Today I want to backtrack a minute and start out with a mini quiz on Britishese ....

1. it's dodgey

2. maintain a distance of 2 chevrons

3. push pause (one of my favorites)

4. car park

5. trifle - type of food

6. number plate

7. tea time

8. dual carriageway

9. subway

10. peckish .....

and now lets see how many you can guess... answers to be given at a later date !

So...today was family day in southern Wales with the Johnses. It was fun, it was relaxing, and it was cold and rainy outside when we left ... the trip north was incredible - the buildings here are different than in England, the villages are smaller for the most part, the green pastures go on for miles and miles and the locals swear there are more sheep than people. The churches stand out - they are ancient, and the cemetaries are ancient as well. The road is so narrow, you atart to breathe more quickly and since the locals are used to it, they whiz by very fast. very, very disconcerting and Les is doing such a great job of driving .. he is beyond excellent at staying to the left. He, it must be said, is being guided by Tomtom as to his speeding. Since Britain will strip you of your car and license on the spot if you infringe too many times, we are driving quite safely. I love it.

Here we are in the little town where Les came as a 14 year old to help out on his uncle's farm. It is near Lampeter, the closest town. Tish, Les's best friend from age 14 on, married Marta - Les's cousin. So, this is family again and they are working hard now at sheep lambing ... it means working in turns all night long. Kasia and her fiance will be arriving soon. Zofia is in Egypt saving animals and educating the kids.

Lambing - the lambs are either born singly, in which case Marta and Tish handle it 24 hours a day. Or they come as twins - then they get separated and get more food, and again Marta and Tish can handle them. Or as triplets - riskier and usu requires c-sections and a trip to the vet. On a typical day, Tish wakes up at 5 in the a.m., and works until ???? Marta wakes up at 8:30 a.m. and goes to bed at 3 a.m. Unbelievable work and dedication !! Only for 6 weeks a year but oh my .... oh my ....

Les tells me that when he arrived on the farm, it was December and that a couple weeks later there was a huge party celebrating Christmas. Well, it was at this party that he met Tish and at one point they stole cigarettes from an ashtray and went outside to smoke !!!! trouble trouble trouble

It was a hard life. When Les's dad died, his uncle adopted him and at 14 Les left his mom and brothers and sister to go to Wales...... Les worked the farm and had to milk all the cows before leaving to school. Once they killed of his pet lamb and he was devastated. His cousin Kryysy was jealous of him and did NOT want him to stay. She apologizes now for her behaviour .... it was hard for her too. he was given comic books to read during Welsh classes since he was to learn English first ... he loved is uncle and his uncle once taught him a hard and great lesson. After going to college for a whle, les thought he would quite school to work on the farm. so, his unle got him a job on a neighbors farm. Well, come Sunday les got up thinking he would have a day off ... not so !!!! the farmer worked him 7 days a week and who knows how many hours a day and eventually.....guess who was ready and willing to go back to school !!!! he thinks his uncle did it on purpose. Since he had been a lawyer himself before leaving chaos in Poland to go to Wales, he knew that Les's best option was to o to school. and look where my HOMBRE is now. Retired at 56 and Weekend Forever in La Bocana !!!!!! Thank you Uncle !!!!