RussellsAbroad: Special Treats

When you live in another country you adapt and do some things a little differently. What once seemed mundane becomes a special treat. For example, our daughter was thrilled to be surprised on her birthday with a wake-up visit from friends bringing.... Frozen Waffles! To find frozen waffles in England you either have to be able to shop on an American base or at the wholesale warehouse store of Costco. We don't have a Costco membership so it's nice to have friends that do and who are kind enough to share with us their American treasures.

Sometimes it's the little things that we miss (frozen waffles). Other times we are blessed to be able to experience normal activities in special places. I celebrated my birthday last year with a nice dinner and a play at a theatre in the West End of London.

This year my birthday falls on the day of the American Women in Surrey Holiday Homes Tour. Seven beautifully decorated homes are open for visitors to see and proceeds from the ticket sales goes to charity. Some of the homes are historic, one was built in 1740, another is a 120-year old cottage. Touring the homes with friends will be a special treat on my birthday.

Even attending a Christmas Carol concert turns into a special treat when it is held in the historic Kensington Palace in London. Kensington was the home of the British royal family before Queen Victoria moved into the current royal residence of Buckingham Palace.

As I sat in the dimly lit intimate space of the King's Gallery of The King's State Apartments, listening to the Choir from Hampton Court Palace Chapel Royal, I reflected on the history that gallery has seen. The room looks as it did when it was decorated for King George I in 1727. We were surrounded by marvelous paintings on every wall. One painting near where we were sitting depicted the Nativity scene, so appropriate for the Christmas carols we were listening to. I imagined the room being lit by candlelight as it surely must've been before the electric lights were installed. Royalty had been in that very space and now here we were in modern times still enjoying it.

Here is a picture taken at the concert: