Change

It is late Saturday afternoon in Nottingham and a feeling of depression has enveloped me. I have spent the day retracing footsteps from my deep past and realizing it will just never be the same again. We started the day heading to Beeston. I thought it would be fun to see the market Mom and I used to visit there. I guess the Brits don't get moving too early because they were still setting up at 8:30 in the morning. The bakery didn't have any scones, one of the remaining items on my British "food agenda." So, we went on. I knew there was a superstore near the chapel and wanted to show Carlos so we got breakfast at the superstore. No proper bakery but I did find a scone. I thought I would take Carlos to Royal Crown Derby. We had directions so we went. On the way we passed Costco. There's one on the road to Derby. I've been to Broadmarsh Centre and Victoria Centre, none of the friendly little British Shops we loved so much, just American Exports. No Refreshers to be found anywhere. I even went to the shop in Long Eaton where I found the motherlode last year and no luck. I guess for the first and only time I am glad Grandma is gone, I would have felt terrible coming home with no Refreshers. You know, if our family came back on sabbatical I'm sure the experience would have been as unique as we had then. Mom would have just shopped at ASDA and found herself quite at home.

Cheers! T.