Grey is the New Blue

We are now official residents of Oxford.  We arrived back here last Wednesday morning after a crazy month of travel in the U.S. and Mexico. We were too late for Halloween but in time for Guy Fox day and the “Bonfire Parties” (complete with fireworks).  It was a nice welcome.  We moved into our new home  and camped in the empty house for two days until our shipment arrived, right on schedule.

It is a bit of a challenge moving into a small English home that has very little storage space.  I’ve been spoiled with walk-in closets, basement storage rooms, enormous bedrooms and garages, and bathrooms and kitchens with lots of cupboards.  Despite the lack of space, closets and cupboards, the house is going to be just fine.  I’ll just have to get creative regarding storage.  Isn’t that what IKEA and the space under beds is for, after all.

We’ve already met two of our neighbors.  Across the street is a lovely older couple who have Italian students boarding with them.  Next door is a young family with two adorable kids -- they  already had us over for dinner.  We have felt warmly welcomed.

Our next hurdle is getting broadband at home, a car, and car insurance.  Everything here is a huge puzzle to figure out –nothing is straightforward like we are used to in the U.S. That is part of the fun and challenge.

So that’s the news from the Paddock in Kennington.  It is beautiful here -- Fall in its glory.  I am learning, though, that grey is the new blue.  It has been grey since we’ve arrived.  I better get used to it.