Trip to the City Museum

First week of Summer freedom.  We went to the pool a lot, plus went to the City Museum.  We haven't been there in several weeks.  The roof is now open, which is a whole new reason for celebration.  Ben ran up all the stairs, I took the elevator.  How come he still looks perfect???!!!

Rare picture of Ben (somewhat) smiling at the camera

Maggie is always smiling!!!!

Ben sat up on this cage overhanging the roof

It was this far down......

If my brother can do it, so can I.....

Being in the caves reminds me of how much I hate heights!!!!

Ben doing what he does best these days.....

England trip-random pictures

Chester cathedral-wandering about with Rich and Jude

Chester

Mum's garden

Staunton Harold-a little piece of heaven

Everything stops for tea!!!!

Been down the chippie-more heaven

Queen's Park in Loughborough

The Carillon

Ice cream in Bradgate Park

Snugbury's interesting ice cream flavours

Mum, Dad and Marie and Snugbury's!!!!

Swithland reservoir

Rice pudding for lunch!!!!

Mum's garden the day I was leaving

Somehow I managed to get all of this.....

....into this!!!!

Trip to England-Bradgate Park

Of all the wonderful places I have been, Bradgate Park is still one of my all-time favourites.  I love everything about it, I love Newtown Linford, I love the park, I love the trees, I love the deer, I love the ruins.  It may not be ultra spectacular, but when I go there, I feel like I am truly home.  Mum and Dad think I'm crazy that I'd feel that way, but you always identify with something close to where you grew up, and Bradgate Park is that for me.
This is the little church that is in Newtown Linford, this was the first time I had ever been inside it

My little sis by the stream....

Tree features!!!!

Swan-they are all owned by the Queen

Duck on the waterfall

I got quite close to the deer this year

The house ruins from the distance

Marie posing on the bridge

After all the years that I have been going here, the ruins were FINALLY open, hard to believe I have never been in them before

One of the old ovens

Staircase

Map of the original house

Front of the house

The pharmacologist in me will never die!!!

Wall hanging in the church

Tomb in the church

Church window

Looking through one of the front windows

Side of the church and staircase

Trip to England-family

It was so good to see Rich and Jude again. We never got to spend much time with them on our last trip since they were somewhat distracted with their wedding.

Rich's smile hasn't changed since he was a baby, still exactly the same!!!!

Marie and Dad at Staunton Harold on a beautiful Spring day

Marie in Newtown Linford

Marie in the ruins in Bradgate Park

Marie, Mum and Dad eating ice cream-yum!!!!!

Mum in her garden

Marie relaxing for a while....

Mum and Dad on my last day

What a terrible Monday

Sometimes you get up in the morning and have absolutely no idea how horrendous the day is going to be.  If you knew, you'd just stay right where you are and not move!!!  OK, in the big picture, everyone made it through the day, but still......

First of all, Julie texted us and said that Jan was hit by a drunk driver on Sunday afternoon as she was driving up to the cabin in Michigan.  He hit the driver's side of the truck.  She broke her ankle, her pelvis in several places and some vertebrae in her neck.  Poor Jan, she had just got over her knee replacement.  She had surgery on her ankle yesterday, but will just have to be immobilized for her other injuries.  No idea how they are going to get her back to St Louis yet, but Julie is with her, so she is not alone.

That was the only major catastrophe, everything else was pretty much just not what you'd choose.  Sam took the day off work and essentially worked all day.  I got nothing done at work all day, it was very frustrating.  Also, our autoclave started spewing nasty, rusty water and our -80 freezer died.  I had to move all our samples to our other freezers last thing in the day.  Hopefully, today will be better.