Day Forty-two Work and Lecture Day

Good Tuesday, everyone! I have to tell you that today I would have traded my beloved peanut butter for one day with a car. It rained all day long. Now…. rain is one thing, but rain and cold is another. I had so many things on my list to do today, but I just wasn’t willing to do them in the rain and cold. Even finding the cure for my dark roots wasn’t enough to lure me out of my comfy pajamas and out in the cold. But, had I had a car…no problem, it would have been just like at home. Here, even though the bus system is fantastic, it still requires getting to the bus stop and waiting for one to come by.
So, this was one of those days when we pounded away on our dueling computers. Nothing else accomplished, but projects moved forward. My fingers found their way to page 48 of 304 pages (Did I just say 304 pages? Oh, my!) in my great-grandfather’s historical records. Barely a dent! Have you ever gone to look for one photo of a family member and three or four hours later, after you’ve smiled and cried over hundreds of pictures, you drag yourself away? The photo you were looking for may or may not be in your hand, but who cares? You just had a few hours of seeing your precious children or parents or siblings as they were in the past making the present seem all the more precious. I’m finding that recording my great-grandpas words has opened the door to an unlimited amount of history and my new best friend, Google, is always a willing accomplice in helping me. Truly, one “googled” name can lead to hours of reading and researching as I check spelling and confirm facts.
We did get in our last episode of Harry Potter last night. (Remember we stay up late to hear from our kids who are six hours earlier at home. Kids, call us.) I had to facebook a true Harry Potter fan, Dena Leasure, (her husband’s name is Harry, maybe that’s why she’s such a fan:)) to see when the rest of the movies will come out. Apparently, we’ve got a few weeks to wait for the grand finale.
Tonight’s activity was a lecture at the college. I told you guys in an earlier email that lectures are typically forty-five minutes of a professor reading a paper he has written and this one was exactly that. The topic was The Danger of Just Reading the Bible: Orthodoxy and Christology by Dr. Stephen Holmes from the University of St. Andrews. His paper was very enlightening, but it was extremely hard to pay attention to. Besides the use of unfamiliar terminology, the lack of any jokes, the absence of anything interactive like a power point, his British accent was so pretty it was distracting. I thought I was listening to Shakespeare and could have easily been lulled to sleep. I had to take notes to force myself to pay attention to the topic. The question and answer session after the lecture was better for my busy brain. I knew I might be in trouble tonight as before the lecture I found myself in a discussion in the common room with three brilliant people, one a scientist and one a theologian and the other a lawyer, over the need for daylight saving time. Believe me, there were no comments like, “It gets dark too early.” or “Do you spring forward or spring backward?” That I could have handled. This discussion involved time travel and the theory of relativity. Way over my head! Fortunately it was soon time for the lecture, so the discussion ended and all I did was smile appropriately.
Korie and Bella just called and Bella has the flu—again! She looked so cute with her little snaggle-tooth grin--coughing like crazy. Pray for her to heal quickly and not pass it on to others. Korie got to tell us about mom and John Luke’s trip from their perspective back to her and sounds like they had a great time.
One point that continues to come up in our tours over here is how uneducated the common people were until somewhere in the middle of the 18th century. The lecturer stated tonight that people had a hard time resisting whatever was the idea of day in religious beliefs as they had no other source to rely on than the more educated person telling them what the Bible said. How thankful I am that we have the ability to read for ourselves what God’s word says. How sad that many times we don’t take advantage of that privilege.
“We're ready to study God, eager for God-knowledge. As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival. He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground." Hosea 6:1
No new photos, just one more from our time with John Luke.

Have a great evening.
Hugs, 2 Mama

Day Forty-one Back to Normal Day

With Mom and John Luke safely back at work and school in West Monroe, we got back to our “new” normal routine. 2 Papa dug back into planning our future travels, the book he’s working on, and sorting through his coupons for dinner tonight. I begin my next project. I’m afraid this one will take the next four weeks in Oxford and then some, but I’m dedicated to it. My great-grandfather, Edmond J. Gardner, left a handwritten ledger of the Choctaw Indians who settled in Southeast Oklahoma after the Trail of Tears. In 1831, the Choctaws were the first Indian tribe to be removed from what was called the Deep South (Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama) and taken to Oklahoma, freeing up land for the mass of incoming white settlers.
Born in 1877, Edmond J. Gardner, passed away at age 59, but his legacy is still felt today as most of his large numbers of proud descendants know his name and his contribution to Indian history. How thrilling it was for me to read his obituary that stated “no one in this section of Oklahoma was better acquainted with the early history of Oklahoma than he.” As you can imagine, the pages of this inspiring project are extremely fragile; some are disintegrating and have to be lifted with great care. I am honored to be given the job of re-recording his words and making them available to all who are interested. It would be a shame for his words to be forever lost.
Today was a burrrr-cold day, but we still walked to college for lunch. As weird as it was five weeks ago, it is now normal to walk everywhere. It’s great exercise and gives us time to soak up the beauty of the day, even with chattering teeth. It wasn’t truly freezing, like below 32 freezing, but it was 39 degrees and for us southerners, that’s cold! Thinking today’s temperature might be what we have until we leave, I felt obligated to go to the mall and buy a couple of turtlenecks. I brought two with me (what was I thinking?) and I wear one every day. Since I’m no Phil Robertson who can wear the same clothes straight through hunting season, I needed a few more. Plus, I’m getting really tired of brown and black.
While I was shopping, 2 Papa went to the train station to finish up our travel plans. All done! He was so excited because he got a special deal on the train fare and had a coupon for dinner tonight. Just like at home, he’s started his coupon collection and loves to hand it to the waiter. Tonight, we saved 20%, which is extremely good. I really am proud of my coupon-clipper and travel planner. He does a great job of both.
Today also found me searching for a beauty shop. When I left Monroe, I knew this day would come, but it’s pretty scary when I see some of the hairdos walking around Oxford, especially since no one over forty even has a hairdo. But, I’m in desperate need of a root touch-up, so the search is on. I didn’t feel comfortable with any of the shops I saw today, so I’m going to a different area of Oxford tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted. I can only remember one awful time when my salon-hairdo came out so badly that my mom actually sent me flowers. I would love to not repeat that tragedy!
You have so diligently followed our journey and know that we have been witness to the history of England in so many different ways. From castles to thatch roof homes, this country is rich is its beauty and heritage. America is the same. From the Native Americans who proudly blazed the earliest trails for future generations to the pilgrims who pioneered against all odds to build homes and a new life, America has as diverse and exciting heritage as England. But, neither country got where they are today without the pain and suffering of war. Yesterday was Remembrance Day in England, which is like as our upcoming Veteran’s Day in America. It seems odd that fighting is the way to peace, but history proves that many wars did bring peace. With both American and British troops at war even today, let’s pray together that peace is right around the corner.
“May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!” II Thessalonians 3:16
Have a great Monday.
Hugs, 2 Mama

Day Forty Mom and John Luke Are Gone Day

Mom and John Luke should be somewhere over the ocean heading back to the land where an “a” is pronounced like it sounds and not like “ah” and, unfortunately, where the “t” is changed to a “d.” Such as is “wah-ter” with a strong accent on the “t” in England is very simply “wader” in the southern states where we live (And y’all have had plenty of wader lately!). However, we’ve discovered that the UK has as many different accents as we do in America. We had a tour guide with just a slightly different sound to his speech and John Luke immediately said that he sounded Scottish. He wasn’t from Scotland, but was from northern England which gave him a different accent, closer to a Scot. It’s weird, but I’ve started thinking words in British, but still cannot speak with a British accent. I’ve read a few web links on the evolution of the British language to American language and as you can imagine there are many theories. But, certainly, we are a varied bunch of talkers, from New York City to New Orleans, most Americans can distinguish the area of origin just as Brits can.
Enough rambling on language. We already miss mom and John Luke. Well, I do anyway. 2 Papa might be ready to run around in his underwear again and stretch out in bed. But, I was very sad to hear the knock on the door as the taxi driver came on schedule at 10:00 this morning. Naturally, a little gloomy, I had to play an hour of cell phone solitaire to recover. 2 Papa went straight to the computer (I like to think that’s his therapy because he misses his family, but in truth, it’s just what he does as much as possible) to plan our next trip—Ireland. He’s been talking about Ireland since our first week in England, only to be disappointed today as he discovered that travel to this beautiful country was going to be too difficult to justify the trip over. Instead we’re going to Bath, England and on to Wales. I really do understand how all of us could give up an extra bathroom or a dishwasher, even a curling iron (okay, that would be hard), but to live without Google these days would be disastrous. It’s all about technology, isn’t it? Googling travel to Ireland, Bath, and Wales made our choice very clear. So we leave on Saturday, as this week is already booked with lectures and other things and we’ll return the following Thursday.
After my one hour solitaire-therapy session, I put the apartment back in order and we headed out for a late lunch. Of course, another new restaurant that 2 Papa spotted weeks ago was our destination. It was conveniently next door to the video rental store (note that I had been to the video store twice with JL and never noticed this restaurant, 2 Papa had walked that street once four weeks ago and catalogued it). Since we needed to get the latest Harry Potter to continue our movie-marathon, it really was perfect so I didn’t argue. You might be saying to yourself, “John Luke is gone, why are they still watching Harry Potter?” I confess--we’re now hooked ourselves. The author of these books has an incredible imagination and it’s been fun to recognize the different locations that are just a part of everyday Oxford life on the big screen. Well, now on our the small screen.
Friday night at formal dinner we were able to spend time with Justin and Sherry who are the Americans I’ve told you about who have been here almost four years. We talked about Thanksgiving again and I offered our flat, but Sherry has a house and was happy to have us over. I decided that I needed to start looking for specific ingredients knowing how difficult that can be. Top priority is canned sweet potatoes, which I understand are as rare as American peanut butter. No luck today. My plan is to make Luanne Watts’ incredible sweet potato casserole recipe, so I’ll have to keep searching. I did find the tiniest bag of brown sugar and an even tinier bag of walnuts (the recipe calls for pecans, but beggars can’t be choosy), so I’m off to a little start. I may end up at the covered market at Palm again or have Ryan and Pam bring some from home when they come over. (I’m sure they would love to pack three cans of sweet potatoes in their luggage, especially with the tight weight limit these days, but you do what you have to do! :))
Today is Will Robertson’s special day. He is our eight-year old grandson. Happy Birthday Will! I put Will’s picture above (with granddaugther Macy and all the grandsons)so you can see what a handsome young man he is.(Or, maybe, I put them on as part of my continuing therapy today.) He loves baseball, has beautiful hand-writing, is a remarkable reader, and loves music. He’s leaning toward the drums. (Can we say ear plugs for the rest of the family?) Will has a smile that lights up the room and he loves his friends. He has been a constant source of joy to us, as all our grandchildren are. Will, this verse is for you.
“Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:11
Love you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama

Day Thirty-nine Free Day

We promised John Luke a free day on Saturday and he held us to that promise. In fact, he stayed in his bed, as snug as a bug, until 3:30 this afternoon. Now, that’s a teen’s dream come true, isn’t it? He’s been reading a book that apparently didn’t get really good until around 1:00 this afternoon, then he couldn’t put it down. (Shhhh..Don’t tell his mom--I even brought him food in bed. After all, it’s a grandmother’s right to serve a grandchild, isn’t it? I’m sure he’ll take care of me one day. :)) He also didn’t feel well this morning. Who knows--it could be from drinking different water, or too many fish and chips, or simply museum overload. It was alarming when Mom made biscuits this morning and he didn’t feel like eating any. So, I gave him some Advil which helped his headache and by 3:30 he was ready to walk to the video store for our nightly fix of Harry Potter. We’re on number four tonight. He also needed some note cards for his homework. We were successful finding HP number four, but not the note cards, which didn’t seem to bother him too much. This HP episode has a scene shot in the quad of one of the colleges we toured, so we’re all eager to see it.
While John Luke read in bed, 2 Papa worked on his computer, mom made the biscuits, took a shower and read her book, and I alternated between the computer and cleaning the flat. We have done remarkably well in our little flat with all four of us pretty much right on top of each other. Mom only had one collapse of the rollaway bed and that was this morning. She recovered nicely from her burrito position and has been quite the trooper the entire week. We have no extra drawer space so she’s had to live out of her suitcase, which made packing tonight much easier (if you’re looking for a bright side). 2 Papa and I have shared one twin bed which means we’ve learned to roll over during the night with the precision of synchronized swimmers. We’ve also managed to coordinate our visits to the one small bathroom with no problems. It reminded me of the old days when all anybody had was one small bathroom. Whoops—that might sound a little like my dad’s stories of walking to school in the snow—uphill—both ways. Sorry.
Back to today--before we realized it the day was halfway over and 2 Papa was still Ashmolean-determined. John Luke was definitely not going to be talked into one more museum, but mom was a willing victim so off they went. It was very crowded, but they both loved the two of the five floors they made it to. I’m sure we will go later when it’s not so crowded and hit all five floors.
We made reservations at The Trout for dinner—our first meal with a reservation this week. The other meals have been great, but on the run. Tonight was nice and relaxing. John Luke had fully recovered and ordered sea bass with a crawfish and crabmeat risotto. (Korie, forget that I fed him in bed. Your bigger worry should be that MacDonald’s isn’t even in this radar anymore.)
Well, the blog is shorter tonight. You needn’t a break!! We’re going to pop Harry Potter in the machine and enjoy our last night together. John Luke just tried to change the TV channel with my cell phone. Maybe he's not well after all. :)
Enjoy a few more photos from our week together. There’s nothing like being with family.
“Blessed be God! He didn't leave you without family to carry on your life.” Ruth 4:4

Love you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama

Day Thirty-eight Stratford and Castle Day

So much to do and so little time! Mom and John Luke just have one more day with us. I’m already sad! We’ve promised John Luke a free day on Saturday so we’re trying to stick to that promise. BUT, the world’s first university museum, the Ashmolean, opened in Oxford in 1683 and after a year of remodeling to the tune of 104 million dollars, opens tomorrow. So, we HAVE to go to that exciting event in. Other than that, free time, baby!
But, today was no free day. We boarded our tour bus at 9:20 this morning and headed to Stratford Upon Avon, the home of William Shakespeare and then to Warwick Castle. The stop at Stratford was perfect. The weather was a little chilly, but we loved the walk around this charming little village as well as the well-done educational tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace (photo above). My only disappointment was that all the film clips of Romeo and Juliet were of the 1996 version, when I thought the 1968 version was so much stronger. Still, it was a great presentation and tribute to an incredible playwright. We also managed to shop, getting mom some new boots and a few souvenirs.
Next, we traveled to Warwick Castle which is the finest medieval castle in England. The history of the castle is impressive with many defeats and then a major conquest, hence it is still standing. It is amazingly well preserved and the handsome young man (photo above) dressed in period clothing made the tour extremely interesting. He had memorized about 25 minutes of dialogue to give us a true feeling of life in the castle. Also, it is now a property of Madame Tussaud’s of wax museum fame, so the rooms of the castle literally come to life with wax figures in each elaborately decorated room. It’s a little Disney-ish, but still great.
The last event of the busy day was formal dinner at college. John Luke was so NOT looking forward to this, but I wanted him to attend for educational purposes. He admitted as we left that it was way better than he thought. He definitely represented the teens of America with absolute perfection. He politely visited with people from all walks of life, shook hands and smiled at each introduction, put his napkin in his lap without prompting, held his fork appropriately during dinner, made small talk with the people around him at the table and looked fabulous in his new shirt and 2 Papa’s tie. We were so proud of him. Mom did all the above as well, but we kind of expected that.
Our tour guide for the day is so amazing. If you are interested in some of his more informative facts, keep reading. If not, good night and I love you.
• When the Romans invaded England, they asked the name of a certain river. The Celts answered with their word for river which is Avon, leaving the Romans to believe that the name of that river was Avon, hence there are several River Avons in England and they are distinguished by the town they are in such as Avon Stratford.
• Winston Churchhill’s mom was visiting Blenheim and decided to go horseback riding. Now, my gynecologist let me water ski, but not horseback ride. Apparently, Winston’s mom didn’t get this memo, and after falling off the horse, went into labor, delivering at Blenheim Palace.
• The beautiful and elaborate stained glass in the churches was not just for beauty. It was to educate the congregation about the Bible. Very few people could read so having a Bible in their hands wouldn’t have done any good. The vicar would simply point to the stained glass that illustrated the story he was telling.
• 7% of children in England attend a private school (called public schools here), 90% attend a state school and 3% are homeschooled.
• Doctors during the 18th century believed that putting a frog in the mouth of one who has a sore throat would cure it. Hence, the expression when someone has a sore throat, “I have a frog in my throat.” Apparently, the frog has secretions that could help, but I will not be trying it.
• Frances Scott Key’s patriotic poem was put to an existing popular British pub song and then became The Star Spangled Banner. We actually had an Englishman sing us one of the five verses of the pub song today. Cool.
• The home of Mary Arden, Shakespeare’s mother, has been on display for many years because of her famous son. But, nine years ago, when the Shakespeare society decided to purchase the home next to Mary Arden’s home, courthouse records indicated that the neighboring house was actually Mary Arden’s home and not the one that had been on display for a few hundred years.
• Two American Presidents actually visited Shakespeare’s home on the same day in the late 1700s and etched their names in the window glass.
If you continued to the end of this long blog, you’re a real blog-trooper. There is just so much to tell!
It’s almost unbelievable that for hundreds of years people believed what we now know was simply hearsay or, perhaps, a tradition about the true identity of Mary Arden’s home. Yet, many people do not want to believe that Jesus lived, died, and is coming again.
“That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.” Romans 14:6
Have a great evening. Love to all.
Hugs, 2 Mama

Day Thirty-seven Blenheim Day

Mom and John Luke have now spent five and a half days on the fast moving 2 Papa tour train—actually, tour walk would better describe our adventures. Today’s tour included just one stop, but it was a doozy, as they say--plenty of walking and plenty of standing. Weather wise—it was cold, but no rain, which was much better for sight-seeing than yesterday’s downpour.
We left this morning just before ten to catch the half past ten (as the Brits say) bus to Woodstock. No, we weren’t baby boomers dressed in bell buttoms, beads, and peace symbols looking for a music festival; this Woodstock is quite the opposite. It is the hometown of Blenheim Palace and Blenheim Palace is currently the actual, as in they really live there, home of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. It is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, a name a little more familiar to us Americans. It seems Sir Winston was the grandson of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his mother just happened to be visiting Blenheim when she got an unexpected surprise delivery she named Winston.
If you were to ask directions to Blenheim Palace and someone tell you “You can’t miss it,” they would be absolutely correct. Heading north from Oxford just before the lovely village of Woodstock, you would only need to look to your left, as the Palace stands majestically about a third of a mile off the road. You can't miss it. Our bus stopped, we departed, and then we stood--staring at this magnificent home as if we were Dorothy and her companions looking at the Emerald City. Judging the walk to the Palace (not a straight shot, I might add), we looked around for the tram to pick us up. But, we soon discovered Disneyworld is still in Florida and our legs would be our only source of transport for the rest of the day.
We followed our imaginary yellow brick road and soon arrived at the Emerald City. Getting our tour tickets took a little longer as 2 Papa (in bargain mode) quickly summed up the best deal—we needed a yearly membership. That required photos and a longer wait, but we will come back later this month with Ryan and Pam so why not save a few pounds. Finally inside, the tour began.
The Palace is room after enchanting room displaying hand-painted walls and ceilings, elaborate tapestries, beautifully arranged porcelain and furniture collections, and two well-place gift shops. In seems the current Duke, John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, whose estimated wealth is 185 million pounds (approximately double that for dollars) needs a little help in the upkeep of the enormous home and 2100 acres that surrounds it. If you’ve complained over the summer about mowing your yard, come see the grounds of this home that include impeccably groomed lawns, magnificent gardens, and an impressive lake complete with radiant white ducks.
For a little background history, the land and the money to build a home was originally a gift from Queen Anne in 1704 to the First Duke of Marlborough after his many military successes. There were two minor problems. First, the Duchess didn’t want such an elaborate home, preferring a smaller one designed for comfort, and second, the royal funds eventually dried up, leaving the Duke and Duchess to foot the remainder of the bill. Over the years, there have been more skeletons in the closets of Blenheim, but for the most part the Dukes and Duchesses have used their time wisely and supported many good deeds for England.
After seeing the fourth room full of old tapestries, old paintings and old silver goblets (as a kid sees it), John Luke had seen enough, but this is a huge house—with the end nowhere in sight. He patiently endured the THREE hours it took to see it all, as 2 Papa always insists.
The sleepy, little town of Woodstock was another mile walk, but food was now essential as it was two o’clock, well past our one-piece-of-toast-breakfast, so off we went. A friend had drawn us a map to the best pub in town. It was further away than any of the other eating places in town, but it was downhill—no problem. We arrived to discover it closed at two. Now, a problem. The easy downhill walk was now an uphill climb. Mom says she is definitely well on her way to an exercise program once she gets home.
The day really was great and mom and I even got in some shopping once we got back to Oxford. The stores stay open late on Thursday night. Instead of closing at half past five, they close at six. Woohoo! But, we had plenty of time to pick up a few souvenirs, some groceries, and head home. Tonight was order in pizza and watch another episode of Harry Potter. GREAT FUN!
Looking at that great mansion today, I couldn’t help but think of the mansion being prepared for you and me. One day, we’ll all meet up in celebration in our heavenly homes.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:1
Have a great evening.
Hugs, 2 Mama

Day Thirty-six Stonehenge and More Day

Where do I begin telling you about today’s adventure? It was so full of historical happenings that I will be forced to leave some of it off for fear of losing you.
2 Papa (he’s such a good man) hired a private tour guide to take us to Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Avebury for the day. His name is Phillp and he picked us up at our door at 9:45. How cool is that??? The weather continued on the cool side, but the sun was shining as we headed out to the south of Oxford. Our drive time was about two hours so we enjoyed the incredible English countryside with Phillip telling us little tidbits of information along the way. He’s very English and very entertaining. He was a teacher and then a school principal before changing directions and becoming a tour guide. He said it’s not quite as stressful as being a principal. I’m sure Bobby Stokes would agree, but tours of Monroe are not in high demand.
Tour guide, Philip, was a walking Google-man and we learned so much from him. I talked about thatched roofs in another blog, but today’s lesson from Philip concerns two inventions the invention of the thatch roof was responsible for. While a thatch roof was and continues to be a brilliant solution for keeping homes warm or cool as needed, they have a way of attracting birds, rats, bugs and more. At any time, day or night, these little critters could lose their footing and join the family living below. The solution, at least for the night, was a four-poster canopy bed which provided a roof under a roof. The fine folks below could then get a good night’s sleep (I’m sure the mom was still awake checking on all the kids). You may have heard some version for the origination of the expression raining cats and dogs, but in England the credit also goes to the thatch roofs. It seems the cats and dogs would also settle in for a cozy and warm night of sleep tucked deeply into the thatching. This solution was fine for most nights, but on a rainy night, the thatch would get soggy and weak and down came the cats and dogs. Hence, it rained cats and dogs. Today’s thatches are covered in a mesh to keep the birds from making a nest. It also keeps the critters out. A thatch roof will survive around twenty-five years, but are very expensive to have these days.
After our two hour drive, we arrived in Salisbury and were ready for lunch. We went to our first real true pub. At a pub, you order at the bar and then sit down and the waitress brings you your food. The food was good, but was definitely English. Mom had chicken pie and JL had fishcakes and chips. John Luke has been very adventurous with his menu choices. Tonight he had lamb and ate every bite before he said he would not order it again. I’m proud he’s trying everything. I think he’s definitely a growing boy.
Salisbury claim to fame is the Salisbury Cathedral. We have already seen our share of Cathedral’s, but this one is the top of the line in the Cathedral showroom. When walking through it you soon begin to feel as mom said, “I’ve run out of words.” Dazzling, exceptional, incomparable, beautiful….are just a few descriptors for this amazing Cathedral. It was built between 1220 and 1315 and houses one of only four remaining copies of the original Magna Carta. The spiral is the tallest in England and the second tallest in Europe.
Next, we headed further south to see the ancient remains of Stonehenge. Along the way, we went through the chalk hills. Literally, chalk is about six inches below the surface for miles and miles of rolling hills. One of the most beautiful sights is the hill carvings, some of which date back well before Christ. The one we saw today was an elegant white horse (Joneal, you would love it—see photo). The carving is done by removing all the topside above the chalk leaving the desired shape. Amazing! Stonehenge wasn’t our best stop as the rain was now of Louisiana proportions and it was very cold. We managed to get out, snap a picture, and head back to the gift shop. The last stop was Avebury, which is Britian’s largest and most extensive stone circle. Stonehenge has taken over in popularity, but this ancient monument is just as impressive. While indications prove that Stonehenge served as a burial ground dating back to as early as 3000 BC, Avebury looks to be a monument of sorts to fertility, dating back to 4000 to 5000 BC. Can you believe it???
Lots of history today so I hope you weren’t bored. JL and I went on another adventure tonight to find a video rental store. Success! A little home schooling was required first and now, he’s ready to pop in Harry Potter so we can see some of the places we’ve visited in another light. I guess I better go. You know how demanding this grandma job can be!One more thing, I gave John Luke the camera for five minutes. Guess which photo is his.
Prehistoric times, Medieval times, Victorian times, Modern times….we’ve seen it all since we’ve arrived in England. How amazing to think of the one thing that never changes—Jesus, the Same; Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Love you all.
Hugs, 2 Mama