From my archives on this day of 2023. I’m visiting the grandchildren but headed home tomorrow so new blog coming Tuesday morning. Thanks for reading my words!

Sitting on the porch and pondering in the porch swing. Lots of birds flitting around. Penelope is surveying her kingdom. Barks every time the mailman comes by. He goes down one side and up the other side on the return trip. Barks at the Ups and FedX trucks and their drivers and at all the neighborhood dogs when they walk by. The neighborhood dogs don’t even look at her, just walk by in a line like soldiers. I keep telling her she’s wasting her barks on them. Those dogs used to visit with me but P’s incessant barking when they come by irritates them. If she’s on her leash she loves them but if she’s in the playpen on the porch she acts like she’s in the last throes of rabies.

Plane just came by in the sky leaving a white trail across the cloudless blue sky. Can you remember the first time you flew on an airplane? When I was in college I went on a literary tour of England and Scotland. We flew from Macon, Georgia to New York. Then from New York to London, England. I was very excited. Never had flown, had no trepidation of traveling out of the United States. Had my first passport. Had a new suitcase full of new clothes. It was January so I had a new brown London Fog overcoat and a cool pair of wool lined boots. I was prepared with clothes for the theatre and $100 in one dollar bills to tip the taxi drivers. Daddy gave me an American Express card for emergencies and I had some travelers checks.

When we got to the Macon airport I was delighted to see both of my parents waiting to greet me and see me off on my first plane ride. I wasn’t expecting them. Daddy said, “I thought we ought to see you off in case we never see you again!” Then he chuckles. He was excited for me, too. When we were standing there talking the Allman Brothers Band members walked through the airport. Gregg Allman was walking with Cher. Course Daddy didn’t know who they were and said, “I hope those hippies aren’t on your plane!”

We say our goodbyes and off I go. When we get to New York we have a layover and all the girls from Florida ran outside to see the snow. I didn’t budge. Kept the professor and her friend in view at all times! Didn’t want to be the one who got left behind! We make it to London and hit the ground sightseeing. I had a telegram from my parents at the hotel. Scared me but it just said, “We love you. Have a great trip!” Every time we changed cities and hotels, I received a telegram from my parents. Maybe it frightened them for me to be out of the country. Or maybe they thought I needed to hear from them to reassure me in case I was homesick. We were so busy traveling and sightseeing we didn’t have time to miss home.

Funny the things I remember the most. The cathedrals and their stain glass windows were beautiful and the Scotland country side so pretty. The suits of armor at the Tower of London. The friend who took every photo with her hands over the lens of the camera. The worn down steps leading up to the Canterbury Cathedral moved me to tears. And the candy similar to M&Ms called smarties. Bought lots to bring home and ended up eating them on the plane ride home. My friend would order fish but always had to put her napkin over the fish’s eyes before she could eat. She was always asking for ice. The waiter would bring one or two cubes and she’d start complaining. If you bought a Coke they just picked up one from the shelf.

And the beautiful libraries at Oxford University! And the home of William Shakespeare and the mummies and famous paintings, and the beautiful Wedgewood china, and historical artifacts at the British Museum. My friend and I spent our free day in London wandering around in the museum. And the Charles Dickens manuscripts at the Victoria and Albert Museum. And the tea was so good with milk in it. Tried it when I got home. Even brought a box of tea home but it was never as good as it was in London. The breakfasts were so delicious every day. And the little meat pies for lunch. We never got desserts either. We’d choose the cheese tray so we could snack later on the cheese.

I loved shopping at Harrods in London. I was well into my china and crystal collecting by then and was just amazed over all the beautiful items. Always wished I could fly to London and do my Christmas shopping at Harrods. I bought myself a beautiful jewelry box there and had it gift wrapped. So pretty but when we went to the British Museum the guard had to unwrap the box to check it. I saved a scrap of the wrapping paper. Still have it in the jewelry box.

When we went to visit Stonehenge I believe that was the coldest I’ve ever been in my life. We spent the night in a stone hotel. Honestly, I don’t think there was any mortar between all those stones. We slept in our clothes! I slept in my lined London Fog overcoat and my wool lined boots. The wind howled all night long.

And can’t forget Scotland. Loved it, too. The Lake country was so pretty. The scary ride across the windy bridge. Think it was Loch Lomond but I might have that wrong. Bought everyone in the family something in the Murray tartan plaid. We McMurrays have our early roots in Scotland. My friend asked one of the Scotsman what he wore under his kilt. “Nothing, mam,” he says and we ran off laughing.

Daddy was so glad to see me when I got home! I think he and Mama missed me. Brothers probably didn’t!

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” — Saint Augustine