Choosing Family

"You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family" is attributed to Harper Lee's character Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird.

I love the family I was given and wouldn't choose any other family. What about you?

Even though the pandemic has created new family types, throwing us a line to missed connections, there's nothing like being with loved ones.

2 years is a long time not to see your children in person. The joy of seeing Kenz, Diane, Zayn and his partner Heaven and daughter Juno for the first time in 2 years is indescribable. First time to meet Heaven and Juno. It was a joy to be around loved ones and a very active 4 year old. All hands were on deck and the weather was phenomenal.

A 5 day tour of Bath, Devon and Cornwall brought us to the Roman Baths, Herschel Museum, Hampton Court, Stonehenge, Devon countryside, Eden Project, Tintagel Castle with time for fossil hunting in Lyme Regis.

The Magnificent Seven.

The Stonehenge tour.

The Herschel Museum where in 1781 William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus (named after the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos) in his backyard with a telescope he designed and built. His astronomy findings helped to double the size of the known solar system.

William came to Bath as a composer, followed by his sister, Caroline and took up a hobby of star gazing. Their home was used for research, had a music room where he composed and a laboratory where he and his sister Caroline built telescopes. The Herschel Space Observatory, named after the 2 siblings who turned a hobby into major advancements in astronomy.

Trip to the Roman Baths and to visit my favorite ponies, Dougie and Doughal.

Hampton Court carriage ride with a Princess.

The Eden Project in Cornwall. A futuristic world built on a reclaimed china clay pit, highlighting the regeneration of landscape and technology embracing interconnectedness with nature.

Tintagel Castle visit.

Lyme Regis is part of the Jurassic coast, a world heritage site and a fossil hunting bonanza.

Walking on the beach we saw lots of old fossils.

Lyme Regis was the home of Mary Anning, one of history's most important self taught fossil hunters and paleontologist. Mary, with her brother, at 11 years old discovered the ichthyosaurs below. Photo of Mary and her faithful dog, Tray.

It was Mary's dedication, field work and risks to climb the unstable Jurassic cliffside that aided in her discoveries. She was not welcome in the scientific communities because she was a woman and poor. Fossil Hunting was a fascination of the wealthy to fill their curio cabinets. Because of Mary's growing knowledge and amazing finds she was often consulted while others took credit for her findings. She went on to discover the pterosaurs and plesiosaur.

Mary died impoverished at 47 of breast cancer. The Natural History Museum in London has given her credit by setting aside an area called the Anning Rooms highlighting many of her discoveries. Numerous specimens are hers as well as other fossil hunters, all from the Jurassic Coast area.

Tower of London. Yeomen Warders were originally the King's personal body guards. They took the name Beefeater and the reasons are varied and numerous meaning I don't think history really knows why.

There are 7 black mischievous Ravens at the Tower of London. It was foretold that if the ravens all leave the Tower of London, the Tower will fall as will the Kingdom.

Superstition prevails. 6 ravens, plus 1 for good measure, are pampered at the tower making sure they are happy. Their food delicacies plus a clipped wing make sure they won't leave. Their names are Jubilee, Harris, Gripp, Rocky, Erin, Poppy and Merlina.

Then there's my little angels. Love you and hope we don't have to wait 2 years again... Mom