We've just arrived. Mom and John Luke should be here in an hour. The Internet is down in our hotel so you may not hear from me until Monday night when we arrive back in Oxford. I'm writing this from my iPhone in the restaurant across the street. The weather is good so we'll take the double decker bus as soon as they arrive. I hope they can stay awake for it.
We'll let then get to bed early tonight and be ready for more fun tomorrow.
Better go since we've finished our meal and don't want to wear out our welcome.
Hugs to all.
2Mama
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Day Thirty The Day Before Company Day
If you read my blog earlier this week, I think I mentioned a time when one of the colleges here spent a year preparing from the Queen’s visit. Well, it was only one day, but I’ve worked really hard today getting ready for my Queen Mom’s visit tomorrow. She and John Luke (oldest grandchild) leave at five this afternoon and will arrive in London tomorrow at noon. Believe me; there was plenty of floor scrubbing, furniture moving, clothes washing, bed changing, toilet cleaning and trash collecting needed as we’ve ignored all house-cleaning needs for the week with the excuse, “We’ll have to do that before mom gets here, so let’s just wait ‘til Thursday.” But now, our little flat is sparkly clean and company ready. We’re so excited we could hardly go to sleep last night—wait, we do that every night. But still, we are very excited!
We had a great visit at lunch today with three other Americans (talked basketball and all kinds of American stuff) and planned Thanksgiving at our house. Should be interesting! They all want to watch the two Duck Commander TV shows we brought with us. They said that it would take the place of football (not sure everyone would agree with that, but when it’s all you’ve got, you substitute). Of course, there is no Thanksgiving over here so all Americans seem to be on the search for pumpkin pie filling. I heard it can be found at the same store I found peanut butter. Apparently, Palm (the store) has a pretty good racket going, selling American food at outrageous prices. Since I’ve never made pumpkin pie I hope someone else volunteers for that (like I’ve made turkey and dressing!).
After lunch, I had to go to town to buy some reading glasses. I lost mine on the bus last night and since I don’t have even one seeing-eye grandchild (nickname at home since they read the small print for me when we’re out) with me, I had to go replace them quickly or I couldn’t read the menu at supper tonight. Speaking of that, we ate at a place last night that had a slogan that just screamed “2 PAPA.” Here it is: LIVE for now, LOVE forever, EAT for fun. Isn’t that perfect? That could have been his personal life motto. I think it IS his personal life motto. A t-shirt may be in order. On the way to lunch we had to stop by two possible places to eat tonight. Apparently, you can never be over-informed when choosing the next place to eat. He always asked my opinion and for thirty-eight years, I’ve said, “I really don’t care.” And I mean it. Oh yeah, the picture above was a guy entertaining for money in the city today. There’s always something interesting going on.
Tonight we are going to see Lord of the Dance. Again, we just walked passed a theater yesterday and saw it was playing tonight so we got tickets. I know if we lived here for real it would be impossible to do so many things. Our lives would be wrapped up in normal daily life, but for now, we’re taking advantage of having this extra time to see everything we possibly can. We will gladly embrace our normal, busy lives when we get back home, but are very thankful for the opportunities we have now.
When we arrived at college today, the police were there. We understand from others the young lady died from meningitis. That’s really all we heard as most of the faculty was tied up today. All the other colleges have been notified of her death and the meningitis discovery. Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to prayer that no one else comes down with this.
The little entertainer above was quite talented. I watched as he concentrated to combine two talents in one act. Balancing on a tight-wire would be fancy enough, but balance and play the violin—wow! Some would think; it hardly seems fair for him to have two talents when I have none. But the lesson to all of us is the same that was recorded in Matthew 25 in the parable of the talents. Even if we can’t play the violin or balance on a tight rope, are we using the talents we do have?
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” Matthew 25:23
Hope all have a fantastic day! I’m praying for sunshine for the south and the rain to stop.
Much love. Hugs, 2 Mama
We had a great visit at lunch today with three other Americans (talked basketball and all kinds of American stuff) and planned Thanksgiving at our house. Should be interesting! They all want to watch the two Duck Commander TV shows we brought with us. They said that it would take the place of football (not sure everyone would agree with that, but when it’s all you’ve got, you substitute). Of course, there is no Thanksgiving over here so all Americans seem to be on the search for pumpkin pie filling. I heard it can be found at the same store I found peanut butter. Apparently, Palm (the store) has a pretty good racket going, selling American food at outrageous prices. Since I’ve never made pumpkin pie I hope someone else volunteers for that (like I’ve made turkey and dressing!).
After lunch, I had to go to town to buy some reading glasses. I lost mine on the bus last night and since I don’t have even one seeing-eye grandchild (nickname at home since they read the small print for me when we’re out) with me, I had to go replace them quickly or I couldn’t read the menu at supper tonight. Speaking of that, we ate at a place last night that had a slogan that just screamed “2 PAPA.” Here it is: LIVE for now, LOVE forever, EAT for fun. Isn’t that perfect? That could have been his personal life motto. I think it IS his personal life motto. A t-shirt may be in order. On the way to lunch we had to stop by two possible places to eat tonight. Apparently, you can never be over-informed when choosing the next place to eat. He always asked my opinion and for thirty-eight years, I’ve said, “I really don’t care.” And I mean it. Oh yeah, the picture above was a guy entertaining for money in the city today. There’s always something interesting going on.
Tonight we are going to see Lord of the Dance. Again, we just walked passed a theater yesterday and saw it was playing tonight so we got tickets. I know if we lived here for real it would be impossible to do so many things. Our lives would be wrapped up in normal daily life, but for now, we’re taking advantage of having this extra time to see everything we possibly can. We will gladly embrace our normal, busy lives when we get back home, but are very thankful for the opportunities we have now.
When we arrived at college today, the police were there. We understand from others the young lady died from meningitis. That’s really all we heard as most of the faculty was tied up today. All the other colleges have been notified of her death and the meningitis discovery. Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to prayer that no one else comes down with this.
The little entertainer above was quite talented. I watched as he concentrated to combine two talents in one act. Balancing on a tight-wire would be fancy enough, but balance and play the violin—wow! Some would think; it hardly seems fair for him to have two talents when I have none. But the lesson to all of us is the same that was recorded in Matthew 25 in the parable of the talents. Even if we can’t play the violin or balance on a tight rope, are we using the talents we do have?
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” Matthew 25:23
Hope all have a fantastic day! I’m praying for sunshine for the south and the rain to stop.
Much love. Hugs, 2 Mama
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Day Twenty-nine Sad Day
As we walked into college today, I immediately sensed strangeness in the air. Instead of warm greetings, I saw small clusters of faculty members talking softly. Maybe it was woman’s intuition, but I felt something that caused me to signal 2 Papa just as he was about to greet everyone and join their discussion group. Typically, that’s the perfect thing to do, but today was different.
We decided it best to take a seat in the Senior Commons Room and wait for the lunch bell to ring. Sitting across from us and talking to no one was Dr. Paul S. Fiddes. Dr. Fiddes was the former President of Regents Park College serving until 2007 and is currently the Professor of Systemic Theology (Keep in mind, a professor here is not like our professor status. He teaches no classes, but uses his time for research and writing books). In 2004, Dr. Fiddes was elected an Honorary Fellow of St Peter's, where he was described as being recognized internationally as one of the leading scholars in the fields of theology and literature. One of his books is titled The Suffering of God and since 2 Papa’s research for his book is on this subject, he has wanted to visit with him since we arrived. When the time was right, 2 Papa walked over and introduced himself and then I followed. He was very gracious, offering to have a meeting with 2 Papa in the future. Then went on to tell us that one of the students, a young girl, was found dead in her room last night around eight o’clock. Students (only the freshers) live at college, each having their own room. Apparently, she was at breakfast yesterday morning, but when she didn’t appear for the evening activities her friends got concerned. Not seeing someone during the day isn’t cause for alarm here as everyone has so much reading to do that is it considered normal. But, by evening, students reappear to eat and visit. When she didn’t come out, some friends contacted a faculty member who opened her door and found her.
The bell signaling us to lunch never rang, but we moved to the dining hall at 1:00 as usual. Everyone was very quiet and sad. This will be a difficult day for Regent’s Park and I’m sure they will appreciate prayers from America for this young lady’s family, the students, and the faculty. She is an only child and was described today as full of energy and bubbly, always greeting those she passed in the hall with a smile. Having experienced something very similar the summer Charlie went home to Heaven, we, along with many of you know the what it takes to keep a school or camp going in the midst of such sad news.
We walked back to our flat more reflective than we were as we rushed to get there by the one o’clock bell. No matter what you are doing in life, it becomes insignificant when you look tragedy in the face. Not knowing this young lady or her family doesn’t lessen our concern for them. News, just like this, will affect people all over the world today. We’re grateful to receive the prayer list from our church family every day so we can be aware of other’s hurts and pray for them. Even today’s list from WFR asked for prayers for someone who lost a child and our list is just one of many that will go out today from other congregations.
The doors of the beautiful homes that line our street are fascinating. Today we decided to start taking pictures of them. With each stop, we would say, "Just think of who knocked on this door and who greeted them when they did." I couldn’t help but think of the Jesus’ words in Luke 11. “Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open.” What a blessing to have access to a door that is always greeted with love and concern. Today, as in everyday, we need to knock on the door and ask God to be with all those hurting for whatever tragedies they are facing.
One month ago today, on the last Wednesday in September, we flew out of Louisiana into this "other" world. We miss you all and love you.
Hugs, 2 Mama
We decided it best to take a seat in the Senior Commons Room and wait for the lunch bell to ring. Sitting across from us and talking to no one was Dr. Paul S. Fiddes. Dr. Fiddes was the former President of Regents Park College serving until 2007 and is currently the Professor of Systemic Theology (Keep in mind, a professor here is not like our professor status. He teaches no classes, but uses his time for research and writing books). In 2004, Dr. Fiddes was elected an Honorary Fellow of St Peter's, where he was described as being recognized internationally as one of the leading scholars in the fields of theology and literature. One of his books is titled The Suffering of God and since 2 Papa’s research for his book is on this subject, he has wanted to visit with him since we arrived. When the time was right, 2 Papa walked over and introduced himself and then I followed. He was very gracious, offering to have a meeting with 2 Papa in the future. Then went on to tell us that one of the students, a young girl, was found dead in her room last night around eight o’clock. Students (only the freshers) live at college, each having their own room. Apparently, she was at breakfast yesterday morning, but when she didn’t appear for the evening activities her friends got concerned. Not seeing someone during the day isn’t cause for alarm here as everyone has so much reading to do that is it considered normal. But, by evening, students reappear to eat and visit. When she didn’t come out, some friends contacted a faculty member who opened her door and found her.
The bell signaling us to lunch never rang, but we moved to the dining hall at 1:00 as usual. Everyone was very quiet and sad. This will be a difficult day for Regent’s Park and I’m sure they will appreciate prayers from America for this young lady’s family, the students, and the faculty. She is an only child and was described today as full of energy and bubbly, always greeting those she passed in the hall with a smile. Having experienced something very similar the summer Charlie went home to Heaven, we, along with many of you know the what it takes to keep a school or camp going in the midst of such sad news.
We walked back to our flat more reflective than we were as we rushed to get there by the one o’clock bell. No matter what you are doing in life, it becomes insignificant when you look tragedy in the face. Not knowing this young lady or her family doesn’t lessen our concern for them. News, just like this, will affect people all over the world today. We’re grateful to receive the prayer list from our church family every day so we can be aware of other’s hurts and pray for them. Even today’s list from WFR asked for prayers for someone who lost a child and our list is just one of many that will go out today from other congregations.
The doors of the beautiful homes that line our street are fascinating. Today we decided to start taking pictures of them. With each stop, we would say, "Just think of who knocked on this door and who greeted them when they did." I couldn’t help but think of the Jesus’ words in Luke 11. “Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open.” What a blessing to have access to a door that is always greeted with love and concern. Today, as in everyday, we need to knock on the door and ask God to be with all those hurting for whatever tragedies they are facing.
One month ago today, on the last Wednesday in September, we flew out of Louisiana into this "other" world. We miss you all and love you.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Day Twenty-eight Art Class Day
We skipped lunch at the college today and went to a place we pass each day on our walk to town. See photo above of us eating out. That’s really what we do most, so I thought I had better capture the moment, plus I had a willing waitress. It’s located in an old parsonage house and very elegant. We still have forty-two days left, but I think 2 Papa is concerned we won’t get to eat at every restaurant, pub, diner, stand-on-the-side-of-the-road, and hotel in the city. In fact, we haven’t eaten in the flat in a few days due to this revelation by 2 Papa. We bought bus passes this past week which made it cheaper to ride, so we rode more than we have been doing. But, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ban us (or at least one of us) from the bus, so one of us doesn’t exceed the weight limit on our return flight.
It’s a new adventure everyday so today’s adventure included an art class I heard about from the newcomer’s group. I have never claimed to have any artistic talent. If Mamaw Howard had not shown us paintings she did as a younger woman, I would have been totally baffled as to where Korie got her talent. So, this was something way out of my comfort zone. I was promised that all levels would attend. I’ve since learned that when people say that, it’s like my grandkids telling me the water in the pool “isn’t that cold.” It’s only a ploy to get me to jump in. Off I went, innocently believing others would have the same lack of skill I have. Not true! I was the only novice. In fact, the others were quite accomplished. But, they were very gracious and took me on as their project. I think you can see from the photo above that I did learn something today. WARNING: DON’T READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE A ART LOVER AND WANT TO HAVE YOUR OWN INTERPRETATION OF MY ART. The drawing is of a still life that included a pumpkin (mine started out like a basketball, but became fairly recognizable with some help), a log (not recognizable at all), a purple boa (semi-recognizable if you squint and know what it is) and a scarf (don’t even try). Oh well, as my dad used to say, I gave it the old college try and met some nice older ladies. Who knows, after a few more weeks, I may be ready for my art show (yeah, right).
Tonight we met Kelly for dinner at Jamie’s Italian Restaurant. You may have seen the owner, Jamie Oliver, on TV. He’s the one nicknamed The Naked Chef, has several books, and is on TV often. One of his first books was title The Naked Chef. No, we didn’t see him, but the waitress says he is in quite regularly and no, he isn’t naked when he does come in. The “naked” refers to striping down to the basics of cooking, not stripping down the basics of you-know-what. We went early as it’s very crowded all the time and barely made it in. When we left the line was around the corner. It was probably our best food since we’ve arrived.
Next, off to a rare treat. The Royal Shakespeare Company performed tonight right here in Oxford. Pretty cool. Kelly had gotten a ticket a few weeks ago and then we got ours last week when we heard about it. When we got to the theater we told him that we would see him after the play, knowing our seats weren’t together, and went to the restroom. Then we went to our seats and, believe it or not, they were right next to Kelly. It was very weird!
I hate to brag again, as I know you guys are still getting rain, but we had another day of 62 degrees and no rain. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the same beautiful weather when mom and John Luke get here on Friday. We are having so much fun planning our week next week and can’t wait!
Today in my art class, the teacher kept saying to me, really look at it. She said we’re all used to glancing and not really looking. I thought of how often we glance at God and not stop to really see who He really is.
“Take a long, hard look. See how great he is—infinite, greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!” Job 36:26
Much love to all of you.
Hugs, 2 Mama
It’s a new adventure everyday so today’s adventure included an art class I heard about from the newcomer’s group. I have never claimed to have any artistic talent. If Mamaw Howard had not shown us paintings she did as a younger woman, I would have been totally baffled as to where Korie got her talent. So, this was something way out of my comfort zone. I was promised that all levels would attend. I’ve since learned that when people say that, it’s like my grandkids telling me the water in the pool “isn’t that cold.” It’s only a ploy to get me to jump in. Off I went, innocently believing others would have the same lack of skill I have. Not true! I was the only novice. In fact, the others were quite accomplished. But, they were very gracious and took me on as their project. I think you can see from the photo above that I did learn something today. WARNING: DON’T READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE A ART LOVER AND WANT TO HAVE YOUR OWN INTERPRETATION OF MY ART. The drawing is of a still life that included a pumpkin (mine started out like a basketball, but became fairly recognizable with some help), a log (not recognizable at all), a purple boa (semi-recognizable if you squint and know what it is) and a scarf (don’t even try). Oh well, as my dad used to say, I gave it the old college try and met some nice older ladies. Who knows, after a few more weeks, I may be ready for my art show (yeah, right).
Tonight we met Kelly for dinner at Jamie’s Italian Restaurant. You may have seen the owner, Jamie Oliver, on TV. He’s the one nicknamed The Naked Chef, has several books, and is on TV often. One of his first books was title The Naked Chef. No, we didn’t see him, but the waitress says he is in quite regularly and no, he isn’t naked when he does come in. The “naked” refers to striping down to the basics of cooking, not stripping down the basics of you-know-what. We went early as it’s very crowded all the time and barely made it in. When we left the line was around the corner. It was probably our best food since we’ve arrived.
Next, off to a rare treat. The Royal Shakespeare Company performed tonight right here in Oxford. Pretty cool. Kelly had gotten a ticket a few weeks ago and then we got ours last week when we heard about it. When we got to the theater we told him that we would see him after the play, knowing our seats weren’t together, and went to the restroom. Then we went to our seats and, believe it or not, they were right next to Kelly. It was very weird!
I hate to brag again, as I know you guys are still getting rain, but we had another day of 62 degrees and no rain. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the same beautiful weather when mom and John Luke get here on Friday. We are having so much fun planning our week next week and can’t wait!
Today in my art class, the teacher kept saying to me, really look at it. She said we’re all used to glancing and not really looking. I thought of how often we glance at God and not stop to really see who He really is.
“Take a long, hard look. See how great he is—infinite, greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!” Job 36:26
Much love to all of you.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Monday, October 26, 2009
Day Twenty-seven Lecture Day
For all of us, I think, it’s the little things of life that are, in the end, big. In some of my readings of C.S. Lewis, he expressed his great sadness as colleagues died and could no longer join him for lunch. In the same way, as we do simple things with those we love, it's those things we will miss more than our great deeds or grand accomplishments. Already we look forward to lunch each day with our new friends and I know we will miss them when we’re gone. Everyday there is someone new at college with a new project and new energy. Today it was Leah from Washington, DC. She is here for just one week of study to prepare the work needed to get into a doctorate program in the states. She spent eight years in Waco at Baylor and has a good friend from Monroe. Small world, isn’t it?
This is the best weather day so far (I know, I’ve said this before, but really this is it) and in spite of the supposed lesson-learned yesterday, we headed out to college with no coat and no umbrella. This time we were greeted with nothing but sunshine and warmth all day long. Thank you, Lord. Everyone at college was talking about the weather and some even worried that the weather could be worse later because of this sudden turn of good fortune. I guess “glass half empty” people live all over the world.
We only had one errand to do today and that was to find a book, so off to Borders, which everyone told us would be the best place to start. But, they didn’t have the one I needed, so we crossed the street to Waterstone’s, which is part of a chain of 303 stores in Europe. Like all the building’s here, the store front is deceivingly small, hiding an amazing five stories of books inside. We found the book I was looking for and 2 Papa said we should see if any of our HB books are here. Of course, our search was half-hearted as we expected to turn up empty handed. But, as you can see from the photo above, they actually had one of our books!
The photo I took today is for you to see the changing colors fall is bringing. I’m sure it’s the same where you live, so I hope you’re taking the time to notice and appreciate. (Maybe even get the camera out and take a picture of your own home.) Our street, Banbury, (so English, isn’t it? pronounced Ban-bur-rie. Put the accent on ban. It took 2 Papa two weeks to stop rolling the r, like he was from Mexico or something) is lined with homes such as the one pictured. At one point all Tutors/Dons/ Fellows (all these terms refer to the same status here) were required to live at college, as they say it, and not marry. But sometime in the 18th century, the university had a change of policy (probably some restless and unhappy fellows pushed for this) and all the fellows made a mad dash to do two things. 1. Build a large, beautiful home 2. Find a wife and have lots of kids. Now, most of these homes are owned by the different colleges and used for a variety of purposes. The ACU campus is in one of these homes. They are super expensive, as you would expect, many costing over a million dollars.
Tonight we attended our first lecture. I think it could be a bad thing that we’ve been here almost four weeks and haven’t attended a lecture yet, but since no one’s counting, who cares? It was Kelly’s (our BFF) lecture, so we wanted to attend. Kelly said all lectures at Oxford are experts reading a paper they wrote and many are extremely boring, but he was bucking the system tonight with a power point and no reading. He asked for a projector and the college didn’t even have one on the grounds, but they apparently bought one for tonight. You could tell everyone was intrigued and surprised at his choice of delivery. I think I’ve mentioned before that I feel like I’ve stumbled into the gifted and talented class by accident and this was never truer than tonight. Kelly did a great job in his presentation of God, Chance, and Purpose. His lecture was not to prove, only to provoke thought. A typical exercise, I gather, from philosophers. We actually could follow the discussion, but there were plenty of chins and foreheads being rubbed, I can assure you.
Here’s what I know to be true and I’m sticking with it.
“First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” Genesis 1:1-3 The Message
Hope you have a wonderful Monday evening. If any of you see my grandchildren, give them a hug for me. Sadie has her first basketball game today and I’m sad to miss it. Go, Sadie, Go!!!
Hugs, 2 Mama
This is the best weather day so far (I know, I’ve said this before, but really this is it) and in spite of the supposed lesson-learned yesterday, we headed out to college with no coat and no umbrella. This time we were greeted with nothing but sunshine and warmth all day long. Thank you, Lord. Everyone at college was talking about the weather and some even worried that the weather could be worse later because of this sudden turn of good fortune. I guess “glass half empty” people live all over the world.
We only had one errand to do today and that was to find a book, so off to Borders, which everyone told us would be the best place to start. But, they didn’t have the one I needed, so we crossed the street to Waterstone’s, which is part of a chain of 303 stores in Europe. Like all the building’s here, the store front is deceivingly small, hiding an amazing five stories of books inside. We found the book I was looking for and 2 Papa said we should see if any of our HB books are here. Of course, our search was half-hearted as we expected to turn up empty handed. But, as you can see from the photo above, they actually had one of our books!
The photo I took today is for you to see the changing colors fall is bringing. I’m sure it’s the same where you live, so I hope you’re taking the time to notice and appreciate. (Maybe even get the camera out and take a picture of your own home.) Our street, Banbury, (so English, isn’t it? pronounced Ban-bur-rie. Put the accent on ban. It took 2 Papa two weeks to stop rolling the r, like he was from Mexico or something) is lined with homes such as the one pictured. At one point all Tutors/Dons/ Fellows (all these terms refer to the same status here) were required to live at college, as they say it, and not marry. But sometime in the 18th century, the university had a change of policy (probably some restless and unhappy fellows pushed for this) and all the fellows made a mad dash to do two things. 1. Build a large, beautiful home 2. Find a wife and have lots of kids. Now, most of these homes are owned by the different colleges and used for a variety of purposes. The ACU campus is in one of these homes. They are super expensive, as you would expect, many costing over a million dollars.
Tonight we attended our first lecture. I think it could be a bad thing that we’ve been here almost four weeks and haven’t attended a lecture yet, but since no one’s counting, who cares? It was Kelly’s (our BFF) lecture, so we wanted to attend. Kelly said all lectures at Oxford are experts reading a paper they wrote and many are extremely boring, but he was bucking the system tonight with a power point and no reading. He asked for a projector and the college didn’t even have one on the grounds, but they apparently bought one for tonight. You could tell everyone was intrigued and surprised at his choice of delivery. I think I’ve mentioned before that I feel like I’ve stumbled into the gifted and talented class by accident and this was never truer than tonight. Kelly did a great job in his presentation of God, Chance, and Purpose. His lecture was not to prove, only to provoke thought. A typical exercise, I gather, from philosophers. We actually could follow the discussion, but there were plenty of chins and foreheads being rubbed, I can assure you.
Here’s what I know to be true and I’m sticking with it.
“First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” Genesis 1:1-3 The Message
Hope you have a wonderful Monday evening. If any of you see my grandchildren, give them a hug for me. Sadie has her first basketball game today and I’m sad to miss it. Go, Sadie, Go!!!
Hugs, 2 Mama
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Day Twenty-six Church and Shopping Day
If we had not seen one small sign on the pole by the bus stop, we would have not known to set our clocks back one hour. Either we missed all the other warnings or people here don’t expect any help on these sorts of matters. Since we’re still staying up to the small hours, at 1:00 am this morning we prepared our clocks to give us an extra hour of sleep. So, until America gets their extra hour of sleep, we will be only five hours later than those at home, in Louisiana, instead of six.
You will notice this blog will incorporate, just for fun, some British phrases, terms and spellings, so don’t be surprised if some words don’t look as you know them. Trust me, they are correct. According to the Brits, nothing is misspelled.
We’ve changed our original plan of finding one church to associate ourselves with while in England and have decided it would be quite nice to attend several while here. With our traveling and visits from mum and other family members, we realised we would not be able to establish ourselves anyway. Last night, we looked online for one that sounded contemporary and that we might recognise the name. We settled on St. Ebbes, one Kelly had mentioned to us.
The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky, so we started to church already guilty of an unpardonable English sin—no coats or umbrellas in our hands. We felt like little children on a wet holiday—full of energy as the sun makes everyone feel stronger and more alive. We arrived at the church a little early, as we now find getting around the town easy peasy, so we popped into the mall next door to have a look around. We spotted my favourite store, Zara, but I realised we wouldn’t have time to shop, so we would plan a visit later. As we turned to walk out of the mall, we heard the rain battering against the roof. Lesson learned, once again. Never leave the flat without an umbrella.
The church building was gorgeous as expected and the people were quite friendly. Worship was led my two young ladies with lovely voices. The rector preached a nice sermon and then warmly invited everyone to stay for lunch at a cost of 2 pounds 50, but 2 Papa already had his eye on a new restaurant. One of the apprentices announced about the upcoming "gift day" where the goal is to raise 85,000 pounds in one day. He told the congregation that if they would give up a couple of pints a month, they could help out the church with a nice gift. (Maybe we should try suggesting that plan at home.)
The rain continued as we left church so we popped into the closest restaurant we saw, not what 2 Papa fancied, but it turned out to be a quite nice. 2 Papa had spinach balls and pasta and I had a spinach salad and a tomato sandwich. You may not thrill as we do over these choices, but they were both delicious.
The only place to avoid the rain was the mall, so off we went again. Believe it or not, 2 Papa bought the purchased items for himself today. As I suspected, with the pound plummeting, the prices are getting more affordable. 2 Papa needed a lightweight jacket and a new, better fitting, more attractive, cooler pair of jeans, which we found at Gap and didn’t cost a bomb. As we left Gap, we spotted a friend from college and stopped for a chat. It was lovely to actually spot someone we knew. By then the rain had stopped, so we headed to the grocery store for more paper towels and bread. As usual, the queue was exceptionally long. Typically American, 2 Papa went to one queue and I went to another and we watched each other to see who would get there first. Even in England, we can’t seem to slow down.
With the time change, the nights are drawing in now. We wanted to get home before dark and change clothes before our evening plans, which was to be the promised open mic night featuring some new friends at college. But, when we turned on our computers, we had an email, as they can't ring us, telling us they were not performing tonight. No problem, we won’t fanny around as we have plenty of work to keep us busy and I had just purchased a copy of The Age of Innocence, thinking I need a little more culture in my life.
This blog may sound a little stiff, so I have two words for you, Simon Cowell. (Well, if you don’t watch American Idol, I guess I don’t have any words for you.) I really think I can relate to him better now. The Brits are admittedly stiffer than Americans in both their language and their behavior, but once you get to know them, they are genuinely kind and pleasant. We have been very well taken care of by everyone at college and on the streets.
Featured photo today is a beautiful view of the canal we walked along yesterday.
In the sermon today, the rector spoke of a time when the Queen was to visit the university. He said for one year, everything was focused on the Queen’s visit. New paint covered the walls, food was tested and retested, walls and floors were brighter than they have ever been. Even a special toilet was built to honor Her Majesty. Then he said, “How prepared are you for the King’s coming?” Great point, don’t you think?
“And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.” I John 2:28
Cheers to all my lovelies at home.
Hugs, 2 Mama
You will notice this blog will incorporate, just for fun, some British phrases, terms and spellings, so don’t be surprised if some words don’t look as you know them. Trust me, they are correct. According to the Brits, nothing is misspelled.
We’ve changed our original plan of finding one church to associate ourselves with while in England and have decided it would be quite nice to attend several while here. With our traveling and visits from mum and other family members, we realised we would not be able to establish ourselves anyway. Last night, we looked online for one that sounded contemporary and that we might recognise the name. We settled on St. Ebbes, one Kelly had mentioned to us.
The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky, so we started to church already guilty of an unpardonable English sin—no coats or umbrellas in our hands. We felt like little children on a wet holiday—full of energy as the sun makes everyone feel stronger and more alive. We arrived at the church a little early, as we now find getting around the town easy peasy, so we popped into the mall next door to have a look around. We spotted my favourite store, Zara, but I realised we wouldn’t have time to shop, so we would plan a visit later. As we turned to walk out of the mall, we heard the rain battering against the roof. Lesson learned, once again. Never leave the flat without an umbrella.
The church building was gorgeous as expected and the people were quite friendly. Worship was led my two young ladies with lovely voices. The rector preached a nice sermon and then warmly invited everyone to stay for lunch at a cost of 2 pounds 50, but 2 Papa already had his eye on a new restaurant. One of the apprentices announced about the upcoming "gift day" where the goal is to raise 85,000 pounds in one day. He told the congregation that if they would give up a couple of pints a month, they could help out the church with a nice gift. (Maybe we should try suggesting that plan at home.)
The rain continued as we left church so we popped into the closest restaurant we saw, not what 2 Papa fancied, but it turned out to be a quite nice. 2 Papa had spinach balls and pasta and I had a spinach salad and a tomato sandwich. You may not thrill as we do over these choices, but they were both delicious.
The only place to avoid the rain was the mall, so off we went again. Believe it or not, 2 Papa bought the purchased items for himself today. As I suspected, with the pound plummeting, the prices are getting more affordable. 2 Papa needed a lightweight jacket and a new, better fitting, more attractive, cooler pair of jeans, which we found at Gap and didn’t cost a bomb. As we left Gap, we spotted a friend from college and stopped for a chat. It was lovely to actually spot someone we knew. By then the rain had stopped, so we headed to the grocery store for more paper towels and bread. As usual, the queue was exceptionally long. Typically American, 2 Papa went to one queue and I went to another and we watched each other to see who would get there first. Even in England, we can’t seem to slow down.
With the time change, the nights are drawing in now. We wanted to get home before dark and change clothes before our evening plans, which was to be the promised open mic night featuring some new friends at college. But, when we turned on our computers, we had an email, as they can't ring us, telling us they were not performing tonight. No problem, we won’t fanny around as we have plenty of work to keep us busy and I had just purchased a copy of The Age of Innocence, thinking I need a little more culture in my life.
This blog may sound a little stiff, so I have two words for you, Simon Cowell. (Well, if you don’t watch American Idol, I guess I don’t have any words for you.) I really think I can relate to him better now. The Brits are admittedly stiffer than Americans in both their language and their behavior, but once you get to know them, they are genuinely kind and pleasant. We have been very well taken care of by everyone at college and on the streets.
Featured photo today is a beautiful view of the canal we walked along yesterday.
In the sermon today, the rector spoke of a time when the Queen was to visit the university. He said for one year, everything was focused on the Queen’s visit. New paint covered the walls, food was tested and retested, walls and floors were brighter than they have ever been. Even a special toilet was built to honor Her Majesty. Then he said, “How prepared are you for the King’s coming?” Great point, don’t you think?
“And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.” I John 2:28
Cheers to all my lovelies at home.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Day Twenty-five In Search of the Trout Day
Before I tell about today’s adventures, let me tell you a little about last night’s chapel and formal hall dinner. First of all, we met our first Medievalist. It a scary sounding word, isn’t it? She tutors (remember how it works here, independent study with tutors) students in Medieval English Literature. Fortunately, she spoke normal British, which is hard enough for us to understand. I thought seeing a sample of Medieval English would help you see why someone would definitely need a tutor to work their way through it: Syððan wæs geworden þæt translates in modern English as And it came to pass afterward. Strange looking language, right? Chapel last night was a gospel theme. We were eager to see how the Brits would handle gospel, which is probably as much against their grain as hugging their neighbor. They gave it a good shot. Even Fiona had a little hip movement going. It was visitor night for students at Formal Hall, so it was really loud and lots of people.
Well, today we definitely made up for our day of sitting at our desks all day yesterday. We think we must have walked about eight miles (I may rethink the need for a Pilates class) as we explored C. S. Lewis’ stomping grounds and then went in search of a much-recommended fancy pub name The Trout. (Remember a pub is also a restaurant, so don’t go spreading rumors.)
Our adventure started at 11:00 as we headed to town for lunch. It was pouring down rain, but like good Brits, we packed our umbrellas and hit the busy streets of Oxford anyway. (See photo of crowded street.) We had lunch at an Italian place and then ran to a mall to stay out of the rain for a while. I still haven’t bought much since we’ve arrived, but the day is coming. England is still in a recession, so I’m thinking that the sales will soon start as we’re getting closer to Christmas.
At 2:00 we were supposed to meet our new BFF, Kelly, at the Eagle and Child. Kelly rides a bike everywhere and it hit us that if something happened to him, we would never know. Then we thought about ourselves, if something happened to us who would know? Before we could work ourselves up to nervousness, Kelly came walking up. He had a flat tire on his bike and had to catch a bus. So, all good. Kelly has taken students on the C.S. Lewis tour before, so he took us today, so no tour guide needed. We started at the Eagle and Child (photo above), which I may have told you before is the pub Clive Staples Lewis or Jack, as he was often called, would sit and discuss life, philosophy, faith and his books with the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien. After a short visit there we took off to see his home place. It is now in a trust and allows visitors by appointment, which we didn’t have, since people do live in the house (see photo above). We walked around the beautiful pond out back where C.S. said he loved to skinny dip. Next stop was to the church of his choice and his gravesite. An interesting fact that I never knew, is he died of osteoporosis the same day President Kennedy was assassinated. Hence, there was very little publicity surrounding his death in 1963 at 64 years old.
Next, we took the bus back to the other side of town and started our trek to The Trout. We took another tow path along a canal to the Thames River. What we didn’t know was exactly where the Trout was located. Even Kelly hadn’t been there. So two and a half hours later, passed boats, cows, joggers, cow paddies, a wind storm, rain, bicycles, bridges, up hills, and down valleys, we arrived hungry and thirsty. It was definitely worth it. Most pubs are small and dark, but this one is large and beautifully decorated with different styles of tables and chairs. It has glass all across the back with an incredible view of the river and the pastures surrounding it. The meal was excellent and we enjoyed visiting with Kelly. As much as we loved the walk, we opted for a taxi home.
Tomorrow, we’re off to church and then to open mic night where some of our new friends from college are performing. I’ll let you know.
One of the things that puzzles me daily is the way the Brits hold their fork and knife. I know it’s a little thing, but what I really want to know what caused Americans to adopt another way. I do plan to research this. I have a theory that when Americans came over they didn’t have all their supplies and were just happy to have a fork, so the habit of using both died away. I have no basis for this theory, other than knowing what moving is like and how things get lost. I’m sure there are a hundreds, thousands of things, that have lapsed with time as new inventions and better ways of doing things have taken over. But God’s word, through 2000 years of studying and debating, has remained the same.
“God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You'll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.” Psalm 19:10 The Message
Have a great Sunday.
Love and hugs,
2 Mama
Well, today we definitely made up for our day of sitting at our desks all day yesterday. We think we must have walked about eight miles (I may rethink the need for a Pilates class) as we explored C. S. Lewis’ stomping grounds and then went in search of a much-recommended fancy pub name The Trout. (Remember a pub is also a restaurant, so don’t go spreading rumors.)
Our adventure started at 11:00 as we headed to town for lunch. It was pouring down rain, but like good Brits, we packed our umbrellas and hit the busy streets of Oxford anyway. (See photo of crowded street.) We had lunch at an Italian place and then ran to a mall to stay out of the rain for a while. I still haven’t bought much since we’ve arrived, but the day is coming. England is still in a recession, so I’m thinking that the sales will soon start as we’re getting closer to Christmas.
At 2:00 we were supposed to meet our new BFF, Kelly, at the Eagle and Child. Kelly rides a bike everywhere and it hit us that if something happened to him, we would never know. Then we thought about ourselves, if something happened to us who would know? Before we could work ourselves up to nervousness, Kelly came walking up. He had a flat tire on his bike and had to catch a bus. So, all good. Kelly has taken students on the C.S. Lewis tour before, so he took us today, so no tour guide needed. We started at the Eagle and Child (photo above), which I may have told you before is the pub Clive Staples Lewis or Jack, as he was often called, would sit and discuss life, philosophy, faith and his books with the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien. After a short visit there we took off to see his home place. It is now in a trust and allows visitors by appointment, which we didn’t have, since people do live in the house (see photo above). We walked around the beautiful pond out back where C.S. said he loved to skinny dip. Next stop was to the church of his choice and his gravesite. An interesting fact that I never knew, is he died of osteoporosis the same day President Kennedy was assassinated. Hence, there was very little publicity surrounding his death in 1963 at 64 years old.
Next, we took the bus back to the other side of town and started our trek to The Trout. We took another tow path along a canal to the Thames River. What we didn’t know was exactly where the Trout was located. Even Kelly hadn’t been there. So two and a half hours later, passed boats, cows, joggers, cow paddies, a wind storm, rain, bicycles, bridges, up hills, and down valleys, we arrived hungry and thirsty. It was definitely worth it. Most pubs are small and dark, but this one is large and beautifully decorated with different styles of tables and chairs. It has glass all across the back with an incredible view of the river and the pastures surrounding it. The meal was excellent and we enjoyed visiting with Kelly. As much as we loved the walk, we opted for a taxi home.
Tomorrow, we’re off to church and then to open mic night where some of our new friends from college are performing. I’ll let you know.
One of the things that puzzles me daily is the way the Brits hold their fork and knife. I know it’s a little thing, but what I really want to know what caused Americans to adopt another way. I do plan to research this. I have a theory that when Americans came over they didn’t have all their supplies and were just happy to have a fork, so the habit of using both died away. I have no basis for this theory, other than knowing what moving is like and how things get lost. I’m sure there are a hundreds, thousands of things, that have lapsed with time as new inventions and better ways of doing things have taken over. But God’s word, through 2000 years of studying and debating, has remained the same.
“God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You'll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.” Psalm 19:10 The Message
Have a great Sunday.
Love and hugs,
2 Mama
Friday, October 23, 2009
Day Twenty-four Finished Project Day!
One more day of total work!! Not even a walk to the college for lunch. We just warmed up last night’s noodles, made a salad, and kept right on working. BORING! But, the result is rewarding. My editing job is over and sent to the author. Boy, does that feel good!
However, I did learn some things while working today. I never like to waste a day so, here’s my Top 10 Lessons from the Desk Side of Life.
1. No matter what country you’re in, the minute you are deep in thought, someone will crank up a leaf blower right outside your window.
2. No matter how good graham crackers are or how much you paid for them, in the end, they’re just really dry crackers.
3. No matter how loud you type, the music from next door is louder.
4. No matter how small something is, if it has to go with a computer, it can make you feel completely stupid, like a tiny, purple memory stick with even tinier directions.
5. No matter how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you have, they still taste good.
6. No matter how many words I say, 2 Papa has more. More on this later.
7. No matter if a chair has a built-in cushion, eventually you need to add an extra pillow. Ouch!
8. No matter if you just ate peanut butter, graham crackers, and an orange, sheer boredom makes you think you’re hungry.
9. No matter what scent the candle says on it, sometimes they don’t really smell that good.
10. No matter how much you love someone, it is possible to spend too much time together.
Just some random thoughts that may help you in your desk-life future.
However, I did learn some things while working today. I never like to waste a day so, here’s my Top 10 Lessons from the Desk Side of Life.
1. No matter what country you’re in, the minute you are deep in thought, someone will crank up a leaf blower right outside your window.
2. No matter how good graham crackers are or how much you paid for them, in the end, they’re just really dry crackers.
3. No matter how loud you type, the music from next door is louder.
4. No matter how small something is, if it has to go with a computer, it can make you feel completely stupid, like a tiny, purple memory stick with even tinier directions.
5. No matter how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you have, they still taste good.
6. No matter how many words I say, 2 Papa has more. More on this later.
7. No matter if a chair has a built-in cushion, eventually you need to add an extra pillow. Ouch!
8. No matter if you just ate peanut butter, graham crackers, and an orange, sheer boredom makes you think you’re hungry.
9. No matter what scent the candle says on it, sometimes they don’t really smell that good.
10. No matter how much you love someone, it is possible to spend too much time together.
Just some random thoughts that may help you in your desk-life future.
Now more on 2 Papa’s words. Every counselor at every marriage retreat we have ever attended (trust me, we've made the rounds) have said that men need to listen to their wives at the end of every day because they, by nature, have more words in them and need to get them out. From the first marriage class we attended, I knew that the opposite is true in our case. In fact, our first retreat, at a very young and impressionable age, I honestly thought no one could think of as much to say after a single lecture as 2 Papa did. He has plenty of words and, on top of that, he’s missing the little thing in your brain that says, “Don’t say that.” It’s really not much of a problem, because I love him and don’t mind his ramblings, so I thought you might enjoy a sample. Keep in mind, that I was fully engrossed in completing my project, which never seems to matter either. Here you go. Enjoy.
“Chryssy, do you want me to read what I wrote? You’ll hate it.” Said after he had just read me his other six versions.
“What’s another word for ‘normal people’?” Said with his hair sticking straight up and sitting in his underwear and black socks.
“Oh, no. I just sent something to a non-address!” Said in complete panic. Something he does quite often.
“How do you spell ‘should’?” Said with 20 Pringles spewing out of his mouth.
“If I ate what you ate and did what you did, do you think I would look like you?” Said after 20 Pringles spewed out of his mouth.
Well, that’s just a sample of what my day in England is like with 2 Papa sitting across from me. It has the makings of great reality TV, don’t you think? I do have to add, he has the best sense of humor and probably laughed harder than anyone while reading this blog.
Tonight is chapel and Formal Hall, so soon we’ll have to get up and get dressed. Yes, more proof that there is a God who know my needs!
I hope you all have a great weekend. Our plans for tomorrow include a trip to the famous Trout Pub for dinner with Kelly and more walking and sight-seeing. I’ll let you know what we discover in tomorrow’s blog. (You can almost bet it will be over 500 years old.)
In all seriousness, I have loved my work editing this Bible study I’ve been working on. It’s kept me in the word daily and challenged my life as I’ve had to study harder to teach others. Take some time today to read at least one verse and spend a few minutes thinking about it. God will reveal something great to you.
“Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God's works are so great, worth a lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out.” Psalm 111:1.
Photo today, just more of Oxford beauty from the top of a building.
Love to you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama
“Chryssy, do you want me to read what I wrote? You’ll hate it.” Said after he had just read me his other six versions.
“What’s another word for ‘normal people’?” Said with his hair sticking straight up and sitting in his underwear and black socks.
“Oh, no. I just sent something to a non-address!” Said in complete panic. Something he does quite often.
“How do you spell ‘should’?” Said with 20 Pringles spewing out of his mouth.
“If I ate what you ate and did what you did, do you think I would look like you?” Said after 20 Pringles spewed out of his mouth.
Well, that’s just a sample of what my day in England is like with 2 Papa sitting across from me. It has the makings of great reality TV, don’t you think? I do have to add, he has the best sense of humor and probably laughed harder than anyone while reading this blog.
Tonight is chapel and Formal Hall, so soon we’ll have to get up and get dressed. Yes, more proof that there is a God who know my needs!
I hope you all have a great weekend. Our plans for tomorrow include a trip to the famous Trout Pub for dinner with Kelly and more walking and sight-seeing. I’ll let you know what we discover in tomorrow’s blog. (You can almost bet it will be over 500 years old.)
In all seriousness, I have loved my work editing this Bible study I’ve been working on. It’s kept me in the word daily and challenged my life as I’ve had to study harder to teach others. Take some time today to read at least one verse and spend a few minutes thinking about it. God will reveal something great to you.
“Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God's works are so great, worth a lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out.” Psalm 111:1.
Photo today, just more of Oxford beauty from the top of a building.
Love to you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Day Twenty-three Nothing Day
Hey everyone. This has truly been a nothing kind of rainy day. I guess we all need these every now and then to appreciate the fun days we have or maybe to just slow down and rest a little. We worked until 3:00 this morning as I was determined to finish the book I’m editing. It was starting to lurk over me like a late term paper. I finished it, hooray, but still need to read it through one more time. I took a mental break from it today so I can give it a fresh look tomorrow. 2 Papa is hard at work on his book and now declares I’m his editor. I told him I don’t come cheap. :)
Speaking of rain: It’s rained all day so I’m feeling the pain of all who have toyed with the idea of building an ark lately. We walked to the college for lunch, which was our only outing today. Lunch at college is always good for some conversation about either the college or England. Today we learned that students apply to the university and put the college of their choice down on their entrance form. Then they are asked to come for an interview session at the individual colleges who decide to accept or deny them entrance. If one doesn’t take them, another might. So they don’t always get their first choice, like kids picking which cabin to be in at camp, but they get in. Just another interesting detail. I also got to visit with David, the young man from Scotland I met before our trip last week. I couldn’t resist and asked him if all the men in Scotland still own a kilt. At first, he said not everyone and then he said, yes, they probably do. He said a kilt is considered dress-up clothes for them, like when Americans wear a suit and bowtie (I think he means a tux). Also interesting. He’s a cute little guy.
Speaking of Scotland: Since our visit to Scotland, I’ve been Googling the movie Braveheart, curious about who William Wallace really was and the authenticity of movie. Surprise, surprise, it came on the Telly last night. It was pretty neat to watch it again and pay closer attention to the details. Of course, another chance to see Mel Gibson’s incredibly blue eyes is never a bad idea. Speaking of the Telly, as the Brits call it, it’s not the best choice for daily entertainment. Generally we’re lucky to find an old episode of Friends or Colombo, which I really did like when they came out 20 years ago! I will never complain about American TV programming again. Just to sum up the issues we have with the Telly. 1. There’s no rhyme or reason in the programming time. Some shows start at 7:00, others at 7:15, etc. 2. When a show breaks for a commercial, there’s apparently no thought to choosing a time in the program that makes a good break. All of a sudden, break. Crazy! 3. The news or talk shows are the same. No lead-in to a commercial break, just boom, a commercial. 4. The Tellys have parental locks, which is a good thing. Definitely not all shows are G rated. 5. Shows play over and over again, which I guess is good if you missed one the first ten times it came on. We don’t have much time to watch TV, which is good, but every now and then, I’m just saying, it would be nice to find Dancing with the Stars or anything released in 2009.
Speaking of the news: Joan Collins is making news over here. Remember her from the old Dynasty days. Apparently, she has decided to take it on herself to get the “frumpy” (her words, not mine, but good choice, Joan) older women into shape. She’s been on the news and in magazines telling women it’s time for them to get up from the Telly (I find it hard to believe one could find enough to watch to warrant weight gain and sloppiness, but I guess it’s possible) and away from the computers (okay, that’s reasonable) and take some pride in their looks. So I say, “Joan, you go girl!” At 76, she is “walking the walk” of glamour and looks fabulous. Wake up British women!
Well, not much of interest here today so I’ll let you get back to other things of more importance. Thanks for tuning in. The only photo today is 2 Papa putting his pants in his “ironing board” closet. I’ve given up and have now embraced his new closet. After all, it does make the real closet less crowded for me. If I need to iron, I guess I’ll clean it up then. For now, stack it high and sell it low, as Papaw Howard used to say in the discount days.
On one website about William Wallace, the writer was very forgiving of Mel Gibson’s portrayal of him saying that he stayed true to the facts that are known about Wallace, it’s just that so little is known. It would be unusual for much to be written about someone during that time period who was not a part of royalty. Wallace was a commoner. No one followed him around and recorded his life. What is known and respected by all of Scotland is William Wallace’s determination to stand up for what he believed to be right.
“With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” I Corinthians 15:58
Have a great evening. Love you bunches and missing you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Speaking of rain: It’s rained all day so I’m feeling the pain of all who have toyed with the idea of building an ark lately. We walked to the college for lunch, which was our only outing today. Lunch at college is always good for some conversation about either the college or England. Today we learned that students apply to the university and put the college of their choice down on their entrance form. Then they are asked to come for an interview session at the individual colleges who decide to accept or deny them entrance. If one doesn’t take them, another might. So they don’t always get their first choice, like kids picking which cabin to be in at camp, but they get in. Just another interesting detail. I also got to visit with David, the young man from Scotland I met before our trip last week. I couldn’t resist and asked him if all the men in Scotland still own a kilt. At first, he said not everyone and then he said, yes, they probably do. He said a kilt is considered dress-up clothes for them, like when Americans wear a suit and bowtie (I think he means a tux). Also interesting. He’s a cute little guy.
Speaking of Scotland: Since our visit to Scotland, I’ve been Googling the movie Braveheart, curious about who William Wallace really was and the authenticity of movie. Surprise, surprise, it came on the Telly last night. It was pretty neat to watch it again and pay closer attention to the details. Of course, another chance to see Mel Gibson’s incredibly blue eyes is never a bad idea. Speaking of the Telly, as the Brits call it, it’s not the best choice for daily entertainment. Generally we’re lucky to find an old episode of Friends or Colombo, which I really did like when they came out 20 years ago! I will never complain about American TV programming again. Just to sum up the issues we have with the Telly. 1. There’s no rhyme or reason in the programming time. Some shows start at 7:00, others at 7:15, etc. 2. When a show breaks for a commercial, there’s apparently no thought to choosing a time in the program that makes a good break. All of a sudden, break. Crazy! 3. The news or talk shows are the same. No lead-in to a commercial break, just boom, a commercial. 4. The Tellys have parental locks, which is a good thing. Definitely not all shows are G rated. 5. Shows play over and over again, which I guess is good if you missed one the first ten times it came on. We don’t have much time to watch TV, which is good, but every now and then, I’m just saying, it would be nice to find Dancing with the Stars or anything released in 2009.
Speaking of the news: Joan Collins is making news over here. Remember her from the old Dynasty days. Apparently, she has decided to take it on herself to get the “frumpy” (her words, not mine, but good choice, Joan) older women into shape. She’s been on the news and in magazines telling women it’s time for them to get up from the Telly (I find it hard to believe one could find enough to watch to warrant weight gain and sloppiness, but I guess it’s possible) and away from the computers (okay, that’s reasonable) and take some pride in their looks. So I say, “Joan, you go girl!” At 76, she is “walking the walk” of glamour and looks fabulous. Wake up British women!
Well, not much of interest here today so I’ll let you get back to other things of more importance. Thanks for tuning in. The only photo today is 2 Papa putting his pants in his “ironing board” closet. I’ve given up and have now embraced his new closet. After all, it does make the real closet less crowded for me. If I need to iron, I guess I’ll clean it up then. For now, stack it high and sell it low, as Papaw Howard used to say in the discount days.
On one website about William Wallace, the writer was very forgiving of Mel Gibson’s portrayal of him saying that he stayed true to the facts that are known about Wallace, it’s just that so little is known. It would be unusual for much to be written about someone during that time period who was not a part of royalty. Wallace was a commoner. No one followed him around and recorded his life. What is known and respected by all of Scotland is William Wallace’s determination to stand up for what he believed to be right.
“With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” I Corinthians 15:58
Have a great evening. Love you bunches and missing you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Day Twenty-two Separation Day
“This is it! Enough is enough!” I said. “We’ve got to separate.” After twenty-one days glued to each other like fifteen year olds, it was time to go our separate ways. Just kidding, it just so happens that today we actually had different things to do. We now have a few things penciled in on our calendars, just like at home! Except not nearly as busy.
One of the men at the college told me about a newcomers group his wife, Sherry, works with. They have been here for almost four years from the states while he works with the Centre of Anthropology. Sherry emailed me and told me about the weekly meetings, but we were in Scotland last week so I couldn’t attend. So, today was the day to go and I was excited to venture out on my own. As I walked to the University Club I felt the little shy fourth grader in the orange kilt trying to reappear, but I stuffed her back in the past and kept walking. I thought of Rebecca (for those who don’t know, our Taiwan granddaughter who came at 16 to live with Korie and Willie) and how proud I am of her to travel to another country and trust her life to people she had never met. She is a very brave young lady then and now, as it’s been four years and she’s attending LSU, which is like another foreign country, I’m sure.
It was a beautiful day today. After all the rain and wind yesterday, it was quite a relief to walk along the streets at a leisurely pace instead of running with an umbrella, dodging puddles, and steering clear of buses and bicycles whizzing by throwing water everywhere. I’ve learned the city pretty well, but still carried my map 2 Papa drew for me. (However, unlike him, I will stop and ask directions if I need to.) I arrived right on time and went upstairs where there were about 30 women talking. I was asked to wait in the queue to be registered and was thrilled to see that there were other first-timers. So I queued up behind Ashley from Chicago and Clara from Brazil. They are new friends who met at the beginning of the term. Both have boyfriends here studying for a year. Clara was a lawyer in Brazil, but wanted to follow her partner (as she called him). She said she has been very bored since she got here. Both women are probably 29 or 30 years old. I finally found and met Sherry. She’s an adorable, red-head with a great smile and dynamic personality. She was so fun to visit with and gave me more insight into Oxford. We’re going to meet up later for lunch.
After the meeting I headed to the college with one essential stop in mind---the large department store on the corner that’s been calling my name since day one. I entered the front door and looked up at the escalator inviting me into a buyer’s paradise. There, honestly, seemed to be a glow at the top of the escalator. It was wonderful to be surrounded by things made in 2009. I even let the young man who tries to stop you in the mall, stop me. Of course, he’s a different guy, but it’s the same pitch. With more time on my hands here than at home, I bought the nail file plus cuticle conditioner and lotion. I HAD to. It was on special today. (Yeah, right!) Anyway, with only one purchase, but several come-back-tos, I was off to the college for lunch with the usual food and usual crowd. Next, the grocery store. We have learned a lot about groceries since my first report to you and found another grocery store that has different choices, still no Jif or Peter Pan, but more choices of other things. We’re stocked up now until Mom and John Luke come. I might have to request homemade biscuits one morning from Mom. That’s sounding really good. A scone here is similar to our biscuit, but it’s served hard and cold. (Go figure.) They have an okay taste, but would be much better warmed with butter. Of course, it’s better than the bangers, but for the locals, with all the beer, who cares.
This afternoon, I went the other direction to look for a fitness club Sherry told me about. It is only about a seven minute walk and allows guests to pay by the day. Perfect. With all this walking, I’m ready for the next step in exercise. Pilates! 2 Papa said he would pass, that the walking is plenty for him.
2 Papa’s day wasn’t nearly as exciting. In his new role as travel agent, he had to spend the morning trying to figure out the best and most economical way to get us to Ireland. (Mary Lou, where are you?) Then he went to the library to work on his book and on to lunch. For the afternoon, he continued his quest for the best Ireland Adventure and more work on his book. He has also taken on the role of cook while we’re here which means putting a pre-packaged dish in the microwave and making a salad. Since this is a university town, the stores are well-stocked with amazing little pre-packaged dinners. For a guy who actually loves to order food from a catalog, shopping for these dinners is a culinary dream come true. :) On the nights we eat in, he’s the master chef. I take the other days—no cooking involved, just pick a restaurant.
Photos for the day. This lovely skeleton was under that Lord and Lady pictured yesterday. Of course, when 2 Papa saw it he said, “Look. They’ve already made a tomb for you.” Very funny.
Next Photo: The town of Bibury is a must stop in the Cotswolds. This is Arlington Row, a row of cottages converted from a medieval barn to house weavers during the big boom of the wool industry. It is one of the most photographed sites in England.
Yesterday our tour guide pointed out the unbelievable hand-built fences found in the Cotswolds. They were made of stones stacked up to five feet high with nothing to keep them together except their own weight. Some date back to 1100 and still stand. As we passed a section where modern techniques are finally repairing some that have been down for centuries, I thought of Paul’s words.
“I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.” Eph. 4:1
Have a great evening.
Hugs, 2 Mama
One of the men at the college told me about a newcomers group his wife, Sherry, works with. They have been here for almost four years from the states while he works with the Centre of Anthropology. Sherry emailed me and told me about the weekly meetings, but we were in Scotland last week so I couldn’t attend. So, today was the day to go and I was excited to venture out on my own. As I walked to the University Club I felt the little shy fourth grader in the orange kilt trying to reappear, but I stuffed her back in the past and kept walking. I thought of Rebecca (for those who don’t know, our Taiwan granddaughter who came at 16 to live with Korie and Willie) and how proud I am of her to travel to another country and trust her life to people she had never met. She is a very brave young lady then and now, as it’s been four years and she’s attending LSU, which is like another foreign country, I’m sure.
It was a beautiful day today. After all the rain and wind yesterday, it was quite a relief to walk along the streets at a leisurely pace instead of running with an umbrella, dodging puddles, and steering clear of buses and bicycles whizzing by throwing water everywhere. I’ve learned the city pretty well, but still carried my map 2 Papa drew for me. (However, unlike him, I will stop and ask directions if I need to.) I arrived right on time and went upstairs where there were about 30 women talking. I was asked to wait in the queue to be registered and was thrilled to see that there were other first-timers. So I queued up behind Ashley from Chicago and Clara from Brazil. They are new friends who met at the beginning of the term. Both have boyfriends here studying for a year. Clara was a lawyer in Brazil, but wanted to follow her partner (as she called him). She said she has been very bored since she got here. Both women are probably 29 or 30 years old. I finally found and met Sherry. She’s an adorable, red-head with a great smile and dynamic personality. She was so fun to visit with and gave me more insight into Oxford. We’re going to meet up later for lunch.
After the meeting I headed to the college with one essential stop in mind---the large department store on the corner that’s been calling my name since day one. I entered the front door and looked up at the escalator inviting me into a buyer’s paradise. There, honestly, seemed to be a glow at the top of the escalator. It was wonderful to be surrounded by things made in 2009. I even let the young man who tries to stop you in the mall, stop me. Of course, he’s a different guy, but it’s the same pitch. With more time on my hands here than at home, I bought the nail file plus cuticle conditioner and lotion. I HAD to. It was on special today. (Yeah, right!) Anyway, with only one purchase, but several come-back-tos, I was off to the college for lunch with the usual food and usual crowd. Next, the grocery store. We have learned a lot about groceries since my first report to you and found another grocery store that has different choices, still no Jif or Peter Pan, but more choices of other things. We’re stocked up now until Mom and John Luke come. I might have to request homemade biscuits one morning from Mom. That’s sounding really good. A scone here is similar to our biscuit, but it’s served hard and cold. (Go figure.) They have an okay taste, but would be much better warmed with butter. Of course, it’s better than the bangers, but for the locals, with all the beer, who cares.
This afternoon, I went the other direction to look for a fitness club Sherry told me about. It is only about a seven minute walk and allows guests to pay by the day. Perfect. With all this walking, I’m ready for the next step in exercise. Pilates! 2 Papa said he would pass, that the walking is plenty for him.
2 Papa’s day wasn’t nearly as exciting. In his new role as travel agent, he had to spend the morning trying to figure out the best and most economical way to get us to Ireland. (Mary Lou, where are you?) Then he went to the library to work on his book and on to lunch. For the afternoon, he continued his quest for the best Ireland Adventure and more work on his book. He has also taken on the role of cook while we’re here which means putting a pre-packaged dish in the microwave and making a salad. Since this is a university town, the stores are well-stocked with amazing little pre-packaged dinners. For a guy who actually loves to order food from a catalog, shopping for these dinners is a culinary dream come true. :) On the nights we eat in, he’s the master chef. I take the other days—no cooking involved, just pick a restaurant.
Photos for the day. This lovely skeleton was under that Lord and Lady pictured yesterday. Of course, when 2 Papa saw it he said, “Look. They’ve already made a tomb for you.” Very funny.
Next Photo: The town of Bibury is a must stop in the Cotswolds. This is Arlington Row, a row of cottages converted from a medieval barn to house weavers during the big boom of the wool industry. It is one of the most photographed sites in England.
Yesterday our tour guide pointed out the unbelievable hand-built fences found in the Cotswolds. They were made of stones stacked up to five feet high with nothing to keep them together except their own weight. Some date back to 1100 and still stand. As we passed a section where modern techniques are finally repairing some that have been down for centuries, I thought of Paul’s words.
“I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.” Eph. 4:1
Have a great evening.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Day Twenty-one Cotswold Day
Twenty-one days down and forty-nine to go. A few have asked this week if I am homesick and the answer is yes, but I’m doing okay with my tour guide 2 Papa keeping me busy. On top of that, mom and John Luke will be here next Friday! They’re bringing more peanut butter so I don’t have to get a loan to buy another jar. Mostly, they’re bringing themselves! YEA!
Our mornings are getting quite boring. We sit straight across from each other (computers touching) on the tiny kitchen table and work. (See photo to properly feel sorry for me.) It’s no wonder we played solitaire on separate IPhones all through dinner tonight. That is pitiful, isn’t it? Apparently we’ve seen way too much of each other lately!! At one point, 2 Papa said, “Do you think people know we’re married or do they think it’s a date gone really bad?”
We were a little late for lunch today so the faculty table was full and we had to sit with the students. We had been told we would meet with the students each week, but that really isn’t how it works here. We don’t have much interaction with them, but every now and then we get to visit with one or two. Some of them come to lunch, at 1:00 mind you, looking like they just crawled out of bed--hair sticking up, pajama bottoms, slippers. Wait, did I just describe Willie Jess at work. Seriously, he would fit right in. I guess the college is so small they act like they’re at home. No one seems to care. The dining hall is about the size as the mess hall at camp. We asked the girl across from us what she was studying. She said she’s is a third year, theology student—it’s her last year. She doesn’t have any idea what she wants to do, but is considering being a consultant. I didn’t want to say what does that mean. Many of the students get jobs outside of the field of study. Simply graduating from Oxford, with its unique teaching style, tells employers they can learn to do anything.
After lunch, we went on a guided tour of the Cotswold. “Cots” means an enclosed area and “wold” means rolling hills. In this case, it’s the rolling hills of central England with stone fences that have held sheep for many hundreds of years. Until the industrial revolution, sheep and the wool they produce was a huge money maker for this area of England creating much wealth for the area. But, the wool from the Cotswold sheep didn’t work well with the new machines, so a recession took place as the business declined. Soon, cottons and other fabrics took over.Today, Cotswold sheep are raised mostly for their meat, but the area is still very beautiful and the little villages left behind are amazing. The tour guide said for a village to get village-status it has to have a church and a pub. But, we went through one village without a church. He said it had two pubs, so two pubs equal one church. I’m telling you, it’s amazing the amount of beer drinking done over here. It’s a miracle anyone can drive. We also saw a number of buildings built in the 1100’s that are still in use. We complain when a home in the US is twenty-five years old. What is wrong with us? :) We also visited another really old and very ornate church with this really cool tomb. Just included the picture above as 2 Papa and I are thinking we should be remembered this way. My new boots would look great in stone.
However, we couldn’t have picked a worse day for a countryside tour as it rained all day. Many times the rain and “blowing the umbrella inside out” kind of wind were pretty miserable. But, we persevered and managed to have a spot of tea in a quaint little village and take some great pictures. (See old church photo above.) There was a little old grandma from America on the tour who reminded me of my Grandma Shack. She wasn’t afraid to speak up and asked any question that came to mind. One question that stumped the tour guide, who had just told us 40 stagecoaches a day had gone through this one village, was, “How did those ladies in all those big dresses go to the bathroom when they were riding on a stagecoach?” Typically British-polite, he replied, “Love, number one, I’m not a lady and number two, I didn’t live in the 1600’s. I don’t have any idea.” I actually would have loved to know the answer myself. Who hasn’t wondered that?
Speaking of the word “love,” it’s now my favorite word. It’s used here for everything by everyone—the waitress, the store clerk, the taxi driver, the man behind the mask with the knife—just seeing if you were paying attention. :) I think it’s like our southern term “bless her heart.” Like we think we can say anything about anyone if we preface it with “bless her heart.” Over here, one could be saying something really terrible, but addressing the person as “love” just softens is. It helps to have that beautiful British English accent too. 2 Papa can’t seem to stop himself and tries to speak with an accent, but it’s awful!! I keep punching him when he’s talking to the bus driver or the store clerk. I really don’t think he realizes he’s doing it. Today he tried and sounded like he was Chinese. His terrible accents are running together. I don’t even try. I've learned not to embarrass myself on purpose.
Our mornings are getting quite boring. We sit straight across from each other (computers touching) on the tiny kitchen table and work. (See photo to properly feel sorry for me.) It’s no wonder we played solitaire on separate IPhones all through dinner tonight. That is pitiful, isn’t it? Apparently we’ve seen way too much of each other lately!! At one point, 2 Papa said, “Do you think people know we’re married or do they think it’s a date gone really bad?”
We were a little late for lunch today so the faculty table was full and we had to sit with the students. We had been told we would meet with the students each week, but that really isn’t how it works here. We don’t have much interaction with them, but every now and then we get to visit with one or two. Some of them come to lunch, at 1:00 mind you, looking like they just crawled out of bed--hair sticking up, pajama bottoms, slippers. Wait, did I just describe Willie Jess at work. Seriously, he would fit right in. I guess the college is so small they act like they’re at home. No one seems to care. The dining hall is about the size as the mess hall at camp. We asked the girl across from us what she was studying. She said she’s is a third year, theology student—it’s her last year. She doesn’t have any idea what she wants to do, but is considering being a consultant. I didn’t want to say what does that mean. Many of the students get jobs outside of the field of study. Simply graduating from Oxford, with its unique teaching style, tells employers they can learn to do anything.
After lunch, we went on a guided tour of the Cotswold. “Cots” means an enclosed area and “wold” means rolling hills. In this case, it’s the rolling hills of central England with stone fences that have held sheep for many hundreds of years. Until the industrial revolution, sheep and the wool they produce was a huge money maker for this area of England creating much wealth for the area. But, the wool from the Cotswold sheep didn’t work well with the new machines, so a recession took place as the business declined. Soon, cottons and other fabrics took over.Today, Cotswold sheep are raised mostly for their meat, but the area is still very beautiful and the little villages left behind are amazing. The tour guide said for a village to get village-status it has to have a church and a pub. But, we went through one village without a church. He said it had two pubs, so two pubs equal one church. I’m telling you, it’s amazing the amount of beer drinking done over here. It’s a miracle anyone can drive. We also saw a number of buildings built in the 1100’s that are still in use. We complain when a home in the US is twenty-five years old. What is wrong with us? :) We also visited another really old and very ornate church with this really cool tomb. Just included the picture above as 2 Papa and I are thinking we should be remembered this way. My new boots would look great in stone.
However, we couldn’t have picked a worse day for a countryside tour as it rained all day. Many times the rain and “blowing the umbrella inside out” kind of wind were pretty miserable. But, we persevered and managed to have a spot of tea in a quaint little village and take some great pictures. (See old church photo above.) There was a little old grandma from America on the tour who reminded me of my Grandma Shack. She wasn’t afraid to speak up and asked any question that came to mind. One question that stumped the tour guide, who had just told us 40 stagecoaches a day had gone through this one village, was, “How did those ladies in all those big dresses go to the bathroom when they were riding on a stagecoach?” Typically British-polite, he replied, “Love, number one, I’m not a lady and number two, I didn’t live in the 1600’s. I don’t have any idea.” I actually would have loved to know the answer myself. Who hasn’t wondered that?
Speaking of the word “love,” it’s now my favorite word. It’s used here for everything by everyone—the waitress, the store clerk, the taxi driver, the man behind the mask with the knife—just seeing if you were paying attention. :) I think it’s like our southern term “bless her heart.” Like we think we can say anything about anyone if we preface it with “bless her heart.” Over here, one could be saying something really terrible, but addressing the person as “love” just softens is. It helps to have that beautiful British English accent too. 2 Papa can’t seem to stop himself and tries to speak with an accent, but it’s awful!! I keep punching him when he’s talking to the bus driver or the store clerk. I really don’t think he realizes he’s doing it. Today he tried and sounded like he was Chinese. His terrible accents are running together. I don’t even try. I've learned not to embarrass myself on purpose.
But, I might start using “love” for something other than my tennis game.
“Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’" Mark 12:29
Goodnight loves.
Hugs, 2 Mama
“Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’" Mark 12:29
Goodnight loves.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Monday, October 19, 2009
Day Twenty Peanut Butter Day and More
The day started out as usual with work and our typical lunch of salad and jackets with our new friends at the college, but then we headed out for four very important destinations: the Sheldonian Theatre, the Bodleian Library, the Covered Market and a concert.
First stop, the Sheldonian Theatre. Not quite like going to Tinseltown, this amazing horseshoe-shaped theatre was commissioned by Gilbert Sheldon in 1663 and completed in 1669—just three hundred years before 2 Papa graduated from high school. A young, thirty-one year old architect, Christopher Wren, was hired to take on the challenge. Prior to the Sheldonian being built, all University events (awarding degrees, etc.) were held in the churches. But, by Elizabethan times, the proceedings had gotten so out of control (We’ve all seen some of those, haven’t we? Now we know who to blame --those crazy Elizabethans). They even included personal, lewd comments about the candidate’s now no-so-private lives. Sheldon decided a separate building was needed to get the events away from the churches. He went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury and never set foot in the building. It is still used for all University events from degree ceremonies to concerts and debates.
Second stop, the Bodleian Library. Completed in 1619, the world famous Bodleian library has over 10 million books. It has always been a read-only library. Everyone who has a library card (us now) is called a reader. Apparently, even King Charles I was refused permission to borrow a book in 1645. It’s massive and students line the desks in what appears to be extremely intense study. I felt very out of place, like I had accidently stepped into the gifted and talented class, until I passed one young woman with books open and deep thoughts furrowing her brow. She was intently working on her computer, pulling together all the knowledge she had taken in today….wait, no, she’s just facebooking. For real! Oh well, she obviously knew where to get the really important information in life. Photo above: 2 Papa outside of the library.
Next stop, the Covered Market: Instructions to find peanut butter. Go to the covered market, pass the bakery with the wedding cake in the window, pass the stinky butcher who cuts meats up in the window, pass the clothing store with a coat you’ll want to buy, look for a store named Palm, like the palm of your hand, look closely in the back of the store and there you’ll find one jar of Jiff Peanut Butter. Victory! I got it. I felt like I had just smuggled drugs--especially after I paid for it. For the small jar of peanut and a box of graham crackers (I couldn’t pass them up) I paid $21.50. I felt so guilty, I insisted we walk back (no bus fare) and eat at home (cheap food) tonight. 2 Papa thought I was being so sweet to think of saving us money that way until he saw me making my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. YUM! It was such a sacrifice. :)
Last stop, the Electric Light Orchestra. Now we are truly back in college and rocking it out at a concert. We partied like it was 1975, up in our seats, screaming and dancing. Well, at least, we did in our minds. Actually, our bodies just sat there and we bobbed our heads with the music until the last two songs. Then every able bodied baby-boomer was on their feet swinging and a swaying with the beat. It was fun! They are an incredibly talented group of musicians who span three decades with lots of music we know. They even did some Bob Dylan, Steve Miller, and Beatles stuff. Fantastic!
We had a close call yesterday I forgot to tell you about. We’ve been here for 20 days, but we can’t seem to get it down that the traffic comes from a different direction. Oxford even tries to help us Americans out by painting in the street on the intersection “Look Left” or they say “Look Both Ways.” I'm surprised they don't add "dummy" after the warning. Even with that, our habitual instincts take over and look the way our brains say to look. Yesterday, 2 Papa stepped out after looking only one direction, the direction he would have at home to go halfway across the street, and almost got run over. Fortunately, the car stopped in time and all is well. It’s really a great lesson in life to train ourselves to look both ways so we can always do the right thing.
“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.” Proverbs 4:23
Have a great evening. Peace and love, as us baby boomers would have said.
Hugs, 2 Mama
First stop, the Sheldonian Theatre. Not quite like going to Tinseltown, this amazing horseshoe-shaped theatre was commissioned by Gilbert Sheldon in 1663 and completed in 1669—just three hundred years before 2 Papa graduated from high school. A young, thirty-one year old architect, Christopher Wren, was hired to take on the challenge. Prior to the Sheldonian being built, all University events (awarding degrees, etc.) were held in the churches. But, by Elizabethan times, the proceedings had gotten so out of control (We’ve all seen some of those, haven’t we? Now we know who to blame --those crazy Elizabethans). They even included personal, lewd comments about the candidate’s now no-so-private lives. Sheldon decided a separate building was needed to get the events away from the churches. He went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury and never set foot in the building. It is still used for all University events from degree ceremonies to concerts and debates.
Second stop, the Bodleian Library. Completed in 1619, the world famous Bodleian library has over 10 million books. It has always been a read-only library. Everyone who has a library card (us now) is called a reader. Apparently, even King Charles I was refused permission to borrow a book in 1645. It’s massive and students line the desks in what appears to be extremely intense study. I felt very out of place, like I had accidently stepped into the gifted and talented class, until I passed one young woman with books open and deep thoughts furrowing her brow. She was intently working on her computer, pulling together all the knowledge she had taken in today….wait, no, she’s just facebooking. For real! Oh well, she obviously knew where to get the really important information in life. Photo above: 2 Papa outside of the library.
Next stop, the Covered Market: Instructions to find peanut butter. Go to the covered market, pass the bakery with the wedding cake in the window, pass the stinky butcher who cuts meats up in the window, pass the clothing store with a coat you’ll want to buy, look for a store named Palm, like the palm of your hand, look closely in the back of the store and there you’ll find one jar of Jiff Peanut Butter. Victory! I got it. I felt like I had just smuggled drugs--especially after I paid for it. For the small jar of peanut and a box of graham crackers (I couldn’t pass them up) I paid $21.50. I felt so guilty, I insisted we walk back (no bus fare) and eat at home (cheap food) tonight. 2 Papa thought I was being so sweet to think of saving us money that way until he saw me making my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. YUM! It was such a sacrifice. :)
Last stop, the Electric Light Orchestra. Now we are truly back in college and rocking it out at a concert. We partied like it was 1975, up in our seats, screaming and dancing. Well, at least, we did in our minds. Actually, our bodies just sat there and we bobbed our heads with the music until the last two songs. Then every able bodied baby-boomer was on their feet swinging and a swaying with the beat. It was fun! They are an incredibly talented group of musicians who span three decades with lots of music we know. They even did some Bob Dylan, Steve Miller, and Beatles stuff. Fantastic!
We had a close call yesterday I forgot to tell you about. We’ve been here for 20 days, but we can’t seem to get it down that the traffic comes from a different direction. Oxford even tries to help us Americans out by painting in the street on the intersection “Look Left” or they say “Look Both Ways.” I'm surprised they don't add "dummy" after the warning. Even with that, our habitual instincts take over and look the way our brains say to look. Yesterday, 2 Papa stepped out after looking only one direction, the direction he would have at home to go halfway across the street, and almost got run over. Fortunately, the car stopped in time and all is well. It’s really a great lesson in life to train ourselves to look both ways so we can always do the right thing.
“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.” Proverbs 4:23
Have a great evening. Peace and love, as us baby boomers would have said.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Day Nineteen Recovery Day
I hope everyone had a blessed Sunday. We had planned to go back to the church we attended two Sundays ago, but it was not to be. It seems that 2 Papa didn’t want to tell me he wasn’t feeling well as we headed out for our date with Kelly, but by the time we got in the taxi coming home, he confessed. After we got back to the flat, I sat down and started writing my blog and bragging about our fun night as 2 Papa went on to bed. Naturally, I just thought he was tired, since we truly never get to bed until about two in the morning. But this morning, at two, after I had been asleep for about thirty minutes, 2 Papa was calling for a trashcan. Let me just say, dodging the cow patties was easy compared to the rest of the night. I won’t go into any more detail, but remember, this is a very small apartment. Anything that’s unpleasant tends to linger and must be removed no matter what time of the day or night it is. I was in and out several times with a delivery to the can outside. 2 Papa has never mastered the “over the toilet” technique, preferring a trash can that has to be cleaned. But, I am not complaining. Just happy to be of service.
Back to sleep sometime after four and all was quiet. Thank you, God. I got up quietly about nine and played solitaire on my phone. Truly, this flat is pretty low maintenance, but I do have other things I do. I was just trying to let 2 Papa sleep as long as possible so I didn’t want to turn the lights on or the computer or the TV. The latter two come on with a loud musical sound and, of course, the lights come on… well, bright. So I completely wasted two hours, but I did win three times, which, by the way, is extremely hard to do. Thank you very much.
So, 2 Papa finally got up and pronounced himself fully recovered. By then it was 11:00, so he said he would take a shower and we would go look for PEANUT BUTTER. Yea!! While he was in the shower, I was so pumped I moved all the furniture around in the bedroom. No, I haven’t been lifting weights since I got here, the furniture is so light and the floor is tile, I can move the furniture around like it’s in a doll house. I love the new look. When 2 Papa got out of the shower, I got in. But, when I got out, 2 Papa was sound asleep again. This time I just worked on my editing job with a pen and paper thus accomplishing something.
To wind this up, 2 Papa woke up again, said he was well, and off we went. We didn’t get to town until 3:00 and everything closes at 5:00 so we still didn’t get peanut butter. Tomorrow for sure. But I did get a vanilla candle, just in case we have another rough night, one more hanger for the door, a fingernail file, and a hairbrush. Pretty nice haul.
Never one to let a little stomach issue keep him from eating, 2 Papa was ready for Pizza Hut, one of our favorite places here. They have the best salad bar and several veggi-pasta dishes. Needless to say, I was starving. I had stayed so quiet all day that I hadn’t eaten anything but a piece of toast while 2 pop was in the shower. 2 Papa is feeling great now and hopefully we’re passed whatever that was.
The feature photos today are of us in front of the Thames River and one of the beautiful thatch-roofed houses. The architecture here is so amazing. Anything from 1100 to today can be seen in one town. It’s quite remarkable and so hard to wrap your head around the talent of the people living in times when tools and machines were not even available. Incredible.
I wore my new boots today and have come to appreciate them so much more for the comfort they bring me, rather than their beauty. All shoes are now picked on “walkability” rather than beauty. Apparently, I haven’t walked a mile in my own shoes. They seem to work perfectly well from my bedroom to the car and then from the car to church or my office or even a short trip through WalMart. But a mile, that, my sisters, is another story. When you can walk a mile in your shoes and still be comfortable, you want to kiss them when you take them off at night. I haven’t, but I want to. When your feet don't hurt, you can accomplish so much more.
“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’" Romans 10:15
Talk later. Love you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Back to sleep sometime after four and all was quiet. Thank you, God. I got up quietly about nine and played solitaire on my phone. Truly, this flat is pretty low maintenance, but I do have other things I do. I was just trying to let 2 Papa sleep as long as possible so I didn’t want to turn the lights on or the computer or the TV. The latter two come on with a loud musical sound and, of course, the lights come on… well, bright. So I completely wasted two hours, but I did win three times, which, by the way, is extremely hard to do. Thank you very much.
So, 2 Papa finally got up and pronounced himself fully recovered. By then it was 11:00, so he said he would take a shower and we would go look for PEANUT BUTTER. Yea!! While he was in the shower, I was so pumped I moved all the furniture around in the bedroom. No, I haven’t been lifting weights since I got here, the furniture is so light and the floor is tile, I can move the furniture around like it’s in a doll house. I love the new look. When 2 Papa got out of the shower, I got in. But, when I got out, 2 Papa was sound asleep again. This time I just worked on my editing job with a pen and paper thus accomplishing something.
To wind this up, 2 Papa woke up again, said he was well, and off we went. We didn’t get to town until 3:00 and everything closes at 5:00 so we still didn’t get peanut butter. Tomorrow for sure. But I did get a vanilla candle, just in case we have another rough night, one more hanger for the door, a fingernail file, and a hairbrush. Pretty nice haul.
Never one to let a little stomach issue keep him from eating, 2 Papa was ready for Pizza Hut, one of our favorite places here. They have the best salad bar and several veggi-pasta dishes. Needless to say, I was starving. I had stayed so quiet all day that I hadn’t eaten anything but a piece of toast while 2 pop was in the shower. 2 Papa is feeling great now and hopefully we’re passed whatever that was.
The feature photos today are of us in front of the Thames River and one of the beautiful thatch-roofed houses. The architecture here is so amazing. Anything from 1100 to today can be seen in one town. It’s quite remarkable and so hard to wrap your head around the talent of the people living in times when tools and machines were not even available. Incredible.
I wore my new boots today and have come to appreciate them so much more for the comfort they bring me, rather than their beauty. All shoes are now picked on “walkability” rather than beauty. Apparently, I haven’t walked a mile in my own shoes. They seem to work perfectly well from my bedroom to the car and then from the car to church or my office or even a short trip through WalMart. But a mile, that, my sisters, is another story. When you can walk a mile in your shoes and still be comfortable, you want to kiss them when you take them off at night. I haven’t, but I want to. When your feet don't hurt, you can accomplish so much more.
“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’" Romans 10:15
Talk later. Love you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Day Eighteen Cleaning and New Friend Day
Okay, mark your calendars. Today was cleaning day. Yes, that’s right; we’ve been here for eighteen days and today is the first time I’ve cleaned. It’s pretty amazing how clean a place can stay with just two people in it. Even so, eventually, cleaning is required. Our flat was beginning to look like our (Joneal's and mine) dorm room did two weeks after our proud mom and dad left us to our own limited cleaning resources and desires. Johnny had decided the ironing board would be his closet and everything he’s worn for eighteen days was piled on top. Shoes were thrown under the board. That had to go. There’s no carpet in our flat, but we have a small Hoover, no broom. So I vacuumed the tile floor and cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. Honestly, it only took two paper towels each to get them sparkling clean. Then, I was done. Twenty-five minutes---tops! Why did our dorm room stay so messy??? This is so much easier than a five bedroom house!!
After cleaning, we spent our self-disciplined three hours working on our books before our date I told you about yesterday. We left our flat at 4:00 and walked about a mile, then caught a taxi to Dr. Kelly Clark’s house. Kelly (see photo above) is here on sabbatical from Calvin College in Grand Rapides Michigan. He is a Doctor of Philosophy and the author of several books. In spite of all the academic titles and appointments (he has several), he is a normal, great guy with a wife and three kids. He is staying in a totally different part of town, so we had fun seeing the sights he has discovered in his part of town.
Warning: History from here on out! We walked down the road behind Kelly’s house to a pasture complete with cows and cow patties, large cow patties. We serpentined our way through the pasture and made it to the “tow path.” The tow path is a walking path along the famous Thames River (also called the Isis River). This section of the river is about half the width of the Ouachita River through Monroe. In London, the same river is much wider than the Ouachita, but through Oxford you could throw a rock across it (well, someone could, probably not me). The name, tow path, comes from the time when boats were actually pulled down the river by people or horses walking along the path. Now it’s a place people go for leisure and sports activities. Three times a year the colleges hold their famous boat races there. We got to see several teams practicing as well as talk to some team members about the training process. It’s a beautiful sight to witness. The boats glide so effortlessly down the river powered by a well-trained team of rowers. They work very hard to make it seem so easy. I was dying to get in one. We’re going to check on renting some kind of boat later. Once a year, Oxford and Cambridge compete for the big title in London. Further down the river we came upon a different type of boat (see above). I’m not sure what they are called, but they look a little like a train car and are actually used either as full time houses or rentals allowing people to tour the river for a weekend or longer. Of course, I peeked inside the window as they passed and it’s similar to a travel trailer—beds, kitchens, etc. The river is so narrow in some places only two of these boats can pass at a time. On down the river, we came to a little village with the most beautiful thatch roof homes and a church built in 1170. The picture above shows us standing in front of the side door. The vicar of the church happened to be in the church yard so we had an unexpected guided tour. We ended our evening at a pub Kelly likes because it’s more out of the way than most. Their food is homemade daily and the atmosphere was quiet and relaxing, candles on the tables and a rustic, ski-vacation kind of feel. All in all, we probably walked about four miles today, so great exercise, great company, and good homemade food. Who could ask for more?
I hope your Saturday has allowed you to explore something new, whether it’s through a book, a movie, a person or right out your back door. How blessed we are to have so much beauty around us wherever we are.
“I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!” Ecclesiastes 1:13
Much love to you all. Have a good evening and a blessed Sunday.
Hugs,
2 Mama
After cleaning, we spent our self-disciplined three hours working on our books before our date I told you about yesterday. We left our flat at 4:00 and walked about a mile, then caught a taxi to Dr. Kelly Clark’s house. Kelly (see photo above) is here on sabbatical from Calvin College in Grand Rapides Michigan. He is a Doctor of Philosophy and the author of several books. In spite of all the academic titles and appointments (he has several), he is a normal, great guy with a wife and three kids. He is staying in a totally different part of town, so we had fun seeing the sights he has discovered in his part of town.
Warning: History from here on out! We walked down the road behind Kelly’s house to a pasture complete with cows and cow patties, large cow patties. We serpentined our way through the pasture and made it to the “tow path.” The tow path is a walking path along the famous Thames River (also called the Isis River). This section of the river is about half the width of the Ouachita River through Monroe. In London, the same river is much wider than the Ouachita, but through Oxford you could throw a rock across it (well, someone could, probably not me). The name, tow path, comes from the time when boats were actually pulled down the river by people or horses walking along the path. Now it’s a place people go for leisure and sports activities. Three times a year the colleges hold their famous boat races there. We got to see several teams practicing as well as talk to some team members about the training process. It’s a beautiful sight to witness. The boats glide so effortlessly down the river powered by a well-trained team of rowers. They work very hard to make it seem so easy. I was dying to get in one. We’re going to check on renting some kind of boat later. Once a year, Oxford and Cambridge compete for the big title in London. Further down the river we came upon a different type of boat (see above). I’m not sure what they are called, but they look a little like a train car and are actually used either as full time houses or rentals allowing people to tour the river for a weekend or longer. Of course, I peeked inside the window as they passed and it’s similar to a travel trailer—beds, kitchens, etc. The river is so narrow in some places only two of these boats can pass at a time. On down the river, we came to a little village with the most beautiful thatch roof homes and a church built in 1170. The picture above shows us standing in front of the side door. The vicar of the church happened to be in the church yard so we had an unexpected guided tour. We ended our evening at a pub Kelly likes because it’s more out of the way than most. Their food is homemade daily and the atmosphere was quiet and relaxing, candles on the tables and a rustic, ski-vacation kind of feel. All in all, we probably walked about four miles today, so great exercise, great company, and good homemade food. Who could ask for more?
I hope your Saturday has allowed you to explore something new, whether it’s through a book, a movie, a person or right out your back door. How blessed we are to have so much beauty around us wherever we are.
“I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!” Ecclesiastes 1:13
Much love to you all. Have a good evening and a blessed Sunday.
Hugs,
2 Mama
Friday, October 16, 2009
Day Seventeen O Happy Day!
Good news today! We met the flat owner, Kelvin, this morning. We were diligently at work at our computers when the doorbell rang. Neither one of us had gotten dressed, so I’m afraid to say Kelvin didn’t get a very good impression of the Americans in flat 44. Remember 2 Papa’s new English hairdo? Well, today it was worse. (To clarify, we were dressed, just not dressed to see people.) Still, it was great to meet Kelvin face to face and go through the little issues we still have with the flat. He was super nice and took the broken mini-blinds to the mini-blind repair shop and brought them back at five tonight. 2 Papa is so happy!
Other good news! We have a date for Saturday night! How fun is that?? A man named Kelly is here from Michigan for a year working at the Center for Anthropology or something like that. Anyway, he’s connected with Regent’s Park and he eats there for lunch each day. We had a great visit at lunch and he asked us to come to his house tomorrow night, go out to dinner, and then go visit some sights we haven’t seen yet. WE HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE! Hip, Hip, Hooray!! 2 Mama is so happy!
More good news! The sun shone all day long! I’m so sorry to hear of sand bagging, flood stages, and cancelled ballgames at home. You guys have had well over your share of rain and we’re praying, as the song says, that the sun will come out tomorrow. In fact, we might bet our bottom dollar on it. On second thought, I better save that for the pay toilet. We’ve been shocked at our good fortune here on the rainy weather front. But today was an exception by all English standards. It was still cool, around 54 degrees, but so sunny that people were out in tank tops and shorts like the beach was just down the street. We’re both so happy!
It was fun to come back to college after being gone this week and have people greet us and ask about our trip. It was like they knew us and cared about us. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like we were filming an episode of Cheers and I still don’t see a hug in our future, but it’s a start. Maybe I’ll have them all over for Bunko before the term is up. Speaking of hugs—before formal dinner, we go to chapel. Each week they feature a different style. Tonight was contemporary and very good--great music, message, etc. It felt very American. As I walked out, I started to hug the lady in charge until I saw the look of complete panic come over her so I just touched her arm instead and told her it was very nice. Whew! Close call. Emma is so happy!
One more good news report! At formal dinner we met some more Americans, a retired couple from Georgia. He is here as the chaperone with students from Georgia State. She’s here to see him. Anyway, I told her I was desperate for American peanut butter. She said I wouldn’t find it in any grocery store, but she found a source in the covered market. It was like being handed the map to a buried treasure! Tomorrow—to the market we will go! 2 Mama is really happy!
On the walk to college today we came across this fun guy with his horses in the featured photo today. One good thing about walking is you see so much. We really do miss a lot when riding in a car, but I don’t see us walking to WalMart and Brookshires for peanut butter. Not there we might come upon a horse and buggy anyway, but maybe an armadillo. We’ll just have to start noticing more while in our car. Maybe even put our phones down.
We’ve been impressed with how safe we feel over here. (In spite of wanting the mini-blinds fixed.) But, we may have taken our comfort level too far when we discovered 2 Papa had left the key in the front door all night. Kelvin kindly handed it to me when I opened it for him this morning.
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
Hope you have a great weekend and get to dry out a bit.
Love to all. Hugs,
2 Mama
Other good news! We have a date for Saturday night! How fun is that?? A man named Kelly is here from Michigan for a year working at the Center for Anthropology or something like that. Anyway, he’s connected with Regent’s Park and he eats there for lunch each day. We had a great visit at lunch and he asked us to come to his house tomorrow night, go out to dinner, and then go visit some sights we haven’t seen yet. WE HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE! Hip, Hip, Hooray!! 2 Mama is so happy!
More good news! The sun shone all day long! I’m so sorry to hear of sand bagging, flood stages, and cancelled ballgames at home. You guys have had well over your share of rain and we’re praying, as the song says, that the sun will come out tomorrow. In fact, we might bet our bottom dollar on it. On second thought, I better save that for the pay toilet. We’ve been shocked at our good fortune here on the rainy weather front. But today was an exception by all English standards. It was still cool, around 54 degrees, but so sunny that people were out in tank tops and shorts like the beach was just down the street. We’re both so happy!
It was fun to come back to college after being gone this week and have people greet us and ask about our trip. It was like they knew us and cared about us. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like we were filming an episode of Cheers and I still don’t see a hug in our future, but it’s a start. Maybe I’ll have them all over for Bunko before the term is up. Speaking of hugs—before formal dinner, we go to chapel. Each week they feature a different style. Tonight was contemporary and very good--great music, message, etc. It felt very American. As I walked out, I started to hug the lady in charge until I saw the look of complete panic come over her so I just touched her arm instead and told her it was very nice. Whew! Close call. Emma is so happy!
One more good news report! At formal dinner we met some more Americans, a retired couple from Georgia. He is here as the chaperone with students from Georgia State. She’s here to see him. Anyway, I told her I was desperate for American peanut butter. She said I wouldn’t find it in any grocery store, but she found a source in the covered market. It was like being handed the map to a buried treasure! Tomorrow—to the market we will go! 2 Mama is really happy!
On the walk to college today we came across this fun guy with his horses in the featured photo today. One good thing about walking is you see so much. We really do miss a lot when riding in a car, but I don’t see us walking to WalMart and Brookshires for peanut butter. Not there we might come upon a horse and buggy anyway, but maybe an armadillo. We’ll just have to start noticing more while in our car. Maybe even put our phones down.
We’ve been impressed with how safe we feel over here. (In spite of wanting the mini-blinds fixed.) But, we may have taken our comfort level too far when we discovered 2 Papa had left the key in the front door all night. Kelvin kindly handed it to me when I opened it for him this morning.
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
Hope you have a great weekend and get to dry out a bit.
Love to all. Hugs,
2 Mama
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Day Sixteen Ordinary Day
I’ve never been the sleep-in-late kind of girl. My kids, and now grandkids, always ask me if I used to sleep late on Saturday in high school or college and the answer is, not really. It’s not anything noble, like I’m incredibly self-disciplined and wake up and run five miles, then guzzle down a protein drink; it’s just me. If the sun peeks through, my eyes pop open like a doll with open and close mechanical eyes. Plus, for me, sleeping late is like watching a movie twice. Except for The Way We Were and Tombstone, it’s seems to be a waste of valuable time. But, over here, life is different. While we stay up fairly late at home and are used to late hours, over here it’s ridiculous. With the six hour time difference, I watch the clock until 10:00pm when I know my grandkids are home from school and soon the SKPE-video phone begins to ring. Then I get to watch Ally do a backbend and Will make a funny face and Macy tell us about the boy down the street who cusses and Aslyn show us what a seven-year-old’s mouth looks like with no teeth, and more other fun stuff from the rest of the kids. Then the parents catch us up with other news. It’s a fantastic and never-dreamed-possible time of communication with those we love thousands of miles away. Usually, at midnight we sign off. Only, by then we’re a bit wired and continue to read or work until two or three in the morning. So, Sadie, listen up. Your 2 mama slept until eight-thirty this morning!
By nine, I was engrossed in the book I’m editing. Just twenty pages left and, put a fork in it, that job will be done! (Only six more projects to check off my list before returning home.) By ten, 2 Papa took off for the grocery store and a walk. Knowing we would have to catch up on our work, we had told the good folks at the college we wouldn’t be back on the grounds until Friday. So we had the day to ourselves. I stopped working at noon and we started the job of booking hotels, musicals, and bus tours for our upcoming visit from my mom and John Luke and later a trip from Ryan and Pam. I am so excited!!
It literally took us all afternoon to complete this job. We had both computers going like we worked at Monroe Travel Agency and we went back and forth comparing prices and dates and times. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! I think I actually told 2 Papa, at one particularly frustrating point, that he wasn’t the boss of me. Of course, he laughed and didn’t see the seriousness of my situation. But, really, everyone; put yourself in a small room with Johnny, the master thinking of all things possible, and try to work out three days in London and five days in Oxford that would entertain and educate everyone mentioned above. I knew you would sympathize with me.
One more thing on the flat-living front. For two weeks now we have asked the owner to fix our mini-blinds that do not close all the way. Two of them leave about one foot of window showing. This is driving 2 Papa crazy. The owner promised to would have the job done when we got home from Scotland, but we walked in last night and saw straight out to the yard behind us. Forgetting that for a minute, I decided to open the rollaway bed to be sure we would all fit in our flat when mom and John Luke visit. All was going nicely and I felt great about my little plan for all of us to stay in our flat, so we don’t lose a minute of visiting time. But when I sat down on the bed, it folded up on me like I was a taco. 2 Papa helped me up and we discovered it wasn’t locked, so once we locked it, we declared it safe for anyone to sleep on it. In fact, 2 Papa decided it was strong enough for him to stand on it while he took the matter of the mini-blinds in his own hands. I gave my dutiful warning and walked away from sure disaster. Almost immediately, I heard an awful crash. 2 Papa was still standing, but he had broken straight through three wooden slats that made the base of the bed. More repair work was needed. :)
I think we need to get back to the college! And fast! Fun photo of the day—me and Nessie.
Today was an ordinary day—no sightseeing or spa or dinners out. Here’s what God says to do with our ordinary days, which really are the best, aren’t they?
“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Romans 12:1
Love you all. Hugs,
2 Mama
By nine, I was engrossed in the book I’m editing. Just twenty pages left and, put a fork in it, that job will be done! (Only six more projects to check off my list before returning home.) By ten, 2 Papa took off for the grocery store and a walk. Knowing we would have to catch up on our work, we had told the good folks at the college we wouldn’t be back on the grounds until Friday. So we had the day to ourselves. I stopped working at noon and we started the job of booking hotels, musicals, and bus tours for our upcoming visit from my mom and John Luke and later a trip from Ryan and Pam. I am so excited!!
It literally took us all afternoon to complete this job. We had both computers going like we worked at Monroe Travel Agency and we went back and forth comparing prices and dates and times. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! I think I actually told 2 Papa, at one particularly frustrating point, that he wasn’t the boss of me. Of course, he laughed and didn’t see the seriousness of my situation. But, really, everyone; put yourself in a small room with Johnny, the master thinking of all things possible, and try to work out three days in London and five days in Oxford that would entertain and educate everyone mentioned above. I knew you would sympathize with me.
One more thing on the flat-living front. For two weeks now we have asked the owner to fix our mini-blinds that do not close all the way. Two of them leave about one foot of window showing. This is driving 2 Papa crazy. The owner promised to would have the job done when we got home from Scotland, but we walked in last night and saw straight out to the yard behind us. Forgetting that for a minute, I decided to open the rollaway bed to be sure we would all fit in our flat when mom and John Luke visit. All was going nicely and I felt great about my little plan for all of us to stay in our flat, so we don’t lose a minute of visiting time. But when I sat down on the bed, it folded up on me like I was a taco. 2 Papa helped me up and we discovered it wasn’t locked, so once we locked it, we declared it safe for anyone to sleep on it. In fact, 2 Papa decided it was strong enough for him to stand on it while he took the matter of the mini-blinds in his own hands. I gave my dutiful warning and walked away from sure disaster. Almost immediately, I heard an awful crash. 2 Papa was still standing, but he had broken straight through three wooden slats that made the base of the bed. More repair work was needed. :)
I think we need to get back to the college! And fast! Fun photo of the day—me and Nessie.
Today was an ordinary day—no sightseeing or spa or dinners out. Here’s what God says to do with our ordinary days, which really are the best, aren’t they?
“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Romans 12:1
Love you all. Hugs,
2 Mama
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Day Fifteen Edinburgh to Oxford Day
Beware: this is a long blog. Sorry. I wrote yesterday’s blog earlier than I usually do to fill you in on our tour of the Northern Highlands. After hitting send on the blog button, I headed to the spa for a facial fit for the Queen of England. Relaxation time finished sooner than I wanted and we were off to explore more of the city and find the perfect kilt. Four or five miles later, we had wandered through three more museums and I purchased two little adorable kilts for Bella and Aslyn. I know…I’m fooling myself thinking that, at seven, they are more pliable than the older granddaughters and will appease me by wearing it. We’ll see. Certainly, I can beg for at least a picture.
You see, I have a history with kilts fueling my desire to see my youngest granddaughters wear one. My incredible mom, who can make anything, made me a kilt when I was in the fourth grade. It was orange-ish colored with a yellow thread running through it. She paired it (to use new fashion speak) with a yellow blouse. I loved the way it fit my skinny waist and I felt certain the pleats across the back gave me somewhat of a shape. The extra-large safety pin, true to the modern Scottish kilt, made the perfect fashion-forward statement. Then—the news came. We were moving to Louisiana. For a shy, nervous, stick-thin child this news was similar to hearing a tornado had just landed on our house and I had to be the one to notify the police. Move we did, in February, in the middle of the school year, to Alexandria, Louisiana. Wanting to make the perfect first impression, I chose the orange kilt and yellow blouse for my first day of school. Anxious, scared, self-conscience, and terrified are mild words to describe me on the first day of my new school, but, thanks to mom, my outfit was nifty (remember that word?).
Now being seasoned train-travelers, we did a little better judging our time to the station this morning. However, trashcans and bathrooms, easily found in America, are hidden in England so a new dilemma awaited me. I innocently told 2 Papa I was going to the bathroom. The train station is like a little village under a covering similar to the interior of an exhibit at Epcot. It is fully equipped with restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, bookstores, as well as taxis and buses running through it. (See photo above)Finding the bathroom wasn’t an easy task. Once I did find it, I discovered it would cost me thirty pence to get in. I knew we had no coins, but I thought I saw a machine that would give me tokens from bills so I went back to get a five pound bill from 2 Papa. But, that wasn’t a token machine after all, so I had to walk back and decide if I needed to go bad enough to buy something and get the change. Yes, I did. Now, I was on a mission akin to finding the Holy Grail. I went to the bookstore, bought an English fitness magazine thinking that would be interesting anyway and headed to the bathroom with my change. Thirty pence later I was in. It was quite impressive, even having a curling iron you could put money in and use. Curling iron or not, by then the thirty pence was money well spent.
There was no attendant to be sure you’re on the right train. Our particular train never showed up on the screen so we almost missed it. When the train pulls up, it’s like a school bus with a impatient bus driver-- you have to be ready to jump on. There’s no waiting for the slow, elderly, or absentminded. It simply stops; the doors open, and in you go. Truly, the trams at DFW allow more time. But, we made it. We put our luggage in its place and took our seats, much more comfortable with the whole thing. Someone checks tickets five or ten minutes down the road, like there’s anything that could be done about it at that point! In each car, half of the riders ride backwards, which means at some point, someone must face someone they don’t know for a long time. AWKWARD! Across from us was a very prim, middle-aged woman, looking like Jane Hathaway from the Beverly Hillbilly’s TV show. She wore a chin-length bob with straight bangs and not a trace of makeup (more on this in a future blog). She looked down at her book the whole way, which made her have more chins than she should have. I wonder what she said later about the middle-aged woman in a pony-tail and a Gap sweatshirt that sat across from her.
In this country that appears to be somewhat disheveled and unorganized (by other’s definitions, not just mine), the train is right on time, every time. Our train arrived back in Oxford at 4:14, exactly on time. The train is like our constant, perfectly timed God. When life seems to go passed us in a blur, when we’re unsure of ourselves, when illness and tragedy change our plans, God arrives right on time, wrapping His protective arms around us. With perfect timing, He carries us safety to our next station in life.
“When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you, from Jordan depths to Hermon heights, including Mount Mizar. Chaos calls to chaos, to the tune of whitewater rapids. Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers crash and crush me. Then God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God's prayer.” Psalm 42:6
One more thing. Scotland is 2 Papa’s 47th country to visit. He used to find every phone booth in a visiting town to continue his business while traveling. He found these in Edinburgh and used them to prop up against while he used his cell phone.
You see, I have a history with kilts fueling my desire to see my youngest granddaughters wear one. My incredible mom, who can make anything, made me a kilt when I was in the fourth grade. It was orange-ish colored with a yellow thread running through it. She paired it (to use new fashion speak) with a yellow blouse. I loved the way it fit my skinny waist and I felt certain the pleats across the back gave me somewhat of a shape. The extra-large safety pin, true to the modern Scottish kilt, made the perfect fashion-forward statement. Then—the news came. We were moving to Louisiana. For a shy, nervous, stick-thin child this news was similar to hearing a tornado had just landed on our house and I had to be the one to notify the police. Move we did, in February, in the middle of the school year, to Alexandria, Louisiana. Wanting to make the perfect first impression, I chose the orange kilt and yellow blouse for my first day of school. Anxious, scared, self-conscience, and terrified are mild words to describe me on the first day of my new school, but, thanks to mom, my outfit was nifty (remember that word?).
Now being seasoned train-travelers, we did a little better judging our time to the station this morning. However, trashcans and bathrooms, easily found in America, are hidden in England so a new dilemma awaited me. I innocently told 2 Papa I was going to the bathroom. The train station is like a little village under a covering similar to the interior of an exhibit at Epcot. It is fully equipped with restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, bookstores, as well as taxis and buses running through it. (See photo above)Finding the bathroom wasn’t an easy task. Once I did find it, I discovered it would cost me thirty pence to get in. I knew we had no coins, but I thought I saw a machine that would give me tokens from bills so I went back to get a five pound bill from 2 Papa. But, that wasn’t a token machine after all, so I had to walk back and decide if I needed to go bad enough to buy something and get the change. Yes, I did. Now, I was on a mission akin to finding the Holy Grail. I went to the bookstore, bought an English fitness magazine thinking that would be interesting anyway and headed to the bathroom with my change. Thirty pence later I was in. It was quite impressive, even having a curling iron you could put money in and use. Curling iron or not, by then the thirty pence was money well spent.
There was no attendant to be sure you’re on the right train. Our particular train never showed up on the screen so we almost missed it. When the train pulls up, it’s like a school bus with a impatient bus driver-- you have to be ready to jump on. There’s no waiting for the slow, elderly, or absentminded. It simply stops; the doors open, and in you go. Truly, the trams at DFW allow more time. But, we made it. We put our luggage in its place and took our seats, much more comfortable with the whole thing. Someone checks tickets five or ten minutes down the road, like there’s anything that could be done about it at that point! In each car, half of the riders ride backwards, which means at some point, someone must face someone they don’t know for a long time. AWKWARD! Across from us was a very prim, middle-aged woman, looking like Jane Hathaway from the Beverly Hillbilly’s TV show. She wore a chin-length bob with straight bangs and not a trace of makeup (more on this in a future blog). She looked down at her book the whole way, which made her have more chins than she should have. I wonder what she said later about the middle-aged woman in a pony-tail and a Gap sweatshirt that sat across from her.
In this country that appears to be somewhat disheveled and unorganized (by other’s definitions, not just mine), the train is right on time, every time. Our train arrived back in Oxford at 4:14, exactly on time. The train is like our constant, perfectly timed God. When life seems to go passed us in a blur, when we’re unsure of ourselves, when illness and tragedy change our plans, God arrives right on time, wrapping His protective arms around us. With perfect timing, He carries us safety to our next station in life.
“When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you, from Jordan depths to Hermon heights, including Mount Mizar. Chaos calls to chaos, to the tune of whitewater rapids. Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers crash and crush me. Then God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God's prayer.” Psalm 42:6
One more thing. Scotland is 2 Papa’s 47th country to visit. He used to find every phone booth in a visiting town to continue his business while traveling. He found these in Edinburgh and used them to prop up against while he used his cell phone.
Hope you all are having a great day. You are greatly loved.
Hugs, 2 Mama
Hugs, 2 Mama
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Day Fourteen Relax and Tour Day
Good morning, everyone. Sorry about the blog-blink you experienced yesterday. Our tour was a little over twelve hours, beginning at 8:00 yesterday morning and arriving back in Edinburgh at 8:15 last night. We had a 9:00pm reservation at Restaurant (Restroom)Number One, so the day was very long.
The tour was great, though, and the twelve hours were broken up with photo opportunities and restroom (and restaurant) stops and then the grand finale, The Urqhuart Castle. Obviously our bus driver had attended and graduated from the "Mike Watkins School of Driving a Bus around Mountain Curves." In fact, if you look closely in the picture, you will see (for those who know him) that he looks like Mike with a kilt and long hair. We started the trip listening to the bus rules and then held on tight as we wound our way up through the highlands—exactly like a trip with Mike.
The scenery was magnificent and our guide did a great job telling us about Scottish history. He pointed out what we knew about the kilt-wearing Mel Gibson and added that the movie is about 75% accurate, which he felt was quite good. However, the movie with Liam Neeson, Rob Rory, was 100% inaccurate. Oh well, it was still a good movie.
We also passed by the castle Madonna and Guy Ritchie have now left behind. It’s for sale for a measly $17,000,000. We passed it, as it sits, across a beautiful lake and even at a good distance from it, it still looked incredibly huge. I got a picture, through the bus window, going about 80 miles an hour. I don’t think People magazine will pay me much for it.
In any case, from what I’ve seen over here, you might have to hate your family to ask them to live in a castle. They seem to be destined to despair. The Urqhuart Castle was no different. You can see from the photo that it sits majestically and peacefully over the Loch Ness (Loch means Lake) where the famous Loch Ness monster lives. But, like the many other castles we’ve seen, this one saw its share of bloodshed as control of land seems to be quite a worthy cause to fight for. “Castle remains” would best describe Urqhuart Castle today, but the tourist organization did a fantastic job of reenacting the time period when it was in its glory in an eight minute video, so by the time we walked down to the castle, we could visualize grand dinners as well as everyday life being lived. The picture you’re seeing is looking down at the castle from the visitor center. At one time around 100 people lived in the castle-fortress, as it took many to care for the Lord and Lady and each other. Bakers, cooks, seamstresses, stewards, horse handlers, doctors, and many more servants were required to keep up day to day castle life. As I stood at one end of it, it reminded me of life at camp—a self-contained village where people lived and, most certainly, loved each other. The inhabitants of this magnificant castle saw several hundreds of years where life was uneventful, when it must have been glorious to live in Urqhuart Castle, but then war would break out and destroy all that the previous generations had worked for. The last battle was in 1689 when the supporters of William and Mary fought off the Jacobite force. They won the battle, but decided to destroy the castle themselves and leave it to its destined future—a tourist attraction. I’m sure they didn’t think of that on their way out the door.
Today, it is a popular tourist attraction for another reason. It is the home of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. The 700 feet deep water that surrounds the castle makes it perfect for Nessie to roam freely, but we did not spot her yesterday. We did see a very long-haired wool-y cow named Hammie as you can see from the other photo.
Well, better go. Another full day ahead, but a bit more relaxed as we'll walk and look for more castles to explore. I’ll get back on the blogging schedule tomorrow.
One last point. 2 papa and I both noticed that when man builds and destroys their own property, it will sit for hundreds of years, but when man destroys what God has built, it will rebuilt itself with great beauty. What man destroys, God can redeem.
“He forgives your sins—everyone. He heals your diseases—everyone. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.” Psalm 103:3
The tour was great, though, and the twelve hours were broken up with photo opportunities and restroom (and restaurant) stops and then the grand finale, The Urqhuart Castle. Obviously our bus driver had attended and graduated from the "Mike Watkins School of Driving a Bus around Mountain Curves." In fact, if you look closely in the picture, you will see (for those who know him) that he looks like Mike with a kilt and long hair. We started the trip listening to the bus rules and then held on tight as we wound our way up through the highlands—exactly like a trip with Mike.
The scenery was magnificent and our guide did a great job telling us about Scottish history. He pointed out what we knew about the kilt-wearing Mel Gibson and added that the movie is about 75% accurate, which he felt was quite good. However, the movie with Liam Neeson, Rob Rory, was 100% inaccurate. Oh well, it was still a good movie.
We also passed by the castle Madonna and Guy Ritchie have now left behind. It’s for sale for a measly $17,000,000. We passed it, as it sits, across a beautiful lake and even at a good distance from it, it still looked incredibly huge. I got a picture, through the bus window, going about 80 miles an hour. I don’t think People magazine will pay me much for it.
In any case, from what I’ve seen over here, you might have to hate your family to ask them to live in a castle. They seem to be destined to despair. The Urqhuart Castle was no different. You can see from the photo that it sits majestically and peacefully over the Loch Ness (Loch means Lake) where the famous Loch Ness monster lives. But, like the many other castles we’ve seen, this one saw its share of bloodshed as control of land seems to be quite a worthy cause to fight for. “Castle remains” would best describe Urqhuart Castle today, but the tourist organization did a fantastic job of reenacting the time period when it was in its glory in an eight minute video, so by the time we walked down to the castle, we could visualize grand dinners as well as everyday life being lived. The picture you’re seeing is looking down at the castle from the visitor center. At one time around 100 people lived in the castle-fortress, as it took many to care for the Lord and Lady and each other. Bakers, cooks, seamstresses, stewards, horse handlers, doctors, and many more servants were required to keep up day to day castle life. As I stood at one end of it, it reminded me of life at camp—a self-contained village where people lived and, most certainly, loved each other. The inhabitants of this magnificant castle saw several hundreds of years where life was uneventful, when it must have been glorious to live in Urqhuart Castle, but then war would break out and destroy all that the previous generations had worked for. The last battle was in 1689 when the supporters of William and Mary fought off the Jacobite force. They won the battle, but decided to destroy the castle themselves and leave it to its destined future—a tourist attraction. I’m sure they didn’t think of that on their way out the door.
Today, it is a popular tourist attraction for another reason. It is the home of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. The 700 feet deep water that surrounds the castle makes it perfect for Nessie to roam freely, but we did not spot her yesterday. We did see a very long-haired wool-y cow named Hammie as you can see from the other photo.
Well, better go. Another full day ahead, but a bit more relaxed as we'll walk and look for more castles to explore. I’ll get back on the blogging schedule tomorrow.
One last point. 2 papa and I both noticed that when man builds and destroys their own property, it will sit for hundreds of years, but when man destroys what God has built, it will rebuilt itself with great beauty. What man destroys, God can redeem.
“He forgives your sins—everyone. He heals your diseases—everyone. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.” Psalm 103:3
Love you all.
Hugs, 2 mama
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