Intentional Living, Beautiful Moments, & The Art of Being Present
An early morning drive to Stirling, Scotland was met with a leisurely roam about the castle. Josh and I sent our group off to explore before grabbing a coffee to warm our own meander around the mist covered grounds.
Take a little walk with us??
With preparations to honor the Queen's birthday in the works, our foggy scenic walk was filled with the music of warming drummers and bagpipes. Thanks, Stirling. Nice touch!
Up next, St. Andrews...
Following a very brief stop in Oxford and evening rest in Manchester, we set off for England's breathtaking Lake District. Our specific destination was Grasmere, a tiny village so picturesque you sincerely feel as if you're meandering about in the pages of a storybook, the smell of baking gingerbread literally filling the air.
So lovely.
A perfect mountain stream, sheep grazing in the distance.
Stone fences, springtime pastures, a tiny glimpse of the lake.
Crystal clear waters.
Beautiful mountain backdrops.
Moss covered walls to escort you along the paths.
I'm fairly certain these are the happiest geese in all the world.
Daffodils dancing in the distance.
To think, someone actually lives in that hillside house...
...and this is proof. Someone's knickers drying on the line ;-)
Taking it all in. Well, trying to anyway.
Coffee and gingerbread? Check! Quiet village walk? Check! Photo by the stream? Check!
And we're off! One more time...
On the long journey from London, England to Edinburgh, Scotland, we made a few stops... starting with the beautiful little town of Bath. The name itself immediately conjures up thoughts of ancient Romans soaking in steaming springs or Jane Austen feverishly writing from a quiet window overlooking the green. Today you'll still find the essence of those things of course, but I find that even without the history, Bath is truly a breathtaking destination.
After a brief walking tour with our group we sent them off to explore and set out for a quiet stroll of our own. Walking thru the gardens we came upon these four, immediately capturing my heart. Piled on a bench tucked away in a corner they chatted and laughed and gnawed on sandwiches. I couldn't help but love them instantly. As we approached I wondered who they were, their connection and history, their unique stories. The thought of stopping to pepper them with questions was appealing, but rather I smiled, "Ladies, you're too cute sitting here with your sandwiches! Would you mind terribly if I took your photo?" Of course they didn't. They were too happy to mind. They giggled and swallowed, sitting up straighter to pose.
Further down the walk sat another quiet bench, a splendid pink its backdrop. Notice the carpet of blossoms beneath the tree.
Beautiful, yes??
They were blooming all over the UK, a type of flowering cherry tree I believe, and oh how I loved them...
When the wind would blow a shower of delicate petals would rain down from the limbs, living poetry before your eyes. But better still, when you stood beneath and looked up into the branches...
...hundreds of perfect, complete bouquets dangled above your head. God is such a show-off ;-)
We grabbed a quick bite in a tiny locally-sourced cafe, and stopped to gaze one last moment at Bath in all her springtime splendor.
Ah, Bath, we'll see you again soon...
Until then!
This city has occupied a place in my heart for quite a few years now. It isn't necessarily my favorite European city, but it is the one I know best, the one that feels most familiar to me. And I love that. It's such a strange but welcome feeling to feel so at home in such a foreign place.
Leading a tour however, dramatically changes things. Always an artist at heart, it can be terribly difficult for me to explore a city like London without feeling absolutely compelled to do nothing more than stare up at the sky and ancient architecture, stop to gawk at curious street performers, and wander into random bookstores and cafes at will. It's like flipping a switch and turning off the truest part of myself, determinedly forcing focus. But it's good for me. Artistic personalities need boundaries, you see. Otherwise we'd never actually accomplish much of anything. We'd just joyfully wander about in awe of creation.
But leading a tour is about one thing, and one thing only: serving.
You're there to serve this amazing group of people with combined personalities vast as the ocean, to introduce them to a new and different culture, to point out the beautiful and the broken they're likely too excited and sleep-deprived to notice otherwise. You're there to try and answer their questions, lead them from point A to point B, make sure they eat, and cram more into each day than seems possible. You do a lot of problem solving and pretending like you're absolutely calm and confident when you're far from it, and you never under any circumstance let them see the constant craziness you're frantically sorting out while they laugh and chat and sip steaming lattes. You don't sleep much, you try to eat on occasion, and you pray. A lot. In fact sometimes you downright beg for help from heaven because you find yourself in positions you cannot sort our on your own. And to top it all off, you try to make each individual person with their unique preferences and travel styles, their own intentions and desires for this trip...happy. Imagine that, trying to make 26 unique individuals happy in a foreign city on super-tight schedule. Not a simple task, but it's the one you sign up for, and you make it your priority every single day knowing from the get-go how close to impossible it is.
It's far from easy. It's oh-so-difficult. Butit's an honor.
And aside from my endlessly-wandering-about-enamored-with-life-let's-just-stop-and-savor-this-moment-mentality...I also have to battle all of my personal concerns: How will I get enough sleep? How will I function when I know I won't sleep? How will I avoid gluten? How will I eat if there's nothing gluten-free? How will I function if I'm not eating? How will I function if I'm not eating or sleeping? How will I lead a group of strangers through a hectic city when I've not eaten or rested? When will I shower? Will I shower? How will I get thru the tube system without losing half my group when I haven't eaten or slept or showered? How will I...how will I...how will I... You see how concerning this can be ;-)
So in advance, you choose to surrender. For days leading up to my departure date I meditate on a single promise: He will perfect that which concerns me. He will perfect everything that concerns me. Psalm 138 (In other words, red berries. As always, they'll find me.)
I was reminded of this truth over and over from the moment I boarded my plane to delightfully find I had two seats all to myself and would actually get to sleep on the dreaded transatlantic flight... He will perfect that which concerns me.
When catching a cab to my hotel, concerned I didn't have enough cash to pay the driver, watching the meter creep higher and higher still miles from the hotel I finally asked him to drop me saying I'd walk the rest, to which he replied, "You're nice. I appreciate nice people. I'll drop you at the door, no worries." He will perfect that which concerns me.
When I couldn't check in because my room wouldn't be ready for several hours and there was no luggage room to store my belongings, suddenly the maid walked by and announced she'd clean my room next if I'd like... He will perfect that which concerns me.
When I was entirely too exhausted to catch the tube to Whole Foods to pick up a few groceries, I round the corner mere steps from my hotel and stumble upon the most beautiful organic market, shelves bursting with gluten-free goodies... He will perfect that which concerns me.
When a creepy Italian guy started following me and I couldn't get rid of him for anything until suddenly a look of horror crossed his face and he violently took off as if on fire, as if angelic beings had just appeared flanking me on either side... He will perfect that which concerns me.
At every turn, at every simple and sometimes grave concern, He met me. And because of His care and provision for the simple things that matter so greatly to me, I was able to shelf my own concerns and focus solely on my group.
So back to that...
In a matter of three days we saw Big Ben, parliament, Westminster Abbey. We strolled St. James park, Buckingham Palace, milled about at Trafalgar Square. We listened to violins and cellos at St. Martins in the field, gawked at a few paintings at the National Gallery. We rode a boat down the Thames in morning sun, explored the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespear's Globe Theatre, Millennium Bridge and the London Eye. We walked the historic East End, browsed the stalls at Spitalfield's market, worshipped together at Hillsong, and listened to a wonderful man share his heart concerning the homeless of the city. And every evening we shared meals and devotions, crawled into bed entirely exhausted, and prayed fervently that our alarms wouldn't fail us in the a.m.
It was glorious.
There's entirely too much to share in a single post, so today I wanted simply to introduce you to my darling group and let you know that over the next few days I'll be sharing photos and tidbits of this and that from England to Scotland and everywhere in between. Bath, Oxford, Grasmere and the Lake District, Stirling, St. Andrews... The music of bagpipes, sweet moments of realization, trying not to fall asleep on the coach, and the best gluten-free pizza I've ever tasted... Farm to table restaurants and markets, a delightful vinegar tasting, the most perfect coffee shop in existence, the most perfect thrift shop in existence... Weird encounters, a blissful meeting of souls, converted cathedrals, and even Josh in a kilt... ;-)
Stay tuned my friends, there's much to come.
Saturday
A lovely, sunny drive to Mineral Wells. Visiting the Crazy Water storefront, filling containers with No. 3 and No. 4.
Mineral Wells State Park. Hiking. A picnic on a boulder overlooking the lake. Tons of sunshine.
Tommy looking like a tree frog. Josh looking like a monkey. Linda just looking cute. And me taking photos because, well, because I don't really DO boulder scaling.
Tommy scared to jump from a rock. Me and Linda giggling quietly. Josh falling off a rock. Me and Linda laughing hysterically.
Josh and I posing in a rock crevice, cause that's kind of fun and all. Linda saying, "Good job hiding behind that rock, you look really skinny!" Me bursting into hysterics.
Full day. Full hearts. Full life.
Sunday
A Sunday morning brunch with Kyle. Browsing thru shops in Bishop Arts. A long afternoon walk down Swiss, me and Josh, hand in hand. An evening meal with Steven and Christine, marveling at their newly planted fig and persimmon trees, sharing laughter and stories late into the night.
Monday
Bonus day. Grateful hearts. Breakfast in the reading room, flipping thru stacks of books, staying in pajamas far longer than necessary. Packing a picnic and books and journals, heading to the Arboretum, finding the perfect spot in the sun. Friends coming and going, blankets and books, a baby with an orange for the very first time...certain bliss.
So, what did YOU do this weekend???
Saturday Josh and I packed up and headed out to Ben Franklin to visit the fam. We had a few projects to attend to and the weather was perfect for a country drive, but most importantly there were many new introductions to be made...
Meet Rosalina (Rosy), Pork Chop (Chops), and Carly. Three friendly little red pigs who now call Ben Franklin home. (on a side note, Josh was terribly disappointed that he didn't get to name one of them Bacon, but Tirzah has promised she'll give Josh naming dibs when the first litter of piglets arrives) Mom talks to them, and for them, of course. And Dad paralyzes them by scratching their bellies until they fall over in utter bliss. It's hysterical. They're definitely part of the family now. However, no one gets to live a delightful long life on the farm without responsibility. The chickens lay eggs, the goats keep the pastures clean, the dogs protect the goats from predators, etc. Everyone works. So in accordance with the rules the pigs have been assigned garden-plowing duty. Once they've completed the chore they'll be transferred to new assignments. They seem cool with it.
We also met Stinker-goat's new baby. It's sad to see her without Holman-the-goose, however mom did affectionately name the new baby 'Holman Jr.' in his honor. I told her it was blasphemy. He'd be livid if he knew...
Eventually we made it out to the barn to meet Sassy's brand new litter of puppies. Look how sweet they are.
We were quickly made aware, however, of grumblings regarding the new babies. The goats and chickens were visibly upset that Sassy had chosen the hen house as a nursery. The chickens can't get in to do their daily chore of egg-laying and the goats have been ousted from their choice napping spot. Speaker of the Barn, Patches-the-goat, was on a mission to make sure we were aware of the rumblings.
"Excuse me. Um, excuse me, there's a matter that needs to be addressed today regarding the unapproved location of the nursery?? We would really appreciate a human representative at our meeting being that, well, being that you're the only ones who can actually do anything about it??"
"No photos at the meeting please--what, well, okay if you must this is definitely my best side..."
"The meeting will begin here at the spool in--um, excuse me?? Mrs. Human Representative with the camera? Are you listening? This is a very seriously matter. Miss Speckled Chicken is getting ready to begin in just a moment. Please put the camera away..."
"Okay Miss Speckles, we're ready to begin..."
"Hey!! I said NO cameras!"
Unfortunately to my knowledge no course of action has yet been agreed upon by all parties, however the official relocate-the-puppy-nursery-committee is still hard at work, determined to come to some sort of resolve.
(Hello my name is Terrica and I'm addicted to making animals 'talk'. My mother does it, my grandmother does it, my great-grandmother did it...I'm afraid there's no help for it.)
So what did you do this weekend?? Did you get out and enjoy the beautiful weather??
