Bob Dylan is a Cylon

Tomorrow we leave cold, damp England for warm, volcanic Tenerife. As a result, all of the bloggy bits that I have rolling around in my head need to be expunged before we go.

In chronological order, Lena had a doctor's visit at the US Embassy, so we left early on the bus and had a lovely date at the British museum at Lena's request. She was studying the ancient Greeks and wanted to see some Greek stuff. Oh, how the British Museum obliged her!

Next was Bonfire Night. The girls and I went to see the fireworks at their school. It was such a lovely get-together as the kids ran around in the mild night air, while the grownup stood on the hill drinking hot mulled wine and soup (I had brought cocoa) watching the show. I marveled how we really don't have anything quite like Guy Fawkes Night in the States with all of the kids working so hard to prepare for it (each Year made a Guy for the Bonfire), but then the fireworks ended and we all walked to the base of the hill to see the youngest Form 1 student light the fire (which was Lena last year), and it suddenly became clear that we would NEVER have anything like this in America. Piled atop a significant collection of branches and lumber, soaked in gasoline were 9 Guys, dressed like dads (as they were built from pillaged clothing). Then they set fire to the bodies, and all the children cheered. It was really disturbing. But on the other hand, on the way home, there was one hill we crested where we could see the night landscape dotted with village bonfires, including our own in Crowfield. The girls watched our neighbors shoot fireworks from the house before bed and Livia's birthday.

Ariel was in Frankfurt for Livia's actual birthday, and so Livia requested that her celebrations be delayed until his return. Finally, we upgraded Livia from a tricycle to a two-wheeler, all in secret. I was all excited about the look on her face when she saw her new enormous bike, but she just looked at it and shrugged her shoulders (her favourite expression of nonchalance). Oh, well. She had also requested her typical birthday fare of chocolate cake with cherries (which I suppose is a Black Forest cake, but we don't call it that). Dana and I have been perfecting a chocolate cake recipe and I added Dana's Divine Chocolate Buttercream Icing and chopped maraschino cherries. It was divine.

Ariel and I finished watching Battlestar Galactica, and if you saw the end of the 3rd season, the title of this post would make perfect sense to you. With it's end (until the last season starts in February), Ariel and I are left with nothing much to do except travel to equatorial islands to spend Christmas. We'll be back December 27th, and I'll post lots of pictures of us sitting warm on the beach.