Adam & Ashley

New Blog

2012-01-22T23:06:00.003Z

For reasons that I'm not even sure of, I have started a new blog. It's a tumblr. It just seemed like the right thing to do. So, I won't be posting here any more and in a few months I'll probably delete this puppy. Here's the link!

http://conquervastlands.tumblr.com/

Counting Down...

2011-12-06T07:22:00.001Z

credit

days until Rebekah arrives!

credit

days until we leave for our trip HOME!

credit

days until Christmas!

Durham Lumiere

2011-12-02T19:31:00.001Z

About a week and half ago Durham hosted a light festival. I find it difficult to describe the experience so I'm going to borrow some information from the Durham Lumiere site.
----
'80 local and international artists, lighting designers and
communitygroups brought a sprinkle of winter magic to the
city with a breathtaking series of installations and
projections that illuminated Durham's
buildings, streets and bridges.'

'It featured a fire garden in around Durham Cathedral,
an equestrian snow-dome in the Market Place,
Ove Arup's favourite bridgeturned into a waterfall:
a city transformed by the art of light.'

-------

Here are some pictures from our walk through the city.

60 Second Cathedral
Dominik Lejman (Poland)

I Love Durham

Jaques Rival (France)

Crown of Light
Ross Ashton, Robert Ziegler, John Del' Nero (UK)

Les Voyaveurs
Cedric Le Borgne (France)

Spirit
Compagnie Carabosse (France)

Fire Garden

Part of the Durham Bridges display
Martin Warden (UK)

Metamorph
Boo Beaumont (UK)

Viaduct
Hi-lights (UK)

We really enjoyed the night. By far, the best of the show was the Crown of Light. The artists tell a bit about it in the video below. Here is a link to some information about the Lindisfarne Gospels that you will hear them reference.

Can you have Thanksgiving without a Turkey?

2011-11-28T06:42:00.001Z

When you live in England and Turkey's are super pricey $$$

and you are trying to live on a teeny tiny budget

and don't feel like being bothered with all the work of a buying, thawing, seasoning, cooking and serving of the big bird...

The answer is yes :)

I love that this guy has a belly button... ha!

Yesterday we had some of our dearest friends over for a three day late, turkey free, Thanksgiving meal.

We ate every side dish and dessert that any Thanksgiving table could ever want.

I made this recipe that needs to be shared because it was amazing!

It was a lot of festive fun.

So thankful for these wonderful friends that are family to me over here across the pond.

{This Moment}

2011-11-18T16:40:00.003Z

New Close Farm

Nursing in the British Isles

2011-11-17T13:10:00.001Z

During college I took a 2 week nursing class in London called Nursing in the British Isles. Little did I know that in the future I would actually be a nurse in England. Unfortunately that class didn't do very much in the way of preparing me for the job I now have. Nevertheless I am now working full time and I've gotten my first paycheck. I'm a real British nurse... 'all propa like'.

In order for that class to prepare me, they would have had to teach me things like...

1) You don't 'feel sick' in England. You 'feel poorly'.

2) You say things like, 'Poor little bunny', 'He's been quite canny today', 'She's quite chirpy'

3) When someone has a bowel movement, you say 'they had their bowels well and truly opened'.

4) You never say 'pee' you say 'wee'.

5) Your patients call you... lass, darlin', pet, flower, petal and lovely.

6) Pants are underwear. Trousers are pants. Vests are under-shirts. Waistcoats are vests.

7) You draw bloods, not labs.

8) Tylenol is paracetamol. (Most other medications have the same name, which is extremely helpful)

9) A BM is a blood glucose reading... not a bowel movement like it is in the states.

10) To feel 'dotty' means to feel off-balanced or just not your normal self.

11) 'The water works' refers to the urinary system.

All in all, I'm settling in nicely... Learning the new lingo and feeling very close to this lady....

credit

{this moment}

2011-11-11T07:20:00.001Z

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

A British Autumn

2011-11-07T13:14:00.000Z

Guy Fawkes Day

2011-11-06T22:21:00.002Z

This weekend we celebrated our first Guy Fawkes Day. This holiday began in 1606, the year after a group of conspirators attempted to blow up the House of Parliament. Fawkes and the other conspirators wanted to overthrow the Protestant King James and enthrone his daughter Princess Elizabeth as a Catholic Monarch. Guy (actual name Guido) was found in the cellars of the House of Parliament with the gun powder. He was tortured and confessed to the conspiracy. He was sentenced to death and hung, drawn and quartered.

The following year, King James commissioned a sermon on the 5th of November to remind the people what happens to those that commit treason. It has been a holiday ever since. Now, the British celebrate with a huge bonfire where they burn effigies of Guy Fawkes, followed by fireworks.

----------

Remember, remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason, why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent

To blow up king and parliament.

Three score barrels were laid below

To prove old England's overthrow.

By God's mercy he was catch'd

With a darkened lantern and burning match.

So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.

Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?

Burn him!

credit

---------------

We celebrated at our local Durham bonfire with some other ex-pats. It was cold and clear... perfect bonfire weather.

Todd says Hi!

Kristi and Orrey

My lovely friends and sweet little Jude.

Kelly and Todd

So Very British...

2011-10-31T11:34:00.000Z

A Chimney Sweep is coming to our house today to figure out why our chimney caught on fire last time we tried to use our wood burning stove :)

All morning I've been humming Chim Chimney Chim Chimney Chim Chim Cher-ee... So very cliché of me but I can't help it.

Speaking of Mary Poppins... I really hope that the show comes back to London in the next 2 years. I saw it when I was here in 2001 and LOVED it. It was by far my favourite show.

{this moment}

2011-10-21T20:08:00.002+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary or ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
. . . . . . . .

inspired by soulemama

Durham Cathedral

2011-10-21T00:55:00.000+01:00

Durham Cathedral was recently voted 'Britain's best building'. We are proud to live here and love spending time in this cathedral. This video sheds light on why it's so spectacular. Please enjoy!

Durham Cathedral: Readers' choice for Britain's best building

credit

Things We Miss...

2011-10-16T23:00:00.000+01:00

for me....

for Adam...

{this moment}... from Georgia

2011-10-14T06:36:00.003+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary or ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

A Week of Sunrises

2011-10-10T19:36:00.000+01:00

We're breaking down and buying a car. My walk to work is 45 minutes and it's just too long. So far I haven't had to walk home at the end of a shift because my wonderful co-workers have given me rides home. I am still walking in every morning though. I have to say I don't really mind it. I just listen to various NPR pod-casts and enjoy the sunrise. I'm expecting the weather to get colder any day now though, so I am really hoping we find a car soon. In the mean time, I'll just keep enjoying the beautiful walk.
Here are few of my sunrises.

{this moment}

2011-10-07T15:29:00.003+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary or ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

inspired by soulemama

against the wind

2011-10-06T21:07:00.000+01:00

Running has been on the back burner for the past two weeks. We had company and I started work. So today I was determined to run no matter what. I remained determined even after noticing that the temp was 48 degrees, the wind was blowing 26 mph and the deceitful blue skies were spitting tiny drops of cold rain.

Out I went, with no planned route, mileage or time. I started on some trails near my house and made my route based on trying to keep the wind out of my face. I ran on tiny country roads and trails. Jumped across creeks and ran around fields with tiny seedlings growing in them. Leaves were swirling all around me. Everything was green and lovely... British countryside at it's best.

credit
The leaves are more colourful, but this is pretty much exactly what it looked like.

It was cold, but invigorating. Just hard enough that it make me feel alive and thankful. Hoping runs like this will keep me motivated through the winter.

Back to Work

2011-10-05T18:12:00.000+01:00

I officially started working as a nurse in the UK last Tuesday. It wasn't in the capacity that I imagined it would be, but I got to be a nurse and take care of patients, so I'm happy. I'm working at a local nursing home providing care for about 25 patients. I was expecting to be oriented for at least a month, as I have spent the past 5 years taking care of children, so I was very surprised when I was told I would be on my own on Wednesday. I spent the twelve hours last Tuesday soaking up as much information as I possibly could. Then, I came to work Wednesday ready to go. I was nervous but it ended up being just fine.

Actually, the nursing aspect of working has gone pretty flawlessly. It's the working part that has been tough. As it turns out, nine months is a really long time to not work and the sudden reality of being put on a schedule and having a boss was tough. I just didn't (and still don't at times) want to be told what to do regarding my time and holidays. I am adjusting though, and as always with my work, I get up and go because I love my patients. I will certainly miss my pediatric patients and I hope to go back to that type of nursing in the future, but I am already learning to love all 25 of the residents at this nursing home.

I work with 4 other patient care technicians and so far my co-workers have been extremely kind and helpful. I am one hundred per cent impressed with the care they provide and how much they obviously care for the residents. During my first couple of shifts, I spent almost the entire day just giving out medications and charting, probably my two least favorite parts of nursing. I was starting to feel a little worried that that was all I was ever going to have time to do, but during my shifts on Monday and Tuesday I learned a lot more about my job. (Just learning as we go here. Self taught, on the job training :) ) I will have the opportunity to coordinate care services and make certain referrals for my patients. There will be so many opportunities to positively effect the health and quality of life for those I am responsible for. I am thrilled to be able to work so autonomously. I really think this experience will help me to be a more diverse nurse with a much broader experience.

I do miss the hustle and bustle of a hospital. I think I will always prefer that type of setting, but it's very challenging to be the first line of defence for these patients. It really requires you to be an astute clinician that is confident in your assessment and critical thinking abilities. I think it will be good for me to learn to work more independently.

I'll end this post by saying that starting a new job is never fun, but I'm so thankful. I was beginning to think that being a nurse in the UK was never going to happen! It's good to be back in my chosen career.

For me I think it's more like... 4 hours caring for patients, 4 hours washing my hands and 4 hours locking and unlocking doors. Such a pain!

Visit with the Powells

2011-10-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

We had a wonderful visit with Adam's parents. We loved hanging out with them and catching up on life. My only complaint is that it was too short. I'm already looking forward to when they can come visit again!

It's always fun to see Durham through fresh eyes. They said seeing the Cathedral was their favourite part of the trip. It is pretty majestic isn't it?

Durham Castle. I love the red ivy.

We had fish and chips for lunch and tea at Vennel's in the afternoon. Perfectly British!

Alnwick Castle. I loved getting to see this old castle that is still lived in by the Duke of Northumbria and his family.

Alnwick Castle is famous for MANY reasons...one of the them is that it was used for the filming of Harry Potter. If you are interested, you can go there and learn to fly a broom stick...

or fight a dragon.

After Alnwick Castle we drove up to Berwick upon Tweed the border town between Scotland and England. There wasn't much to see or do but we did have a lovely view of the North Sea

The city has a pretty extensive military history. I think I remember reading that the first English barracks were built there. There are remnants of the town wall and other military sites all over the place.

Now on to my favourite part of the trip. Our day in York. I can't say enough about this beautiful city.

When we left the train station we could hear the church bells chiming. They continued to chime for about 30 minutes. It was beautiful.

We had tea at the famous Betty's Tea Room. Just look at those incredible harvest pastries!

Tea time.

We walked over to 'The Shambles'. A street where the buildings are basically falling in on each other. It's very difficult to capture something like that on camera, but the buildings are leaning in over the street.

We finished the day with dinner in a pub that is underground in a cellar!

After those three exhausting days of being 100% touristy, we decided to lay low on Sunday and Monday. We slept in and relaxed. We did a little shopping and just had fun being together.

We are so glad they came to visit! Their visit was the perfect way to end the summer and it came at the perfect time since I started work on Tuesday!

{this moment}

2011-09-30T14:43:00.000+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary or ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see

...

inspired by soulemama

Happy Birthday to Me :)

2011-09-29T19:48:00.000+01:00

I've had such a nice day :)

I slept late and woke up to a gorgeous day... 75 degrees and blue skies. Adam took the day off of working to hang out with me! We decided to walk to the city centre to see a matinee movie. I enjoyed the walk almost as much as the movie. I love seeing the yellow and orange leaves and all the other signs of fall. During the movie we snacked on american trail mix and red vines (thanks to the Powell's for all of our american goodies!!). We are about to make pizza for dinner and then I'm going to open presents :)

I feel relaxed and thankful. I miss family, but they don't feel as far away as you might think they would. I looked at a map today and was, once again, shocked at how far away I am from the good old south. It just doesn't feel that far away. I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful for my wonderful friends here in Durham. They help this place feel like home.

{this moment}

2011-09-23T20:53:00.001+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary (or ordinary) moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

inspired by soulemama

Music for Fall

2011-09-21T12:47:00.000+01:00

The Powell's are on their way here RIGHT THIS SECOND!!!! YAY!!!

As I'm cleaning and straightening, I'm listening to some fabulous fall tunes. You know how there are albums and songs that always remind you of a certain time or place? Well these songs all put me in the spirit of fall.

Here are some of my favorites...

{this moment}

2011-09-16T18:33:00.001+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary or even ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

idea from soulemama

Favorite Things...

2011-09-15T11:30:00.002+01:00

I have a recipe to share. It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite things right now.

I got this recipe from a cooking class that I took with my friend Sarah. It's delicious and light... perfect for a simple dessert... a snack... or even breakfast :)

-----------

Strawberry Scrunch

Ingredients:

1 punnet of strawberries

4 tbsp organge juice

1/2 a cup of porridge oats

3tbsp sunflower seeds

3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp honey

1 pot of Creme fraiche or yoghurt

Grated chocolate

1) Hull the strawberries and cut into thick slices. Poor the OJ over the strawberries and let them marinate for 30 minutes or so. (I added some blackberries to the mix as well)

2) Put the oats into to a frying pan on medium heat and dry fry for about 3 mins, or until you start to notice the oats browning a little. Stir frequently to help them brown evenly. (I used a full cup rather than 1/2 a cup)

3) Add the sunflower seeds and the pumpkin seeds to the pan. (I also added almond slivers.) Let those fry with the oats until it's all lightly golden.

4)Take the pan off the heat and stir in the honey. (I used a little more than 3 tbsp.)

5) Allow the oats to cool. (I recommend removing the oats from the pan immediately and putting them in a serving bowl or tupperware because it will stick to your pan!)

6) Serve layered with strawberries and creme fraiche. Top with chocolate shavings. (I think it would also be really good with frozen yoghurt)

----------

It was even better than I remembered it being when we made it in the cooking class.

(The class was put on by Jan at Season to Taste.)

Sedgefield Serpentine Trail Race

2011-09-14T10:32:00.000+01:00

For the past 2 months or so my friend Nicole and I have been meeting to run during the week and on Saturday mornings in prep for the Sedgefield Serpentine Trail Race. It was a 6.5 mile run through some of the most picturesque British countryside I have ever seen. We ran through cow pastures and fields of sheep. We ran through mud puddles and nettles. We ran through parks and golf courses. It was, as every race I've ever done has been, a total blast.

There's just something about being out there with other runners... even if they are a million times faster than you. There is no judgement, just encouragement. I really think it's something that EVERYONE should try. I get that running isn't everyone's cup of tea. In fact, I have a serious love-hate relationship with it. The love half of that relationship has only recently begun to develop.

For years, running has been a part of my life. It all started in my middle school PE class (shout out to Mrs. Weaver). We ran a mile, for time, twice a week. We had to run something like a 9 minute mile to pass...which back then was easy as pie. I was one of those students that preferred to take PE every year until my senior year, rather than take art, music or drama class so, that weekly running continued through most of high school. (Why I was so determined to NOT develop the artistic portion of my brain I'm not sure.) I also gave being on the track team a try. I can say with 100% certainty that I never won a single event that I was entered into. For some reason my coaches chose to put me in the events that I didn't stand a chance at. Maybe it was my unwillingness, at the time, to run anything more than 2 miles. Whatever the reason though, I was forced to run hurdles and the 400. (I actually sort of liked the hurdles, but had little to no natural ability with them. My form was fine, but I was slower than Christmas) Prior to every race I thought I was going to throw up. Not what I would call fun, but I did learn a lot about endurance and the amount of pain our bodies can actually handle (shout out to Coach Thorn and Coach Ross and the other Coach that had a pony tail... what was his name?).

Then I joined AFROTC in college. That required running 2-3 times a week at 6am. Again, not what I would call fun for a college student who NEVER went to bed before 12am. But, it served the purpose of an enforcer, making me run multiple times a week. Up to this point though, the love part or the relationship still hadn't developed.

Upon leaving college I had to start being my own enforcer. Over the past 5 years my running has been sporadic, but it's always been there. After a few weeks of not running, a little voice always pops into my head, whispering that I need to get off my lazy rear and go run. But it was always... start for a few weeks and stop for a few weeks... Even when I ran the half marathon, I just trained for a month and half and then once I finished the race, I didn't run again for a month. My first taste of running regularly and enjoying it was two summers ago. Adam started running with me and we found three great parks with wonderful trails to run on. Moving from pavement to trail was the key.

Since moving to England, I feel I've finally run consistently enough to begin to love it. I still have days where I groan and frown the entire time I'm running, but more often I look forward to it. Having a running buddy is key. It helps get me out the door and then it helps me keep going. THANKS NICOLE!!! I am really determined to continue being persistent through out the winter. It won't be easy because I hate running in cold wind and I consider Durham to be the windy city of the UK. I'm tired of starting over though. I'd like to maintain this love-hate balance that I've got going on now.

I hung these three posters in my brain (and on pinterest) a few weeks ago and they continually motivate me.

credit

credit

credit

My point... if you've never run before... you should try it! Sign up for a race. Find a running friend. Train for it. Run in it. And you'll be hooked!

Ten Years Ago and Today

2011-09-11T17:41:00.003+01:00

Ten years ago today, I was a senior in high school sitting in my first period class, when a teacher came running in telling us that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. We all looked at each other with really confused looks on our faces, then our teacher proceed with the lesson. A few minutes later our principal came over the PA and announced that our country had been/was being attacked. The bell rang and we were told to go to the cafeteria for a meeting. The entire school was packed in there, elementary, middle and high school. I remember being glad, because I was able to find my little sis and give her a big hug. We prayed for our country and those that were possibly injured (having no clue of the magnitude of the situation at that time). We sat in silence for a long time. Then it was decided we should go back to our classes. I think I remember my next class being Spanish. As soon as we entered the classroom, we went to the closet and wheeled out the TV. Then Someone rigged a coat hanger on the back so we could watch the news. We sat there transfixed. The bell rang and we all stayed put. I don't think I had a clue of the severity of the situation, but I remember feeling shocked. I was shocked and more determined than ever to proceed with my previous plans to apply for an AFROTC scholarship.

The rest of the day is a blur. My sister and I listened to the news as I drove us home that afternoon. We both verbalized that we were really glad our dad wasn't working that day. We went home and spent the evening watching the news with our parents. I remember writing in my journal for hours that night, trying to process what had happened.

Fast forward 10 years and I live in England. I woke up today with home, America and the 9/11 tragedy on my mind. After my morning routine today, I headed out the door to run a race with some friends. I was surprised and very thankful when the gentleman starting the race asked everyone to take a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11. It was a beautiful moment; standing the picturesque British country side, while a hundred or so non-Americans, spent five minutes in silence to honour and remember those who died on that day.

credit

{this moment}

2011-09-09T14:21:00.000+01:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary or even ordinary, moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

. . . . . . . .

This week it's a video instead of a photo.

(Idea from Soulemama )

Seaside Walk

2011-09-07T10:33:00.002+01:00

On Sunday we joined our lovely friends Sarah and Steve Bagby for a walk on the coast near the town of Seaham. As soon as we got out the car I was hit with the amazing smell of the cold North Sea.

At this point in the walk we were scrambling over these rocky ledges. I made a big oops and dropped our camera. It rolled 12-15 feet down and landed next to Sarah's feet. I was horrified.

After picking up the loose batteries we checked to see if it still worked.

It did! It's unbelievable really. I thought for sure it was completely done for. The battery compartment doesn't close perfectly, but it still works. Wheeeeeeew!! So relieved.

We hope to continue doing Sunday afternoon explorations of the local Durham area. I'd love to go back and do the full Durham Heritage Coastal trail.

We ended the day with ice cream cones from McDonald's :) Perfection!!!

Nifty Thrifty

2011-09-03T22:27:00.001+01:00

A common phrase heard around the graduate school circle is that this is the 'Season of Sacrifice'. It's true... we are shopping less, buying less and indulging less... in order to experience the life of an overseas student. So far, I'm finding it to be totally worth it. The people, the place, the adventures...all make it worth it...oh and the education is good too ;)

I've found that the tightening of the budget has really been a good thing for me. It isn't easy, but it's been so so good.

I throw away less. I've learned to be more creative with meals. We've learned to be innovative when it comes to making our house feel like a home.

It's teaching me to be more thankful and less needy....
to live a more simple, handmade life...

and to be honest....I really, really like it ...

I like the way it feels to mend a shirt and get another year out of it, instead of just throwing it away.
I like the adventure of trying to find everything we need to decorate our house at the thrift store.
I like learning to make meals that are fresh and have 5 ingredients or less.
I like standing in the backyard while my husband trims my hair.
I like the long conversations Adam and I have while walking EVERYWHERE.
I like that my friends and I entertain ourselves with things like book clubs and craft nights instead of going out and spending money.
I like the daily challenge of trying to do more with less.

There are a lot challenges on-line that I have found to be inspiring and helpful.

A few examples....

Eat From the Pantry Challenge

1 month $0 Budget Challenge

The 30 for 30 Remix

(Totally inspired me to look at my wardrobe in a new way!)

30 Bucks a Week Challenge

In a recent attempt to be thrifty, I tried this...

A candle made from a clementine!!! I'm happy to announce that it totally worked! I had it lit for about 4 hours last night. It didn't give off much of a smell, but it's a candle made with a piece of fruit and olive oil, so in my book, it's cool no matter what!

Go here for How To....

Today...

2011-08-29T16:09:00.000+01:00

I am...

~Working out like it's my job and actually enjoying it!

So true. Credit

~ Watching this little guy hop around outside my window.

~Making this...

for an early Labor Day Celebration.

~Enjoying the crisp air.

~Knowing that fall is on it's way.

credit

credit

credit

~Feeling excited about and proud of my most recent craft project.

pattern here... (thanks Kelly Brewer!)

~Thankful for wonderful new friends in Durham.

~Wishing the sun would come out.

credit

~ Excited that my spinach is still growing, even though the birds ate all of my lettuce. :(

~Praying that the paper work for my job will get done quickly so I can start work.

~Soaking up the freedom of these last few weeks of joblessness.

~Loving this poem by John Keats.
To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?

Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,

Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,

Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook

Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:

And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

Steady thy laden head across a brook;

Or by a cider-press, with patient look,

Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,-

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;

Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

Among the river sallows, borne aloft

Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft

The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

~Getting off the computer to go clean my kitchen.

Reminder...

2011-08-24T12:23:00.000+01:00

Beautiful bluebird in Garden of the God's- Colorado Springs.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Matthew 6:26

Oxford

2011-08-22T23:43:00.001+01:00

Oxford is charming and full of character. I pretty much fell in love with it. I think I can show you why I with a simple equation.

History + Bikes + Books + Delicious Food = Happiness :)

I hope we are able to go back at least once before our time in England is up.

Here are some fun facts about Oxford...

1) It's home to the oldest English speaking University in the world. Oxford University is first mentioned in the 12th Century.
2) The church bells in Oxford ring at 5 past the hour in accordance with official 'Oxford Time' (based on the longitude and latitude of the city).

3) The name of the city was originally 'Oxenforda'. Meaning, literally, a ford in the river where the cattle could cross.
4) Oxford University has educated 29 Prime Ministers.
5) The Ashmolean Museum, found in Oxford, is the oldest museum in the world! It's doors first opened in 1683.
6) Oxford has more published writers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.
7) Bill Clinton received the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and attended Oxford for several years before transferring to Yale. Who knew??
8) Sir Roger Bannister broke the sub four minute mile barrier at Oxford's Iffley Road sports ground in 1954.
9) Hitler was intending to use Oxford as his capital if he conquered England which is one of the reasons it was not bombed.
10) Natives of Oxford are called 'Oxonians'.
credit

Sheldonian Theatre

Peeking into a college courtyard

Bodleian Library

Adam at the Bodleian Library

The Eagle and Child Pub or 'The Baby and Bird' - as Lewis and the Inklings used to call it.

Christ Church College

Tom Tower at Christ's Church College

Inside the Christ Church courtyard.

Inside Christ Church Chapel

Organ concert in the chapel.

Magdelene College

The New Building at Magdalene College

C.S. Lewis's office was the room above the vine.

Magdalene College's Dining Hall. We staid at Magdelene College and had dinner here. We enjoyed seeing an Oxford College from the inside.

Magdelene is known for being the most beautiful college. I agree.

This plaque commemorates the life of C.S. Lewis.

What the Bird Said Early in the Year

I heard in Addison's Walk a bird sing clear:
This year the summer will come true. This year. This year.

Winds will not strip the blossom from the apple trees
This year nor want of rain destroy the peas.

This year time's nature will no more defeat you
Nor all the promised moments in their passing cheat you.

This time they will not lead you round and back
To Autumn, one year older by the well-worn track.

This year, this year, as all these flowers foretell,
We shall escape the circle and undo the spell.

Often deceived, yet open once again your heart,
Quick, quick, quick, quick! The gates are drawn apart.
- C.S. Lewis

Oxford street. Leaning building.

University Church

C.S. Lewis Nature Reserve

Crazy gargoyles were everywhere.

The Examinations Hall.

After the presentation!

'I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember, the place is so beautiful. One almost expects the people to sing instead of speaking. It is all...like an opera.'

- William Butler Yeats

Lazily Productive...

2011-08-13T16:27:00.000+01:00

Today is shaping up to be a perfect Saturday. Adam and I just got home from Oxford yesterday and are worn out from the traveling and uncomfortable beds we slept on all week. Weekends are always a catch up time for us. Catch up on laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning and whatever other tasks there are that we just didn't get to in the week. Sometimes these chores stress me out, but occasionally I am able to get it all done without actually feeling like I actually did anything. Today is one of those days. I have checked a lot of things off of my to do list. The laundry pile is slowly getting smaller, the kitchen is getting cleaner and I completed another huge part of my grad school application. But in between the moments of productivity I have surfed the Internet, blogged, read, snacked and wondered around in my garden and done a lot of nothing. I think there are a few crucial things that help me be lazily productive and here they are.....

1) never change out of your pajamas

2) listen to really really good music all day (the everbodyfields radio station on last fm)

3) have gloomy, cloudy British weather

4) Really and truly be happy with what you accomplish...no matter how much or how little it may be :)

To go along with this happy Saturday....here are some pictures of pretty things I saw in Oxford. I kind of love that I now have a camera phone and don't have to lug the big camera around. :)

antiquing

old books

candy shop

old pubs

pretty flowers

and trees

the kilns

berries everywhere

amazing food

perfect reading spot

Such a fun trip. I fell in love with Oxford. More pics to come...

"A City of Dreaming Spires"

2011-08-08T09:10:00.000+01:00

We're off to spend a week in Oxford. Adam is presenting a paper at the Patristics Conference and I'm tagging along for the fun of it. I visited Oxford for a day during my college class here. That wasn't near long enough to properly explore it, so I'm excited to be going back with Adam. I know visiting this old English town is a dream come true for him. We can't wait to explore!

So Nice....

2011-08-04T22:03:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow is my last day of work at the University. I've been at the same office for about 2 months now and while I'm not cut out for admin work, I've really enjoyed getting to know the folks in my office. They have been so kind and pleasant to work with. I'm really going to miss seeing them!

Today they thanked me for my work there with some beautiful flowers and a Durham University teddy bear. I couldn't have been more surprised or blessed by this little act of kindness.

I'm so glad we made this move. It's been crazy and we have had moments of stress, but I've met so many wonderful people. I feel very thankful tonight.

What's growing in July??

2011-07-31T23:00:00.001+01:00

I think I've mentioned in a previous post that we now have a yard. So this month I'm going to cover what's happening on our own little patch of earth. Adam and I both have loved every second of taking what was a jungle and turning it into a backyard that we can use and enjoy. I'm pretty proud of what we've accomplished. Here are some before and after pictures.

BEFORE...

AFTER!!!!!

My veg patch.

Adam made this awesome path! He also dug up lots of enormous plants for me so that I could have that wonderful vegetable spot! And he may have killed 37 slugs and snails one night after it rained. He's a champ. This backyard was unbelievable buggy when we started out. I think we finally made a dent in the population.

I LOVE having a compost bin. It has really reduced the amount of trash that Adam and I have on a weekly basis. And I've already gotten some really rich soil out of the bottom!

The herb section....

Cilantro

Basil

Parsley

Chives
I'm attempting to do a small winter garden in the vegetable patch.

Another cilantro plant.

Leeks

and then spinach and some lettuce in the larger pots. I've also started some kale, parsnips, and onion by seed inside. I have no idea if these will actually grow. It's just fun to try!

When we were clearing out the back, we found two little strawberry plants. Looking forward to eating those next summer!

Berries on one of our trees.

This was also already growing when we moved in. I think it's some kind of lemon mint. It smells amazing!

Crabapple Tree

Crocosmia Lucifer (thanks to my friend Kelly for letting me know what this one was called!)

Haven't figured out what this one is yet.

Hopefully in midwinter I'll be able to update you on what produce I've gotten from my winter vegetable patch. And I'm already looking forward to doing a proper summer garden next year!

Outside my window...

2011-07-28T23:12:00.002+01:00

Cairngorms

2011-07-25T19:28:00.000+01:00

It's difficult to put into words how much I enjoyed our trip to Scotland. It was such a blessing to be able to get away for a few days. Adam and I start to get antsy if we've gone too long without spending a night under the stars.

Day 1:

We took the train to Aviemore, through Edinburgh. It was a beautiful train ride along the cost. I managed to stay awake...for most of it :) It took about 6 hours and we arrived into Aviemore at 1615.

With the sun not setting until midnight, we had plenty of time to get on the trail and into the mountains.

For most of the first day we hiked through a wooded area, only seeing glimpses of the mountains through the trees.

There were streams, creeks and rivers everywhere you looked. Scotland, as you may well know, is a very wet, rainy place. We got extremely lucky with four beautiful, sunny days!

Our first campsite wasn't ideal, but the views were incredible and made up for the wet, lumpy ground we had to sleep on. :) The midges (tiny, gnat like bugs that Scotland is famous for) only bothered us for about an hour. Then it cooled off and they left.

Day 2:

We decided to sleep in- only to be startled awake by a loud group of American boys shouting 'Top of the Morning to ya!' Adam and I vowed that our next campsite would be as far from the trail as we could get. So, we set off on the trail with that in mind. We ran into a little problem as we realized that our water filter wasn't working. After talking with a local backpacker we decided to just take a chance and drink the water straight from the streams, rather than hiking back down to get a filter of some kind. We got the water as close to the source as we could and it was clear, cold and delicious. We happily escaped the 'Wrath of William Wallace', as Adam put it.

We hiked up and up, diverging off the main trail, The Lairig Ghru, onto a side trail. We then left the path completely to climb straight up a mountain. Adam's idea...not mine. Once I realized that I could potentially sink ankle deep into a wet, mossy, boggy substance if I left the trail, I preferred to stay on a path. The ground, literally 'squished' when you walked on it. Adam kept laughing at me because I was surprised by this. I guess I was supposed to know that the ground would be wet....since we were in Scotland. Going off trail ended up being a great idea though because we found the perfect campsite (= incredible views and not a soul in site.)

Looking up at Creag an Leth-Choin, the mountain we climbed, from the halfway point.

The view from halfway up.

We decided to make camp and climb the rest of it the next morning.

Tired, but happy. I can't think of a better way to celebrate 5 years of marriage.

View from our campsite at dusk.

Day 3:

Off to a good start with some yummy pop tarts!

Then, we started the trek up to the top.

Loch Morlich from above.

After spending an hour or so at the top we hiked back town, packed up camp and started our last full day of hiking. We opted to try and return a different way than we came. I'm so glad we did because the scenery was incredible and we got to hike around Loch Morlich.

Looking back at the mountain we climbed earlier that day.

Delicious wild blueberries! This was a highlight for me. I love foraging :)

Our third campsite was only about 3-4 miles from town, but it was a really lovely spot by the river in the woods. It felt great to soak my feet in the cold water after a long day of hiking and the rushing water made for the best night of sleep EVER.

Playing some Rummy.

Day 4:

Up and packed by 0900. We took a few moments to soak in the beauty and prepare ourselves to return to the real world. We also took a second to take a picture to remember how and where we celebrated our 5th Anniversary.

We've known each other for almost 9 years now!!! Crazy how quickly the time has gone. He's still my best friend! I'm so thankful for him and all the adventures we have had and will have together.

We quickly hiked back out to the town of Aviemore. We had two things we wanted to accomplish before getting on the train. We needed to shop for a few souvenirs and find and eat the biggest burgers that the town had to offer.

I think we were successful. :)

On Holiday

2011-07-10T19:45:00.000+01:00

Adam and I are heading to Scotland tomorrow!! Our plan is to spend three days and nights hiking in the Cairngorm Mountains. We're pumped!! A perfect way to celebrate our 5th Anniversary!

Independence Day

2011-07-09T19:03:00.000+01:00

I love the 4th of July.

I love the memories I have of celebrating it.

Growing up we either went to Tennessee and had a pic-nic on Roan Mountain, followed by fireworks in Papaw's driveway. Or we went somewhere with the Booth Family, to watch the Newnan fireworks. That usually consisted of the dad's parking their trucks somewhere we could see the fireworks and the mom's bringing some amazing food along.

I also can't celebrate the 4th without thinking about the Stone Mountain Laser Show. I'm not sure if we ever actually went on the 4th, but it's extremely patriotic. It always gives me goosebumps and makes me proud to be an American.

In more recent years Adam and I have celebrated the 4th in a variety of ways. In 2006, a week before we got married, we celebrated with family and friends at a lovely wedding shower that J&B had for us. We watched the Douglasville fireworks from their yard. It's one of my favorite memories of that Summer.

In Texas we were delighted to find that we could see the BEST fireworks show EVER from our balcony. And a couple of years ago I was privileged to celebrate the 4th while deployed to Iraq. We had a BBQ of sorts and wore all the red white and blue we could find while taking care of our patients.

This year Adam and I celebrated on Sunday, with some other Americans at a backyard BBQ. It wasn't easy to find 4th of July paraphernalia in England, but we did our best. We had a red white and blue banner, patriotic looking plates, the tinniest sparklers ever and some very festive poppers. Not to mention some very delicious burgers, potato salad and slaw.

On the actual 4th, Adam and I sat outside in our new backyard (more on the move to our new place later). We built a fire in our fire pit and just relaxed. I may have even sang the Star Spangled Banner and America The Beautiful. It was a fun and relaxing evening.

I definitely struggled with a bit of homesickness this year, but Adam and I are always making new memories and it's fun. I did indulge in a little bit of Pinterest therapy though and looked up a million different pictures that reminded me of America and all the fun that is had celebrating it on the 4th.

Here are some of my favorites, followed by a few pictures of our small celebration.

credit

credit

credit

credit

Roan Mountain

credit

credit

credit

credit

credit

Happy 4th!

Packing Up

2011-06-30T22:11:00.001+01:00

Our move to the new apartment is happening tomorrow! instead of next Friday! We're really excited to be in the new place. In spite of the fact that this is our third move in a year, I still kind of enjoy it. There's something fun about the possibility of a new home, a new neighborhood. I like nesting, making something mine, making a new place feel like home.

We have two weeks before the lease on our current place runs out, but knowing myself and Adam, we'll be done moving by 2 am Saturday morning. Pictures will be hung, beds will be made rooms will be organized before we ever go to bed tomorrow. We always laugh at how crazy we are when we tackle this kind of thing, but it works for us and honestly it's kind of fun.

While packing I'm listening to the Avett Brothers radio station on LastFM. Just discovered them and I'm loving them.

I'd like to share....

Also really like this gal from TheEverybodyFields.

Enjoy!!!

2011-06-26T18:35:00.000+01:00

by no means a waste of time...

2011-06-26T13:17:00.002+01:00

It's a beautiful day.

credit

Adam and I are about to go on a picnic. I can't wait to sit by the River Wear and let my white legs soak up some sun. We will probably read out loud to each other from Backpacker magazine, kick the soccer ball around and maybe even take nap. Perfection.

Summer, please stay forever.

credit

500 Words A Day

2011-06-22T21:37:00.002+01:00

A peak into what the other half of this marriage is up to while I'm taking pictures of flowers, reading and cooking.

He's working on his outline and Douglas (his supervisor) has informed him that he should be

writing at least 500 words a day.

Yikes.

I'm very proud of him.

Maybe I should give myself a daily, 500 word minimum blogging assignment in sympathy.

This post falls 433 words short.

June Flowers

2011-06-20T21:17:00.000+01:00

The roses are in full bloom this month. There are a couple of yards that I pass on my way to work that have some of the most beautiful rose bushes I've ever seen!

Also in bloom, is Elderflower. Apparently this flower can be used to make your own champagne, beer or cordial. Might have to try that sometime!

The grasses are blooming too. Everything is unbelievably green.

"This is June, the month of grass and leaves . . . already the aspens are trembling again, and a new summer is offered me. I feel a little fluttered in my thoughts, as if I might be too late. Each season is but an infinitesimal point. It no sooner comes than it is gone. It has no duration. It simply gives a tone and hue to my thought.

-- Henry David Thoreau, Journal, June 6, 1857

---

2011-06-13T20:39:00.001+01:00

credit

This happens to me everyday.

I just can't drink four cups of tea in eight hours.

Two Weeks

2011-06-12T22:23:00.001+01:00

The last two weeks have been busy, fun and productive. I haven't taken a single picture, so I'm going to try documenting it with just words. Boring, but that's all I've got!!

I'm going to work backwards from this very moment.

It's 1239 and I've only been up for 2 hours. I slept for 12 hours last night. Yesterday was an exhausting day that included a wake up at 0445, an hour train ride to Bishop Auckland and my first job interview. Funny how one event can completely wear you out. The interview went well, as far as I can tell. I should hear back from them on Monday. Crossing my fingers, but not getting my hopes up. They were interviewing about 20 people for 3-4 posts. Yikes. They asked me 6 questions. I prepared for about 25. The questions were very NHS (the British Healthcare system) focused. Like, "What's your understanding of how ______ works?" I was expecting more personal questions like "How do you handle stress?", since that was my experience in interviews in America. So, it didn't go down as I expected, but in spite of that, I felt prepared and was happy with my answers.

Thursday night was a fun night. My book club met to discuss C.S. Lewis' 'Till We Have Faces and eat Greek food. I really really really enjoyed that book. It's one of those books that I want to take extra time to digest and think about it. After discussing it with my book club I think I've decided to read it again. The food was delicious as always. We had chicken gyros with tatziki sauce, tabouli and hummus and veggies. Very fresh and summery. We've decided we're going to choose our books based on what food we want to eat. :) I think our next book is going to be....

Wednesday night Adam and I went to a public lecture on the topic of science, faith and the media. I really enjoyed it. I'm excited about Adam's chosen profession. I like that a University and lectures like this will always be at our finger tips. He may even be the one presenting :). I wish more people would attend events like this. They are so informative and thought provoking. Even when I don't understand everything that is being discussed, I still walk away with a new thought or perspective.

Tuesday we went to a movie with friends.

Monday, I worked on my portfolio and began to prep myself for interview questions.

Sunday we went to a farewell dinner for all the American PhD students that are leaving this summer. There seems to be a mass exodus right now. Everyone who is leaving has some sort of teaching position lined up....which is a very good sign for those of us that are still in the program!!

Saturday I rested and baked. I have to share these recipes because they worked out really well.
My mom sent me this one...

Thank Martha for this deliciousness.

Adam seriously loved this meal. I used chicken breast and halved the recipe. I served it over warm, crunchy ciabatta bread.

Then I made this cake. It doesn't require a mixer and everything is just thrown together in one bowl. I wouldn't say it's the best cake I've ever had, but it was easy and looked pretty.

recipe

Thursday, a week ago, I went to a baby shower that was being held for my dear friend Sarah Crouch.
It was such a beautiful and fun party, thrown by her friends from the Durham MBA program. It was truly a global event. In attendance were ladies from France, China, Japan, India, Canada, Columbia and a few other places I'm sure! The food was delicious, the games were hilarious and everyone was so friendly.

Wednesday I went to a cooking class with the above mentioned Sarah. What a blast!!! We made Chicken &Asparagus Parcels, Strawberry Scrunch and Poached Salmon and Dill Pate. It was all really delicious and fun to make. Here's a link to the instructors website, Season to Taste.

Photo stolen from the Crouches' Blog.

Also of note, I ran home from work that day and then biked 3.6 miles to their house. I definitely earned my strawberry scrunch!!!

Monday and Tuesday were uneventful. Monday was a British Bank Holiday. I believe I did about 4 loads of laundry and watched a lot of TV that day:) Tuesday, I started a new job at the Student Finance Office.

Another highlight of the week, was that Adam met me for lunch almost everyday! A world market of sorts was set up in the city centre for 2 of those days. Adam had a kangaroo burger and I had paella one day. The next day we both ate from the German stand and had bratwurst.

That about sums up the past two weeks!!! Lots of fun and a lot accomplished in the arena of the job search. We also had our "2 days of summer" and reached temperatures of 75 degrees. This weekend we are back to 50's and clouds and drizzles. I'm hoping for a few more days of 70's and sun before fall officially arrives.

Goal this week....take more photos!!
Happy Monday!!

Love Wins

2011-06-05T14:46:00.000+01:00

Adam and I try our best to keep up with things that are going on back home, but we often find ourselves to be several days or weeks behind the news. Having said that, I want to share an article written about Rob Bell's book Love Wins. I know news moves quickly and this, as a hot topic, has been surpassed by other more interesting things like, the coming of the end of the world, but I still wanted to share. This review is written by a Durham University graduate, Nijay Gupta.

http://nijaygupta.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/my-scribd-review-of-love-wins/

Shelby Update...

2011-06-04T20:18:00.001+01:00

Many of you know that we left our hearts in Georgia.

Leaving our little pup was so hard. When we started planning our move to England we had every intention of bringing her with us. But, due to expenses and having so much trouble finding a rental that would allow pets, we decided that bringing her was just too difficult. My amazing parents volunteered to babysit for three years. We are so thankful that she is still in the family and we get to have her back.

From what I can tell, Shelby is living the high life. She has acquired a new bed and blanket, new collar that says princess (much to Adam's dismay) and gets to sneak and eat cat food. She has visited my sister in Dahlonega, gone on trips to Tennessee and my Mamaw even lets her sleep inside :). My parents have reported that she likes to lay on the screened in porch and has discovered her bark. We (Adam and my Dad) put an electric fence up so Shelby can run around outside all she wants. She is still obsessed with playing frisbee, but she is also getting to just enjoy being outside.

All of that play results in a very sleepy girl.

We miss her, but I know that her being there is so much better for her than being cooped up in a little apartment here. Thanks for keeping her Mom and Dad!!! Thank you for playing frisbee for hours every day and for taking the time to cover her up with her blanket :) Thanks for putting up with the white Shelby hairs that I know have now taken over your life. We're so glad that you love her just enough to keep her for 3 years but then give her back to us!

2011-06-04T00:06:00.001+01:00

I've been meaning to write about my time without work for a long time....

Being jobless was really interesting. I've pretty much worked full time since graduating from college, so 4 months without a job in a new town proved to be a challenge. I was trying to approach it with a sense of adventure. I called it my sabbatical. Instead of researching and writing a book, I focused on doing things that I always say I want to do and don't. I dabbled in some crafts and crocheted a little. I started growing several different herbs from seed. I tried some more difficult meals than I would normally attempt and became relatively comfortable with making bread from scratch (without my kitchenaid mixer). I ran quite a lot, even though it was pretty cold. I read a lot of books and made myself read a few I would normally be too tired for. And I may have taken a lot of naps and made lots of trips into the city centre to have coffee with Adam. I didn't do anything earth shattering, just tried my very best to enjoy the down time. I know I will miss it when it's totally gone.

Another thing I accomplished during this time was to settle into a completely new country. During this process of transplanting, I learned a lot about myself. I found that in spite of whatever complaining I do when I am working full time, I really do enjoy it. There's an entire side of my personality that didn't have an outlet of any sort. I have never really considered myself to be "career minded", but during these four months I realized what a huge part of my life nursing has become. I missed using my brain and I really missed all the daily interactions with my patients and other nurses. I had the BEST co-workers in Texas, so not having them to talk to and interact with multiple times a week was a tough change.

I learned that no matter where I live, I relate to my location through nature, food, books and being active. Those four things can pretty much sum up my transitioning process. Within days of moving here, I had my library card. I checked out British inspired cookbooks, books about the history of Durham, fictional books written by local authors and books about the local flora. I watched TV shows about all the same things. My runs took me out on muddy footpaths into the British countryside and I cooked all sorts of British style meals. All of these things helped me to begin to feel at home here.

All in all I'm really thankful that I had those months of downtime. In spite of the moments of boredom and the fact that we had no income, it was nice to be able to focus completely on learning to live in a new place. Now that I've figured out most of the basics, I'm ready to work! The temp jobs have been great and I honestly love getting out of the house and having something to do. I have 2 nursing interviews coming up in the next 2 weeks, so hopefully I'll be back in the hospital setting soon! I honestly can't wait (remind me I said that when I'm working my third 12 hour night shift)! Your prayers are appreciated as I attempt to navigate the waters of the National Healthcare System!!

Now for the fun stuff...

Here's a list of the book's I've read since January.

Persuasion by Jane Austin

Kate Mulholland by Catherine Cookson

Our Kate by Catherine Cookson

The Cinderpath by Catherine Cookson

(Catherine Cookson is a local author. She writes about here experiences growing up in the Tyne and Wear area. I REALLY enjoyed reading her biography and two of her novels.)

On the Farm by Jimmy Doherty

Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain

Secrets She left Behind by Diane Chamberlain

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius

The Help by Katherine Stockett

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by PW

Bloodroot by Amy Greene

Orthodoxy by G.K. Gesterton

Pocket History of the Church by Dr. Bingham

Home by Bill Bryson

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

I made one these...

Credit and how to...

One of these is made with 12 individual flowers that each have 5 petals that is a whopping 60 pieces of paper to cut and fold. Took me forever. I really wanted to make 3 of them to hang from the window in my kitchen. I only made one. I might get inspired again during the long evenings next winter.

I tried to make this little guy for my nephew...

credit

But it looked like an alien. I might try again though.

Even when all I have is time, I don't finish my projects. Oh well.

A few recipes I tried...and liked....

potato and leek soup (a new favourite)

pizza (minus the figs)

cottage loaf

paella

lemon pasta

really good chocolate chip cookies

chocolate ganache

pan fried pork chops (great when you are missing home!)

My biggest accomplishment may be that I managed to not gain 20 pounds.

Even as I type all of this I'm trying to come up with something else to add to the list. It never seems like enough to show for all of that time. It is what it is though and I enjoyed it. I'm a little nervous about the moment when I'm all of the sudden a full time employee again. The temp jobs have helped me transition out of the laziest season of my life, but they are nothing like full time work. Thankfully the British love their Bank Holidays and they get 24 paid vacation days a year. That and the much needed pounds in my bank account should help me transition smoothly:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ When I’m not doing something that comes deeply from me, I get bored. When I get bored I get distracted and when I get distracted, I become depressed. It’s a natural resistance, and it insures your integrity.”

— Maria Irene Fornes

~~~

May Flowers

2011-05-31T18:52:00.002+01:00

I love summer. It's not my favorite season, but there are just so many wonderful things that come to mind when I think of summer time. Watermelon, fireflies, screened in porches, smoothies for dinner (because it's too hot for anything else), long days, cucumbers from the garden, playing in the sprinkler, being tan, listening to the cicada's at night, the list goes on and on. Of course, the other dominating factor of the summer's I am used to is the HEAT. So far our temperatures here haven't made it out of the sixties. In one regard, it's amazing, but it sort of keeps me from really feeling like it's summer. This southerner just isn't used to wearing a sweater in the month of May.

The plants clearly like the cooler weather and the extra long days.

The flowers this month are amazing. They really make the season stand out.

A laurel of some kind.

Wallflower

Not sure what this one is.

Peony

Peony

Poppy

Poppy

Snow-in-summer

Buttercup

credit
Red Valerian

'Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.'

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2011-05-27T22:38:00.001+01:00

This week...

We bought this fabulous coffee press to support Adam's coffee addiction.

We found it at poundland....that's right....we spent an entire pound on it. It's not perfect, but it does the job and it is much better than the instant coffee that everyone drinks here!

I saw this cute little duck family on my way to work.

They made me smile every morning :)

I discovered that I've been walking total, 4.6 miles a day during my commute to and from work.

Thankfully, Adam walked into the city with me and studied while I was at work, then walked home with me. The walking goes so much faster with company.

We started watching Mad Men.

credit

Which made me listen to stuff like this all week...

listen here... lol

And also made me want to buy a dress like this...

modcloth.com

I've been reading this book.

And can't wait to discuss it with my book club.

Adam has been working steadily on his outline and met with his supervisor today.

AND

NOW

.....

It's the weekend.

And we are so so happy that it's a three day weekend.

This week has been more routine for us than probably any week we have had in the past 9 months.

So far, we aren't really routine people. We always joke that the only thing that we do exactly the same every day is wash our face and brush our teeth. Everything else pretty much changes on a daily basis.

So, we're going to recover from our routine week with breakfast at Leonard's Coffee House followed by a trip to the library and maybe some browsing around in thrift stores. That's right, the library and thrift stores, we are wild and crazy :)

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

2011-05-21T12:10:00.000+01:00

Mom and Dad came to visit and we had the best time. I loved getting to spend time with family and see Durham through a new set of eyes.

The Cathedral had an event called Museum At Night while they were here. We went to the Friday night Evensong service and hung around for the Museum At Night activities. Evensong was beautiful and turned out to be the perfect way to start the evening of learning about the history of the Durham Cathedral.

We went through the Treasures of St. Cuthbert's Museum and saw some amazing old manuscripts called illuminated texts. We learned a lot about the monks who started out on Lindisfarne Island (Holy Island), on the coast, and moved inland (eventually to Durham) because of the threat of the vikings. We also heard a ghost story read by an old british gentlemen in a cape. It was awesome.

credit

Saturday, we made the pilgrimage to Lindsifarne Island. I vote this day as my favorite day of the trip. We had amazing weather and the island was beautiful. We drove onto the island towards the end of low tide (1045) and were "stuck" on the island until the next low tide (around 1500). We started the day off with tea and scones in one of the local coffee/tea shops. Then went to the local gift/tourism store, where the Cullop's quickly armed themselves with a couple of books about the local sites and history. (A little known fact; the Cullop's love a good gift shop. For me a trip anywhere isn't complete until I've been to the gift shop and bought a trinket. Normally, the trinket is an ornament to commemorate the trip. I've had some trouble finding ornaments here so I'm collecting tea towels. So far I have one from Stonehenge, Lindisfarne, The British Museum and Salisbury Cathedral. The other purchase that you can't go wrong with is a book :) )

We walked over to the priory ruins. Where a British tour guide, told me the rock I was standing near was a "fertility rock". He made up an entire story about the history of the fertility rock and ended the story by saying he was lying. What is with these tour guides and their not so funny jokes?

St. Cuthbert's Island. St. Cuthbert's shrine is at Durham Cathedral. He is known for his ability to heal people, for his piety and austerity, and his love for animals. According to our guide book he would go to this small island to be alone with God and to pray.

credit

The lovely coast.

Mom's guide book also informed us that St. Cuthbert used to collect disk shaped fossils to use as beads in his rosary. Mom and I decided we HAD to find one of these fossils, now referred to as Cuddy Beads. Turns out they are "disc-shaped columnals of Carboniferous crinoids." ? We ended up finding a few, but they were teeny tiny, which made it a little less exciting. We also found a ton of beautiful sea glass!

Natural History Museum- Fossil Folklore

The priory

Wallflowers

The castle on the island.

Storage sheds made from old boats.

Inside the castle...

I thought the castle would feel huge, cold, dark and completely unlivable. Turns out, if someone gave it to me, I could live there. It was beautiful, light and cozy.

Lovely picture of the island, taken by Adam from the cliff-side alcove that he found. Adam always disappears on these types of outings. He's always climbing something or finding some hidden area to explore. I love his sense of adventure and he takes the best pictures from these interesting vantage points.

Sunday we ventured out to Hadrian's Wall.

We lost our sunshine and found some typical British weather.

It was really cold and windy. I kind of enjoyed it though. It felt good to walk and drive through the English countryside in all of it's foggy glory.

Hadrian's Wall

Publius Aelius Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus
...Hadrian for short.

We warmed up in a perfect British pub with a proper Sunday lunch of roast beef and yorkshire pudding (for the ladies) and shepherd's pie (for the gents). Dessert was banoffi pie and pavlova. DELISH!

Monday, I was back to work. My parents were awesome and made my working during their visit not feel like a big deal at all. Mom and Dad brought me lunch everyday. The weather didn't cooperate with our lunch dates, but I still loved it. And dad walked with me on my hour long walk to work every morning. Such good memories with my parents.

Since my work cut into our site seeing time, we had to make do with the long sunny evenings.

We went to the Durham Botanical Gardens one night...

I just decided that green is my favourite color.

Some sort of variation of a Dogwood. I really missed seeing the Dogwoods bloom this spring...so I enjoyed seeing these.

Those are some big flowers!!! Dad said we needed to add some scale to the picture....so he volunteered his noggin.

During our other free evening, we took them on our favourite country side walk.

WHAT A FUN VISIT!!!! I was really proud of myself for not getting weepy during our goodbyes. It is hard to to see family leave when you know how far away they are, but for once I was able to focus on the fun we had, instead of being mopey. I am really so excited and blessed to be making these memories with Adam and our families. I know we will cherish these times for the rest of our lives.

We can't wait for them to come back and we can't wait for our next guests to come...Mom and Dad P, we're ready for you!!!

I never thought I'd say this...

2011-05-08T16:21:00.000+01:00

Last week I found myself thinking....

"Man, I really wish it would rain."

If the British folks near me could have read my mind I think they would have gasped, punched me and banished me from the UK.

We have had over a month of some of the most amazing weather I have ever experienced. It's been sunny with temperatures in the 50's and 60's. It doesn't get much better than that and I have definitely been taking every opportunity to soak up the sun.

But there's just something about a good summer rain, especially in the south.

I miss those. The good all day, soaking kind of rain, that forces you to stay inside reading, or watching a movie and you have to turn the lights on at 2 because the clouds are so dark. I have a lot of memories of those summer storms. They ruined many a trip to the pool and outside play adventures, but they were still kind of fun. I remember sitting out on the porch swing reading during these soaking rains, watching the wind blow, turning the leaves turn over so you can see the lighter green underneath. My mom always said that's how you knew a storm was coming. I also remember enjoying the smell of the rain as it hit the hot GA ground and being so happy to have a few hours of relief from the heat and humidity. Probably my favorite memory of rain though, is sitting on my Mamaw's backporch under the tin roof. There is no better sound than that sound.

We got a little rain yesterday and a short down pour this morning. It actually started sprinkling yesterday, while I was on a walk with a friend at Finchale Priory. It was so nice. The rain on the river was beautiful and I enjoyed walking through the woods and hearing the rain on the leaves.

I know I'll get plenty of rain and darkness next winter here in Durham, but a good summer rain is so different than the continual winter drizzle. It's more enjoyable, short lived and gives you an excuse to do nothing. In the summer when it's bright and beautiful all the time, I always feel like I need to stay busy busy busy. So, I'm going to go sit and read a book and enjoy my rainy Sunday!

credit

I saved Cinco de Mayo and other news.

2011-05-07T10:57:00.001+01:00

After being so sad about the state of our Cinco de Mayo celebration, I decided to do something about. So I biked myself over to the big grocery story and bought everything we needed for a yummy mexican dinner.

I ended up with a delicious taco salad.

Adam made these yummy tacos.

Man, did it taste good! Mom P. sent us probably 10 packets of taco seasoning (they have it here but it tastes funny) and we only have one left!! Good thing my parents are coming in a week. We need to be re-stocked.

In other news....

Yesterday while I was at work, Adam viewed three different rental properties. We are really wanting to move and our lease is up in July, so we figured we should start looking.

We have found the housing here to be really interesting and very different than American housing. We just get so used to everything being brand-spanking-new...and here...very few things are that new.

Our main goals are to...

1) not have people living above us. especially noisy people.

2) have an outdoor space of some kind

3) have more space for guests when they come visit.

Originally we wanted to move closer to the city centre, but we just couldn't get excited about spending more money.

Out of the places Adam looked at yesterday, we really liked one row house. It's a little further from the city centre, but we would save a hundred pounds a month from what we are paying now!!!

It has a dishwasher :)

It has a working wood burning stove!!! Adam and I have always wanted a wood burning stove!!! The current tenants said that it works and really adds a lot of warmth in the winter.

I love it!

Saving the best for last...

It has a garden. A garden that needs a lot of work, but I know a girl and guy who happen to love that kind of work, so I think it will be fine :)

We are pretty excited about the possibility of renting this place. It will be so much quieter, and we will be able to sit outside on these perfect nights that we've been having.

It's not a done deal yet. Adam is going to look at one more place on Monday, and we'll keep watching the rental market to see if anything else pops up. Regardless, we are just excited to leave the place we are currently in. It's not terrible, but I'm tired of living some where, where the walls are so thin you can hear your neighbor sneeze!

Happy Cinco de Mayo Everyone!!!!!

2011-05-05T20:16:00.001+01:00

I've never really paid any attention to Cinco de Mayo, but this year I have such a strong urge to celebrate it and eat mexican food until I am sick. You always want what you can't have.

...I guess I could make it all myself, but it's just not the same..

I am remembering all the delicious mexican food that was at my finger tips in San Antonio.

So yummy.

I miss restaurant salsa. British salsa is way too sweet for us.

I miss those thin, crispy, still warm tortilla chips.

I miss guacamole.

If I was having a party tonight I would...

Hang up these flags,

Wear a sombrero,

Paint my face like this,

And then I would smash this pinata.

Please, please eat some delicious mexican food for us tonight. Especially our SATX friends. Go to Papa Nachos and eat until you are sick. Then order the flan for Adam.

We are going to have to settle for sweet salsa and diet fanta.

Yikes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update....Adam has informed me that I can't trust everything I find on the internet and that it wouldn't be appropriate for me to paint my face like that since that is for Dia De Los Muertos. So, I'll save my face painting for October.

The Job Search

2011-05-05T13:32:00.000+01:00

So,

We've been in Durham for just over 4 months now. I am technically still jobless, though I have had a 2 week temp job, and just agreed to another week assignment that starts tomorrow. My first job was with Durham University in their Student Planning and Assessment Office. Basically, I sat in a back room counting stacks of papers and creating examination packets in preparation for the end of the academic year. It was simple work and I got to listen to my IPOD the entire day. No one really bothered me, but everyone was really friendly. So, pretty much a perfect temp job. The only negative was that I found myself counting everything as I was walking home and as I was laying down at night to go to sleep...I was counting. Pretty annoying but funny too.

...in my dreams...

Having not worked for almost 4 months, I attacked this simple task of preparing exams with a vengeance that I think may have scared my co workers. It's amazing how easily I can get lost in the pursuit of completing a task, no matter how small. All I have to do is set small goals for myself and I am happy as a clam. It's the same sort of feeling I get from checking things off of my to-do-list. Even if it's something small like, "Put socks on", I get excited about just checking it off the list. Total dork I know.

While I was counting papers, I would reward myself with little mint chocolate candies or tell myself that I could have a diet Fanta at lunch if I completed so many exams in an hour:) It's the simple things.

...i heart fanta...

...these guys were my best friend for two weeks. could not have counted to 200 a thousand different times without them...

It was interesting and kind of fun to do work outside of the hospital setting. The work days here are just 8 hour days with a 1 hour lunch. So, after 4 years of 12 hour shifts with a 30 minute lunch you can't even begin to imagine how quickly the day went by for me. I loved being able to eat lunch with Adam or run to the post office. That hour to get out into the sunshine was amazing and something that never happens during a nursing shift. I enjoyed walking into the city centre and I ran home most days. I've always loved the idea of being one of those people that runs or bikes home. So for two weeks I did it! That's not to say that I would have kept it up if that was my job for the next three years, but I did it for two weeks!

I'll confess that it wasn't even really two weeks.

In my two week assignment, there were 4 holidays. LOL. You've got to love the British holiday schedule. Two 4 day weekends in a row. Good Friday, Easter, Royal Wedding, May Day. Crazy. And there's another holiday at the end of this month!!!

On my last day at this position my boss informed me that they had a one year assignment open up if I was interested. I was interested. Very interested. The idea of being able to start a full time job within in the next 2 weeks was tempting....almost tempting enough to pull me away from nursing (in spite of all the hard work I put into getting my license here!!). In the end, after days and days of agonizing over the decision, I decided to forgo this job and keep giving nursing a try. I was really tempted to let fear make the decision for me. After 4 months of joblessness and watching our American dollars get slashed and beaten half to death by the British pound, I felt pressure. Pressure to start making money NOW!!! It's really easy for me base my security and comfort on how much money is in my savings account. Being in England has really made me face the reality that money isn't the answer and that our faith and hope has to be in GOD. It was also slightly appealing to have a job that was a little less stressful than nursing. That's not to say that office jobs don't have their stresses. They do indeed have deadlines and different types of pressures. But for a few moments I really liked the idea of going to work without the stress of someone putting their life in my hands. It's a huge responsibility that I don't take lightly, so on some days that pressure can really weigh you down. As it turns out though, I really love being a nurse, so that extra stress is worth it. I've missed interacting with other nurses (we truly are our own breed) and I have really missed my sweet little patients and their families.

All that being said, I have decided to have faith and pursue nursing for a few more months and then reevaluate the situation.

On the nursing front, I have finally completed all the necessary requirements to get my license. Last week I received a letter in the mail stating that I have been accepted into the NMC! Now, all I am waiting on is the actual piece of paper to prove it.

I have 3 job applications floating around out there right now. Two of them are paediatric nursing jobs. One, the one I really want, is on a peds unit in the hospital that is 5 minutes from my house. Perfect. I toured it a few weeks ago and everyone was really friendly. I can totally picture myself there. The second peds job is on a cardiology unit in a bigger hospital up in Newcastle. On one had, this job really excites me. I would be doing a more challenging sort of nursing that would really broaden my skill set and my experience. If I were living in America right now, this is the type of job that I would pursue. I just feel like I'm ready to look into some sort of speciality now that I have 4 years solid experience with basic med/surg. The only negative to this job is that it would be about an hour commute. 20 minute walk to the train station, 20 minute train ride, 20 minute walk to the hospital. That's an estimation, but anyway I look at it, it's a much more complicated and expensive commute than just walking five minutes down the road. The third job is in the Emergency Room in the hospital that is just down the road. I would be pretty excited about this job as well.

We'll see what happens.

In the mean time, I'm going to try and take as many temp jobs as I can to stay busy and bring in a few pounds.

One question I am often asked is, "So what have you been doing for the past 4 months?" I always laugh when I hear this question because I know my answer will not impress you. In an attempt to answer that question and document what I have been doing since January, I'll post on that later this week!!!

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-02T13:30:00.001+01:00

The Royal Wedding,

I'll just start with saying that I really loved it. It was just as beautiful and perfect as we thought it would be.

I loved the commitment to tradition. Everything seemed to have their own personal touch and yet was still done just as it has been done for years.

Kate was beautiful. I loved the lace. I loved the veil. I loved her tiara. It was all perfect.

Such a sweet moment between sisters.

I remember having a lot of those moments on my wedding day. Rebekah was the sweetest and best Maid of Honor.

I thought the bouquet could have been a little bigger, but Lilly of the Valley is always so sweet at a wedding.

LOVE the lace and the neckline. Everyone really seems to like Kate. She has definitely carried herself well, always looking elegant, graceful and sweet.

I have really struggled to find pictures from the ceremony. I thought Westminster Abbey was absolutely stunning. I loved the green and white flowers and foliage that Kate chose. The shots from above that showed the black and white floor, the red carpet, the stone, and the flowers were my favorite moments of the ceremony. It was perfect.

Credit

I loved the trees. What a unique and beautiful idea!!! It really added something to the Abbey.

Once again, I really enjoyed watching the respect for tradition. It showed in every moment of the ceremony and the procession back to Buckingham Palace.

(all pictures, unless otherwise noted, are from http://www.people.com/)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Now onto the guests and other fun royal wedding pictures.

Mother of the Bride, Grandmother of the Groom (not to mention Queen of England) and Step-mother of the Groom

I thought the Queen looked fabulous in her yellow.

Here are a few of my favorite fascinators of the day.

A little crazy, this one, but she's Spanish so she pulls it off.

(Don't you love the way I structured my sentence like a proper British person?)

I feel sorry for the person sitting behind her, but it's sort of structurally appealing, for a hat.

And the best picture to come out of the royal wedding?

...

You may be expecting me to say this one...

But I'm not.

It's this one...

These two lovely sisters and their ugly hats.

Credit

LOL.

I guess it really was a fairytale wedding, even down to the ugly-step sisters!!!

Joking aside :) It really was a lot of fun to be in England for the biggest wedding since Charles and Diana were married in 1981. We watched the wedding with some British and American friends and had a very British brunch of bacon rolls. Adam and I also celebrated with some tea and scones at one of our favorite restaurants in Durham. It is definitely a day to remember. From what I can tell, everyone here in the UK is really rooting for this couple.

Credit

This picture really is one of my favorites. They look so happy and seem to be really be having fun together! I hope they continue to be an example of how wonderful and fun marriage can be.

I wish them all the best!!!

April Flowers

2011-04-25T13:46:00.000+01:00

There are so many flowers blooming right now that it would be impossible for me to share them all! The daffodils are gone, as well as the crocuses, but the tulips have stepped up to the task of being Durham's bulb flower of the month. There are also a lot of beautiful trees in bloom.

Here are a few of my favorites.

The lovely tulip.

My Papaw loved these. I think the white ones are my favorite.

Cherry Trees...we have one right outside our window.

From what I can tell, this is a wild cherry tree.

Forget-me-nots...they are so tiny...I love them!!!

(freefoto.com)

This pretty little yellow flower is every where in the fields near my running trails. It's called Cowslip.

This is a Blue Bell.

Adam went to the Durham Botanical Gardens on Saturday with his supervisor. He said it was amazing. We have plans for a date night there sometime this week!!! I'm looking forward to seeing a tree they have there called Monkey Puzzle Tree!?!?

Easter Fun...

2011-04-23T10:16:00.001+01:00

Here are two really fun ways to dye your Easter Eggs if you are tired of the traditional box you buy at Wal-Mart.

My mom, sis and I tried this first one a few years ago and it was a lot of fun and really easy!! You do have to put a little bit of effort into finding silk ties or scarves at the thrift store, but if you frequent the thrift stores (charity shops here in the UK) as much as I do, this won't be a problem.

Here is a link to directions.

It's a Martha Stewart of course.

Here are pictures of our attempt two years ago.

Another really neat thing to try is to dye the eggs with natural dyes. I haven't actually tried this one...would love to this year, but there are no white eggs in England. They are all brown! :(

I love these!! Here is the link for directions.

Happy Easter!!!

A Thought For Good Friday...

2011-04-22T17:01:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to share a quote from a book I read about a month ago...

"There is something mysterious in this abjection.

Oh hidden strength: a man hangs on a cross and lifts the load of eternal death from the human race;

a man nailed to wood looses the bonds of everlasting death that hold fast the world.

Oh hidden power: a man condemned with thieves saves men condemned with devils, a man stretched out on the gibbet draws all men to himself.

O mysterious strength: on soul coming forth from torment draws countless souls with him out of hell, a man submits to the death of the body and destroys the death of souls...

See, Christian soul, here is the strength of your salvation, here is the cause of your freedom, here is the price of your redemption. You were a bond-slave and by this man you are free. By him you are brought back from exile, lost, you are restored, dead you are raised."

-from Pocket History of the Church

St. Anselm "Meditation on Human Redemption"