Category Archives: England

Oxford Archives ~ Magdalene College

We visited Magdalen College with our daughter Katie in 2004 and we were happy to re-visit the buildings and grounds this past July. What drew us to this college in 2004 was the information we read about Tolkien and C.S. Lewis enjoying walks and theological discussions here and along Addison’s Walk. We wanted to walk along that path, too.

Magdalen College was founded just outside Oxford’s City walls in 1458 by William Waynflete.

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Oxford Day 6 137The chapel was begun in May 1474. The remarkable West Window of the Antechapel is a dramatic depiction of the Apocalypse and the judgement of souls. This vision was cast in 1637 but has been subjected to subsequent restorations, the re-glazing in 1859-1861 leaving the windows as they appear today.

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Oxford Day 6 141Above the stalls hangs Giampetrino’s remarkable 15th copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, on permanent loan from the Royal Academy. In view of the bad condition of the original fresco in Milan, (which I had the privilege of seeing in March of 2013) Magdalen’s copy on canvas is a piece of increasing historic and artistic significance.

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Oxford Day 6 139In 1635, the repaving of the Chapel floor in a pattern of black and white marble tiles.

Oxford Day 6 140The doors to the main Chapel were locked so I had to get these photos by looking through the glass on the doors. The choir sings from the middle stalls at either side. Towards the end of the 19th century the Choir achieved renown and played a pivotal role in ensuring an unprecedented fondness of carol singing among the general public by the publication of an anthology of carols.

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Oxford Day 6 157This is the Hall which was built at the founding of the College. The High Table at the far end seats the President, Fellows and formal guests, just as it did in the early 16th century when it welcomed King James I. Oscar Wilde was a former member of Magdalen.

This post is getting long so I will do another post with photos from the Cloisters and some outdoor spaces.

This September 2022 we are going to be in Oxford during an ‘Open Day’ for the Oxford Colleges. We aren’t sure what that means but we hope it means we can walk onto any of the colleges without a fee and that we can see inside some quads and buildings we haven’t been able to see in prior trips. Time will tell if that is the case.

Back to the present day which is Friday August 5th. We are having a slight relief with our heat dipping into the 80’s for a couple of days and then it will spike up again reaching the 100’s again next Tuesday. It has been nice to start the mornings off in the 50’s instead of the 60’s. Have a great weekend everyone!

Oxford Archives ~ Bodlein

Continuing posting from my archives to refresh our memory of our time in Oxford and to remind us of what we do not want to miss this time around. We will be making sure to sign up for a tour of the Bodlein Library this time in September of 2022.
Oxford Day 6 066This magnificent room in the Bodlein in Oxford was used as the Hogwarts Infirmary in the Harry Potter movies. The detail of the carved ceiling is amazing, don’t you think?

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Oxford Day 6 074Our timing wasn’t the best to be able to get the guided tour of the library room while we were in Oxford in 2014. You have to sign up for their timed tours and we were a bit late out of the gate to do that. Next time…

 

Trinity College ~ Oxford (Archives)

This is a post from my archives from July of 2014. We traveled by train to Oxford from the Cotswolds leaving our rental car behind which is a very good idea when visiting Oxford. 
Oxford Day 6 094You can read about the history of Trinity College by clicking here. After our walking tour of Oxford on our 6th day in England Dear and I enjoyed some lunch and then walked about on our own. We visited two more of the University of Oxford Colleges, Trinity and Magdalen. We had to pay a small entrance fee to walk about these colleges.

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Oxford Day 6 100The Chapel was consecrated in 1694 and was hailed by contemporaries as the most magnificent Chapel in the University.  Its dynamic integration of architecture, sculpture and painting is unrivalled amongst surviving ecclesiastical interiors in England.

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Oxford Day 6 107Deposition of Christ ~ (copy after Andrea del Sarto) by Gaetano Cannicci, 1870.

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We were in Oxford the summer of 1974 briefly on our way to Blenheim Palace with our Singing group before we were married. If my memory serves me correctly it was in Oxford that I purchased the tea set for the Teapot I bought in Canterbury in 1973 on our singing group tour (Royal Albert, Moss Rose). In 2004 on a Literary trip to celebrate our daughter’s graduation from high school we visited Oxford for a day. We parked in a park and ride outside of town and took a bus to the city center and set out to find all the places that C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were known for. We had lunch at the Eagle and Child. We spent some time at Magdalene College and walked the path where Lewis and Tolkien walked. After getting back to our car we ventured off to Wolvercote to try and find the cemetery where Tolkien is buried. With our daughter’s determination we finally did find it and found his gravesite.

Back to July 2022 here in the States. We hope on our journey this September to attend Evensong at Trinity and at Magdalene colleges. Since our time in Oxford will be extended from just several hours to many days we hope to enjoy more leisurely visits to much of Oxford that we didn’t have time to see in 2014. We’ve also been researching churches in the area to attend on the Sunday we are there.

Revisiting Oxford Posts ~ Balliol College

Our internet these days is painfully slow. Uploading anything new is a huge challenge. In the meantime, I’m revisiting my posts from our July 2014 trip to England and specifically our day in Oxford. Remembering and making notes on what to see if we can indeed travel in September.

On Wednesday July 9th (Day 6 of our England Trip) we boarded a train in Moreton in Marsh to Oxford for the day. We found free parking on the street close to the station. The train ride was a short 37 minutes. Since parking in Oxford is a challenge and you are advised to use park and rides on the outskirts of town we thought a train ride close to the center of town was the best option for us.

Oxford Day 6 011We opted to go to the visitor center and sign up for a walking tour. There were a few other tour options but they seemed a little too hawkish for our taste.

We only visited one of the colleges with the tour guide. The oldest Oxford college continuously on one site, co-founded by a woman, Balliol is home to young people from many different backgrounds who have come to study with world-class academics.

Oxford Day 6 012Each of the Oxford Colleges to my understanding have their own chapel, dining hall, libraries, and dormitories.

Oxford Day 6 013Some inside views of the William Butterfield chapel.

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Oxford Day 6 023These are the outside views of the chapel designed by William Butterfield in 1857.

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Oxford Day 6 026This was the dining hall for the college.

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Oxford Day 6 032Oxford is a very bicycle friendly town and on our walk around town it seemed we were more in danger from being hit by a bike than a car.

Oxford Day 6 033Because of the way this chap was dressed our tour guide said that he’d be sitting for exams. The white bow tie was significant as to what exams he’d be sitting for. There are dress codes that are still observed for taking exams and other ceremonies, too.

After Balliol our tour guide showed us some other major sites in Oxford that I will post about soon. When our tour was over Dear and I spent some time at Trinity College and Magdalen College before we met up with a couple we met on the tour from Vancouver Island at the Oldest Pub in Oxford.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

We really enjoyed this dessert while traveling in Great Britain so duplicating it for special meals here on the other side of the Pond was a fun adventure for me. It’s a warm dense cake with a caramelized sauce. There are many versions of Sticky Toffee Pudding and this is one that has been successful and good. Don’t let the pudding confuse you. It’s not like our creamy soft pudding. This “pudding” is cake like.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan

Pudding:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 8 ounces dates (pitted and chopped into pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups boiling water

Sauce:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 – 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 2 cups whipping cream

You will need extra whipping cream to top off the cake with when ready to serve.

Directions:

For the pudding:

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time and incorporate completely.
  3. Fold in flour.
  4. Put the chopped dates in a separate bowl.
  5. Pour the boiling water over the dates and add the soda to this mixture.
  6. Give the water time to be absorbed into the dates.
  7. When water is mostly absorbed add the flour mixture and blend well.
  8. Pour the mixture into prepared pan.
  9. Bake for 40 minutes. Time may vary slightly depending on your oven.

Sauce:

  1. Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  2. When cake comes out of the oven poke the top of the cake evenly with many holes.
  3. Pour half of the sauce over the top of the cake evenly.
  4. Allow Sauce to soak into cake.
  5. When ready to serve cut cake into squares and place the squares on your dessert plates.
  6. Top with remaining sauce that is hot onto the warm cake.
  7. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream.

 

We’ve been dreaming about going to England again so this is a recipe that came to mind.

All Good Things

What fun it was to open up these gifts to me from our kids. It will be fun to add our family favorite in this new recipe journal.

It’s hard to see but there is a line to write down the speaker, the date, the message title and then lines at the bottom to add scripture verses that were referenced in the sermon. I’m looking forward to using this. Our DIL bought it from Target online.

I love the theme of these next gifts and am excited to hear England is totally open to international travelers without any restrictions!

I’ve been enjoying my morning cuppa in this beauty!

The snow has mostly disappeared with our warming temperatures this week. We have even been able to get out and do some clean-up in most of our planters. It feels good to look out the windows and see that job accomplished. Speaking of windows our window cleaner guy called and we are booked for clean windows on this coming Tuesday.  We have a quiet weekend coming up before we move into busy weekends in April.

Thankful to God for the love shown to me and for the ability to do yardwork.

It’s been so good to be in a study of the book of Isaiah as we approach Easter.

Hope all is well in your corner!

To Be Or Not to Be Hodgepodge

Alton to Cotswolds 084This is Shakespeare’s birthplace right in the middle of town on Henley Street in Stratford Upon Avon. This photo was taken in September of 2013.

It’s time for another Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce From This Side of the Pond!

1. It’s March 15th and as the saying goes-“Beware the Ides of March”. Have you read or studied much Shakespeare? Do you have a favorite Shakespeare play? How do you feel about a Caesar salad? 

I’m aware of that term. Haven’t read much or studied much of Shakespeare and don’t really have a favorite play. We all know about Romeo and Juliet, don’t we? In the early 70’s before Dear and I were married we attended a Shakespeare play in Stratford Upon Avon with our singing group. King John was the name of the play. We really weren’t impressed with the performances.

The ominous warning, “Beware the Ides of March,” originated with the Roman ruler, Julius Caesar, who was assassinated on the Ides of March – March 15, 44 B.C. If you’ve heard the ominous warning, then it’s most likely due to William Shakespeare and his play, Julius Caesar.

The warning itself was made famous in Shakespeare’s play on Julius Caesar, when an unidentified soothsayer tells Caesar, who is on his way to the Senate (and his death), “Beware the ides of March.” Caesar replies, “He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass.”

2. Have you ever been to Rome? If so what do you love about the city? If not, any desire to go?

Haven’t been to Rome. I have been to Italy once with Dear on a Business Trip to Milan. I’m sure there are places in Rome I would be impressed with and love but I do not have a desire to travel to Italy again.

3. What’s your favorite place to ‘roam’? 

My, our favorite place to roam is anywhere in Great Britain. I’m a comfort traveler so I appreciate being able to communicate with the locals and for the most part understand what they are saying.

4. Do you like pizza? Thick or thin crust? Red sauce-white sauce-other? Your favorite toppings? How do you feel about pineapple on a pizza? 

We do like pizza, thick or thin but mostly thick and usually read sauce. We enjoy sausage, bell pepper, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms. We do not do pineapple on pizza…ever.

5.  ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’…tell us how this expression applies to something in your home-life-job currently (or recently)? 

The latest ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ project at our country bungalow is a redo of our master shower stall. It’s taken weeks just to come up with a plan. It will take more weeks to first decide on the pan and then the tile. Right now the glass doors came off and we are living with a curtain. We do not plan to put glass doors on the finished product because of our well water deposits that are impossible to clean.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This beautiful bouquet of flowers was on the porch on Monday from our oldest and his lovely bride. We returned home from celebrating an overnight in Spokane and Idaho for my 71st birthday. We enjoyed Indian food, 2 lamb dishes, jasmine rice and naan at India House in Post Falls on Sunday. We spent the night in Spokane Valley and on Monday, my birthday, we shopped at all the places we don’t have in Colville. On the way back home on Monday we stopped for Mexican at our favorite spot and Hector treated us well as usual with a very small bill left at our table.

Four more days until our oldest and only granddaughter turns 5. Celebration plans are afoot!

Addy and JJ are holding a bag of Brussels Sprouts. Our DIL told Addy she could pick any vegetable she wanted in the produce section of the store and her choice was Brussels Sprouts! Well done Mommy and Addy!

Who You Calling Old Hodgepodge

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We had to have the “we were here” photo taken! This door is in Stow on the Wold in the greater Cotswold area of England. This door is at the back of the Parish Church of St. Edward built within the 11th and 15th century.

Jo From This Side of the Pond has some ‘old’ questions for us this week. Click over to join in.

1. How would you define ‘old’? At what age is someone old? 

I define old as ten years older than me. The older I get the older ‘old’ becomes. I only feel old when I look in the mirror or try to stand up off the couch. 🙂

2. A place you’ve been that’s old? Tell us something about your visit there. 

Jolly Old England. Oh how I hope to be able to enjoy that land at least once more in my lifetime. There is something old around every corner…really old. Ancient doors and hall ways. Old majestic cathedrals. Cobblestones and thatched roofs. The oldest pub or Inn in all of England. Many pubs and Inns claim that fame. Old church yards and graveyards and churches.

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3. Something you miss about the ‘good old days’? When were they anyway? 

I’ll pick the ‘good ole days’ before computers and cell phones. The days where you had to catch up with a letter or have a long catch up conversation after church or on the phone. When you got information by reading the newspaper. The days when you actually got news during the news hour and not just opinions and made up stuff.

4. In what way are you a ‘chip off the old block’? Or if you’d rather, in what way is your child a ‘chip off the old block’? 

I have some chips off both blocks. Our dear mom would get inspirations to do things and have to scramble to gather up the materials and get er done. I do the same. Our dear old pop had to be on time or early to events and made sure to leave the house in plenty of time to get there. My Dear always makes the comment to me when I say ‘time to go’; “okay Moisi”.

photo credit: Jeremy Leffel

5. Old fashioned, Old Testament, old timer, same old same old, old glory, good old boy, old wives tale…choose an ‘old’ phrase that relates to something in your life or the wider world currently and explain. 

“Don’t guilt trip me.” It’s the way of some leaders and media and general population right now. It’s divisive and I don’t like it. When my head hits the pillow each night I want to have a clear conscience. It’s most important for me to have a clear conscience before God. That’s the best way for me not to suffer from someone trying to impose a guilt trip upon me.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of England let’s not forget about the delightful world of Beatrix Potter.

gloucester cathedral 029-001We knew about this shop in Gloucester and were determined to visit it while we were in Gloucester 41 years after I started my collection. We were there in 2014.

gloucester cathedral 030There are lots of shops relating to Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit in England.

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Happy middle of September everyone. Next week…Glorious Fall begins!

A Mighty Fortress is Our God ~ Hymn

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A Mighty Fortress is Our God

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Words and Music: Martin Luther, 1529.

This song has been called the great­est hymn of the great­est man of the great­est per­i­od of Ger­man his­to­ry, and the Bat­tle Hymn of the Re­for­ma­tion. It was sung at the fun­er­al of Am­er­i­can pre­si­dent Dwight Ei­sen­how­er at the Na­tion­al Ca­thed­ral in Wash­ing­ton, DC, March 1969.

Time to Party Hodgepodge

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It’s Wednesday so it’s time to answer the Hodgepodge questions from our gracious hostess Jo From This Side of the Pond. 

1. What advice would you give yourself as we begin this new year?

I’ll borrow this paragraph from our Christmas letter and say continue doing this!

“We are digging deep in our Bibles and some trusted commentaries, soaking up the Truth of the Gospel and asking God to increase our faith and our love for God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son who is our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter. We don’t want the ‘oil in our lamps’ to be nonexistent when the “Bridegroom” returns.

2. If you could throw a themed party for yourself what would the theme be?

Oh how I love a themed party! I’ll choose a British Pub Party with all the trimmings and don’t forget the bunting!

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Way back in November of 2013 we put on a British Pub dinner party as a thank you to our friends who let us use their parents home in Cornwall for a few nights on our trip to England in September of 2013. We traveled with our son Josh and DIL Laura.  It was so much fun to try to turn our home into a British Pub. We called it The Three Birds Pub and I added the link to my post if you’d like to see our old house converted to a pub.

3. Tell us where you were and something about what life was like when you were 20- 21.

I was living in my parents’ home in La Mirada, California. I was commuting to college at Cal-State L.A. completing my degree in Home Economics with a fifth year program of student teaching to earn my Elementary (K-8) Teaching credential. I was working part-time for Montgomery Ward at their appliance servicing center. In late Spring of 1972 when I was 21, I met Dear who was part of a Christian Band that my best friend auditioned for. The band toured England that summer. When they returned they needed to replace an alto and I auditioned for the group and became part of the band. Something sparked between Dear and me and we went on our first of many dates in October of 1972.

4. What’s on the menu at your house this week?

What menu? We fly by the seat of our pants.  It might be high time I planned for a week. I know that part of our meal on Tuesday will be artichokes and a Caesar salad with leftover chicken. On Wednesday I think I’ll pick up a couple curry dishes from ‘Thai to Go’ since I’ll be in town for a portion of the day. Red Curry for Dear and Yellow Curry for me. We do have a birthday dinner party planned for Sunday evening in honor of Dan and Jamie who both have birthdays soon. I’ll let them choose the entre they would like.

5. What should you do more of this year?

Walk

Less of?

Wasting time…

6. Insert your own random thought here.

21 and in love…

Thank you Lord for creating us as man and woman and loving us and sustaining our love all these years!