Day 7 London England UK (10/26/10)

We spent the day exploring Greenwich and London today. First we checked out the Royal Observatory and the cool clocks and international dateline where each new day begins. Then we went into London and checked out the Chruchill War Rooms Museum. Pretty cool stuff. Rebecca couldn't get the guard close to 10 Downing Street to crack a smile. :-)

Day 6 Rochester UK (10/25/10)

Today we are in Rochester just outside of London. Rebecca has waited 12 years to see her friend Bronwyn!

Day 5 In the Cotswolds UK - A Diamond Day (10/24/10)

Today Dave and I drove back to our cozy Sheepscombe B & B thinking that WE WILL NEVER FORGET THIS DAY. A "diamond day" is a day that sparkles with beauty and brilliance. Here is what we viewed first when we went down the steps of our room to breakfast. I started thinking of Ps. 23...it's no wonder it says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures, He restores my soul." It was idyllic and scenic, peaceful and quiet.

We feel like we found a gem of a B & B. Here is a picture of the entrance.

After breakfast, we embarked in our car to two of the several villages in the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden, and Stow in Wold. Chipping Campden is known for their thatched roof homes. Each town has a main street named "High Street" where sheep were led to market. The Cotswolds were once a rich merchant area for wool, when wool was a huge commodity. Now, sadly, it does not get much money, so most sheep farmers here raise to breed and sell. Our village we are staying in is called Snowshill. It is sleepy with only one pub to eat at.

A huge thing Dave and I keep thinking about is the rich, and long history the nation of England has. Heritage and history mean so much. Most families hold on to their property, land, etc. The first B & B we stayed at in Bath had been in the caretakers' family for over 40 years. This one in the Cotswolds, a working sheep farm and now B & B, was the birthplace of the proprietors. Every place we go has antique furniture and furnishings....everywhere. While browsing in an antique shop in the first village, we met a woman who is American by birth, and has lived in England for 30 years. When I asked her about my obsevations about this, she said, "Americans are a throw away society". I thought about this and had to agree. Not sure all of what this means, but I think it means that we as a society, don't seem to have the depth of connection to our roots, families, and even property. Every home, shop, even shack, is made of stone...made to last and last for generations and generations. I wonder why we don't build homes this way back home? Wish we did. Here is a picture of a thatched roof house in Chipping Campden we loved.

Part of what made our day so fun was the freedom to poke our heads into shops, or discover random things like an old mailbox dating back hundreds of years, a charming window flower box, or to catch a cup of tea and a goodie. Dave told me he had the best apple turnover he's had in his life, ever! Might have to have some of those shipped back home! :)

How about this stone fence? While driving to the villages, this is what was common place. Gorgeous! Did I tell you that I, Rebecca, drove for ten minutes? It made Dave too nervous and was source of stress for both of us, so I pulled alongside the road and gave it up. It really was fun, but definetely nerve racking. I'll just have to start calling him "Jeeves." :)

After the villages, we drove to Blenheim Palace, one of England's most price royal places. Churchill was born here, but it belonged to royal people since 700 something. The grounds are massive, including gorgeous gardens and a lake, with a palledian bridge. We did not make it in time to get inside, but were blessed to walk the grounds for pictures outside.

I could just imagine taking a stroll with family or friends, or sitting in the field creating a painting...isn't this what I might have done in beginning centuries? Perhaps I've seen too many Jane Austen fields! Dave decided to take a jog across this field...what else would he do given such an open space?

Day 3 in Bath UK (10/22/10)

I had to get my wife in one of these cool looking phone booths. They are all over England and this one was take outside the Fashion Museum in Bath. She didn't have enough pounds to make the call back to the States I guess!

Day 4 at Oxford UK (10/23/10)

It's day four of our England adventure. Today I, Rebecca had a small dream realized...to visit the home of one of my favorite authors, CS Lewis. Lewis lived here at the Kilns from sometime in the fifties till his death in 1973 on the same day Kennedy was assasinated. We met a man today who grew up playing with Douglas Gresham, the stepson of Joy Gresham, the woman "Jack" married in his older years. He is a fiesty man with a passion to see the name of CS Lewis be remembered in Oxford. We saw Lewis'study, bedroom, the pond where he sat and pondered, and even visited his graveside at the local parish church where he worshipped for over 30 years. Apparently Lewis was a dirty bachelor, leaving Joy to replace the carpet where he dumped his pipe ashes. She said, "If it wasn't for the cobwebs and books in his house, it wouldn't be standing." Toiday, residents of the home are students who are studying, often writing dissertations, etc. I would love to come do a short study here someday. They have week long studies up to ten months.

Did I mention we had lunch at The Eagle and Child? This is the pub where Lewis and Tolkien met with other authors to drink beer and discuss their writing. I enjoyed a shepherd's pie, something unique in the UK.

From our Lewis tour, we made our way to the colleges. Our goal was to catch a bit of evensong, the nightly church "service" that most every cathedral has in England. We can't get enough of the ornate and gorgeous stone buildings. To think that many date back to the 16th century. Our nation has nothing in terms of age when we compare!

Day One-Are we having fun\?

We are sitting at an internet cafe, here in Heathrow airport....my oh, my what a day. We missed our bus to Bath earlier because our two connecting flights were delayed because of the strike going on in France. Instead of our b & b in Bath, we are taking a city bus to a value hotel near the airport where we'll return in the am to catch the bath bus.
We've been up for 30 plus hours, have had 18 security checks(ok, only 7), my first vegie Mcdonalds cheeseburger in Frankfurt, and waiting and waiting.

Today was one of those days we decided that what mattered first is that we get to do this, so there is no room to feel sorry for ourselves, secondly, we get to be together, and thirdly, we choose our attitude even when our plans don't work out the way we wanted.

I've been enjoying the international joy of traveling seeing people and hearing languages from all over the world. I met a man from Newfoundland who works on a ship. He too needed a hotel here in the airport.

Dave's highlight is that we are here....and we've got some livin to do in our remaining 7 days. Will write soon! Love and hugs, R & D

Seattle with my favorite people!

Seattle with my favorite people!

Lily, my doodle doggy girl

Always, always, there is beauty to be found. Always. Even on days when my spirits feel like the Seattle rain: drizzly, and grey, there is joy.

Walking Lily has been a joyful part of my days here. I love how she will stop and pick up a prize stick to carry in her mouth. She holds it like it is a bird catch or something, her head tall, she prances down the path. Iused to scold her and take it from her, but now I see she NEEDS that stick and I get a kick watching her with it. She certainly has such a happy face, and exudes joy herself. Her golden fluffy hair blows in the breeze and she has these long long eyelashes that charm everyone! Thanks to Lily, I have met several people while on walks. One day, I was sitting at Starbucks with her reading (she was tethered to the table. If allowed, she would take the table with her to meet another dog, something she is still needing to learn how to "ignore".) Lots of folks stopped by to chat, and ask questions. This is how I met Wendy. Wendy has agreed to read the Bible with me tomorrow. (We eventually moved past talking about Lily to talking about other things :)Wendy has lived in this area awhile, and seems eager to meet with me as I am her.

Lily reminds me of God's unconditional love. She doesn't care that I look like, how my mood is, or even if I have forgotten to give her dinner. Lily is definetely not afraid to be herself. An example of this is how she spreads out and takes as much space as she needs on our bed, a rare invitation to receive, she milks it for all it's worth, acting like it's sheer luxury to be up there. She follows me around, (sometimes a bit annoy especially when I am on the toilet) but is ever so PRESENT. Just like the Lord, present and available all hours of the day.

I never would have figured a fluffy furry friend would bring so much joy, but then again, I am usually surprised by joy.

Simple things

One beautiful thing about being lonely in a new city is that the simplest things stand out for their beauty. Here is a list of late of simple things I am appreciating

Clean pj's and a hot bath
A great book that challenges me to think
Eating out-what a unique privilege to have someone else make your food for you...and for the choice we have in America!
The smile my doggy girl gives me every day-I was always too rushed to notice that she has such a happy face!
Connecting with others and realizing that friends may just come in surprising places-a walk today with a lab technician in Dave's lab at work-What fun to enjoy the sunshine and getting to know each other
Coffee!!! There are oodles of great coffee places here, although the prices are terrible (4.60 with tax for one iced drink-yikes!)


What are your simple joys?

R

A City Immigrant

Webster's Dictionary states that an immigrant is "a person who comes to a new country to take up a permanent residence." Though I am not from a different country, I have recently moved from the Portland/Vancouver area to a new city in the Seattle area.

The purpose of this blog is to document what it feels like to live in a new city where one does not know a single person or place. I also want to share some of my adventures, and what I am up in my new life. Maybe others back home who have nothing to do, will find enjoyment reading it. :) I hope to learn from this experience, and hopfully have a heart for others who are new. I can't wait to feel like I am not the newcomer.

So, the question I am posing today is, "How DOES one make friends in a new city?" I have picked up a flyer from the gym, found a few grocery stores, and have researched women's consignment stores. All of this is in the context of trying to find a new home to live in. I'm not convinced I will meet friends there, but I do know that I really like my realtor, and believe that after long hours talking "house" and life (she is a strong believer) we just might become friends.

One thought I have about making friends is to be VERY open to anyone and anything. For example, when I stopped in to a Christian school today to learn about a possibility of working next year, the secretary looked at me with big puppy eyed compassion when I told her I was new to the area. She told me, "I'm going to call you. What is your number?" I willingly gave it to her wondering if any further interaction will come of it. At any rate, I feel very thankful that SOMEONE took it upon herself to be kind. I thought about my friend whose back was in serious pain and a receptionist was very unkind to her. It made my friends' pain all the worse. Taking time to be kind to a stranger REALLY does make a difference. It really makes me think about the every day interaction I have with others.

I am off to help clean dinner dishes in our tiny Residence Inn Kitchen. I will post pics soon! Hugs,
R