Coldfield where Duncans parents live. It's been very very good to have so much time together just the two of us. After this spring we have really needed some solid time to find our feet again. I think we're getting there. Duncan's almost back to full weight - if not full muscle capacity yet. He's been working full time since the end of June. I've been signed off work since the middle of May because of the stress of this spring. I feel better, although not great yet. July has - as it always is - been a quiet month even when Duncan has been working. All activities, meetings and getting together's in the churches except for services are on hold until August. So we have had plenty of oppertunity to go for walks and be with family. The picture of Duncan is from Grønhøj - the summerhouse of my uncle and aunt. The entire Klitgaard klan met there the one of the weekends of July. It's always great fun being with that part of the family. Vi fik spillet Bob, noget som jeg ikke har spillet i mange år! We went in the sea, we ate (!) and laughed. 
In The House we did some serious chilling. I read "The Time Travellers Wife" (Den tidsrejsendes kvinde - se min anmeldelse på www.praestens.blogspot.com) We tried out several of the nearby beaches, and Duncan managed to get the front of the barn painted (næsten i hvert fald - der mangler lige den aller øverste trekant). Og så havde vi besøg af Lina, Mikkel, Anna og Thilde. Det var rigtig hyggeligt og rart! Både mens pigerne var vågne og plaskede rundt i det gamle badekar, og da de sov og vi voksne gnaksede chokolade og chips! Jeg fik også besøgt min mormor og morfar og brugt en halvdagstid sammen med dem. Det er så hyggeligt. De er gamle, men levende.
This year it's three years since we bought The House. When we did we decided to evaluate three years down the line wether to keep it or not. The evaluation pointed to an agreed decition that there was no decision to be made.... We couldn't sell it now. It's too good, we've worked to hard on it, and we love being there! 
In England we landed in time to go and see Alistair (Duncans brother) on his 25th birthday - and to see where he and Samantha lives. A very nice flat very close to the Thames in London-ish. For the first time on holiday to England we'd rented a car while we were there - that was a very good thing to have, and I don't think it'll be the last time we do that. We drove up to a bed and breakfast in the village where we went to collage and where we met. We've not been on holiday just the two of us in England since we moved to Denmark four years ago. And we haven't really been back to Calver since we moved either. It was GOOD to be back. We went down "memory lane", we ate where we used to when we escaped collage life, we walked where we used to, we found "our" bench ... It was magic. A good feeling to reconnect with that part of us. The weather was a mix - some rain, some sun. So I've now got gaters for my boots (sådan nogle regnfrakke agtige tingester man sætter uden om sine støvler som så dækker hullet mellem støvlerne og bukserne), and Duncan's got himself new boots!
After Calver we went down to Duncan's parents and stayed with them. We picked up my mum on the way. Duncan's Auntie Ruth was 90 in July and we were invited to celebrate her and Jean's (Duncans mor) 60th birthday. It was a good party. Many happy people, barn dancing (en engelsk udgave af square dance), magician, good food and great chocolate cake (jeg spiste rester to dagefefter festen). It was nice to see everybody from the english side of the family. The only one missing was my dad, but he had to start school on the Monday, so he wasn't able to come. The picture here is taken by Alan of the Edginton clan. From the left it's Jean (Duncans mum), Barbara (Duncans aunt), Ian(Duncans dad), Cathrine with Eve (Duncans cousin and her daughter), Duncan with Holly (Eves littlesister), me (Duncans wife), Jane (my mum), Auntie Ruth (Duncans almost-grandmother).
We came home yesterday with suitcases laden with vinegar (til Duncans pomesfritter), mature cheddar and Cadbury's chocolate. We're ready for daily life to kick in :-)
