Thursday Thirteen

My daughter left today to go to England to study at Oxford.  She will be there the entire semester at St. Hugh's College.  I've been helping her prepare by doing some research about the United Kingdom.  It's been so fun!  But I am going to miss her dearly.  So as not to waste some of the intriguing bits of information I have learned, this Thursday Thirteen is dedicated to our friends "across the pond."

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1.  Brighton, England had the first "naturalist" beach in the UK.  (Yes, that means nude.)  It is called Cliff Beach.

2.  Like the US, England has a budget deficit.

3.  Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.  The university is made up of 44 colleges.

4.  St Hugh's College was founded in 1886.  It is one of the largest colleges at Oxford.

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5.  Another thing they have in common with the US is that immigration is one of the top five concerns of UK residents.

6.  A flight from London to Rome costs approximately 177 US dollars and takes about 2 and 1/2 hours.

7.  One US dollar is worth 69 pence (.69, like cents). One British pound is equal to $1.44 in US money.  The UK does not use the Euro like some other European countries.

8.  The "chunnel" connects England to France.  The trip of 30 miles across the English Channel took 90 minutes by ferry ride, but now that the tunnel is built, it only takes 35 minutes to get to France.  The tunnel, which opened in 1994, goes under the English Channel (hence the name "chunnel").

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9.Some grocery stores charge a fee for the plastic bags that shoppers put vegetables in.

10.Like the US, drunk driving is unacceptable; unlike the US, the drinking age in the UK is 18, and drinking at lunch is common; Certain bars and restaurants will serve beer, wine, or cider to kids aged 16 and 17 if they are at a table with someone over 18.

11.College sports are fairly unimportant in the UK unlike the US,

12.  The Tube (subway) from London to Oxford or Oxford to London is about an hour and a half trip.

13.  My daughter got to see 'Willie from Duck Dynasty at the DFW Airport, so her trip is off to a good start!

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Thursday Thirteen

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Friday Confessions

I'm linking up with Aubrey, host of Friday Confessional.  Confession is good for the soul.

I confess...
My daughter is leaving for England soon, and I am a bundle of mixed emotions!  She is going with about 30 other students from her university to study in Oxford for the entire spring semester.  I wanted to go see her during spring break, but she won't be there.  That is when they will take an out-of-country trip to Italy, Spain, Greece, or even Germany.

I confess...
This girl is lucky to have this opportunity.  It was through the generosity of friends and family that she earned enough money to go, and to her own credit, her application was accepted.  She is missing one of her good friend's weddings, but this trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Oxford University, the oldest University in the World, is actually made up of many colleges.

I confess...
I am afraid.  Will she be safe?  What if she gets sick?  What if a disaster strikes while she is over there?  How will I know she's safe?

I confess...
My heart aches.  It's been so difficult having her a day's drive away.  How am I going to survive having her half the world away with a six-hour time difference?  I talk to her about once a week when she is up at college, and sometimes we skype, and both of us are easy to reach via text any time of the day, but in the UK, not so, not so.  I have never gone four months without seeing my kids ever! Granted, they're not kids anymore.  They're 19 (twins).  Luckily her brother will still be living here for this next semester.

And I confess...
I have no idea what I'm going to do when they're BOTH gone!

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Random Tuesday

I had good intentions about starting this new year on the right foot!  Eating healthier, fostering family relationships, spending time in the Word, improving my prayer life and church attendance, getting more organized (for example, my closet)... Things have been going well at work, so that wasn't really on my radar as an area that needed improvement UNTIL

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The first day back to work, yesterday, was a professional learning day for teachers.  I was all set to give a presentation on blogging (can you believe it?).  I worked very hard on the presentation itself and the steps to create and go live with a blog on the platform my district uses.

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AND I OVERSLEPT!  I'm so ashamed!  I basically woke up at the time I was to start presenting. I had to forgo my normal morning routine, and thankfully I live fairly close to work, but I missed about half of my own presentation.  And wouldn't you know it?  My desktop nor my tablet would work, and I had to use someone else's tablet which, thankfully, I was able to connect to my projector.

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 Ah, well, the only thing I can do is just move on. I am hoping and praying that this is not a trend for 2016,  Perhaps it was just a fluke.  I'll wake up early and get to work on time for the rest of the year.  Riiiiiiight.

Join Stacy for some randomness today!

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Purging the Closet

I've seen this simple tip many times, but Connie from Family Home and Life said it well.

Suggestion:  Put all your clothing hangers backwards in your closet once a year, then after you wear an item of clothing, hang them back the right way, forward. After a year, throw out all the clothing items that are still backwards because you haven't worn them.

What better time to start than the beginning of the new year?  This is my closet.  I've turned my hangars backward, and anything I don't wear will be donated at the end of the year.  Great idea!

I may not set resolutions, but I sure do set goals!

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Happy New Year!

How did you celebrate New Year's Eve this year?  Did you go to a party of some kind?  A game?  A parade?  The movies?  Or did you stay home and watch New Year's Rockin' Eve? Or movies? Or a local celebration?  Or perhaps you had family over to play cards or games?

Whatever the case may be, I am wishing you and your friends and family a healthy, happy, safe 2016!

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