What's a Durdle?

I'm not entirely sure but we saw one on Saturday. More about that in a minute. Cause right now it's Monday and Spring Break has officially ended. My girls +the boyfriend went back to school yesterday. It’s hard putting both of your children on a flight across the ocean. It’s hard coming home to a very quiet house. I think God knew we needed to see the sun yesterday and the skies here were crystal clear and a most beautiful shade of blue. After dropping everyone at Heathrow just before noon, we decided we would take my husband’s little car for a spin with the top down. We called some friends and met them for lunch at a nearby pub. We sat outside and soaked in the sun and warm temps (well, warmish…it’s still England in March after all!) and that was so much better than sitting in the house feeling sad.

My husband left this morning for a business trip to France and I am pretty sure I could cope with my very quiet house much better if I spent a few days in France too. Instead, here I am ploughing through a mountain of laundry and getting the house back in order and catching up after a week away from my normal routine. I’ll get used to the quiet house again but it takes me a few days and that’s okay too.

We wrapped up our week of Spring Break with a day trip to the Dorset Coast on Saturday. I think it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It’s about a two hour car ride from our home but I confess I like a car ride with my family. Great for bonding, especially in England where driving somewhere new can have a bit of an amusement park thrill ride feel to it. Our first stop was Corfe Castle which is one of Britain’s most majestic ruins with breathtaking views over the Purbeck countryside.

Corfe Castle dates from the time of…guess who again??? If you said William the Conqueror you would be correct. It has been here for over 1000 years and at one time or another has been a military garrison, a royal residence and a family home.

It was deliberately destroyed in 1646 by order of Oliver Cromwell’s Parliament. Corfe Castle is now in the hands of an organization called The National Trust which protects special places all over England, Ireland and Wales for everyone. There are literally hundreds of country estates, castles, abbeys, and gardens now in their care and they make for wonderful days out all around the UK.

Ater exploring the castle we ate a picnic lunch and then headed about 10 miles further down the road to a spot known as Lulworth Cove. Lulworth Cove overlooks Weymouth Bay and the water is at least ten shades of turquoise here.

We took the scenic path (that's code for lots and lots of walking and climbing) along the coast to one of the most photographed sites in the world known as Durdle Door. When you finally come up over the hill and experience your first glimpse of this natural rock arch it absolutely takes your breath away. Well, whatever breath you have left after the walk up …did I mention it’s quite a hike? You'd have to agree though that it is most definitely worth it.

One thing we’ve noticed living overseas is that many sites we know would have big huge safety fences, handrails and tons of DANGER signs if they were located in the US will, in the UK and around Europe, simply have a small notice saying something like ‘Mind the edge’. My husband would say fences shmences…this way is so much more exciting. Then Daughter1 would agree. Daughter2 and I would love to grab a handrail now and then.

We spent the better part of the afternoon just admiring the scenery while sitting on the pebble beach. When it was time to head back no one really wanted to leave. It could have been the view. Or just maybe it could have been Daughter1 acknowledging out loud that this is probably her last visit to the house that has been our home for the past 6 years. Or it may have been the suitcases waiting to be packed for the trip back to school and classes and obligations and real life.

Then again, it might really have been the view....Cheers, Joyce

Tomorrow is Another Day

It was nice to have a less busy day on Thursday and we all enjoyed sleeping a little later (well, the kids, A LOT later). Daughter2 met another highschool friend in town for lunch then afterwards walked to the coffee shop to catch up with her former Young Life leader. It’s so great to still have that connection.

Daughter1 and boyfriend ventured out with the pup for a walk. One of our local footpaths crosses a wide open horse pasture and goes into and around an estate known as The Bulstrode.

The Bulstrode was the original house in this area but now is home to an organization called WEC which is a mission for world evangelism. Missionaries and their families live in the house, now converted to flats. The property is beautiful and the gardens are magnificent. Spring is just beginning here but my husband and I love to walk around this property when everything is in full bloom.

Dixie was happy to get out for a run and she performed all her circus tricks for the boyfriend. She’s a funny dog. We like to say for every one mile we walk she walks five. After their walk she collapsed into her favourite chair and they went to see Slumdog Millionaire which they both loved.

After a restful day on Thursday we were ready to hit the city again yesterday. By coincidence a highschool friend of daughter1’s who is in uni in Cardiff happened to be in London for an interview so we met her for an early lunch. Her mom is one of my best friends and her parents moved to Canada a couple of years ago so it was fun to catch up. After lunch daughter2 and I hit our favourite shopping area...Covent Garden.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Covent Garden this week. There are wonderful shops along with a covered market and street entertainers so it never gets old. Plus, daughter2 is such a character...I could listen to her talk all day-and sometimes have! What can I say...she loves to talk : ) Like mother, like daughter.

Daughter1 took her boyfriend to one of the absolute best places to go when in London-The Borough Market. It is located under London Bridge and is a huge fresh food market. You basically can just nibble your way through tasting everything from cheese to olives, raclette to oysters, French pastries, Spanish ham, chorizo, all varieties of produce, seafood, meats and on and on it goes. The market is only open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and it’s packed on Saturdays. Boyfriend loved it and brought us home some parmesan cheese and our favourite Italian olives.

I cooked a big spaghetti dinner last night and I must tell you that my favourite thing about cooking a spaghetti dinner here are the dishes I get to pull out for serving. One day soon I am going to write a post about the love affair I’ve had since moving overseas with the country that is Italy. Italy is my happy place. I especially love Italian pottery and I think it makes a simple spaghetti dinner look so delicious.

We’re off to the Dorset coast today…one of the most beautiful spots in all of England. It will be a lovely family day and a nice way to spend the last day of Spring Break. My girls and the boyfriend return to school on Sunday. I’m gonna be like Scarlett though and think about that another day.

Tour Guiding is not for wimps

I'm tired. Fortunately so are they. Sightseeing and shopping are exhausting y'all! We all agreed today would be a little more low key in that we’d sleep in and then enjoy some of the village life. Village life in our little village is pretty low key all the time. Boyfriend was surprised when they walked into town last Saturday just before 5 PM to find pretty much everything closing up for the night. When we first arrived in the UK I found the shop hours a bit frustrating but I’ve grown to love that part of life here. Even our closest ‘mall’ closes at 6 PM. I put that in quotes because my girls say that technically it really should not ever be called a mall. We always have a laugh at Christmas time when they advertise Late and Extended Holiday Shopping Hours!!! in other words…open til 8 PM Thursdays and Fridays. And nothing is open in town on Sundays with the exception of the few dining spots and our local Marks and Spencers which has odd hours like 10-2 on Sundays. (Great ready meals though and M & S might be worthy of its own post one of these days). Anyway, the fact that nothing is open makes Sundays much more of a family day for sure. People are out…in church, walking thru the commons, biking, strolling thru town, playing with their kids in the community playground….it’s nice. We can always pop into the city if we’re looking for something to do but Sundays have pretty much become a true day of rest in our home here. I hope I can keep that up when we are once again living in the states but one thing that really hits us in the face when we’re back for home visits is that the US is all about 24/7!!! Not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing…just that we are used to something different now and that will be another adjustment for us.

Oops…went a bit off topic there. Back to our low key day today…one of the things daughter1 wanted to do while she was home was take our pup for a nice long walk around the nearby countryside. There are fabulous places to walk with beautiful scenery and she definitely wants her boyfriend to see that side of life here. And our dog would certainly be over the moon to get a good long walk today since we’ve been out almost all day every day this week. Daughter2 wants to visit the gym with me at least once while she’s here and since we’ve been eating out A LOT hitting the gym today is probably a good idea.

Yesterday we spent the day in London… a little sightseeing and a little more shopping (heartfelt apologies to the boyfriend-he is so awesome about the shopping!). After lunch Daughter2 met up with a friend from highschool who is at uni in London so that made her day extra special.

It cannot be Thursday already...whaaaa! Someone explain to me why time moves so slowly when I’m waiting for their visit and then moves at supersonic speed when they are home???

We stopped by but the Queen wasn't home

When my girls are home for breaks I pretty much suspend my normal routine. I know the week will fly by and I want to spend lots of time with them. This visit we also have daughter1’s boyfriend here and it has been lots of fun getting to know him and having a boy in the house. They arrived on Saturday and we went to the pub for dinner. He ordered steak and kidney pie which I gotta tell ya was pretty impressive. Not just anyone will eat steak and kidney pie! Sunday afternoon they went to a professional Rugby match and got to experience some typical British weather…clouds, wind, lots and lots of rain, bright sun, more clouds, a little more sun, a few more showers…you get the idea. The game was exciting though and they loved it. Yesterday they went into London to do a little sightseeing and daughter2 and I had the best day together. We went for a leisurely lunch followed by an afternoon of shopping and talking, talking and more talking. That is probably the thing I miss the most when they’re away at school. Talking on the phone and even on the computer is okay but there’s nothing like some heart to hearts when you’re face to face. Plus, I’ve decided that they just get more and more adorable every day. Were they this cute when they left for university in August?

Today I took everyone to the town of Windsor which is a short 20 minute drive from our home. Windsor is one of my favourite places in the UK. The castle is an absolutely spectacular sight. It sits right in the middle of town and its always fun to see people’s reaction when they catch sight of it for the first time. It really is jaw-dropping. Windsor Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited royal residence in Britain and was built in 1070 by guess who? William the Conqueror of course! (I mentioned him here). It was built to guard the western approaches to London and the site was selected because it was on high ground and just a day’s journey from William’s base in the Tower of London. The castle is a main residence for the Queen and her family who stay most weekends. You can always tell when the Queen is in residence at Windsor because they fly The Royal Standard (this time I do mean the flag and not the pub!) as opposed to The Union Jack which is flown on other days.

Before touring the castle we had lunch at a favourite spot called Wagamamas, a Japanese noodle house. Wagamamas is a chain scattered around the London area so if you’re ever in the city give it a try-their food is delicious!

After lunch we spent almost two hours meandering thru the castle including the State Apartments, St. George’s chapel (pictured below) and Queen Mary’s Dollhouse. You haven’t seen a dollhouse until you’ve seen this one…it even has working plumbing and electricity

We wrapped up the afternoon with a teensy bit of shopping. Boyfriend was an excellent sport and we only popped in two or three or five shops. Daughter1 bought a darling hat to wear to Carolina Cup in a couple of weeks and two pair of flip flops. Daughter2 got two pair yesterday. A girl can never have too many flip flops, right?

You want to do what???

I’ve been busy today finishing up some last minute shopping, having the car washed, putting the finishing touches on the guest room and also doing a little cooking and baking. I made a big batch of snickerdoodles at 7 am this morning and I just finished putting together my breakfast casserole for tomorrow morning that needs to be refrigerated overnite. I do love British Airways and they’ve taken me to some of my favourite places in the world, but let’s just say their breakfast leaves a little something to be desired. It will be nice for my daughters to have something yummy ready for them when they arrive in the morning. It will also be nice for the boyfriend who is coming with daughter1. My girls both have stomachs the size of a pea and although I haven’t met the boyfriend I’m fairly certain 20 year old boys are always hungry and never turn down a meal, right? Plus, I figure I might as well impress him with my culinary skills right off the bat : )

Anyway, I wasn’t planning to blog today but a funny little incident just happened and I need to write it down. My doorbell rang and when I answered it there was an elderly gentleman standing on my front step. He looked friendly and was wearing a carpenter’s apron over his coat. And this is what he said to me,

‘Hello, I’m here because sometimes I come around and show people my bits.’

I'm pretty sure I decided it would be wise to take a step back at this point and I guess the look on my face must have registered with him as confusion. Confusion as opposed to my actual thought which was- where is my mobile phone, where is my neighbour and where is my big barking dog when I need her??? So...in an attempt to clarify he said,

'I'm a wood turner.'

All-righty…does he know that’s not really making me feel better? Then he produced a wooden bowl filled with what I think were hand carved wooden doorknobs and...well...'bits' of carved stuff. Turns out he had accurately described his purpose after all. To be honest though I was now so thrown by the craziness that had just sprinted thru my overly tired brain that I said I didn’t think I’d be needing any bits today but thank you and have a lovely day. I think George Bernard Shaw said it best,

‘England and America…two countries separated by a common language’.

Oh my goodness I love it here. I really do. Have a great weekend! Joyce

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I’m feeling especially happy this week. My sweet daughters are coming home on Saturday for their Spring Break from university. They both attend the same school in South Carolina and even though geography is not my strength I do know enough to tell you that Greenville South Carolina is a long, long, loooong way from London England.

Daughter1 is also bringing her boyfriend to stay and we look forward to meeting him in person. Daughter2 has already informed me that she wants to sleep, eat her favourite foods, and sleep some more. And I imagine there will be some shopping thrown in for good measure but not too early in the day. I’m a morning person and apparently that is irritating to people who aren’t. College students do tend to burn the candle at both ends and coming home for a break gives them a chance to refill their energy tank.

I cannot wait to have them home. I love to hear their chatter in the house. I love to see their pjs in the laundry hamper. I love to hear them laughing. I love getting real hugs. Lots of them. I love hearing about school and friends and I love talking about life and hopes and dreams.

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice

And everything nice,

That's what little girls are made of.

And you know something…that’s what big girls are made of too.

Cheers, Joyce

Everything I need to know I learned….

Here. Living in a country that is not my own. Except after six years it feels like it’s my own. Kind of. And maybe everything I need to know I haven’t learned here but I have learned lots of important stuff. Stuff I’m not sure I would have learned had I not been yanked out of my very comfortable comfort zone into unfamiliar territory.

I think about the lessons I want to take away from this experience. I want these lessons to stick. I think about how funny life is, about how I thought my life here would be one way and it’s been completely another. I think about how I was going merrily along thru life and how else could God teach me some very important things I needed to learn without moving me out of the familiar and into the unfamiliar.

We were living in a lovely comfy community in Maryland before we moved to England. I had a nice home, great neighbors, lots of friends, a church we were happy and involved in, and a job I truly loved. You could say the same was all true for my husband and children too and we could have quite happily remained there on a permanent basis. Then one day my husband came home and asked how I’d feel about moving to England. Just like that. 22 days after he was offered the job we found ourselves on an airplane bound for the UK. I’d resigned from my job, we’d sold our house, car, and boat, completed the school enrolment process for our children and to be honest were feeling just a tad bit shell shocked. And maybe a little bit nuts. Our children would not disagree.

They say hindsight is 20/20 and as we prepare to repatriate this year I can now look back and see that of course God had, and still does have, a plan for my life and that living in England was a huge part of that plan. I can see that His ways are not mine (thankfully!) and He can (and most assuredly does!) do abundantly more than all I can ask or even imagine.

Living here I've learned that God can take something I might think of as a negative and turn it on it’s head so it becomes a great big enormous blessing in my life. I’ve learned that heaven is going to be ‘international’. I've learned not to cling too tightly to 'stuff'. I've learned that He will walk me through my fears and that I can do things I never thought I could because God is everywhere and always. I suppose I did know these things to be true in my head but they were never really tested until I moved here. The past 6 years have been a crazy, scary, exciting, adventure and I honestly cannot imagine my life without this experience. It makes up a huge part of who I am today. Isn’t it just like God to know exactly what we need when we need it even when we don’t think we do? Or maybe I should say, especially when we don’t think we do.

Cheers, Joyce