Home to Georgia - Part Three

Today I want to finish telling you all about our trip home to Georgia for Thanksgiving. At this point I’m up to the day before Thanksgiving. So Wednesday, Brit Boy and I hung out with my sister and my other niece. We went to the mall in Lithonia to see what was new around there. We mostly did window shopping, but it was fun. Then we went to have lunch. Brit Boy and I were on a bit of a culinary tour…LOL. Now it’s time for a food photo….here’s my lunch from that day.




I had Memphis dry rubbed ribs, potatoes with onions, bacon, and cheese and washed it down with blackberry tea. As you can probably imagine, I quickly put down my camera and got back to my lunch very quickly…LOL. They had a deal going where two people could eat for $20. So Brit Boy and I shared an appetizer and then I had what I mentioned above and Brit Boy had a fancy cheeseburger and fries. Then we shared a truly delicious dessert called molten cake. The molten cake was a volcano-shaped chocolate cake/cupcake type thing with hot fudge drizzling down it like lava and it was served with vanilla ice cream. Sorry I didn’t get a photo of it. The camera battery died. But believe me, it was good!!!!! :-)

After this we headed back home. My niece had to go to school to take an exam, so we tagged along as my sister gave her a ride to school. She had had the morning off. My niece is in her second year of college. It’s wild! I remember when she was born :-) She is living at home while she attends college nearby…smart girl. We really enjoyed the ride to her campus. It’s a beautiful drive to take…all leafy and autumnal. We dropped her off and then we went back home after taking the scenic route :-)

Brit Boy and I got dropped off at my other sister’s house that we were staying with. She was doing a bit of baking for Thanksgiving. We hung out with her for a while. Then Brit Boy and I went to our room to get our coats so that we could go on the nature trail. Hey, here’s a photo of our bed for the week. I really wanted to take this comfy bed home with us :-)



So Brit Boy and I headed out to meet up with two of my sisters for our trip along the nature trail. It was so glorious. Years ago when I was a kid, I used to run and play in those woods without a way mapped out for me. But now, the woods have trails laid out for walkers and joggers to follow and there are two foot bridges with a stream underneath. There are tiny fish living in the stream too. There is one serene spot that I absolutely love. There are about six large elm trees in a zigzag pattern in this clearing. It looks like a place to just contemplate and center yourself. What I really love is that this beautiful place is basically across the street from where I grew up and it will always be kept there in its full on natural beauty. Here are a couple of photos. I didn’t take too many photos actually because I was too busy running around and enjoying it. I was trying to soak it all in. At that moment I felt pure happiness :-)

I had forgotten how good it felt to just let the imagination wander. A breeze blew through at one point and leaves were falling all around us and I did something I loved to do as a child. I said to the others, “I wonder if I can still chase one down?” No sooner had I said that than I started to skip forward and I caught a leaf the first time :-) Who knew I was still that agile ;-) Here’s my catch.



The next day was Thanksgiving. Brit Boy and I got up early so that we could see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I have been loving this parade my whole life because it brings the holiday season in for sure. I love the balloons, the bands, and especially the Broadway performances. I love myself some theatre ;-) Brit Boy loves the parade too. We'd love to go to New York City to see it in person one of these days. Later, the family came together at my sister’s house. It wasn’t everybody, but there were about fifteen or sixteen of us. We had fun talking and laughing and the food was great. It was a nice holiday :-)

The next day, we went out early with two nieces and one of my sisters. We didn’t go to shop for Black Friday, we went to the movies at 11am to see “This Is It”. Apparently they decided to extend the run. We enjoyed it. It was great that while everybody else was winding down at home from shopping, we were able to see the movie and it wasn’t crowded.

We got out of the movies a bit after 1pm and then headed home. My brother and his new wife were coming to see me and Brit Boy. Also my cousin was going to drop by. It was great to see them all. Later we just hung out with my nieces and watched television and laughed. We are easily amused :-)

The next day, Saturday, came way too soon. By this point Brit Boy and I couldn’t believe that we were having to head back to England already :-) The week went like a whirlwind. Brit Boy and I did a few errands. I called Colette and we talked for a while. Then Brit Boy, me, and the sisters headed off for a victory lap of the nature trail ;-) It was just so peaceful. And it was just important to take it all in again and now I keep it with me in my mind’s eye :-) Memory is a beautiful thing.

When we came back, my sisters offered to make us a last bite to eat in Georgia. They made us tilapia, roasted potatoes, and a cauliflower/carrot/broccoli mix. Yum! I told Brit Boy, the whole week had felt like a week at a spa. We all shared good food and just relaxed. I find that now my siblings and I are closer than we’ve ever been. I guess we relish time together now much more since we live thousands of miles apart and we realize that quality time is just as good as quantity. Whatever it is…I’m glad that it is this way :-)

In return for everybody’s kindness, we came bearing gifts. We designed calendars for everyone and also gave them handmade cards that Brit Boy and I made. We’ll share some photos of the calendars and things in another post.

We had a glorious time and it was just what we needed :-) I hope you enjoyed coming along on our journey and if you read this far...thank you indeed :-)