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Musings from Mama

Monday, July 24, 2006

Personality Quiz #2

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"Tell them I said something."
man! How original! Whee! This is fun! Why can't I be hilarious like my kids?????

Personality Quiz #1

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around.

You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy.

You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you.

How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."
Wow! Now I have learned something new again! Thanks to Brian, I now can take all these famous tests and get them onto a blog. I took this once before and was Ernie but today I am BB and tomorrow, probably will be Oscar The Grouch! Have a nice day Y'all.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

The End

Our Last long walk in London; our Last tube ride: did I mention I loved the tube? The Son took us to Victoria Station and put us on the Gatwick express amid many tears from Big Mama and went off to work. The ride to Gatwick was very comfortable and we had no trouble finding our place.

Every one of the security personnel was so courteous and kind. I got "patted down" and one of our pieces of luggage got opened and searched. The Dad thinks it was because of the pretty rocks we had in there. Our departure time was 1 hour earlier than we had expected; and our departure from Detroit was 1/2 hr. earlier and that was fine with us!

By 7:30 P.M. we were at the hotel in Louisville-I'm so thankful the Dad agreed to staying the night: we would have been much too exhausted to have driven all the way home. I have to say that I would be happy not to fly for the next 35 years but the desire to see my children will, I am sure, make me willing much sooner than that. I have already started a list of things I want to see the next time.

And now it is over and we have lovely memories. Thanks for hanging in there with me as I reminisce!!!
 Posted by Picasa

A new way to do Photos! It worked!

This was one of the photos I wanted to post yesterday! It was the one The Dad took from above the crowd. He just held up his camera and shot. Didn't even see what he was shooting. Will have to try this all the time to get photos to work! Posted by Picasa

Day 9 We're Finishing Up


Our Last Bus ride and I'm not sorry! However, I am still very impressed that every time it has been busy, some young person has given me his/her seat. Don't find that much these days: ah the advantage of being OLD!

Today, The Son took us to the Sir John Sonne Museum, left us there and went off to work. I wasn't that impressed with it but it did have a lot of art that was interesting. Think I would have been more impressed if the L.D. had been with us. She could have added a lot more to the tour (but sometimes she has to work like real people). I felt that the people there who were to guide us, were more standing around waiting for someone to do something wrong so they could yell at them. We didn't but others did and they were right on top of it! Mr. Sonne, from what I read, was quite a popular architect and drew quite fabulous things. His sidekick, Mr. Gandy was good too but seems to have been mostly a dreamer and didn't get much of his stuff actually built-or Mr. Sonne's either for that matter. But I could be wrong. Was hard to say. Anyway, it seems like Mr. S. collected quite a bit of stuff and then had to build a house to put them in. I fear that is going to happen at our house given the "collections" of The Dad. The thing that most impressed me was the BRIGHT yellow drawing room with the matching furniture! The Sister would have felt right at home (She had a bright bright yellow bedroom for a while in which she had much difficulty sleeping as soon as the sun rose!).

After our tour there, we went across an absolutely lovely park to The Royal Academy of Surgeons to the museum there. We both LOVED it! It had cases and cases of things preserved in bottles including lots of fetuses-even human ones. I'd forgotten how small 4 week fetuses were and 8 week ones--and how well formed! We saw skeletons and deformities and instruments of vast kinds! And we watched videos of some surgeries. Even the Dad had a good time though I don't think the surgeries were very high on his list of fun things to watch!

We, then, sauntered up the street to The Son's lab. Didn't get lost even though I had the directions--much to The Dad's dismay. We found a few gift shops and I got to buy just exactly the right things I had been wanting to get for the babies. I had in mind just the size, etc. of buses I wanted and there they were. The Dad took more photos of those red buses and one if me beside the petrol prices sign. Again, that was most impressive to him.

We went back to The Kids' home and rested and had supper. Let me tell you about the food they served! It was outstanding! They are vegetarians and I didn't know what they would serve but felt like I should enjoy it because they are so gracious about my messes I fix for them. Well, the food they served was so great I would be a vegetarian if I could fix food like that. Tonight, we had pumpkin soup and I had been a bit worried about that cause I hate squash soup but this was very spicy (not too, though, mind you!) and was great! Wish I had gotten the recipe cause I would serve it! The Son made us sandwiches for one of our excursions and I don't even know what he put in them but they were so good! Everything was! Not once did I wish for anything else! We had a deal: they cooked and we cleaned up. Worked well and we all were happy.

We all read for a while, played a game where most everyone had to think a bit (not me, of course: I just played for the sake of playing and making my board pieces pretty) so I didn't really have time to bawl much if at all because we were leaving in the morning

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Day 9 or So

Hope the photos load: the one of the Buckingham palace guards was interesting: The Dad just held up the camera and shot without even seeing what he was shooting. Pretty good, huh?

this day was neat: It starated by successfully returning the rental car. Then, I had 4 things left I wanted to do and by co-incidence, they were all in the same location so we started out The Son leading in his usual efficient manner. WE took the Picadilly Line to Green Court which is beside Buckingham Palace. We didn't really want to see the changing of the guards because of the crowds but when we got there, we saw a bunch of people running and, sure enough, there we were at just the right time (or wrong as it may have been). We really saw nothing but got a good photo anyway and if it downloads, uploads or whatever it does,you will see what a great shot the Dad got! Then on to Fortner and Mason where I got to buy the gifts I needed for home. The place was fantastic and I could have spent the day there! But, on to the rest of my request: the Science Museum. What an absolutely marvelous place. We spent several hours and saw only the medical side. Could spend days there and never re-see anything. I also wanted to have a picture of a bus and so got dozens from the Dad. Then got to ride the tube again (have I mentioned that I really enjoyed that experience?) for a ways and then walked to The LK's home. Even the Son was worn out. We rested a while and then walked to a Turkish grocer. It was interesting and The Dad bought some strange spices which I have no idea how I will ever use.

Oh yes, on the way to the grocer's we saw a guy about to be arrested! I was so innocent I didn't even realize it until we went another way home and the guys told me. Had a wonderful meal provided by our hosts and then played a game called "Articulate" which I was scared of cause I don't do very well but was teamed with The Son and we won. Then, he randomly drew me again for the next game: more to his misfortune but he won that one for us too. Good old Son!

Well, let's see if those pictures loaded this time and then off to see the delayed-for- weather fireworks in the City. WEll, dang! They didn't. Will try once more and then give up! Well, once again it didn't make the pictures so I give up: they were nice too!

Monday, July 03, 2006


Day 8 Greetings from Lincoln

We left the B&B, oh did I say it was really nice?, and headed home to London with a loooooong stop in Lincoln. This had to be one of my favorite places. Each day I found several "favorite places" and it was OK....Son said I didn't have to pick a one favorite. Here they were reenacting the War of Roses and there was lots going on including the advance of the Scottish regiment complete with drum and bagpipe. That was very interesting but one of the best things about it was going away from the castle where they were doing the War and having the Bishop's
Palace ruin all to ourselves. Everyone was at the War so we could wander at will. It was really neat. One of the neatest things was the medieval graffitti on some of the doors. Imagine, it has kept all these many years. Again, I was overwhelmed at the ages of things. The cathedral was one of the best. Quite like the others we have seen but not as crowded. Again the L.D. had a lot of interesting things to add to our tour that made it outstanding. In the castle, was a dungeon where all the family went--except yours truly! I was scared. It was down a dark hole by way of a ladder. Not me! Prisoners were chained to the walls. Yuk!!! We did see a 13th century prison (above ground) which was quite interesting. A couple of areas had videos of women being accused for things. In one case, of something she didn't do and she was being sentenced to death. It was so sad. She had her little baby with her. I felt sad. Also, we saw the Magna Carta which had a whole building dedicated to it. Oh, and in the cathedral, were several small chapels including one that had an altar for each section of the Armed Forces. That was so neat.

To get to these places we had to walk up a VERY steep hill called "Steep Street" appropriately enough. Easy to see why!! The brochures suggested that you do all the things you wanted to do on one level before going on the other one because going up and down would be impossible on foot. Fun and
exciting day and safely back "home" to London which is really home to 1/2 of our group.