A Smooth Return

We are home after our jaunt across the pond and our 9-day visit in Howden in the United Kingdom.  We had a wonderful time visiting Katie, Liam and my two great granddaughters:  Elodie and Rosalie. There were no delays, no re-bookings, and no change in  flight schedules on our return trip.  We left Manchester yesterday at noon, arrived in Atlanta, passed through customs, and caught our flight to Philadelphia without a single glitch.  My faithful friends, Adam and Sheila, were there to pick us up and drive us home.  We arrived at 11 PM and were greeted by a sign in the kitchen (and a full fridge) welcoming our safe return.  It was a long, long day for us!  John at 83, and "yours truly" at 80, managed just fine even though we were both suffering from some kind of flu or cold bug.  

We weren't as spry this trip as we were on the last one in November 2022, but we DID IT, HANDLED IT, and ENJOYED IT!  Why, we might even go on a cruise together in early 2024!  Just want you to know...no one of us is ever too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream, or to venture into new territory.  These can be DONE, and HANDLED, and ENJOYED!

The End of A ‘Oliday

We’ve had a lovely Holiday (vacation) in the village of Howden in East Yorkshire.  Now it is time to say “goodbye” to the United Kingdom and return to our homeland.  Katie, Liam, Elodie and Rosalie came to our “Oliday Ome” for lunch today.  (My great granddaughter has a Yorkshire accent and drops the “H” in “Holiday Home.”)  We said “goodbye” to all except Liam, who will drive us to Manchester tomorrow.  Goodbyes are never easy.  Is it even possible for a 3-year old little girl to understand such a concept as “goodbye?”  Of course, it isn’t!  Why, I confess that even I, an 80-year old, find it hard to grasp the concept. 

Words and phrases evolve over the years and take on new meaning.  In the 13th century, the word “nice” meant “silly, or “ignorant.”  The word “egregious” now means “really bad,” but use to mean “remarkably good.”  The word “goodbye” was first used in a 1573 letter written by an English scholar:  “To requite your gallonde (gallon) of godbwyes, I regive you a pottle of howdyes.”  “Godbwye” is a contraction for “God be with ye.”  What does it mean to say:  “God be with thee?”  God be with thee, Katie, Liam, Elodie and Rosalie!  God be with thee United Kingdom!

This Imperfect World..

Not everything works perfectly at home or away from home.  We started our UK holiday with flight delays and cancellations.  We ended up in London instead of Manchester.  But, Liam was there waiting for us, driving us a long distance in the rain to our AirBnB, which was all set for our arrival.  Some things work.  Some things do not.  In an imperfect world there is no guarantee for things to go right—and there is no guarantee for things to go wrong.  There is no guarantee for anything at all.  The sun has been shining 80 percent of our time in Howden; rain has been minimal.  That’s good!  The temperature has been in the mid-60-degrees almost every day.  That’s good!   We’ve had a wonderful time with family—no hiccups.  That’s good!  You see, even in an imperfect world, with no guarantees, there is a certain joy in being “alive” in it!  In such an imperfect world, I fit in perfectly!

The Special Day Has Arrived

Katie and I were talking on the phone back in February.  She told me Elodie was wondering why her Grandad did not pick her up after school.  That was the moment I decided to make this present trip back to England—for the sole purpose of being available to pick Elodie up from school.  Today that is going to happen!

Immediately after that February telephone call with Katie, I called my brother to see if he might want to travel with me again.  He called back the next morning saying “Yes!”  And here we are!  TODAY I will pick Elodie up from school.

Photos of my great grandchildren are not posted on social media.  Last year, however, I posted a photo of Elodie’s “little Red Shoes.”  I do so again, because those little Red Shoes speak volumes… 

“In fact, the red shoes are never tired.  They dance her out into the street, they acne hr over the mountains and valleys, through fields and forests, through night and day.  Time rushes by, love rushes by, life rushes by, but the red shoes go on…”

Saturday/Sunday Adventures in Howden

Katie and family visited us at our “oliday ‘ome” on Saturday.  Mandy, Liam’s Mum, also stopped by.  We were also able to connect with Liam’s sister, Micky, via Facetime. We had a wonderful “Fish & Chip” lunch together and enjoyed a walk in the village park.  Later, John and I went to the Wellington Pub/Restaurant and enjoyed their homemade “Steak & Guinness Pie.”  Delicious!

After a leisurely breakfast at our AirBnB (‘oliday ‘ome) this morning, we walked to the village centre and enjoyed a cappuccino at Badger & Bean (and a lemon drizzle cake for John).  At noon we were picked up by Liam  and spent a nice afternoon—including a delicious Sunday Roast lunch—at Katie and Liam’s lovely home in Gilberdyke (5 miles from Howden).  You should see Elodie on the trampoline—or Rosalie taking her faltering steps!  What a wonderful “Holiday” we are experiencing here in Howden!  Special moments with some very special people—“kairos” time!

Ginger’s On Saturday Morning

If ever you come to Howden—We recommend Ginger’s as the place to go on a Saturday morning.  Apparently many of the local folk would say the same.  We saw many of them there.  I like the Cappuccino.  John likes the Latte.  We both liked the carrot cake.  But most of all we enjoyed watching the village come alive on a Saturday morning—mothers with their children in strollers, guys and gals out jogging or cycling, others going to the grocery store, and others out walking their dogs, and some at the butcher shop, etc. etc.  Life on a Saturday morning in Howden is like “Life on a Saturday morning” anywhere else in this wonderful world.  But not every place has a Ginger’s!

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Yesterday I shared the obstacles, challenges and setbacks my brother John and I experienced on our way to the United Kingdom to visit my granddaughter Katie’s family.  After being with Liam, Katie, Elodie and Rosalie at their home yesterday I really want to shout out:  “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. Ain’t No Valley Low Enough.  Ain’t No River Wide Enough”… to keep me from visiting Katie, Liam, and my great granddaughters, Elodie and Rosalie!   Ain’t no flight delays.  Ain’t no travel woes.  Ain’t no “age” being too old …to keep me away!

Elodie will be four-years old in November.  Rosalie was actually celebrating her 14-month birthday yesterday.  I last saw them in November 2022.  There are no words to describe the “feelings” I felt in being able to be with them again.  (Awe?  Wonder? Jubilant?  Gratitude? — Nope!).  Ain’t no word big enough, or wide enough,  or deep enough, to describe the “Great Grandad feelings” of being with them.

John and I walked in Howden last night passing by the ruins of the “Minster”— and through the beautifully preserved town center with narrow cobbled streets and restored buildings—to a wonderful little Italian restaurant we enjoyed on our last visit.  As we strolled along, the words of Isaac Watts hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” kept singing within—“Time, like an ever-rolling stream…, Time, like an ever-rolling stream…”—reminding  me again how important it is to use the time I have to visit my granddaughter and great granddaughters in the UK.  Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.  Ain’t No Valley Low Enough.  Ain’t No River Wide Enough…Ain’t No Age too Old...!  

  

Crossing the Big Pond

 My brother and I set off on Tuesday morning for the UK.  Our flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta was scuttled after several hours sitting onboard with our fingers crossed.  (Fingers crossed didn’t make any difference!). Missing our first flight,  we also missed our connection from Atlanta to Manchester, UK.  But, after standing in line with the other 200 stranded passengers for several hours we were able to re-book.  We discovered upon finally arriving in Atlanta, that our newly-booked flight to London (instead of Manchester) at 9:55 PM had been delayed until 12:30 AM.  Being the intrepid travelers that we are—we readily adapted to this new development (since there was absolutely nothing we could do about it).

At 1 AM (Wednesday morning) we finally boarded our flight to London—arriving Heathrow on Wednesday afternoon at 1 PM (some six hours later than planned, and arriving in London instead of Manchester).  Granddaughter Katie’s husband, Liam, was there to meet us and drive us to our “Oliday ‘Ome” (as great granddaughter, Elodie, named our AirBnB last November).

This quaint townhouse in Howden really did seem like home when we arrived.  Katie had a dinner prepared (all we had to do was put it in the Microwave). Liam made a quick trip to the store for this morning’s breakfast needs.  Oh, how spoiled we are!  And quite content to be so!

Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday—day three!  Today we will have lunch with Katie, Liam, Elodie and Rosalie at their home in Gilberdyke.  Can’t wait to see Katie and my beautiful “great” granddaughters.