The Brighton Coast

Life behind the blog scenes is extremely overwhleming at the moment. I can't really go into details right now, but eventually I will. I would love say that is bead/jewelry related, but sadly, it is not. It is life with a child with mental illness related and it needs all my attention right now. I hate to leave you hanging though! So...













First, on Monday and Tuesday, I neglected to introduce you to my "host" family for my UK visit!! You might remember my visitor, Lucy and our 18 year friendship, from her trip to NY just a couple of summers ago. I was so very excited to get to spend a week with her, her children (Charlotte age 9, and Alex age 7), and her boyfriend, Ben. I couldn't ask for better friends!! Lucy emailed me a few weeks before the trip to ask "is there anything special you want to do while you are here?" To which I said "can we take a drive to the coast?" Lucy knew just the place to take me... Brighton.

On Sunday, we packed up the kids (Ben included) took an hour or so drive south and the place we came upon was a throw back to a completely different time. The weather was miserable. The sky opened up with a torrential, sideways, soaking rain as soon as we stepped out of the car. You should have seen the five of us walking down the pier with heads of hair that looked fresh from a shower. You would have also seen grins from ear to ear. As I said, you can have a lot of fun when you are soaking wet and it makes for memories that much more tactile. I loved every minute of being in that rain!! Eventually though, we took shelter in a fantastic arcade at the halfway point of the pier and hid out until the heaviest rain passed. Then we popped across the street to Harry Ramsden's for fish & chips, followed by a walk through "The Lanes" (a shop lined area), and then down to the shore to search for heart shaped rocks while the angry English Channel roared under a stunning sky. Seriously good memories... seriously good.

Sunday night, I was in for another treat, but left my camera home for this one. I got to spend some time with my original host family (Lucy's parents) and then we walked to the local pub (Fox & Hounds, HA, love that name) for a few pints. Thanks to Lucy's sister, Amy (who was just 4 the first time I went to England and is now a lovely 22 year old), for watching the kids for us. And thanks to Ben for convincing me to try Guinness!! And oh how I like it now. I wish the darft Guinness over here was as good. ;) Three pints later, we had a giggly walk home and, needless to say, I completely crashed and had a great night's sleep.