Checking things off the List!

    Next week I will be returning to the States...but, that is not what this post is about.  Since my time is coming to an end I am attempting to wrack up as many English "experiences" as possible; this weekend I added a day in Stratford Upon-Avon, black pudding, and a proper afternoon tea to the list.  I would like to start out by saying that I have some truly wonderful people in my life who are willing to humor me in this endeavor!

    Last Friday I traveled to Stratford with a friend, Millie, to enjoy this beautiful heat wave (highs of 78 degrees) as well as a performance of Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theater.  We arrived about halfway through the afternoon and were greeted by throngs of uniformed children walking home from school as well as some of the most beautiful hanging baskets.  After perusing the local market, Millie was keen to hit up one of her favorite shops.  In an unintentionally cruel act she took me to a very quaint shop that housed a great collection of summer sun dresses.  You are probably wondering the cruelty of this tour...I am 98.7643% sure that I will not be able to fit everything that I already own let alone any last minute purchases.  Luckily, one of the most important lessons I have learned this year is the difference between want and need.  

     After shopping we strolled along the canal, enjoyed an ice cream and took in a serene afternoon landscape.  We then found ourselves inside the theater where there was an exhibition costumes from past performances.  There were a great number of displays that had everything from shoes, wigs, armor, to the clothes the actors wore.  The best part of the exhibit, however, was the section where you were afforded the opportunity to try on some of the pieces.  Needless to say Millie and I spent a great deal of time trying on practically all of the costumes (men's pieces included)!

    We had dinner alongside the canal and then it was time for the show.  Now, I like Shakespeare, however, given the chance I would much rather see a musical because Shakespeare tends to be a little heavy.  Yet, the cast of Hamlet found a way to make such a dark drama funny.
    On Sunday I was able to cross off two more English "experiences" with a lunch consisting of lamb and black pudding and afternoon tea.   For those of you who do not know, black pudding is essentially a disk shaped "puck" of congealed pig's blood.  While this does not sound like the most delicious of English indulgences, if you add lamb, potatoes, and red cabbage it turns out to be quite a meal.

    I then spent the afternoon baking with my good friend, Emily.  We readied for afternoon tea by preparing scones, crumbly banana bread, and small cakes with cream and strawberries.  Our efforts paid off, the weather held up, and we had an absolutely gorgeous afternoon.  































Like I said before, I am am very fortunate to be surrounded by people who are willing and eager to provide some color, laughter and new experiences into my life!!!!! God is Good, and So is Life!

77 years...NO MORE!

I. LOVE. WIMBLEDON!!!

This was a status I posted a couple of days on Facebook as I watched the semi-final match of Djokovic vs. Del Porto; it was an incredible match.  My love of this coveted championship is not new, it began when my dad brought me back a green and purple hat many years ago.  Since then, I have always been content to wake up before the crack of dawn at the end of June to watch people in clean white outfits duke it out on beautifully kept courts.

On June 24 the 2013 tournament began and needless to say that I was ecstatic for the matches!  The country was a buzz with excitement which was contagious.  Throughout the week a number of people dropped out due to injuries and there were upsets that shocked the tennis world.  The men's semi-final matches were on Friday and on my day off I found my face glued to my computer screen watching the BBC iPlayer.  I am sure that the neighbors were amused by the crazy American cheering very loudly at the matches.  Djokovic was able to eek past Del Porto in the first match and Andy Murray, Britain's pride and glory, managed a very talented up and comer in Janowicz.  The stage was set, and everyone was pushing through Saturday to make it to Sunday afternoon.  And a glorious Sunday afternoon it was!  With the sun shining, Andy Murray took on the overwhelming challenge of trying to break Britain's 77 year drought without a men's singles champion.

So, on the seventh day of the seventh month the curse over men's tennis in Britain was broken.  I felt very English as I sipped my Pimm's and cheered on Murray as if he was "my boy."  I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy the match in the living room of a friend; instead of watching on my little computer screen I was able to watch on a regular television (for a girl who usually has to stream them over the internet...it was a big deal).  Sprawled out on the floor, there was yelling, screaming, cheering, and some covering of the eyes...IT. WAS. GREAT!

It was also a privilege to watch someone who has worked so hard over the last year to win the one title that means the most, his "home" tournament.

This post really has nothing to do with my faith, save for the fact that God provided a beautiful afternoon spent with wonderful people.  I am constantly in awe of the situations I find myself in...and today sitting around, watching tennis I considered myself blessed.