#24: Darwen.

Darwen is a small industrial town whose history centers around stories of cotton mills and lowly working class folk. The noise of clogs on cobblestones early every morning is now long consigned to the history books and the cotton industry is all but dead. However, there remains everywhere the solid exteriors of the old vast cotton mills, reminders of our heritage, refurbished inside to accommodate new modern businesses. I don't think I need to tell most readers that of Britain gets more than its fair share of rain, day upon day of dull overcast skies, bleeding the colour from this already drab industrial landscape.

My return from the perfectly manicured lawns and dazzling sunshine of America to the overcrowded, sepia drenched little island I call home, instantly made me realize just how unrealistic it would be for me to ask Lisa Jane to ever consider moving here. I had voiced this concern to Lisa on so many occasions in reference to a proposed visit, but things had now progressed to a point where we were projecting our ideas far beyond just visits.

Lisa Jane was now my best friend; I adored this woman in a way that went beyond mere friendship though. I was dreaming of a life with Lisa as my partner, and I couldn't see how to turn this dream into reality, unless I took Darwen out of the equation. I was beginning to have serious misgivings about my judgment; maybe I was cruelly leading Lisa down a cul de sac whilst giving her the impression that we could possibly share a future together.

It was at this point that I became reliant on Lisa Jane's drive and tenacity, as she motivated me on a daily basis to scour the local area for housing that would suit my needs. I was reporting nightly on my findings as she in turn searched the internet for more and more interesting properties for go and explore.

For all its faults, Darwen is surrounded by a verdant, beautiful English countryside, scattered with little atmospheric old public houses and farms. Even the rain cannot diminish the majesty of our dark green, fertile, landscapes of rolling grassy hills dotted with sheep and cattle. I found myself spending hours, strolling from property to property, invigorated by the knowledge that I could possibly one day share these views with Lisa Jane, and then I accidentally stumbled upon DerMar.

Its location was perfect, being across from open farmland and a quaint English pub. Its price was also perfect, with my miserly years as a single man at last paying dividends. One quick viewing was enough, and within months the house was mine. It all sounds so simple now, but if it hadn't been for Lisa's determination and insistence, I definitely would not have found my new, much cherished home.

The time was now right for Lisa to visit England.....

Andrew.

#23: DerMar

Dear Reader,

By the time Andrew and I returned to our separate and anti-social lives, his focus was on the selling of his house, while on this end, it was on the restructuring of Hilton Hotels. Both were much needed. It was obvious that Andrew should finalize the sale of his original house, move out of the rental (and bid Mortimer the Rat a fond farewell), and find an appropriate place to live.

Andrew's Deliberative side required that he wait until his house sold before looking for a new one; my Activator quality wanted him to at least search out potential opportunities. After signing up for 2 web-sites that posted houses for sale, I'd come home from work and check out the links sent. Knowing his preferred price-range and location, I'd pass on ones that could be a possibility. While walking around Darwen to inspect the houses, Andrew would often take photos and send them to me. It was quite an insight into the British culture, such as the red mail boxes.

And during one of Andrew's breaks from work, he posted another video that pokes a bit of fun at Darwen, but is greatly treasured. I don't expect you to watch it, as it's a bit long for the outside observer; just know that upon viewing it, I couldn't help but laugh through it all, until the beautiful ending, which still makes me tear up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPOA0MIwFvY

Still on the search, several houses were ruled out for a variety of reasons, and then we hit upon DerMar. Upon receiving the link, the house piqued his interest, and at some point, he invited his parents to tour the house for their opinion. In American terms, it was a home run. His house sold, and he bought DerMar.

Lisa Jane

#22: A Week in Pictures. The Trip Part 4

Just a few of the pictures taken during our first week together.

The Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton.

Skyline Drive. Lisa poses as I watch for bears.

Matching coloured tops, much to our embarrassment.

The Newseum.

The Air and Space Museum.

# 21: Staunton. The Trip Part 3

Our first full day together had been carefully planned out well in advance, it sounded ideal; an afternoon with Lisa's family, helping out with a little gardening.

Lisa's mother's home, situated in a beautiful neighbourhood in Staunton, VA, proved to be HUGE by English standards, and as soon as we arrived I was thrust upon a host of Americans who were summarily introduced as family members.

I rolled up my sleeves and showed my willingness to help in their toil, at which point I was shown the vast acreage which, although purported to be a garden, was in fact the size of a small English county. It was thought best that Lisa Jane accompany me for fear that I may get lost in the grounds, as I was given the task of clearing a path in a distant copse. After a full ten minutes of arduous labour, we retreated to the patio for nourishment and a well earned rest.

As the day progressed, I was allowed the freedom to melt into the background and study the family from a quiet corner of the house. Although the surnames varied, this was the Lunt clan: a warm, welcoming and very close knit unit. Lisa's mother; the elderly matriarch at the centre of everything, so obviously happy to be bustling around, answering the needs for the various family members. There was a collection of bright, articulate young adults; grandchildren, enjoying the comfort and security that only a close family gathering can provide. Lisa's siblings and in-laws made up the remainder of the party, filling the house with laughter and relaxed banter, the whole atmosphere was idyllic. The memory of my previous day's trials faded away as I relaxed, feeling extremely privileged to witness this insight into Lisa's family life from such close, intimate quarters.

This first day was the real highlight of the whole trip for me and it provided most of the memories that will stay with me the longest. One's family background may not necessarily be reflected within one's character, in Lisa's case; the influences are all to obvious and it was like having a new dimension of her personality revealed to me.

The remainder of my time in the States is more than adequately described in Lisa's earlier post, and it will suffice at this point for me to just add that our first week together was obviously not going to be our last.

Andrew

#20 The First Meeting

Dear Reader,

The night before embarking on the trip to DC, there was a phone call in the middle of the night. Andrew rang to say that the airline had no record of his reservation. My 1st reaction was that it might be a way of his backing out, and then reality set in...I knew he'd sort it out. And that he did. Later, he called back and said that he was booked on a different flight that would arrive about the same time as planned before.

Arriving at Dulles, there was an agonizing wait to see if Andrew made it or not. The flight board said that the plane had landed, yet the minutes ticked by, and he hadn't showed up in baggage claim.

And then there was Andrew, desperately looking around. While we had been web-camming for months, I wasn't willing to risk him not recognizing me, so I slipped on the Groucho Marx glasses, nose and mustache tucked in my bag. And then he spotted me.

A quick hug, a desperate wait to see if his luggage would show up (it did), and then we were off to pick up a rental car. I'll confess: the poor, tired man suffered a 45-minute drive while I searched for the hotel that was only 10 minutes away, making several wrong attempts to locate it. Finally checking in, he went to his room and I went to mine, with a promise to call as soon as I woke up.

The next morning, we shared our first meal together before heading off to my mother's house 2 hours away. Mom hosts an annual Yard Work Weekend, where the whole family gathers to clear out the back yard's wooded paths and garden. After the introductions, we were handed a rake and a hoe, and we headed off to our designated section to clear out. It probably wasn't the most opportune time to ease him into the family, but Andrew was stoic.

For me, the best part of the weekend was when Andrew hosted a taste-testing of some classic British delicacies, that included PG Tips tea, Marmite on toast, a variety of biscuits, Cadbury chocolate bars, and the family's favorite: Coleman's mustard. It was a wonderful, relaxing morning, and the perfect way to end the weekend.

Family members headed home, while Andrew and I stayed over one more night. Mom made dinner for the 3 of us Sunday night, and Monday morning, Andrew and I headed back to DC, taking the Skyline Drive upon brother Peter's suggestion, and despite Mom's warnings of recent multiple black bear sitings.

Four days in Washington, DC, with Andrew was just too fantastic to even describe. We would arise early every day, meet for breakfast, and stroll hand in hand through a couple of museums each day. The highlights were: the shoe display at the Holocaust Museum, the Van Gogh painting at The Phillips Collection, a meal in The Museum of the American Indian, and an afternoon in the Newseum...the last probably being our favorite. One night, we met up with 2 of my high school classmates, Liz and Michael, for dinner. Thank you both for a wonderful evening.

On our last day, we stopped off at the newer Air and Space Museum near the Dulles Airport. And then, it was time to separate. After taking Andrew to the airport, I'll confess that a tear or two was shed, but I knew it wasn't then end, and that we would be together again.

Lisa Jane

#19 A First Restrained Meeting. The trip part two.

There was something seriously amiss about my travel arrangements, and my usually reliable travel agent was about to come close to scuppering all my attempts at meeting my appointment with Lisa Jane.

The fact that I did actually manage to arrive in D.C. and meet up with Lisa as planned was incredible; the fact that my luggage also arrived was miraculous.

Lisa was sat on the luggage conveyor, and I did quite well in recognising her, especially considering she was wearing a Groucho mask. I managed only the weakest of smiles, the trip had been a test of my resolve and patience, and I could only feign some semblance of composure. In truth, I probably looked more like a rabbit caught in the headlamps.

It is worth bearing in mind that Lisa was taking a risk here, I was still just some guy off the internet at this stage. I realised this of course but had no exigency plan in place for if she did suddenly just panic and leave, this in turn left me feeling strained and vulnerable.

Washington is a imposing city by repute, and I was too exhausted to contemplate negotiating my way through this huge foreign metropolis in search of accommodation. I will readily admit that I was worried.

This was my first introduction to the real life Lisa Jane, and within a few minutes, I began to recognise her as the self same woman I had come to admire during the long months of nightly web cam chats. She was the one link I had to my normal existence back home, and I began to relax as she took control of the situation. I felt all the more relaxed as I began to sense that an opportunity for sleep was close at hand, the last few days had been a physical challenge, a good night's sleep and then I could start to enjoy being around this wonderful lady.

The next day involved a trip to a mansion and its adjoining parkland but that can wait till the next blog.....

Andrew

#18 Thrown into a maelstrom. The trip part one.

In my mind, the week of our first meeting is still a massed jumble of loosely connected episodes; my brain has not yet processed them all into one tangible whole. A table of ingredients: I can remember each herb and spice's individual taste, but the finished recipe is far too rich to digest.

Fortified by caffeine and adrenalin, my body fighting off an excusable exhaustion; my senses were suddenly overwhelmed by an onslaught of intense experiences. The initial meeting at Washington Dulles international airport and the following days in Lisa's company were seismic in their effect on my bemused and intoxicated faculties.

I could write page upon page, relating incident upon incident, bore you with stories of shared breakfasts, mountain top hugs or surreptitious kisses. It will suffice though just to know that on returning home and allowing myself some time to reflect, I came to realise that somewhere within that confusing and bewildering week I had fallen in love.

Andrew.