Back in Atlanta (from Jan 2011)

We home. I mean we back in Atlanta, but it feels like home. The temperature was 69F when we landed. Way better than the 42F we left behind in London. Last night I just watched the telly while Hollis went off to tell his girlfriend goodbye. Glad I wasn't there to see that. Anyway she'll be back at Millsaps in April. I don't reckon it'll kill him to be without her that long. 

The flight back was okay. We followed the sun so it was daylight the whole way. Hollis says I ain't as apt to get jet slag coming this way. I can't figure that one out. Our cousins picked us up at the monster airport they got here in Atlanta.  They brung us back to their house and grilled steaks and asparagus on the patio. It was good to get some American food for a change. 

Tomorrow me and Hollis is headed back to God's country. He had brung his jeep over and we riding it back. So glad to be this close to Harper. Thank you, Lord

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Tomorrow: Just Sitting Out on the Lake

Getting Ready to Come Home (from Jan 2011)

Today we're fixing to get ready to prepare to come home. I said it like that 'cause Hollis is always making fun of me 'cause I'm always fixing to do something. Anyway we packing our bags. I remembered I ain't bought nothing for Dorothy here in England so I went across the street to that big store and what I seen I thought she might like was this plate with a picture of William and Kate on it. Dorothy almost went nuts when Princess Di and that prince guy got hitched and I knew she would like something about this upcoming wedding. I don't know if y'all know but William is Lady Di's son. They all say he is real nice like his mother was. I seen a little wood box filled with tea bags and got that for her too. 

Hollis was funning me earlier today and said our plane was gonna stop in Egypt. He had me for a minute but I could see in his eyes he was fooling. I seen on the telly (that's what they call TV over here) where Egypt peoples was all out in the street running around and throwing things. We ain't never had no gatherings like than in Harper since the Piggly Wiggly had hog's head cheese on sale last year. Of course our crowd wasn't running and throwing. We heading down to Cat's Wick Airport tomorrow.

Tomorrow: Back in Atlanta

The Tower and Anbow Lynn (from Jan 2011)

We're leaving sometimes this weekend to come home. I know I'm excited. One of the things I miss most about Harper is Dorothy's cooking and Dorothy some too. Today we was out and about London and one of the things we seen was the Tower of London. The tower ain't much of a tower at all, but it is a pretty good size old, old building. Inside you can see the exact spot where Anbow Lynn got her head cut off. Some peoples say she got her neck cut off, but I think that would take two cuts and from what I heard there was just one. Anbow Lynn was Henry D Yates second wife and was the mother of Elizabeth number one. Elizabeth One was the queen that looked like she was going bald. Now I ain't gonna lead you wrong, the stand and the ax and all that stuff wasn't there, just a nice little green marked off part of the yard. In this tower there was a jail house and a lot of ole English folks was kept here. Another thing they has here is the crowd jewels. They is these great big precious stones and they is called the crowd jewels because there is always a big crowd around to look at them. They got so many peoples that they made a moving walk to push you past so peoples won't hang on too long gawking. Didn't take me long; one little peek were enough for me,

Tomorrow: Getting Ready to Head Home

The Opera

We taken a taxi. Hollis had kinda pushed me to go out an buy a new suit and shirt and tie. I wouldn't buy no new shoes though. My Sunday ones is good enough. All that stuff cost a lot but I ain't never gonna spend what I got no way. We got to the opera and I'm telling you the people that was there looked like they was all butlers in them old movies. The mens was dressed like Fred Astaire and the womens was really all frilled up. We had good seats right down front. Now like I said I know how the music is gonna go with my daddy spending his young years with that Italian family in New Orleans and all. They started playing the overturn and I couldn't help but close my eyes and imagine I was sitting on Harper Lake with a soft breeze on my face. I had to try not to notice all them different kinds of perfumes. I opened my eyes a couple of times during the show; one was when Figgy Rowe sang his piece. He was good. You know he was the same guy what got married in Mose Hart's opera. I have to say I am glad Hollis taken me and all, but ain't nothing like sitting on my lake and listening to the overturn and watching that ole osprey fly all around like he could hear the music too.

Tomorrow: The Tower and Anbow Lynn

                                                                         Mose Hart

Hollis Goes Off Somewheres With His Girl (from Jan 2011)

Hollis and his girlfriend left early this morning on another walking tour around London. They like to go places that they read about in books even if the books didn't really happen. Today, they was taking a "Saturday" walk and ride where this doctor in this book  by that name went. Hollis wanted to see exactly what the London Flyover was. I ain't got no idea what he's talking about. 

Well, I wasn't supposed to get out on my own but I did anyway. I wasn't gonna get lost again because I used my good noticing skill to remember where I went. I wanted to go down and ride that big wheel. And I did find my way there. I'm getting to understand what peoples are saying better after my time here and I try to talk real clear so they will understand me. On the wheel high up over the city I seen where we was staying and up and down the river they call Tim's River. I met some people in my car on the wheel from Germany and some others from Australia. I told the Australia folks that I did not know Oprah, who took a bunch of folks down there, but me and her both was borned in  Mississippi. I ain't told y'all this, but Hollis printed up a bunch of cards inviting people to tune in to my blog. I handed some out 'cause I has had peoples from all kinds of countries looking in. That makes me real happy. 

Hollis had a big surprise when he come home. He had got tickets to the opera. We going tonight to see "The Barbershop in Seville."

Tomorrow: The Opera

I'm 'bout Ready to Head Home (from Jan 2011)

Last night when we stayed in Rye was the first night we was away from our flat across from the food court. I didn't sleep too good. And today we been riding around the English countryside (on the wrong side of the road.) You gotta pay for everything with what they call pounds and the temperature is called C instead of F and I'm 'bout ready to head home. We got a couple more days because thats what our tickets say.

On the way back to London we went through this little town and peoples was in town shopping around just like they do in Harper. Kinda made me homesicker than I already was. We was hungry so we had what they call tea. It's like a little meal later in the day. One big thing they don't have over here is sweet tea. They drink their tea hot just like it was coffee and put a lot of milk in it. And the sugar comes in little cubes what they call lumps. I don't reckon I would ever get used to that.

We made it back in and I went right over to that food court and got me some good stuff to eat. I ain't gonna tell y'all what it was cause I ain't never heard of it before but it was some kind of fish with a yellowish sauce on it. I have to say it was tasty especially with all them vegetables I got with it.

Tomorrow: Hollis Goes Off Somewhere With That Girl

Rye (from Jan 2012)

Today was a nervous day for me. Hollis rented a car, you know with the wheel on the wrong side. And we went off driving down the wrong side of the road, like they do over there, to the town of Rye. Now I may not always notice the same things everybody else notices, but this place was like something in a old pirate movie. I found out while they is two miles from the sea now, it used to lap right up on the town limits. Can you believe the sea can move that far? I mean like I walk out one morning and Harper Lake is done down at the county line or something. 

Way back then this Norman family come over from France and captured all of England. We got some Van Normans in Harper, I reckon they may be kin to this bunch, but they all good peoples far as I know. 

We stayed in this hotel that was hundreds of years old and it smelled like it too. The cafe downstairs was real high priced and they had some things that I didn't care for like raw salmon and fish eggs. And they called tomaters ta mah toes. I'm gonna have to say we had a good time though. My room had a secret passageway what went to the kitchen. I didn't have no need to use it. One trip to that kitchen was enough for me.

Tomorrow: I'm 'bout Read to Head Home

Dover (from Jan 2011)

Today, me and Hollis taken the train to the town of Dover. It was a tough day for me because of all the climbing and walking, but it was one of the best days since we been here. We got off the train in downtown Dover and Hollis got us a taxi up to Dover Castle. It is way up on a hill. The driver let us out on this road sorta behind the castle and we had to walk around and up a big hill to the gate. Wore me out. When we was inside we saw all kinda things. One was a roman light house. It was the  because Dover is right on the sea. We got some food in the castle cafe and it wasn't too good. It was the worse eating we had in England. We walked all over that place and saw a lot of things. Then we went to see the white cliffs. They're called the White Cliffs of Dover and they is something to see. You know they had a song about them cliffs a long time ago. I think it was during WWII. From on top of the cliffs on a clear day if you strain real hard, and make up your mind to it, you can see the country of France. I didn't see it and that was my only chance cause I sure ain't going there. My Uncle Angus what was there during the war told me some things about them folks that makes me want to stay away.

Tomorrow: Rye

Author's Homes (from Jan 2011)

Looks like a lot of peoples what wrote books used to live in England. Me and Hollis and that girl went out together to look at their homes. We had been to some already out in England, but a whole bunch had houses in London. There was one section what had a bunch of places called Bloomsbury or something like that. I don't remember the names, but Hollis and that girl got a big kick out of looking 'em over. I think one of 'em was named David Copperfield, the same as that magic guy. They kept talking about David and where all he went around and about London. And one was named Oliver. And one that got me was Tom Elliot. They said he was born in St. Louis but come over here and stayed. I think he wrote a lot of poems. Y'all can probably tell I am in a struggle with today's post. I just don't know what the dickens I'm talking about. I need to get them to learn me more about these peoples before I head into their houses and try to understand. Sorry folks. Tomorrow will be better. I promise.

Tomorrow: Dover

Churches (from Jan 2011)

We already been in a bunch of churches. Almost every town we went had one real big main church. In everyone of 'em you could have put all the churches in Harper County and still had room for more. I ain't gonna talk about but two; the two we was in today.

 The first one is called St. Paul's Church. It was built after the first one by that name was burned up by a mighty fire. That was hundreds of years ago. Now they is working on cleaning it up (I don't mean from the fire.)  Peoples was everywhere working on it, inside and out. This is the church where Princess Di and that prince guy was married. We got a guy in Harper looks just like him. Nobody thinks our man is the least bit good-looking. Hollis got on one side of this balcony and whispered to me on the other side. I heard every word. I bet over the years a lot of peoples got in trouble with that. 

The other church is Westminster Abbey. It is older cause it has been around for about 1000 years. This is where Prince William and his girl friend is gonna get hitched. It is also the place where a lot of kings and queens and famous English people is buried right in the church. I looked around at the grave markers and saw a lot of names that was the same as people living in Harper. I reckon some of them is kin. It cost a lot of money to go into both of these churches. I am glad they don't charge to go into the ones in Harper. They have too much trouble getting peoples to come as it is.

Tomorrow: Author's Homes

Isle of Wight (from Jan 2011)

Y'all probably remember that one of the things I read about in those leaflets Hollis brought to me was about a place where Queen Victoria stayed a lot. It's Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. On the way there we went by almost every kind of transportation you ever heard of. We walked to the tube station, took the tube to the railway station, rode the train to the port, rode a hovercraft to the island, took a bus to the gates of Osborne House, was picked up by a man and his kid driving a carriage with some kind of little horse pulling it. Wow! 

Osborne House ain't like no castle or palace. It's just a big ole house. A nice house but no palace. We seen where the queen slept and died and her husband's bathroom, where she was laid out after she died and where she wrote her letters, and a bunch of other things. The yard was big and pretty.

 We ate at this little restaurant on the grounds. I had what they called winter soup. It was full of vegetables and had turnips in it. I ain't never had soup with turnips but I'm gonna tell Dorothy and get her to make me some when I get home; Lord willing I do. 

We was having good weather, not too cold or rainy. But when we left the house and was waiting for the bus, it come up a real heavy rain. We was still wet some when we got back to the flat.

Tomorrow: Churches

The Other Southerner in London (from Jan 2011)

Sorry for the delay. I been busy trying to eat up all the food Dorothy cooked up. Now, to continue telling about how I got lost on the subway in London.

Lo and behold there was a woman outside that station where I was lost at who heard me talking and walked right up to me and asked me if I was from the South. I was so excited I didn't know what to do. It turned out this lady was from Dublin, Georgia and was in London shopping for a new dining room table. Now ain't that hard to believe. But I didn't care why she was there. I was just glad she was. She heard me asking for help to get back to where we was staying and it just happened she was staying kinda close to us.
She could tell from how I described what was around where we was at. I told y'all I was real good at noticing things. Well, me and that woman, her name was Smith, rode back--we had to change lines just once--to the exact tube stop where I got on earlier that day. She even walked around the corner with me and watched while I climbed up the steps to the building where our flat was at. I waved a thank you and probably will never see her again. 

But if any of y'all know a Mrs. Smith from Dublin, Ga who was shopping for a dining room table in London in January 2011 tell her thanks a heap. She's real nice.

Tomorrow: The Isle of Wight

Lost in London! (from Jan 2011)

Today didn't turn out too good. Hollis asked me if I would be alright hanging out around the flat for a few hours while he and that girl went on a London walk. He said she had the day off and wanted to go on the Mrs. Dalloway walk. I kept wanting to call her Galloway because we got Galloways in Harper. Ain't never heard of no Dalloways. Anyway Hollis said she was a character in this book and the whole book was about one day in her life. Huh? 

So I told him I would be just fine, but it turned out I wouldn't. After Hollis left I went across the street to look at all the pretty food in that food court. I spent about a hour there and decided I would walk out the other side of the store. That's when I made a big mistake. I seen the entrance to the tube stop and figured I would ride it down one stop and walk back. I got to studying some of the peoples around me and forgot to get off. When I did get off I walked what I thought was up and over to the side going back, but I ended up on a different line somehow. When I  didn't see any signs for the stops that seemed right I finally decided to get off. And you know what I seen when I did get off? A lot of trees and no city buildings. Much as I hated it I had to ask for help. But here's the deal. Nobody could understand a word I was saying and I shore couldn't understand them. Lord help me.

Tomorrow: The Other Southerner in London

Stonehenge (from Jan 2011)

Me and Hollis took another train out to go see Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a bunch of rocks all set up in a circle by peoples long, long ago. They think it may have been used for religious services. We got there after taking a bus ride out of Salisbury. I guess that's the town where they invented that steak recipe that Dorothy does so good. Anyway we got there and it was a big bunch of rocks like they said. Once again the problem is ain't nobody figured out how these peoples so many years ago could move things what was so heavy. That's gonna give me a lot to figure on when me and Willie is fishing. Hollis knows a lot of stuff but he don't know for sure how they did it. He told me that a book he read had a girl named Tess what come here on her last day of life. She had murdered a bad man and was being looked for by the cops. While she was running she stopped to rest at Stonehenge. There, a angel come to her and she asked the angel to let her die there instead of getting executed. And in her mind she did. She died right there. But Hollis said he ain't too sure she didn't just dream it and was really sent to prison and was killed there. Something about a black flag flying over the prison to show she was put to death.

Tomorrow: Lost in London

A Trip to Oxford (from Jan 2011)

Me and Hollis took a train out of London today. He bought us a special pass what let's us jump on a train and go anywhere we want to. Today we went to Oxford. You know that town that was named after the town in Mississippi where Ole Miss is at. Ha Ha. You know I'm just funning y'all. It's the other way around of course. I reckon. Anyway I found out Oxford ain't just one college. It's a whole bunch, all called going to Oxford just to make it easier. Like when peoples out in the country say they're from Harper just to make it easy for others to know where they live. 

At Oxford we climbed up the tower and looked out over the whole setup. You want believe it but I saw sheeps right close to the campus. The students there looked real smart so I didn't try to talk with 'em or tell 'em any stories. Just about dark, me and Hollis caught another train and rode back to London. After we got off at the tube stop right next to that big store we went into that food court and got us some real nice food. I ain't going to try to tell you what it was cause I ain't never heard of it before. It was good though.

Tomorrow: Stonehenge 

Museums and Such (from Jan 2011)

Today we went to a bunch of museums and art places. We rode the underground trains to everyone of 'em. Hollis really knows how to get around. You'd think he'd been here before but he ain't. He said all you got to do is follow the little map and get on the right train. You see they got more than one train what comes through the stations and if you get on the wrong one you may end up in Scotland or some place like that. 

The museums was all good but you know how good I am at noticing things? Well the number one thing I noticed is when they carved them statues years and years ago nobody much wore any clothes. I didn't never think I would see so many nekked mens and womens in one building. I got real tired of looking at 'em. The thing I liked most was the Egypt stuff. Them peoples had quite a life back then. They buried their kings inside these big tombs called pyramids. The story I heard there is nobody can figure out how they was able to build anything that big and tall back then. How did they get them big rocks up to the top?

One thing I kept looking for in all them art places was welding art like I do. Since this stuff come from all over the world looks like somebody would do it. I would if they asked me.

Tomorrow: A Trip to Oxford

We Arrive in England (from Jan 2011)

We here. The plane ride was pretty good. That Hollis is something else. He got us the good seats up front. Said he didn't usually get those seats but he wanted me to be rested and not get what he called jet slag. I don't reckon I got it cause I feel pretty good. We had two real good meals on the plane and was waited on hand and foot. 

We come into a airport called Cat's Wick down south of the city. Hollis had a car waiting for us what took us right to our apartment (they calls it a flat.) I ain't figured that out. They do drive on the wrong side of the road just like I read about and the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car too. The flat is right across the street from this big store called Herrods. I reckon it was named after that Jewish king what treated Jesus so mean. Don't know why. There are two bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a living room/dining room combination. From the living room you can look right across and see what they call the food court of that big store. I know I'm going over there and check that out. 

Hollis said it might be a good idea for me to rest up and we could get a good start tomorrow. I think we going to some museums and such. They got a bunch of 'em here. Hollis went to see his girlfriend. I hope that don't surprise none of y'all.

Tomorrow: Museums and Such

Atlanta Airport (from Jan 2011)

We on our way. Our cousin took us to a MARTA station called the Art Center Station. We got out with all our suitcases (we both had a little one and a big one) and made our way into the station. It was just like something you see in the movies or on TV. They was running a weekend schedule because of all the bad weather (a lot of peoples couldn't get to work) so we had to wait a while for a train. Then we had to stand up. I done pretty good. We was all underground and one of the stations looked like they had chipped it right out of solid rock. Right after the main downtown station we come up out of the ground and the rest of the trip was outside. I seen the airport way before we got there and whoo whee it was big. 

We got off the train and went right into the airport. It was built that way so you didn't have to walk outside or across any roads or nothing. We had to go through a inspection where we was made to take off our shoes and empty our pockets in to this little basket on a moving line. We got 'em all back though. I was beginning to be real sorry I gave in and decided to go on this trip. Now we is sitting here waiting for our plane to load. Hollis is typing away and I'm telling him a few more things like: when we gonna get there? (at 7 am their time) and will I be able to sleep on the plane? (Hollis says he is and I can too if I want to.) Y'all know I flew once on the way back from Korea, but that was different. I was a soldier then. Now I'm just a old man from Harper, Mississippi.

And I'm pretty nervous don't you know.

Tomorrow: We Arrive in England (I hope)

Getting a Airplane Out of Atlanta (from Jan 2011)

I can't believe it. Snow and ice still everywhere. No mail again today. I ain't expecting nothing. Just saying I can't believe it. Me and Hollis took a ride or maybe a slide out of the neighborhood. Hollis has a four wheel drive jeep and that makes it better. It was a adventure though. He taken me to this restaurant where I got a $14.00 hamburger. Huh? Dorothy can give you one just as good for $3.50 and the tea is free. All you can drink. 

If everything goes like Hollis hopes it does, we will be flying out of here tomorrow night. I said I didn't think we could get to the airport and Hollis says we gonna ride a MARTA train. Whatever that is. I've seen a whole bunch of things I ain't never seen before here in Atlanta. Don't know if my brain can stand much more. Anyway it looks like this time tomorrow me and Hollis will be heading for England. Pray for me.

Tomorrow: Atlanta Airport

More Pressure (from Jan 2011)

More Pressure

We still snowed in. No mail. Airport closed. But plenty of food. They sure was ready for this shut down.

Hollis don't know everything. He come to me and told me that they still use miles in England. Well, by dang that's different. I warn't about to go to no place where I couldn't find my way back to where I started. Then Hollis said he wasn't gonna beg me to go. But then he commenced to doing just that. He said I needed to start doing more stuff. He said the time over there will pass a lot faster than I can imagine and he has a real good place to stay. He swears I will have a good time. I reckon I ought to do this for him. I still can't figure out why it's so important to him. He's paying for everything and he's gone lots of other places by hisself. When I asked him why it was so important he said he just wanted me to get to see England before I really got settled at home. I reckon I'll go.

Tomorrow: Getting a Airplane Out of Atlanta