New Rotarian
• Hollies Fan
• Good Friend
• Devoted Daughter, Sister, Mother, Confidant, Girlfriend.
Gail is THE designing force behind all that is good and creative in Barnoldswick!
And right now she is one tired puppy, having survived yet another Mothers’ Day in England. Heading up a staff of 8, she served the community and handled 450 orders on Saturday and nearly 100 on Sunday (all while being hostess to two foreigners from across the pond).
Tags: barnoldswick, gail, mothers day
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Friends | 5 Comments »
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
Cousins
Carol and Chris Howarth live in Barnoldswick, they have one son Warren, who is married to Michelle and they are parents to Owen! ( are you with me so far?) Carol and my Dad are cousins: my Dad’s mother (Marion Mc Nabb Fear) is half sister to Carol’s dad, Sam(Nice). That makes us related! They are also the ones who introduced us to Gail (her favorite florist) when we were here 6 years ago. . . and the rest is history.
We have fallen in LOVE with Owen; rosy cheeks, blue eyes, spikey hair…and he even comes with the cutes accent. And his favorite sport is golf. Owen turns 4 in May.
Owen
Tags: barnoldswick, carol, chris, cousins, gail, golf, howarth, joe, marion mc nabb fear, michelle, owen, sam, warren
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Family, Friends | No Comments »
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Guide Extrodinaire
“Oh, to be in England, now that spring is here.” ( I think that’s Shakespear) What a wonderful day Steve and I had with our personal quide, Raymond Chadwick!!( Gail’s Dad) We had an eight hour tour of the English countryside; from Whalley to Mortcambe , Windemere to the Trough of Bowland,and all glorious parts in between. From frolicking new born lambs, to colorful pheasants, ancient churchyards to blooming daffodils!
It was a wonderful day and filled with stories and jokes from our guide, Raymond. ( “If you look out the window and see Pendle, if will rain soon. If you look out the window and can not see Pendle, it IS raining!”)
We had fish and chips in the lake district on Lake Windemere and enjoyed a British marvel….SUNSHINE! A family meal around Gail’s table completed a perfect day with lots of family jesting and love:)
Tags: gail, mortcambe, raymond, trough of bowland, whalley, windemere
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Friends | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
I am in love…and the man of my dreams is a wizard in the kitchen! Karl is an old friend of Gail’s and has reentered her life after many years. He is in residence. Besides being brilliant with his own internet company, he makes sure that Gail comes home from the House of Flowers to a warm meal. We have had the most sumptious of dinners here…Thai shrimp, Chicken Cassoulet, Chicken and dumplings,and to-die-for Croissant Bread Pudding (all from SCRATCH)!
–4 (stale) Croissants
–200g.sugar
–4 T water
–250 ml. double cream
–250 ml whole milk
–4 T Bourbon
–4 eggs,beaten
Tear the Croissants in pieces in put in casserole dish. put the sugar in a sauce pan with the water and caramelize by letting it bubble away with out stirring until it turns deep amber. Turn the heat down and add the cream ( ignore the sputtering) and the bourbon. Take off the heat and while still whisking, add the beaten eggs,. Pour over the croissants and let them soak it up for 10+ minutes. Place in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes and be prepared to swoon!!
I hope , I hope we can talk Karl into coming to Italy and letting his cooking imagination run wild.
Tags: cooking, croissant pudding, gail, house of flowers, karl
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Friends | 4 Comments »
Saturday, March 14th, 2009
Who would have guessed we would revisit the music of our youth with a concert of the Hollies….perhaps you remember the following songs…..”CarrieAnne”, “Bus Stop”, and “He’s not Heavy,He’s my Brother. We were probably some of the youngest there and we got back stage passes to boot! Gail and I swayed with our lit phone lights to the rythm of the music and had a hoot! Backstage, us groupies grabbed the lead singer for a photo-op.
Do you remember?
“
Tags: gail, hollies
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Friends | 6 Comments »
Saturday, March 14th, 2009
Reunion time for Gail and Debbie as we see her on the other side of the pond. In the small, quaint village of Barnoldswick in the county of Lancashire is the beacon of the town…all the color and joy that flowers can bring are located here in Gail’s shop. She is ably assisted by Melissa and we are gearing up for Mothers’ Day, March 22 . We are scheduled to be up at the crack of dawn the next few days to get prepared…a trip to Manchester early Sunday morning to pick up the first of the many flowers. I have been assigned a school order of 93 primulas to prepare, and Steve is back sweeping! (it is SO much fun when it isn’t my shop)
Tags: barnoldswick, flowers, gail, melissa
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Friends | 4 Comments »
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
After a very long day of flights, we were warmly greeted in Manchester by dear friends Gail and Karl!! We have slept 12 hours, bundled up and taken a walk in the “clough” at the end of her street (muddy path with sheep,emerging crocus, and babbling brook) It is England and this is where is begins.
Tags: gail, karl, manchester
Posted in England, Europe Trip 2009, Friends | 5 Comments »
