Liquorice Allsorts

Can you think of a time when you were much younger and you were introduced to something you'll forever associate with that time and period of your life?  When I was eight-years-old my family went to England.  While I was there, I had liquorice Allsorts.  To this day, I always think of England and the amazing summer abroad I experienced from my childhood.

There were lots of things that were different in England.  The food was different, the air smelled different, the people talked different.  They had different toys on their playgrounds and the public transportation was different than what I knew given that I came from a smaller town.

We were with a large group of college students and my parents were teaching courses during this eight-week abroad program.  As they were all students, it was like I had fifty baby sitters at the same time.  I got lots of attention from these sweet college girls.  I also had enough energy for two children smoking crack after three cups of Starbucks coffee, but somehow my parents managed.

Speaking of managed, I managed to spend six of the eight weeks in casts during that trip.  I fell off Kennelworth Castle, got a concussion and broke my arm as I tried to discover the secret, hidden room in the ruins.  Two days before that cast came off I broke my leg on some playground equipment which caused my parents to buy a stroller and push me around for the next several weeks during our daily walks and sight-seeing tours as a child in a leg cast doesn't move that fast.

I remember foods the most though.  The breakfasts in the college cafeterias, the ice cream and how it had an entirely different taste than what I knew from the United States and the candy.  I remember all kinds of different candy than I'd never seen before.

I wasn't allowed to have as much as I wanted or to even try it all, so I had to make choices.  I don't know if I selected it or if someone got it and I tried theirs, but I became an Allsorts fan for life that summer.

First, there are lots of different shapes.  There are tall stacks with white and some with orange and some with white and brown and they have liquorice sandwiched between the layers.  Some have more layers than others.  There are little jelly bean shaped ones that are covered in balls of colored sugar.  There are disks of an outer coconut with an inner liquorice center and then there are just solid liquorice pieces.  I love a good variety.  I love coconut and above all I love liquorice.

I found some at the drug store today and as I ate them while we waited for a prescription to be filled I thought back and remembered England from my childhood and the fun times we had that summer.

The Big Boy Update:  School is going well.  He's been coming home with no dirty training pants.  He's been staying dry during the morning and he's hopefully going in the potty more now.  Next task will be to start on the potty training in earnest at home.  I'm looking forward to potty success stories here at the house very soon.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Victim of violence.  Her brother whacked her with the door to the deck yesterday.  When the door didn't close (because she was in the way) he tried to shut it on her again.  I'm not sure why the screams of terror, indignation and fear didn't make him stop but he was still trying to shut the door when we rescued her from the situation.  Today she has a large bruise/scratch/raised area on her forehead and face.

Fitness Update:  Long run tomorrow morning in plan; regular run with Uncle Jonathan this afternoon.  I missed an opportunity to run a long afternoon run with my neighbor today as our timing was off.  Overall, I'm glad we didn't do a long run.  I'm looking forward to a nice distance run tomorrow morning. 

Someone Once Said:  ‘Nakedness is often seen but never noticed.” Except that sometimes I do notice, hot diggity dog and other comments.