I've been fascinated with England ever since high school. The Beatles got many of us interested in England. Our motto: "England or Bust".

Many years later, our oldest daughter, Anna, who was a teenager said, "Mom, flights are really cheap to London right now."

I chuckled, "Oh, that's nice, people will save a lot of money."

The next day she said, "Why are you laughing mom? I think God wants you to go to London!"

Wow, a word from God through my teenage daughter.

So, I went! That trip "got our family going...and going..."

On one trip to London, I wandered close to the Thames River and noticed people mudlarking - another name for beachcombing.

Local archaeologists were at the banks of the river inviting passersby to come down and find treasures for our very own.

I started picking up pieces of pottery, hand forged nails, roof tiles, petrified bones and shells...things from the 14-18th centuries. People have lived in London for 4,000 years and the Thames was the main dumping place.

The most fun things to pick up were pieces of clay pipes from the 16th century. Pipes would be purchased full of tobacco and then thrown away when smoked. I could stand in one place and pick up 6 pieces about 1.5" long of pipes. I plan on using them in my jewelry sometime.

There are petrified oyster shells on the shore. Archeologists told us that if the shell is flat, it was from Roman times, because they harvested naturally grown oysters. If the shell was all wrinkled up...it was from a different period when the oysters were grown in crowded baskets making them form unnaturally.

Because of that fun afternoon scrounging around on the Thames foreshore, I’m now a proud owner of 2,000 year old petrified oyster shells from the Roman Period of history.

Now, a permit is needed to mudlark on the Thames, so I was fortunate to be able to do this before a permit was required.

That day a young photographer, Mira, ejoyed herself by taking photos. She gave me a copy of photos she took of me and I repayed her by giving her the cultured pearl necklace I'm wearing in this photo.

Here I am scrounging on the Thames for ancient artifacts. Just ask my kids...they'll say "Mom is always happiest when she's scrounging!"

God bless and thank you for being a part of KariPearls.