Home at Last

I didn't have a chance to write while I was in England because although most of my relatives have computers, they would rather I visit with them then get absorbed into the screen. So, this will be a long post to cover the past week.

Ooh, there's so much to tell. I started off by meeting my dad at the London Gatwick Airport. We picked up my rental car and drove west to Bristol. I did pretty well driving on the other side of the road. My only frustration was that the Hyundai had switched the positions of the windshield wipers and the blinkers, so I often signaled my intent to change lanes by wiping the windshield.

After a pub lunch of fish & chips, I dropped Daddy at the train station where he took a train up to Chester to see his friend Keith. I then drove to Dursley, a small town in an area called the Cotswolds. My cousins Phil and Sonya live there, and Sonya's directions were perfect. Sonya took a couple days off work to play with me, and when she opened the front door, we both exclaimed at the same time: "I/You made it!"

We shopped in Gloucester that afternoon and saw the old cathedral. Sonya pointed out a tower that had been damaged in the civil war and laughed when I asked, "what civil war?" (It was in the 1600's)

We had a drink at the pub to meet some of her friends, and Phil met us there. The three of us then had an Indian feast at their local restaurant, Dil Raj. It was incredibly delicious.

On Friday, Sonya took me shopping in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was cold and rainy that day, but we stayed out of most of the weather by staying in the shops! We had a lovely home-cooked meal that night, and the next day, Phil rode with me up to Wellington to see his dad, my Uncle Ken.

It was like coming home. Uncle Ken is just the same as ever, and he gave me a great big hug. He then announced how glad he was that I was there and that as I'm such a good cook, I could cook him dinner! We had some of his son Chris' lamb along with the Californian wine I brought him. He regaled me with stories of his past, telling me how he had met Auntie Olive and the early years of their marriage. I could have stayed a week.

The next morning, I picked up my dad from his friend's house and drove to Runcorn. We saw Uncle Colin and Auntie Dot and their daughter Paula, a frequent commenter on my and my sisters' blogs. And I got to meet Paula's son Luke! What a sweetie. He's so adorable, and although he was wary of me at the beginning, he did give me a hug goodbye. Paula and I chatted in the kitchen, and again, I felt my time was too short. I could have visited with her for days.

Daddy and I next stopped in Weaverham to see Auntie Norma (another frequent blog commenter) and Uncle Noel. Auntie Norma was a little more subdued than her usual effervescent self as she's been having heart problems. She's scheduled for a stent on Friday, so everyone keep her in your thoughts! She looked the same as the last time I saw her and had made us a lovely cake.

We spent the night in Kelsall with Daddy's friends before heading back to London. There, we had dinner with my friends Alan and Hurriyet and their lovely children before going to a hotel near Gatwick for our last evening.

It WAS a quick trip, but I still enjoyed it so much. The English countryside is so picturesque, and we had three days in a row of sunshine! The weather was unusually mild for November, but I enjoyed the briskness of the air and the cold, cold water from the taps. I feel very loved after seeing everyone in England. I was so warmly received by them all. I also received a warm welcome home from Steve and my cat Sabrina. They were happy to see me again. And I'm happy to be home, but I won't wait 3 years again before going back.