Lady Godiva, Candy and Ice Cream

When I was eight-years-old my family went to England and Scotland for eight weeks.   It was an abroad program with a busload of college students from the women's college my mother taught at and a collection of teachers.   I had an absolutely fantastic time that summer.   I don't think there was a summer that could have even gotten close to that summer in the whole of my childhood from the perspectives of adventure and excitement.

I remember being on the large plane and going international for the first time at eight-years-old.   I remember the smells of a different country and the different accents of the people.   I remember the dorm rooms we stayed in and the brass rubbings my parents made at the burned-down church in Canterbury.    And I remember the candy and ice cream.

One of the first places we went was Coventry.   I don't know where we stayed or what we did while we were there but I remember there being a very large square with a big statue of a lady on a horse.   My parents told me all about Lady Godiva and her naked jaunt on the horse.    I thought she must have been cold and how convenient it was that she had so much hair as to cover up all the secret bits.

I didn't really care that much about Lady Godiva but there was an ice cream shop in that courtyard and the ice cream there was amazing.   I'd had lots of ice cream before, but something about this ice cream was different.  It had more of a vanilla flavor perhaps or maybe it was more creamy.   I don't remember today, but I know it wasn't like the standard ice cream I got at home and I liked it more.    I don't know if we got the ice cream once or more than once or even how long we stayed there, but the memory how ice cream tasted there and in other parts of England and Scotland somehow became associated with Lady Godiva.

It was during that summer that I also expanded my love of candy varieties.   I'd never had licorice all sorts before and when I tried them, I knew I was hooked.    So many shapes and flavors and all of them licorice.   How can you go wrong with that?   I was a huge licorice fan.

I buy least one package of all sorts each year as an adult and they always make me think of that summer in England and that naked lady on the horse.

The Big Boy Update:  My son got a new little transformer toy yesterday.   He had fun with it last night and was sad to leave it at home this morning.   When he got home from school he went over to the toy, picked it up and said to me, "this toy missed me."

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:   My daughter is very sound-sensitive.   Toilets flushing, blender's running, balloons being blown up, dogs barking and pretty much anything else she thinks might be loud.   She puts her fingers in her ears to prepare for a loud noise (even if we explain the broom sweeping won't be loud.   When she goes in for her hearing test, I'm not concerned about the results.

Fitness Update:  Lackluster performance by me at the gym today.   Or at least it felt so.   I think I need to go more often.   I've been slacking lately.