If ever I was thankful at Thanksgiving, this past Thanksgiving is probably the one I was most thankful-est for (yes, I said "thankful-est"). And the reason that I was so thankful is because, even though I live across the ocean from my family, I was able to celebrate the holiday with not only my parents, but my aunt and uncle as well.
My parents made the long journey to the UK to be with us (and the journey was especially long for my dad, who had to travel from Florida first). The one thing we didn't account for during their trip, was the weather. It was bitterly cold... so cold in fact, that we woke up to snow on Thanksgiving morning! (Did I mention that my dad had just come from Florida? Well, let's just say that he wasn't too pleased about the snow.)
My Aunt Marsha and Uncle Stan only had to come from London to be with us. My Uncle Stan is a college professor and was teaching a course there for the semester. We hadn't seen them in a few years, so it was wonderful to be together, and share our experiences.
Our Thanksgiving meal was wonderful! Being with my mom on Thanksgiving meant that there was very little stress about prepping the turkey dinner. She is nothing short of a pro!
The following day, we went into Harrogate where we went to the Pump Room Museum and learned about how the natural sulphur springs brought tourism and wealth to this area. We then had lunch at Betty's Tea Room, which is the best tea room around.
After my aunt and uncle returned to London, my mom, Maddie, and I decided to take a trip to Stoke-on-Trent. I have blogged about this before. Stoke-on-Trent is known for their production of fine china!
We went first to the Wedgewood Museum and Factory,
where we were able to learn about the process of making and painting fine bone china. We watched videos which showed us how painstakingly some of the pieces were painted, and left with a much humbler appreciation for the hefty price-tags.
After Wedgewood, we headed to my favorite place in Stoke-on-Trent, which is the Burleigh Factory. My Mom already had a few pieces from Burleigh at home, so I thought I would add to her collection as an early Christmas gift. And, since we were there, I had to add to my collection as well!!
We decided to head back home after this, and what should have been a 2 1/2 hour drive, became a 4 hour drive due to some newly fallen snow. It was a VERY scary ride. At one point we found ourselves at the top of a hill, looking down at the s-curve road down below, where a bus was stuck on a bridge! (A bus full of elderly people, mind you!) We were SO grateful to make it back safely, and will forever remember the china that we risked our lives to get that day.
Aside from the snow, we had a wonderful time being together. So much to be thankful for....
I mentioned it to my good friend Leslie, and asked if she might be interested in doing a photo shoot-swap... she would take our family picture, and I would take their family picture. And thankfully, she had a really nice camera!
Leslie said she will be in charge of finding next year's perfect English countryside location. But, I don't know if she'll be able to top this one!
