Teapots and Traveling

Back in the 1980s we were privileged to travel several times in England and Scotland. We always went in the Summer. Even though it rains a lot, it also gets hot. The English do not do iced drinks. If you bought a canned drink you got it off the shelf and drank it luke warm. Americans, especially Texans thrive on iced drinks. The Coberg Hotel, Bayswater Street, right across from Hyde Park, and the place where Diana and Prince Charles lived, was where we always stayed in London. Every morning I would get up early, get a cup of coffee from the breakfast room, buy a paper, cross the street and sit on a bench right in front of the door of Diana's palace. Sort of felt like we were having coffee together. Of course she would have tea.

The hotel kept the same staff for years and we got to know many of them. Found that I could order a pot of tea, let it cool down, ask for ice in the bar and make me iced tea. They began to have a cool pot of tea waiting for me in the afternoon. I thought it wonderful. I don't think I ever got over ordering "Hot Tea please". They wondered what other kind was there.

Once we were on a train on our way to somewhere and Mate was hungry. The train always has a Buffet Car but it is pronounced buffey car. Mate went to the buffey car for a sandwich. Came back with two sandwiches and of course an inevitable warm coke. I asked why he got two. Said he had ordered a ham and cheese and he got one ham and one cheese. I don't think we ever figured out how to get one sandwich with both.

The greatest trip we ever had was with my sister and brother in law. It was also our last trip overseas in either the late 80s or early 90s. We had a 21 day Brit Rail pass and traveled all over England and Scotland staying in Bed & Breakfast establishments. Wonderful trip. Stayed in Edinburgh for a while. Sister and I are big time readers and both of us love the story of Greyfriars Bobby. Based on a true story of a cemetery keeper in Edinburgh and his little dog, Bobby. When the keeper died he was buried there and the little dog would not leave. Slept every night on his grave. Became a fixture in the neighborhood and was fed by the local pub owners. It also made a great tear jerker movie. We read there was a pub named Greyfriars Bobby and a statute of the little dog. We found the pub but walked and walked and still could not find the statute. Well you know those things become an obsession and you just have to find it. We would walk a while and ask and would be directed back to the Pub. Brother in law and Mate quit walking and sat at a bench on the sidewalk waiting on us to finally find the dog. Brother in law turned around and there right behind them all the while was the statute of Bobby. It is very small and at eye level. So if you happen to be in Edinburgh and would like to see the little black dog, don't go any further than Greyfriars Pub.

Seems to me that we should always look upward when asking God for blessings but we must remember that the blessing may have been there all the time. Right in front of our eyes,