Wear or Where Land’s End?

What do you think of when you read the words “Land’s End”? When I googled them, the first entry that came up was the clothing store. That’s what I used to  always think of. Right? Trendy, casual but classy clothes…usually mail ordered before heading out into the wild blue wilderness on a trip? When my son Joel worked in the clothing department at Sears before starting graduate school last fall, I was surprised to discover that Sears had bought the Lands’ End product line for US$2 billion cash back in 2002. I was even more intriqued when I discovered that Lands’ End was an American company, because I always assumed it was an English company named for Land’s End, the westernmost point in England. What I didn’t realize until we visited England was just how  magnificent Land’s End is! It’s along the coast of Cornwall, and for any of you who are fans of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance…it’s only about eight miles southwest of that famous little port. It also gained some recognition last summer as the starting point for the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay. Land’s End is noted for fascinating displays of rare flora as well as absolutely breath-taking views of the great northern Atlantic, so as you hike along the ridges and stairways, keep looking down at all the delicate flowers dancing under your feet as well as off into the distance where the winds are whipping the waves into a frenzy. But if you get a chance…please go! The wild wind, the salty air, the brilliant skies…its rugged splendor conjures up a feeling you’ll never forget!My guess is that heaven will be even more glorious than we can ever imagine too… so much more than the clothing of this earth, as beautiful as that is. Worth infinitely more, and worth every bit of trouble it takes to find our way there!

“And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God’” (Revelation 21:2-3).

The Incredibly Creative Brontës of Haworth

When I was a girl, few love stories moved me any more than those written by the  Brontë sisters: Emily’s Wuthering Heights, Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, and Anne’s   The Tenant of Wildfell Hall….classic stories reflecting the anguish of seemingly impossible love relationships. I think in many ways they had a negative impact
on my young mind as far as modeling what to look for in a healthy, wholesome husband, and it’s taken pretty close to forever to get my head straightened out! Naivety aside, on our trip to England with our British Lit aficionado, Kathy Kris, along, it just seemed right to visit Haworth, the tiny village on the English moors where the Brontë sisters lived in a little parsonage with their parents, sisters, and brother, Branwell. The girls’ father was the parson at the “Church of St. Michael

and All Angels,” and the church still exists today. Truly, I know nothing about the doctrines of the church, and Rev. Brontë may have been a very godly man (despite his severe looks), but I do know that his son, Branwell, ended up having   an affair with “Mrs. Robinson” (the mother of the children he tutored) was summarily dismissed by the father/husband and returned home as a rather desolate alcoholic who died young from T.B. and dissipation. Like his                three sisters, he was an extremely talented young man and a gifted artist, but unlike his sisters, he produced very little that has remained…even erasing his own likeness in the portrait he painted of himself and his sisters. (see above).The sad plight of the family included the death of their mother to uterine cancer, and eventually  the death of all the children at young ages (none even reached 40) from tuberculosis (and other complications, such as early-stage pregnancy and probably typhoid fever for Charlotte [the only one to marry].)Hundreds of thousands of “fans” still flock to the moors and museum each year,and I have to confess that with seven lively offspring who love to write & create, the Brontë family has long been somewhat inspirational to us, although—after having visited—I found that the aura of the ideal gave way to a rather sad realization about the true nature of even the most gifted and privileged. We are all made of clay, and our best efforts at creating will be flawed. Without a strong commitment to walking in truth and light, we will ultimately produce little of lasting value.
I pray that my own children (and Alan and I) will walk in the Light, and that our labors of love will produce enduring, good fruit…and I pray the same for you!The summer I spent working with missionaries in Scotland (40+ years ago), the milkman delivered fresh milk (un-homogenized…with 2″ of cream at the top) every morning! Imagine my delight in discovering that this marvelous tradition is still current today in Haworth! It made me stop and think: If we want to keep growing spiritually, we really need a fresh drink of the Word every day. May we never get to the point where we think we don’t need to meditate on the Bible…that we’ve outgrown it and can survive by indulging our brains in the wines of this world. To keep spiritually sound and emotionally robust, we need daily doses of the fresh, whole, creamy milk of the Word!

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

Big Mike, Big Moors, and Sheep Sharing

  Quintessential English romance—at least to me—is a stay in a snug B’n'B,   a lavish “full English” (and the very best have fried toast),  and a long day’s hike out on the moors. We had just such an exhilarating experience near Haworth, England,  on the Pennine Moors of West Yorkshire. And, we also found “the perfect” B’nB:“Big Mike’s” (note his ample frame in the background). His super-sized breakfast kept us entirely energized for our 7.5-hour hike across the grand, open country! On this particular escapade we had a specific goal: Top Withins, said to be the inspiration for Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, which was one of the first major novels I read as a child (besides every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on), and had a huge (and somewhat questionable) impact on me. In fact all three Brontë sisters wrote classic romance novels set in these moors, and so Kathy   was also very eager to experience their expansive, wild beauty.  Although I’m sure you could get dreadfully lost out in these ancient, somewhat desolate hills, the path is well worn and in most places clearly marked. There were sheep grazing everywhere, and although we could walk freely  wherever we wished, the pastures were kept secure by a system of styles, gates, and old stone fences surrounding the edges of each farmer’s vast lands. When we finally reached our destination, we decided it was time for a break to rest up and enjoy some tea and  biscuits ( the English name for what we  Americans call “cookies”). We watched the peaceful lambs, which were grazing  nearby, but what we didn’t foresee was that the sheep were keenly aware that    all travelers seem to follow this exact same ritual…and they were insistent that   we share our tea party with them! Well, what could we say? Sharing is a good thing, and aren’t we all the Lord’s sheep? “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:7). (Like Emily, I may be vexed at times, but I am eternally grateful that the Lord is my shepherd, because he knows how to lead me to green pastures and beside still waters! I’d be totally lost and more barren than the moors without Him!)

Chatsworth: Grandest Country Home in England

I’m sure those of you who enjoyed the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride  and Prejudice would love a leisurely day at Chatsworth House, the setting for Mr. Darcy’s “Pemberley.” In fact, Chatworth House often wins recognition as England’s most popular country home, hosting 300,000+ tourists each season on their 35,000-acre estate in North Derbyshire on the River Derwent. Construction on the present mansion began in 1553 by the Cavendish family, who have been the earls (and later Dukes of Devonshire) since that time. Perhaps the most famous was the Sixth Duke (known as the “Bachelor Duke”) who was an incredibly energetic and wealthy traveler and visionary. In 1811 (at   the age of 21) he inherited the title, Chatsworth, and 7 other major estates in England and Ireland that comprised a massive 200,000 acres! I think even Mr.  Darcy’s wealth would have been dwarfed by the Bachelor Duke’s holdings. Many  famous people are associated with Chatsworth house, including Mary, Queen of Scots (who was imprisoned there several times), and Sir Joseph Paxton, who was a gardener at Chatworth and also designed London’s Crystal Palace. If you have the chance to travel a bit in England, consider a day at Chatsworth. If that’s not  an option, but you’d like to see more, Chatsworth House is the subject of a 3-part documentary, Chatsworth, produced by BBC and broadcast as Chatsworth House in the U.S. by PBS last year (2012). There are many fascinating things to see there…such as this life-sized painting of a violin on a door (but both the violin and the door is simply part of one very realistic painting)! For our daughter, who had just earned her M.A. in literature and loves to write novels set in England, our trip was an especially treasured time of both pleasure and learning!

    “When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your            soul, discretion shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you.”   (Proverbs 2:10-11)

“The heart of the prudent gets knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15).

Cambridge and the Sheriff of Nottingham

So, I told you about punting on the River Cam, but I haven’t told you much about Cambridge generally, and even though I might be a bit tempted to slight the old school out of loyalty to Oxford and my two sons who studied and taught there, that would hardly be fair! Cambridge is second only to Oxford in revered age amongst English-speaking countries and is consistently listed in the top 5 universities around the globe, often ranking as #1 or #2. Their graduates have earned 65 Nobel Prizes—more than any other university in the world. So, having Cambridge on your resumé would definitely enhance your chances!   Well, back to my account of rambling reflections! When we visited with Aaron and Mike in ’99, we were very interested in the buildings, but upon our return    in 2005 with Kathy and Daniel, we enjoyed more of the ambiance. Kathy made a delightful scrapbook of our trip, so when you see lovely borders around pictures,  quotable quotes, or other bits of charm and beauty over the next few Tuesdays, please note that all enhancements are due to the artistry of my beloved daughter! We’d all just arrived in London after a red-eye flight across the pond from America, so both Kathy and Dan were too sleep-deprived to be sweet-talked into an inspiring punt on the River Cam, although we all really enjoyed a relaxed stroll through the campus and gardens of Cambridge. By lunchtime, we put Alan  on the job of employing his keen diagnostic skills of nose and eye to ferret out the perfect combination of aroma and local popularity to provide for a suitably fabulous (and not too expensive) culinary experience. He has impeccable taste!  I dare say, on our entire trip we never lacked for something scrumptious to eat or an abundance of all things bright and beautiful to enjoy!

Ah, but by mid afternoon, we were all feeling sleepy and exhausted, so we headed off to Sherwood Forest, hoping for a some good fish’n'chips wrapped in newspapers (as I recalled from my summer in the British Isles 30 years previous) for supper and a comfy place to spend the night in Nottingham.  It started to pour, and in the gathering gloom of night we could find no place to eat or sleep for under what seemed  exorbitant prices! (Also, we suspect we eventually wandered into a rather unsavory and possibly dangerous district…not on this elegant old boulevard, but within a mile from this quiet street.)Finally, we did find a place with  2 tiny rooms in a very old hotel (each for 100 £, which was like $150 USD) and bunked down for the night. By the next morning, the rain had stopped, we felt almost human again, and we were  served a delightful breakfast by none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham! Well, that wasn’t exactly his title, although he was campaigning for some high office, and for the rest of the trip, it was quite the joke that we’d been endangered during our trek through Sherwood Forest & robbed by the sheriff of Nottingham! If there’s some lofty lesson to be learned from this story, I’m sure it would be to search for truth, not primarily at any institution (even Cambridge, as marvelous as it is and whose motto is: “From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge”), but from the Word of God “that their [our] hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3). Amen!On a more pragmatic note, I would suggest you might consider getting reservations ahead for at least your first night’s stay in a strange city, especially if you’ve been up on a plane all night getting there!

Madame Tussauds

Before ending my series on R’n'R’s'nB’nB’s (Rambles and Reflections in Byways and Broadways of Britain), I’m including a few favorite experiences from other visits. Back in 2005, Alan and I took Kathy and Daniel to the British Isles to celebrate Kathy’s completing her M.A. in literature and Dan’s admission into dental school at the University of Michigan. Kathy and I planned most of the trip, but when we got to London, Alan and I asked Daniel to dream up something special that he wanted to see. When he said, “I’d like to see Madame Tussauds!” I probably wrinkled my nose (only inwardly, I hope) before taking a deep breath and saying, “Okay! That’s what we’ll do first thing tomorrow!”It made me realize that I was a bit of a cultural snob and thought the idea of wasting so much time and money looking at a museum of wax figures depicting movie stars and murderers sounded about as appealing as this guy on the right… and when I saw that the admission line rivaled the one for Rome’s Sistine Chapel (read that 1-2 hours), only my deep love for the nut on the left above and my sense of commitment to word & honor kept me from begging our troops to bail. In fact, we had a great time! Madame Tussauds has about 400 different life- sized figures of many of the most famous and infamous personalities in modern western history, not just film and sports stars, but royalty, political leaders, singers…you name it, and you can probably find it…I mean him or her! “Madame Tussaud” was born in Strasbourg, France in 1761, as “Anna Maria Grosholtz.” Her mother worked as the housekeeper for a physician who was skilled in the art or making wax models. Dr. Curtius taught Anna Maria his trade, and when Anna was only 16 she made her first model: a representation of the french philosopher, Voltaire. During the French Revolution Anna collected decapitated heads of dignitaries who had been killed and fashioned death masks of them, making her initial claim to fame in a rather dubious  way. In 1802 Dr. Curtius died, leaving his vast collection of models to Anna Maria, and so she spent the next third of a century touring Europe with her wax models. Eventually Anna married (thus the “Madame Tussaud”) and settled down with her museum collection at a permanent location on Baker Street in London, although today it’s nearby on Marylebone Road. We had an awesome time, and Kathy was delighted to note that sometimes small people (like Napoleon Bonaparte) do rule the world. Of course, she also felt dwarfed beside some of the literary greats, but that’s okay! We all need a little inspiration in life, right?  Would I recommend Madame Tussauds? Sure, if you’ve got some extra time and bucks for fun…and especially if you have a son who’s been patiently good-humored about all your bright ideas!

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees, for   man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart’.”           (1 Samuel 16:7)

Punting on the River Cam ala NaPoWriMo

April is NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, so I thought I’d try my hand at imitating that paramount educational scholar, Dr. Seuss. Of course, it’s also “Travel Tuesday,” and I really want to tell you about a few other special sites in the British Isles before finishing my series affectionately named “R’n'R’s in B’n'B’s.”..or Rambles and Reflections in Broadways and Byways of Britain.  Today I’d planned to recommend punting if you get a chance, relating all the fun Alan and I had when we toured the British Isles with our oldest sons, Aaron and Michael, back in 1999 while Michael was studying at Oxford. Cambridge grew up along the Cam River (“bridge over the River Cam”), and if you go punting there, you will enjoy the beautiful countryside as well as the magnificent buildings of Cambridge University (Oxford’s chief rival!).

“Punting on the River CamIs better than green eggs and ham.Try! You’ll like it, Sam I am!”  

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).

The Victoria and Albert: “Greatest Decorative-Arts Museum in the World”

Every time we go to London we find some amazing new treasure that we’d never seen before. This time it was the Victoria and Albert Museum. It has the largest collection of Renaissance sculpture outside of Italy and the greatest collection of Indian art outside India. There are fascinating Chinese and Japanese galleries, suites of furniture, a superb dress collection and an outstanding display of musical instruments. The V&A has also opened 15 modern galleries that explain  the development of British design from the 16th to the 20th centuries using over  3,000 exhibits. “The Great Bed of Ware” from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night resides here, as well as the wedding suite of James II. One of the most incredible  galleries (at least to me) holds “Fakes and Forgeries,” some of which seem to exceed the quality of the old masters that the forgers imitated! There are a trio of galleries dedicated to British landscapes featuring such fabulous painters as Turner and Constable. And on, and on! Really, for anyone interested in any form of art, not only painting and sculpture, but metallurgy, carpentry and furniture, weaving and tapestries,  ceramic tiles,  embroideries, glassware,  stained glass,  exquisite dishware, jewelry… if you enjoy beauty imagined by the human brain & fashioned by human hands, please take the time to visit the “V&A” if you get to London!

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.”    (Revelation 4:11)

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Lost in London: Guard Yourselves at the Changing of the Guard!

Alan says that before we go touring next spring, he’s going to buy us a baby buddy toddler tether so we never get separated again! Know why?  Well, do you remember my pointing out at various places on our tour of the British Isles how Alan would meander off, lost in the beauty of some magnificent garden ormuseum? Uh huh! Well, on this lovely spring day, we all decided to take the London bus tour, and we timed it so that we would hit the stop in front of Buckingham Palace just in time to see the changing the guard.At 10:30 am, we joined the crowds gathering to admire the spectacle, and before long people were everywhere vying for elevated spots or places along the fence with a good view of the courtyard where the solemnities of the guard changing would transpire. By 10:45 am the entire area was packed with a sea of people, and it was a bit of “every man for himself” trying to find somewhere to stand where  you could see more than just a patch of red behind the bars! Being a mother at heart, I  kept one eye on the soldiers and one eye on my sons lest they get lost, but once I had a bead on where they were standing, I stopped worrying & stood transfixed, enjoying the marvelous pageantry! It only took a matter of minutes before the entire event was over. The 100,000 spectators dispersed into thin air,while Stephen, Joel, and I looked for Alan…and looked…and looked! The entire plaza in front of Buckingham Palace seemed pretty empty, but there was no trace of pater noster! “Well,” we said, “he knows we’re going to the Victoria and Albert Museum next, so let’s meet him at our London bus stop!” Alas, no Papa! We missed our bus, and then missed a second bus. Where had he gone? By this time, I was more than ready to find a restroom and very disappointed to discover that there are NO public restrooms near the palace! It was also a very brisk 60° out, and Joel and I were both freezing in the cold. What to do? Joel offered to stay and wait longer, but I didn’t want to leave him  alone, and I was too needy to wait any longer, so we decided to go together to the the Victoria and Albert Museum and hope to find Alan there. It was a good choice for us: warm, beautiful, a great place for lunch, and a wonderful way to invest some time. (In fact, I’ll show you some pictures next week.) However, we never saw Alan again until late that night back at our hotel. He’d needed to use the restroom too, and after he got back, he couldn’t find us anywhere. He forgot

to think about meeting us at the London bus, and by the time it occurred to him, we were gone. (We didn’t have international cell phones.) Alan had a relatively good day touring on his own, but when it came time to go home, two of the tube stations were closed, so he had to walk a long way to find a station, and then he forgot which stop was ours and ended up out in the country before he realized it and got turned around. Poor honey! I was quite alarmed to find that he hadn’t returned when we got there, and I was even more anxious by the time he finally made it back to our hotel, since I assumed he’d have no trouble finding his way!

Moral of the story? Keep a firm hand (or a baby buddy toddler tether) on your  honey, and don’t let her get away!

“A man that has friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

The Flowers in London’s Royal Parks

With nearly 5,000 acres of parkland within the greater metro area, London is considered one of the world’s greenest capitals. Although Regent’s Park (highlighted last Tuesday) is the largest of Central London’s five “Royal Parks,”  Kensington Gardens and adjacent Hyde Park, St. James’ Park, and Green Park are all within easy walking distance of Buckingham Palace, and they’re the perfect place for a refreshing stroll! Instead of telling you more “facts” about London’s gardens, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite London flower photos coupled with a few words of wisdom passed on the me from my daughter-in-law’s Irish mother, Sarah, via Linda’s Australian aunt, Dorthea. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they’ll love you back!

Don’t expect love in return;
Just wait for it to grow in their heart,
But if it doesn’t, be content it grew in yours.May you have

Enough happiness to make you sweet,
Enough trials to make you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human,
And enough hope to make you happy.Always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If what you feel hurts you, it probably hurts the other person too. Bless others, don’t hurt them.

The happiest of people
Don’t necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

When you were born, you were crying
And everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so that when you die,
You’re the one who is smiling
And everyone around you is crying.It’s true that we often don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone,
but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives.

Don’t go for looks; they can deceive.
Don’t go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone whose life radiates love and joy,
Because their smile will make
Even dark days seem bright.
Find the one who makes your heart smile! Please share this message with
Those people who bring love and joy to you,
Those who have touched your life in a special way,
Those who make you smile when you really need it,
Those who help you see the brighter side of things when you are really down,
Those whose friendship is especially precious to you.

And if you don’t, don’t worry,
Nothing bad will happen to you,
You will just miss out on the opportunity
to brighten someone’s life with this message.“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Galatians 5:22)