St Helens, day 1

Here we are! After a long day of airplanes and airports and airport security, we arrived yesterday in the lovely town of St Helens where we will be staying with our friends Helen and Dennis. That is their lovely garden pictured above, and in my jet-lagged delirium, I am enjoying the chance to sit quietly and gaze out it. Today is a recovery day after 24+ hours awake and what seemed like one very short night sleeping like the dead. As write this, Helen is at work; Roger and Dennis have gone off in search of a pay as you go cell phone and a few other goodies; Caroline is upstairs napping; and I am sitting here in the lounge waiting for the delivery of two of our three suitcases which managed to take a side trip to who-knows- where.

But we are here, which feels miraculous. We have lots of fun days of talking and sharing and sight-seeing ahead, and then Festival of Quilts at the end of it all. The fun has just begun!