Tales of a Traveling Teacher

When I hear "Dowager Duchess," all that I really think of is Maggie Smith.  I picture that elegant woman, with perfect wit who always knows the proper way to act and the appropriate thing to say.  I had the honor of meeting the Dowager Duchess of Bedfordshire last weekend.  Angela, who has been so very good to me this year, invited me to attend the Dowager Duchess' Garden opening, an event that only happens once a year.  The Dowager Duchess lived in Woburn Abbey, a place I've thoroughly enjoyed being so close to this year, until her husband passed away and her son became the Duke.  She now lives in a beautiful home, just down the road from the Abbey in Woburn Village.  Her home is hidden behind a huge brick wall and it is absolutely amazing how well the wall disguises the grand estate that appears just like any other home along the high street of the little village. Her garden is idyllic.  It reminds me of the secret garden: passing through an...

Last weekend in Belfast, with my fellow Fulbrighters was truly specactacular.  It was a wonderful way to sit and ponder on the year, reflecting back on all that we had accomplished.  It was also the beginning of some very difficult good-byes as many of us parted ways not knowing when we will be reunited again.  As I rushed off to Derbyshire with the Year 5s, I never really shared the photos from our time in Belfast together. The UK Fulbright Gang At the Peace Wall in Belfast A visit to the Titanic Museum Our certificates of completion Maggie, the woman who helped to make this year possible Crossing Carrick-a-Rede The beautiful Northern Ireland coastline A wonderful gang of ladies I've been honored to get to know this year! Niki, Jess and I braving a little rain and wind at the Giant's Causeway Climb Ev'ry Mountain The amazing rock formations of the Giant's Causeway The Giant's Boot A stop at the B...

 Just a few photos from our travels this week! Warwick Castle from atop the tallest tower   A bald eagle at the falcon show at Warwick Castle Conker's Discovery Park not only had wonderful activities for the children, but also some adorable little babies! This little lady was one of my favorites because she looked like this most of the time with her eyes closed and hissing at us.  I asked the "bird lady" about the owl, wondering if she was just old and craggy.  As it turns out, she is like this all the time.  Apparently, she was raised in a kitchen and feels that whenever she sees people, she should be fed! This lovely lady was the youngest in the bunch.  I believe she thought she was hiding behind her post. "Catching" a falcon I have ridden toboggans in New Zealand, Austria, and now England!  They are so much fun! The teachers, of course, took full advantage of the fun as well! This little penguin was at the...

A couple of weeks ago, when Charlotte and I were in Olney, we saw signs for the Cherry Fair and we decided that if we had nothing else to do, we should give it a try.  Today turned out to be a lovely day and as we were both in town, we set off to join in the festivities. It was a lovely country fair where scouts were selling homemade cupcakes and tickets for a rubber duck race; hot dogs were grilling; bouncy castles were constantly full of happy children; artists and small shop owners had goods for sale, and yes, of course, there were cherries for sale, too! When I looked at the schedule of events, I wanted to make sure to be there for the "Country Dance."  I was thrilled beyond measure though when the dancing started, as it was young children performing these dances, similar to the square dances I learned when I was in 2nd grade.  They did about four different dances, and were really quite good.  I also loved hearing "Ole Susanna, don't you cry for me, cuz I...

I am in no way a chocolate connoisseur, nor have I ever been one to eat a lot of chocolate, but this year, I have thoroughly enjoyed a variety of chocolates, most of which has been Cadbury.  In the US, Hershey's has sort of a monopoly on chocolate, just as Cadbury's has one here. Today, on our way home, we went to Cadbury World.  Now, I must admit that I was sort of hoping for a Willy Wonka factory where I could drink the chocolate river and eat the chocolate bark off the trees.  It was not quite that exciting, but as far as the real world goes, it was pretty amazing! The factory tour took us through the history of cocoa beans, how Mr. Cadbury created the the famous dairy milk chocolate bar, how the factory built up its own town and how the chocolate is made and distributed.  The entire factory smelled of chocolate; the deeper in we went, the richer the smell was.  Perhaps, heaven smells of daffodils, gardenias and fresh chocolate!  At two different ...