Creation is so amazing. Exhibit A.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Feeling hot, hot, HOT!
Today was my first day off in 10 days. It was so nice not to go to work. The only problem was that it was sooo hot!
Seriously! I got told that I wasn't allowed to leave Rydal because I brought the good weather!! At 12pm it was 26 degrees (quite hot for England) and only got hotter throughout the day - I even had to get out the sunscreen and STILL got tanned. This is kind of crazy!
ha!
The Lakes is so gorgeous at the moment. The Bluebells are out and the birds are singing. The light is incredible! It is still light outside at 9.30pm! Crazy stuff. It is good for night/evening walks, though! I have holidays soon and I am excited to explore more of the Lake District by hopping on a bus and seeing the different areas it has to offer.
Seriously! I got told that I wasn't allowed to leave Rydal because I brought the good weather!! At 12pm it was 26 degrees (quite hot for England) and only got hotter throughout the day - I even had to get out the sunscreen and STILL got tanned. This is kind of crazy!
ha!
The Lakes is so gorgeous at the moment. The Bluebells are out and the birds are singing. The light is incredible! It is still light outside at 9.30pm! Crazy stuff. It is good for night/evening walks, though! I have holidays soon and I am excited to explore more of the Lake District by hopping on a bus and seeing the different areas it has to offer.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Rydal Community
Just a quick reflection about the place I have called call home for the last 3.5 months and will continue to for the next 3.5 months...
There is something so special about Rydal. The people, the place and the role that God plays here. Guests often remark about how special it really is and how it is so different to other locations.
I can think of one of the reasons for this: our community is amazing.
Last week, the dishwasher broke in the kitchen, just after main meals went out for guests. Dishes started to be sent over to the Tea Shop to be washed (about 50m away). But the kitchen team that night weren't on their own. Most community members were there, while off duty, helping out. It was such a joy to witness this service. Even though they all worked during the day, there they were, still helping out.
This is something I am so thankful for. A community willing to serve above and beyond. To serve and to love. Thanks, God!
There is something so special about Rydal. The people, the place and the role that God plays here. Guests often remark about how special it really is and how it is so different to other locations.
I can think of one of the reasons for this: our community is amazing.
Last week, the dishwasher broke in the kitchen, just after main meals went out for guests. Dishes started to be sent over to the Tea Shop to be washed (about 50m away). But the kitchen team that night weren't on their own. Most community members were there, while off duty, helping out. It was such a joy to witness this service. Even though they all worked during the day, there they were, still helping out.
This is something I am so thankful for. A community willing to serve above and beyond. To serve and to love. Thanks, God!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Paris etc
Wow a lot has happened since my last blog.
a. turning 18
Had such an awesome birthday weekend. It almost felt like i had two birthdays - as I was totally spoiled by my Rydal family and real family.
Celebrations started on the Friday when I got a fab cake as well as going out to Karaoke in Ambleside with the community. Karaoke was fun. Well...fun for me.
Apparently for everyone else it was quite painful when we sung our favourite song Dancing Queen. It was a song chosen because it is regularly on in the Kitchen and results in us sometimes dancing around (much to the chef´s dismay at times) singing the lyrics "you are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen". So my friend Melissa and I braved the stage and had decided to sing what had been named Steph´s Song.
I had the best time singing this song at the top of my lungs (due to the fact that i didn´t actually want to hear what we sounded like) as well as dancing around while we sung. Oh dear.
For days we had people telling us how bad we were at singing and that noone in the pub could talk because it was so loud and horrible. We had the best time, though.
b. paris and london
what a weekend. it sounds crazy but i only spent two days in Paris. By the end everything was aching and I think it was an indication that I had seen a lot in those two days.
There is something very magical about Paris. The small pastry shops as well as the flower shops found on many streets are amazing and assult your sense of smell as you walk past.
One of my favourite parts of Paris was the area around Sacre Coer. The small cafes with chairs facing outward (hence creating the perfect opportunity for people watching) and the many artists asking if you want your picture drawn. Exploring is one of the best things to do. Although getting lost can be stressful, one also discovers hidden parts of city and little places which aren´t known to the normal traveller. Getting lost in Paris was quite fun at times. Seeing and experiencing more of this city.
Ofcourse, the Eiffel Tower is one of those attractions which just blows one away. I decided to walk up the stairs for a fair €3.50 to see the views again. I even attempted to be up there to see the sunset. However, summer is coming and hence it is getting later and later that the sun decides to go down.
It was awesome to be together with my family again. We went to some of the places we were six years ago. Even the same crepe place!
There are lots of random stories I could tell but other places I visited included:
- Montmarte (outside the Moulin Rouge and the outside of te cemetery)
- Bastille (walked along a 4.5km old railway line which had been turned into a plantation/garden walkway)
London
- Outer London:
Got to explore a bit of where my faily lived. What a blessing it is to know that God has provided for them the best place to live, work, go to school and to church. It is the cutest area and their little house is just right! It was really amazing to see all that God had done!!
- Central London:
I had a few hours to kill in London while I waited for my train back to Rydal. I wandered down to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge (after ending up on London Bridge and remembering that it wasn´t actually the Tower Bridge - oops!) and sat in the sun for a while. Yes - the sun. It was quite warm in London. There is so much history in London and it was nice to just sit on a bench by the Tower Bridge and just relax and reflect. So many people have walked along the cobbled paths to this bridge, their feet taking from one country to another, another experience to another.
It was a huge weekend but by the time I got back to Rydal I was feeling very relaxed and ready to go!
Love
x
P.S. sorry for being all over the place! Just typed as things came to mind! There were a lot of memories which would pop up when i started to think about last weekend´s adventure.
a. turning 18
Had such an awesome birthday weekend. It almost felt like i had two birthdays - as I was totally spoiled by my Rydal family and real family.
Celebrations started on the Friday when I got a fab cake as well as going out to Karaoke in Ambleside with the community. Karaoke was fun. Well...fun for me.
Apparently for everyone else it was quite painful when we sung our favourite song Dancing Queen. It was a song chosen because it is regularly on in the Kitchen and results in us sometimes dancing around (much to the chef´s dismay at times) singing the lyrics "you are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen". So my friend Melissa and I braved the stage and had decided to sing what had been named Steph´s Song.
I had the best time singing this song at the top of my lungs (due to the fact that i didn´t actually want to hear what we sounded like) as well as dancing around while we sung. Oh dear.
For days we had people telling us how bad we were at singing and that noone in the pub could talk because it was so loud and horrible. We had the best time, though.
b. paris and london
what a weekend. it sounds crazy but i only spent two days in Paris. By the end everything was aching and I think it was an indication that I had seen a lot in those two days.
There is something very magical about Paris. The small pastry shops as well as the flower shops found on many streets are amazing and assult your sense of smell as you walk past.
One of my favourite parts of Paris was the area around Sacre Coer. The small cafes with chairs facing outward (hence creating the perfect opportunity for people watching) and the many artists asking if you want your picture drawn. Exploring is one of the best things to do. Although getting lost can be stressful, one also discovers hidden parts of city and little places which aren´t known to the normal traveller. Getting lost in Paris was quite fun at times. Seeing and experiencing more of this city.
Ofcourse, the Eiffel Tower is one of those attractions which just blows one away. I decided to walk up the stairs for a fair €3.50 to see the views again. I even attempted to be up there to see the sunset. However, summer is coming and hence it is getting later and later that the sun decides to go down.
It was awesome to be together with my family again. We went to some of the places we were six years ago. Even the same crepe place!
There are lots of random stories I could tell but other places I visited included:
- Montmarte (outside the Moulin Rouge and the outside of te cemetery)
- Bastille (walked along a 4.5km old railway line which had been turned into a plantation/garden walkway)
London
- Outer London:
Got to explore a bit of where my faily lived. What a blessing it is to know that God has provided for them the best place to live, work, go to school and to church. It is the cutest area and their little house is just right! It was really amazing to see all that God had done!!
- Central London:
I had a few hours to kill in London while I waited for my train back to Rydal. I wandered down to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge (after ending up on London Bridge and remembering that it wasn´t actually the Tower Bridge - oops!) and sat in the sun for a while. Yes - the sun. It was quite warm in London. There is so much history in London and it was nice to just sit on a bench by the Tower Bridge and just relax and reflect. So many people have walked along the cobbled paths to this bridge, their feet taking from one country to another, another experience to another.
It was a huge weekend but by the time I got back to Rydal I was feeling very relaxed and ready to go!
Love
x
P.S. sorry for being all over the place! Just typed as things came to mind! There were a lot of memories which would pop up when i started to think about last weekend´s adventure.
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