SETTLING IN IN OLD BLIGHTY

I am alive and taking nourishment in England. My wife and I arrived Monday morning at 7:15 a.m. G.M.T. (2:15 a.m. E.D.T.). We took a nap in the afternoon and then stayed up to 10:00 p.m. when we crashed and slept well. I must have had a small bout of food poisoning which had me barfing, followed by the shakes, right after I went to bed. But the shakes didn't last long and then I slept well. I've been fine ever since.

We went on a big shop yesterday at one of the finer supermarkets in England called Waitrose. They cost a bit more, but the quality is excellent. Let me tell you, we all gripe at food costs at home, but, wow, they are really high here. The real bargain are English strawberries and raspberries which are in season and at reasonable prices.

The weather is very English; in a word, variable: lots of showers mixed in with patches of sunshine, in the low sixties. After weeks in the nineties in Florida, it's a welcome change. This weekend it is supposed to be fair and in the low eighties. That we'll take, with pleasure.

We are in hog heaven, watching superb coverage in depth every afternoon of Wimbledon. The announcing is excellent: these commentators, including John McEnroe, know just what to say and when to say it. They are not afraid of some golden silence and letting the action speak for itself. Yesterday was one of the finest women's matches we've ever seen when Venus Williams barely prevailed in three sets over Kimiko Date-Krumm. The combined ages of the two women were 71 (Date-Krumm, 40; Venus, 31), but they played and moved like kids. Date-Krumm almost blew her off the courts in the first set, leading 5-1, when Venus rallied, took it to a tiebreaker and then lost. Venus won the second set 6-3, leading to a suspenseful third set which Venus won 8-6. We'll be glued to the box through the weekend after next with this spectacle.

So, we are settling in, adjusting to a different but enjoyable life style. We have many friends here and will soon be in touch with them, plus we have my wife's sister and husband nearby, and we have good times together.

Our small house is in good shape: we had German students renting it for nine months, and they took good care of it. Our small but lovely garden is in top form. You don't know what flowers are until you see English gardens. The temperate climate here with rain plus a chalky soil make roses look as big as peonies, for example.

The economy here is hurting with lots of austerity measures. Almost everything you buy has a V.A.T. (Value-Added Tax). It used to be 17.5% but is now 20% and really adds substantially to the cost of everything. For example, let's say you bought metal curtain rods. The metal producer pays V.A.T.; so does the middleman/distributor; and then the retailer tacks it on. You get the idea...

So, we are back in business here. More soon.