Hi, my dear family and friends.
We’re down to four remaining days in merry ole England. We’ve managed to stay long enough to welcome winter as we woke up to frost this morning. (see car in photo) We walked to the bus stop breathing out those fine puffs of smoke that only happen when the temperature is around freezing. This afternoon we even spotted a few snowflakes.
Monday was rather uneventful except for lunch at the college with good company. Last night we went to see 2012, which was like watching The Titanic, The Poseidon (sp?) Adventure, and The Day After all in one movie. It was a little too much, but okay if there’s nothing else to see.
Today, we boarded the train at 10:07 headed to the home of Davis and Isabella Bunn. If you’ll remember they are the couple responsible for our being in Oxford. Davis is an author and Isabella is a lawyer who works with the Centre for Christianity and Culture at Regents Park College. We’ve tried to get together all term, but as is often the case, the time has nearly slipped away without our doing so. Today they graciously entertained us with a homemade meal that Davis prepared and dessert that Isabella prepared in the most amazing setting—their home.
First of all, their home is located in the Cotswolds; that wonderful part of England that was home to thousands of sheep for hundreds of years used to make beautiful woolen everything. The sheep are fewer in number now, but still a staple in the lush countryside, along with horses and huge, fuzzy cows. Just the drive up to the home is like entering a movie set. Then this enormous mansion comes into view and you’re transformed into another century where women wore corsets and large skirts and men smoked pipes and discussed men things in the drawing room.
Originally built in the sixteenth century, this has been the family home of the Earls of Suffolk. Just a small thing, hardly room enough for one family, this manor is 58,000 square feet, including the cellars, and sits on 4500 acres. The 21st Earl of Suffolk, Michael John James George Robert Howard is the current owner, but he lives in another home on the property using this home to help fund the entire operation. (Howard is the family name of the Earl’s, dating back to 1500’s. Maybe we should dig a little deeper. I think 2 Papa looks like an Earl.) There are twenty-one private residences now occupying what was once home to one family. After many changes, the style today varies in each part of the manor, but is mostly Georgian. The huge common room looks like a Wedgewood china plate with a raised white design on a soft green background. Davis and Isabella live in the front section of one wing of the manor. Of the 58,000 sq. feet, they have a measly 3000. It includes three stories and is absolutely beautiful. I have included a picture of the entire manor and their spacious kitchen. The nearest little hamlet only has nineteen houses in it. A hamlet is the name given to a community that doesn’t have a pub and a church; a village has a church and a pub (it’s all very complicated over here). The trip to Oxford takes around two hours so it’s been quite a commitment for them for the past seven years. But, they have loved their country life and it’s perfect to inspire Davis as he writes. It was great to spend time with them and to see another slice of historical England.
Tonight, we met up with Kelly to continue our quest to eat at all the restaurants in Oxford. Tonight it was Yo! Sushi. Who would have thought we would come to England to eat sushi? 2 Papa has been fascinated with this restaurant since he first peered in the window to see that the food runs on a conveyor belt letting the customers just pick off what they want to eat. It was SUSHI HEAVEN for 2 Papa. I truly thought it would cost us a fortune as 2 Papa has never exercised great willpower when food goes pass him at a slow speed. But, he did okay, or maybe I should say, each bowl was reasonably priced so the bill wasn’t as bad as I suspected.
As we ate with Davis and Isabella, I kept thinking of all the generations of families who have shared this home. Since 1561, there have been twenty-one generations of the same family living on the same piece of property. A reality that's hard for us Americans to imagine as we rarely make it to two generations living on the same property. While this is very cool, my prayer is that we are handing down something more valuable than a house of bricks and mortar.
“Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.” II Peter 3:11
Well, that’s it. Four more days and we’ll be sleeping in our own bed. WOOHOO!
Hugs, 2 Mama
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