I cannot walk wherever I want, but I can walk. I cannot talk with whomever I wish, but I can talk. I cannot see whoever I want, but I can see. I cannot do whatever I want, but I can be. I cannot eat whatever I want, but I can eat. I am confined in many ways, but life’s still sweet.
I cannot hug, but I can love. I can’t do all I’m dreaming of. I cannot touch, but I can keep. I cannot guard, but I can sleep. I cannot save, but I can pray. Thank you, Father, for this day!
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
(No, we’re not on vacation with our two youngest sons in Ireland this morning; I’m sheltering in place at home. But, I am very grateful to be alive and more or less well after significantly recovering from the flu or a light case of COVID-19)!
Our family has been savoring “Shepherd’s Pies” and “Cottage Pies” ever since we first started visiting England years ago, and our son Joel has really perfected his rendition, so I’ve asked if I could share it with you today. It’s the perfect “comfort food” for a cold winter’s night!
Cottage Pie can really be a meal-in-one, although we normally serve it with some sides (such as you see here, from the last time he served it at home). Last Wednesday he made it again as his offering for a fellowship dinner with his church “life group” (prayer meeting; small group . . .) However you cut it, it’s always a hit!
Joel’s Savory Cottage Pie (8-12 Servings)
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Preheat oven to 400F.
1.5 pounds of potatoes, scrubbed and cut into pieces. Boil until tender. Brown 1 pound of ground beef in skillet. Chop 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 4 oz mushrooms. Add to browned beef. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add 1 cup frozen peas. Lower heat. Add 3 tablespoons of flour to meat/vegetables, stirring until thickened. Add: 3/4 cup beef stock (or 1 bouillon cube + 3/4 cup water) 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried rosemary Pinch of allspice to the meat/vegetables. Stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mash potatoes with 2–4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup half and half. Put meat/vegetables in the bottom of a casserole pan. Cover completely with mashed potatoes. Use a fork to give the potatoes texture. Bake for 30 minutes at 400°F. on top rack until the potatoes start to brown on top.
Now, the only difference between “Cottage Pie” and “Shepherds Pie” is that Shepherd’s Pie is made with ground lamb rather than ground beef. We’ve found that ground lamb is a rarer commodity in America, so we usually make cottage pie, but if you can find ground lamb and want to be more authentically English, try it with lamb too sometime for a special occasion. Both ways taste really delicious! 🙂
Individual serving of Shepherd’s Pie on a ship cruising the North Atlantic
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11). Have you listened to Handel’s Messiah yet this Christmas? We just attended it last weekend. The Messiah is a majestic, musical retelling of the story of Jesus, the great Shepherd who died for all of us and wants us to become part of his flock. How? Simply by asking. By praying something like this: “Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world. I know that I have sinned and need a savior. I am sorry for all the ways in which I have failed in the past—and for the times I still selfishly choose evil over good. Please forgive me, save me, and become my Lord and my Savior. Thank you for being willing to save me and make me your child. Please lead me in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. Amen.”
Have you ever noticed there is more to do in life than will ever be done? No amount of prayerful planning and meticulous organization can align all the opportunities in such a way that we can be hither and yon at the proper moment to squeeze every last drop out of our lives’ orangey goodness!
I cannot watch over my grandson’s surgery across the state and still provide for my grand children here in GR while my daughter-in-law cares for her father’s medical needs.
Armstrongs in the Poppy Fields of Belgium
I couldn’t host my son’s family, coming home from Belgium to America, and still fly to Scotland to attend the 500th reunion of the Armstrong Clan, now, could I?
Marius’s First Birthday Party
Indeed, I could not. However, we had a splendid reunion of our “Armstrong Clan” right here in GR while the world-wide Armstrong Clan’s 500th Celebration was occurring!
Brother Terry at Milnholm Cross, Scotland
And, although Alan and I had to miss it, Alan’s brother and his wife were able to attend. So—I wanted to share just a little bit about the event.
Perhaps the world’s most famous Armstrong is Neil, First Man on the moon, so the events of the clan centered around the Armstrongs’ 500th anniversary generally, but also the 50th anniversary of the lunar takeoff, which was July 16, 2019.
The Common Riding in Langholm, Scotland
For over 900 years, there has been a tradition of “common riding” (groups of riders [raiders, really]) on horses riding along the border between Scotland and England during the summer months. Happily, this has turned into a non-raiding riding event for fun and has become one of Europe’s biggest equestrian spectacles!
Gilnockie Tower in Hollows, near Canonbie, Scotland, built by John Armstrong 500 years ago
What I didn’t really understand when I married Alan was that I’d married into a wild band of “reivers” (“from the old Scottish word “to steal”)! Back in their hay day, it was said that to survive to thirty was an accomplishment and that no one walked along the border . . . they ran for their lives!
Sign explaining the Milnholm Cross
(However, lest I think poorly of our esteemed Armstrong heritage, my grandmother was a Kerr, who is also on the list of wild border clans, along with Nixon, Elliot, Scott, and a host of others!)
John Armstrong Memorial
Terry and Eileen explored the area and shared much of what they learned with us. The last famous reiver of the Armstrong Clan was John Armstrong, who owned Gilnockie Tower and was a fearsome raider, although in July of 1530 he was executed by the forces of King James V in an attempt to bring peace to the borderlands between Scotland and England.
Fifty years ago, Ted and Judy Armstrong revived the Armstrong Clan Association, and since that time, Gilnockie Tower has been restored and become the focal point for Armstrongs from around the world who are interested in DNA and genealogical research into their past.
Gilnockie Tower Common Room
I don’t know if you’re an Armstrong or have any Armstrong blood, but it has been fascinating and fun to learn a little bit more about our family heritage, and I’m guessing you might enjoy exploring yours too, if you ever get any spare time!
Terry at John Armstrong’s Grave Site
Terry and Eileen (and their faithful dog, Maggie) are retired and are able to enjoy some leisure time traveling through Europe and exploring their history. Talk about keeping fit and being a lifelong learner!
They’ve spent several years adventuring, and I have to say, I lick my chops when I read of their travels and see the gorgeous places they’ve visited!
The Neil Armstrong Tea
Still, I am content, even if we didn’t make it to the moon and back for tea in July! God is good. Life is good. As my father used to say (quoting Aldous Huxley from Brave New World): “You pays your money and you takes your choice.” Are you happy with the choices you’re making? I hope so! If not, you are the only one who can change your choices!!
Only One Life (—Avis B. Christiansen and Merrill Dunlop)
“Only one life to offer Jesus my Lord and King. Only one tongue to praise Thee And of Thy mercy sing (forever). Only one heart’s devotion Savior, O may it be consecrated alone to Thy matchless glory, Yielded fully to Thee.
“Only one life to offer Take it dear Lord I pray. Nothing from Thee withholding Thy will I now obey. Thou who hast freely given Thine all in all for me Claim this life for Thine own to be used My Savior Ev’ry moment for Thee.”
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
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).
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).
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!)
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).
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! 🙂
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)
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).
Summer Setting 