With only 46 days left until we head stateside I thought I would make a list of things that I am looking forward to seeing again. I have asked the family for a few of their American favourites as well.  Let me first say that I have loved EVERY minute of our time here in Durham, and if home is where the heart is I will have my heart forever divided between my two “homes”.

We will not include the many people and pets we are looking forward to seeing again in this list.  This is a list of things….items.

I can not wait to see all of my cookware again.  This may not seem like a big deal but when you cook everything in a small omelet skillet and tiny stock pot you miss these things.  We only brought a small suitcase of kitchen supplies because we were only here for one year.  We would have either brought more pots and pans or purchased them if we were here for the entire three years.

We all miss Chick-Fil-A.  We can not wait to have a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, waffle fries, and a sweet tea. (the kids said, “Don’t forget the milk shake Mom!”)

I must say that our family has done remarkably well living in a one loo house (bathroom).  Even when we have had company up to 7 of us in this house we have all survived with only one potty.  Moving back into a house with 2 and half bathrooms will seem like moving into a palace.  We do all love our little Gilesgate house though.

Speaking of our Gilesgate home, Meg said to say that she is really looking forward to having her room back.  She has been a great sport.  She moved in to a room that is the size of her twin bed.  I can not take a photo of it because I can not be in the room and stand back to take the photo.  In order to close the bedroom door one must open the door, step up on the bed and then close the door.  At that point you can step off the bed.  She really has been a good sport.

Another treasure that we have waiting for us at home is our very energy-efficient clothes dryer.  It is however, no match for this sweet model when it comes to energy efficiency.

I must say that I have gotten somewhat used to these little beauties.  However, as of late, they are beginning to drive me quite mad again.

Every faucet in the house including the bathtub has these lovely little split hot and cold taps.  They are very craftsman style and nice to look at but not at all practical.  You may choose, in the dead of winter, to wash your hands in freezing cold or scalding hot tap water.  But, you may not choose warm unless you care to take the time to mix it in the available pitcher in the bathroom windowsill. (Yeah, when we moved in I thought that pitcher was for decoration…. not so much)  If you are ever doing a remodel and walk into fixture store and catch yourself saying, “Oh, aren’t these beautiful!?” stop yourself RIGHT there…. because they are beautiful….that is all.

I am looking forward to warm… and even hot weather in May.  I am not looking forward to sticky hot, humid nights when the mosquitos come after me in a mad pack, but I do miss the warmth.  I am enjoying the warmER days here in Durham now that springs weather is here at least 4 hours most days now.  The length of the days here in Durham is now quite amazing.  The sun comes up around 5:30 am and sets at 9 pm.  The days are only getting longer as well.

Oh my beloved 13 year old mighty mini van,  how I have missed you.  I am looking forward to another 200,000 miles in her.  I am secretly VERY glad she did not sell.  She just celebrated her 200,000 mile birthday and we had to leave her… it just didn’t seem nice.  I am very happy, on the other hand, that we have had a carless year.  We really have enjoyed walking everywhere, riding trains and buses.  Doing all the weekly shopping and totting it home in a push chair (baby umbrella stroller) has been a bit of a challenge but quite do-able.

Live Oaks and Spanish Moss those and long leaf pine trees I really miss, nothing says “deep south” quite like those do.

Being a Texas born girl I do miss a nice steak and some great B’bque.  Slow cooked meat over hickory or mesquite.  I won’t be too picky.  We all knew we would miss this one so we had a bit on our way through Texas to fly out of Houston.

It will be a real treat to be back along our favourite beach this summer.  All of you new friends here in Durham, I hope this photo makes you want to come visit us.  We would love to show you around our home and show you the same wonderful hospitality that you have given us here in Northeast England.

I could write a whole year of blog posts about the things I love about my home in America just as I have written almost a year about this amazing place called Durham, England.  Again as we return we truly will have a heart with two homes.

Cheers,

Beth

PS   I am looking forward to hanging my American flag on the porch again.  We have carried our American flag here with us and say our pledge faithfully every week in home school.