The Snow Is always Deeper on the Northern Side of the State

So, I repent of complaining about spring taking so long to come to lower Michigan, because—as you can see from these pictures I took last weekend—the snowbanks at the opposite end of our state in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, still conjure up thoughts of northern Alaska to me. (Although I promise you that all these pictures were just taken this past weekend while Alan and I were taking a little nostalgia tour of our old home town.) Sault Ste. Marie is a beautiful place to visit anytime, although I love fall the best. I grew up in a little house on Dillon St., but we did something very special this  time: We stayed at the Ojibway, a historic hotel overlooking the the Soo Locks  and famed for hosting the “CaChoo Club” and some notable guests.The Ojibway is now owned by Ramada but still retains it’s 1930′s ambiance, and they include a lovely complimentary breakfast in their sunny dining room. Our room was charming and the bed comfy…definitely a pleasant stay. Our room overlooked the Soo Locks and Brady Park, and after we checked out,  we took a stroll through the park, as we have done hundreds of times over the  years. When we were kids, we used to sit in the crook of that tree on the left and watch the tourists passing by. Forty-five+ years later, we’re the tourists! My mother helped found the People-to-People organization nearly 50 years ago, and this gate from Japan in Brady Park was a gift from their “sister city.”I used to have to walk up Easterday Hill every day on my way home from school. In those days, there were no steps and we sometimes had to pull ourselves up using the railings to keep us from sliding back down in the icy winter weather! We picked up Milt and Faye for lunch. They are like second parents to Alan. Alan grew up with their son, Larry, & he later worked with Milt at his dad’s shop.(I hope you’re noticing the incredibly high snowbanks in these pictures!) Milt and Faye have been a great source of inspiration to us over the years!     (This is a picture from the wall by their front door…and they really live this out!)We stopped at “Cozy’s” for some of their famous whitefish & sour cream/chives  french fries. I’ll tell you, there’s no whitefish like Lake Superior fresh-caught! Oh, and I mustn’t forget to tell you about the great dinner we had the night before with Alan’s cousin, Jim, and his sweet wife, Gladys. What a blessing it was to head north for the weekend, even though they’ve had a

brutal winter and the snowbanks were unbelievably high! Next time I’m tempted to complain about the late spring in lower Michigan—or whatever challenge I’m dealing with—will you remind me that the snows are deeper elsewhere? I, for one, am glad I’m not on the other side of the fence, and I hope you are too!

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’.”      (Hebrews 13:5)

Introducing London’s Top Sites and the British Museum

No matter how you cut it, the British Museum is the most educational and fascinating single site in London, and it’s also one of the greatest museums in the entire world. We have a running family joke that it’s the best museum the kids have ever seen in 50 minutes (which is also, sadly, an honor that’s occurred at Florence’s Uffizi more than once, although at least you can get in free at the Uffizi if you get there that late). However, the British Museum is always free (along with the National Portrait Gallery, another fantastic resource for art and history buffs that is  very close by and well worth several hours. ) The trick with the British Museum is that if you catch the tube (subway) into the heart of the city at Leicester Square (which is where we like to start in order to buy half-price tickets for an evening West End musical performance that night…look for the TKTS booth in the Clocktower building), and if you start with an Original London Bus Tour (my favorite is the Red tour, but the Yellow tour is also great, and of course, you can buy a two-day pass if you have the time and money and go on a half a dozen tours )…at any rate if you start at Leister Square and want to take an entire trip around the city, stopping at Buckingham Palace at 11:00AM in time for the changing of the guard (which doesn’t always happen, so check ahead if you hope to see it),                                               and then if you want to hop on  and

off all day to enjoy all the fascinating markets,exotic gardens, and historic galleries…

well, that brings you back around to the British Museum after 4PM and gives you less than an hour to zoom through it’s seemingly endless labyrinth of great halls and passageways before it closes at 5:30 PM and you need to look for a yummy supper along Charing Cross before you jaunt over to the theatre in time for your evening performance (if you’re not utterly worn out by then). Ah, but I’ve done it again! It’s already late and I’ve not even begun to show you pictures of the treasures in the British Museum, but I will try to next Tuesday, the good Lord willing!I wonder, are you ever like me…so busy trying to see and do everything that you never really have enough time to do “the very best” right? I want you to know that we started at the British Museum this time and made it our first stop when we visited London so that we finally had enough time, and I’m so glad that we did! I am now trying to keep first things first in my life!

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; beside me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6).

Where to Stay in London

Alan and I have been to or through London a half a dozen times, but it always  seems that there’s too much going on at Buckingham Palace for the queen to invite us to spend the night, so we’ve had to forage for ourselves, and I’m guessing you might be in the same boat! I thought I’d let you know where we’ve stayed and then ask if anybody out there reading this has any even better ideas!        If you really want to spend as few shekels as possible, then I can (almost) recommend the YHA under the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral. We’ve stayed there, and you can’t beat the price: £15 ($23) per bed or £32 ($50) for a room. It was once the school for St. Paul’s choir boys but has been converted into multiple dorm rooms full of international young people. There isn’t much in the way of security unless you think ahead and reserve a room to yourselves, so I slept quite poorly, keeping my purse under my pillow and listening to Asian kids calling their parents all through the night (when their folks would be awake). The cafeteria serves ample food, but we now fondly refer to this hostel as “Mel’s East,” because it definitely reminds us of our local rescue mission.If money isn’t super tight, perhaps the most lovely place we’ve stayed is the Tudor Lodge, a charming 45-room hotel/bed and breakfast in Eastcote, Pinner, about a half an hour ride by train from downtown. (Very reasonable for London, at about £ 69-79 per night, which equals $100-$125, since the exchange rate is about 1.57 right now.) The only drawback for us was that the night we went to see the play production of The Woman in White, by the time we walked back to the tube station, the trains had shut down for the night, & we weren’t too thrilled wandering about the streets near midnight trying to find (and pay for) a cabby who would drive us that far out of town. However, we have now found “the perfect” solution for us personally: the Ibis Hotel near London’s Heathrow Airport. If all you need is a clean, safe, economical place to stay while visiting London, I unreservedly recommend the Ibis. You can get a room for about $60. That’s only $10 more than the cheapest (legitimate) place in town, and it’s a lot cleaner and more secure. We’ve stayed there numerous times, and I’ve already paid for our reservations for our next visit. On the other hand, if any of you reading this blog have a tip on an even better deal for a place somewhere      safe and clean (like a B’n'B downtown with great food), please let us know!I’ve been thinking about the similarities and contrasts between the thousands of possible places to stay in any big city, be it London, Paris, NYC, or GR. What are we really looking for? What do we need? How much are we willing to spend? How do we make our choice? Is it comfort? Ease? Location? Value? Safety? Beauty? What are we looking for in life? What do we need? How much are we willing to spend? How do we make our choice? For me, the answer has been overwhelming clear: I’m not really looking for comfort or ease, but I’m definitely looking for value, safety, and beauty…and I find them all wrapped up in the person of Jesus. I am at home in his heart and under his wing!

“For he [we] looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

Hidden Away…Eynsham Village

Here is my beloved youngest son, Joel, loyally attending me even after Alan and Stephen had given out for the day and evening shadows were growing long. It was our last night in the country, & we’d seen everything listed in the guidebooks noteworthy in the area…the famous towns of the Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace,the world-famous University at Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral, the Eagle and Child Restaurant, Stratford-upon-Avon, and even a Shakespearean play.What was left, and why go in search of Eynsham…a tiny village so insignificant that it wasn’t discussed in the guidebooks…or even listed in the index?As a matter of fact, Eynsham is in West Oxfordshire and one of the Cotswoldvillages. It has existed since the Bronze Age and has a fascinating history…but because it’s off the “beaten path,” it was totally devoid of tourists and feltas peaceful and serene as a village untouched for hundreds of years! The thatched roofs were more authentic-looking than Anne Hathaway’s house, and the flowers as pristineand fragrant as any growing in the country gardens at Stow-on-the-Wold.The stone cottages were just as honey-colored and the gardens just as tidy.

Why, I wondered, wasn’t Eynsham famous and crowded with tourists too?I really don’t know. Maybe the townsfolk would like to keep their community hidden away. Maybe they don’t want fame! Maybe they’d rather not be bothered with thousands of gawking tourists day in and day out. Maybe they’d like to get lots of attention, but for some reason, they just don’t. It made me think of myyoungest son, who is a truly authentic and magnificent person but has at times felt overlooked. I’m sure we all feel that way from time to time—at school, at work, or when we feel lonely. I was caught by this phrase: “To the glory of God.”If we do all that we do “to the glory of God,” then nothing will go unnoticed or unappreciated. May an audience of One be enough to make us bloom radiantly!

P.S.—As an after thought, I wonder if we sometimes overlook people who are truly wonderful simply because they don’t promote themselves…might be time to start looking around a bit more carefully!

“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).

The River Thames and Eynsham Lock

Have you ever had a meander along the River Thames? I had not, and so when I read that the Talbot Inn had originally been a wharf along the Thames, I was intrigued, and all the more so when that our room was named “Eynsham Lock.”Alan was too tired for another adventure, but I prevailed upon my two sons to join me in a jaunt across the pastureland behind the inn in search of the illusive Eynsham Lock. This was particularly exciting to me, since I grew up in Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan,  where the mighty “Soo Locks”* were a constant source of interest each summer. I was curious about how the lock worked, and (as always) in the mood for an evening (or morning, or afternoon) constitutional! I had never seenan old-fashioned “pound” lock that could be manually operated by boaters at willand found the whole idea of house boats and river cruising fascinating. What would it be like to live a week, a month, a year…or a lifetime on a boat,plying along some scenic river? I’ve heard of people doing this, but I wondered…how do they support themselves? Are they all independently wealthy? Or, do some wealthy people just own house boats and take them out from time to time

the way Americans own sailboats, RV’s, and yachts? I tried to imagine what it might be like, but the Lord has made me so content that it didn’t really seem that appealing…although I’m sure it would be wonderful fun for a while, and I suspect those who enjoy such a life style love it dearly.  Alan and I went to the RVshow in GR last weekend, and we both came away with a happy consensus: Let’s just be content and thankful for what we have: a car and two pairs of sturdy legs!It’s a fabulous privilege to be able to travel, and I am a fan of all sorts of transportation, but I also love variety, so I’m glad I can fly to far away places and then walk a few miles. “A taste is as good as a feast,” my mother used to say, and I’ve noticed feeling that way too. As we walked along the bank, this is what we saw overhead…the sky streaked with contrails from the many jets at HeathrowInternational Airport. Definitely time to move on to our next adventure: London!

But oh, how I hated to give up the pastoral setting of rural England. So, before we ended the evening,  Joel indulged me in one last Pooh-Bearian expotition…a walking quest to find Eynsham Village.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servants, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

“But covet earnestly the best gifts…” (I Corinthians 12:31, just before Paul launched into his treatise on love, which is “the greatest gift”  )

*Picture of Soo Locks from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ website.

England’s Talbot Inn on the River Thames

If you’re looking for a place to stay in merry, old England while exploring Oxford, Bleinheim, and the Cotswolds, consider the Talbot Inn, a 16th century building just four miles from Oxford on the River Thames. This delightful B’n'B with 11 rooms and a family-friendly pub serves food and friendship around a crackling fire until late in the evenings. There has been a building on this site since 1376,                                                     (ancient well still on site)                                  although at that time the area was used as a wharf for storing and loading produce and products such as hay, malt, and timber, which were then floated down the River Thames into London. By 1774, there was a pub on this spot named the  Horse & Jockey, but in 1836 it was renamed the Talbot Inn. A “talbot” is a light-colored hound with a highly developed sense of smell. They are eager hunters, so of course this brought to mind visions of Sherlock Holmes out pursuing some evil suspect on a misty moor or sitting thoughtfully in a shadowy corner of the pub smoking his pipe and trying to solve his case over a glass of ale.Today, the Talbot Inn  is the epitome of delicious cuisine for a good value. They pride themselves in using local produce, serve all the traditional fare such as shepherd’s pie (made from scratch, mind you) and their boast that it “seems like a holiday experience every night” was indeed true, at least when we were there!Every so often they have special events, and the night we visited, they were hosting a joint venture between the Eynsham and Oxford traditional dance and music troops. We were totally charmed by their lively folk music, unusual instruments, and traditional dances, and I really felt like we’d traveled back to days of yore. The kids stayed up late watching, but Alan and I fell asleep with the pleasant sounds of music and laughter wafting in through our upstairs window. And, the next morning, we were treated to “the full English.” Just in case you’ve never experienced the full English, it’s a breakfast meant to keep you satisfied for hours! Once, after the full English at Big Mike’s in Haworth, Alan and I hiked the moors with Kathy and Daniel for 7 hours without needing anything more than some biscuits and tea to freshen up at the top of  Top Withins (but that will be the story for another day). The full English often starts with juice, fruits, cereals, and toast with marmalade and tea, but it always concludes with 7 items: baked beans, sausage, ham, and butter- fried toast, eggs, tomatoes, and mushrooms. You can order as much as you want of each of these items, and you can opt out of whatever you don’t want…but who’d want to?! After a breakfast like that, we were ready to conquer London…but not before I tell you about our walking tour of the River Thames and Eynsham.   Also, I hope none of us are opting out of all the fulness of the life that God has planned for us! Sometimes I think we’re more like Eeyore, feasting on thistles instead of the abundance of wonderful things that God offers us. If any of you feel like you’re missing out on life, please open your mouth wide and ask God to fill it!

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)

Rise Up, My Love (14): Healing Balm in the Name

Song of Solomon 1:3 “Because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.” What are ointments? Ointment and perfume are related, but they are not exactly the same thing. Perfumes are usually fluid and used solely for the purpose of creating a pleasurable odor. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, an ointment is “a highly viscous or semisolid substance” used on the skin as a salve. An ointment may be used cosmetically like a perfume, but it normally functions as a healing balm with medicinal benefits. The thought might be paraphrased, “Your healing influences in my life are such a fragrant balm to my soul that even the very utterance of your name is like pouring out a bottle of salve.”Isn’t that true of our experience with our Creator? The morning I first meditated on this was a glorious Indian summer September day, and my husband and I meandered along the beautiful three-and-a-half mile “Cliff Walk” in Newport, Rhode Island. Bees and butterflies drifted among the mounds of goldenrod, blue flax, yarrow, and clover. Everywhere along the craggy coast there were mountains of wild roses, some intertwined with delicate pink morning glories. Breakers crashed against the rocks below, exposing glittering veins of quartz in the granite boulders. As we walked along, I found myself both overwhelmed and calmed by meditating on God and experiencing the beauty of his creation…his power and presence. Songs like “For the Beauty of the Earth” and “This is my Father’s World” kept singing themselves in my heart.Just experiencing God in his creation…understanding a little of his goodness and genius…made my soul leap with joy and filled my heart with praise. The sorrows of life all faded away in his presence…my girlfriend whose fifty-year-old husband had (literally) just dropped dead out jogging the week before, one of my mentors who had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my missionary friend’s report of brutal persecution of Christians in Indonesia…the trials of life were overpowered by the sense of God’s love and his eternal plan for eventual human bliss. This world will one day be redeemed. What a balm to my soul!Have you experienced “the savor of his good ointments”…God’s amazing healing power? He not only breaks the power of sin’s reign over our lives, he heals us from many of the ravages of sin…sorrow, bitterness, anger, hatred, fear, despair, confusion, guilt, and depression. If we will give him our whole heart (all fifty million shattered pieces), He will put our lives back together, give us a reason for living, and teach us how to live.

“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3)!

Have you seen The Hobbit? The Eagle and Child?

Have you seen the new Hobbit movie? If so, what did you think of it? For anyone of a literary bent, although there are many historic eateries in  Oxford, none is so compelling as The Eagle and Child, where The Hobbit and   The Chronicles of Narnia were first read aloud by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkienduring meetings of their “Inklings” literary group…a gathering of great friends and authors who’d affectionately re-named the restaurant “The Bird and Baby.” It was a bit of a pilgrimage for us to tread the same dim, paneled alcoves as these great literary masters (especially given that Joel, Stephen, and I all love to write), and to enjoy some historic favorites, such as their incredible Beef Rib Pie andtheir famous Pork Belly dish with mashers (the good kind) and apples. Since 1650, The Eagle and Child has been satisfying customers, and here are two more.   I truly hope that some day our writings bless others. We have great inspiration from the modeling of great men like C.S. Lewis. It was through reading his book, Mere Christianity, that both my mother and my Aunt Helen came to value the reality of Christ as a person and believe in him as the savior sent by God to redeem the world.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”— C.S. Lewis

“There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those  to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’” —C.S. Lewis

Oxford: Does It Get Any Better Than This?

I probably have academiaitis. My father, husband, and three of my sons have earned the title “Dr.”, and I love it! And so, it was with special relish that we visited the ivy-covered walls of Oxford, home of the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second- oldest university in the  entire world. In fact, there were students studying here as early as 1096 AD! Our son Michael spent some time studying at Oxford University’s St. Aldate’s College, and our son Jonathan taught at Wycliffe Hall.Altogether, there are 38 colleges and the entire city is abuzz with bright-eyed students! Oxford University is also the home to England’s oldest botanic garden.Henry Danvers, the first Earl of Danby, gave a donation (worth over a million dollars today) back in 1621 to establish a garden for medicinal research, for “the glorification of the works of God and for the furtherance of learning.” The garden now contains representatives from over 90% of the higher plant families…some 8,000+ species! Oxford’s motto is Dominus Illuminatio Mea, which being translated, means: “The Lord is my Light.”  Does it get any better than this?Oxford’s motto comes from the Bible, Psalm 27:1, and in  honor of our world’s oldest and probably most revered English-speaking university, I would like to share a few more thoughts from the Bible on wisdom and salvation.“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you  may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)“The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).“If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).“A wise man fears, and departs from evil,  but the fool rages and is confident.” (Proverbs 14:16)“Give instructions to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” (Proverbs 9:9)“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare’s Home “Sweet?” Home

From the Cotswolds we skittered into Stratford-upon-Avon just in time to pick  up our tickets for the Swan Theatre. In fact, we were early! (Incredible. ) Although the Royal Shakespearean wasn’t performing Shakespeare that night, we did thoroughly enjoy their performance of a Caroline-era farce from 1632 about an arrogant rich family who learned that kindness is much more important than position. I love how plays can use surprising turns and laughter to teach a serious lesson. The next morning we got up bright and early to    luxuriate in Stratford’s old-world charm, with their Tudor-style, half-timbered architecture, steep roofs, and alluring shops begging you to gaze deeply into their wide-eyed windows filled with tiny panes…down to their teddy bear hearts. Our first goal on this chilly morning walking tour was to secure a steaming cup of tea and something fortifying, such as Pooh Bear might enjoy, but it was more easily said than done, although—I have to admit—it’s hard to mind wandering through  a quaint village and along such a notable stream as the peaceful Avon River. Ourperseverance was finally rewarded, & we found a very cheery spot for breakfast!Just down Henley Street was William Shakespeare’s birth place, which is now amuseum open to the public. I thought the building was very impressive for its time, and in fact, Shakespeare’s father was a wealthy textile merchant. The homewas built in “wattle and daub” around an oak frame and typical for the working class during England’s “Golden Age” (1558-1603). The museum is simple but full of interesting information about Shakespeare and Elizabethan England, and some say that Shakespearean country is second only to London in popularity with tourists.  We peaked into their gardens and then moved on to see some of the other particularly attractive areas around town, including a monument from an American commemorating the golden  jubilee of Queen Vic & engraved with a few of Shakespeare’s famous quotations.After satisfying our curiosity about Stratford, we traveled just a few km to visit Shottery, the birthplace of Anne Hathaway. I want you to notice the incredibly narrow streets we traveled, and how the cars literally bump up onto the curb so other cars can pass…making it possible for two-way travel on a one-lane road! William Shakespeare married Ann Hathaway (who was 8-9 years older) when he was only 18 and she was already pregnant with their first child, Suzanna. The couple also had twins two years later, Hamnet and Judith. Apart from that, very little is known about their marriage and family life. Shakespeare spent most of his 52 years pursuing his career in theater, although he did return home for a visit every year, and when he retired, he chose to live in Stratford with Anne rather than in London. You can only imagine the fodder for surmises and whatever scandal sheets might have circulated in those days, but the fact of the matter is that the true nature of their relationship will remain a mystery. I have to admit, it was tempting to try to guess what their relationship might have been like, but then I remembered our Lord’s admonition from John 7:24, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” I think, in this case, “righteous judgment” is out of the question, and so it’s best to leave them in peace…along with everybody else’s marriage, wouldn’t you say?Have you ever looked at somebody else’s marriage and thought to yourself, “How in the world does that work?” I admit: I have been guilty. Instead, let’s just enjoyall the good things that do exist and leave the rest to “rest in peace.”

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).