The Harry Potter Tree

Early in the morning of September 22nd we walked along the main road on the edge of Woodstock to an entrance to the Blenheim Park grounds. I marked the route we wanted to take with orange highlighter. When we entered through the gate we immediately saw the path closure signs because of the on going dredging taking place in the Queen Pool. We diverted to take the green highlighted way around the pool across the bridge and down to the ‘Harry Potter’ Tree which is on the shore of the Great Lake.

Standing on the bank of The Lake in a historic landscape below Blenheim Palace is a Cedar of Lebanon known as The Harry Potter Tree for its role in the 2007 film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Perhaps the Harry Potter Tree should more accurately be called The Severus Snape Tree, for the scene filmed here was centred around Professor Snape’s memories of a time when, as a student at Hogwarts, he was bullied by Harry Potter’s father while sitting under the tree. The scene is important, for it gives us an understanding of why Snape is so hostile towards Harry.

To counter a common misunderstanding, the Harry Potter Tree at Blenheim is not the Whomping Willow! The tree used for the Whomping Willow in the films stood on the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire. And, just to confuse things further, it was not a willow at all, but a yew.

The Harry Potter Tree was probably planted during ‘Capability Brown’s’ landscape work on Blenheim Park. Over the years 1763-1774 Brown carried out extensive work at Blenheim, transforming the Palace grounds into a picturesque landscape garden on a vast scale, with sinuous waterways and viewpoints created by carefully planted clumps of trees.

The Column of Victory.

This column was built in 1727-30 by Lord Herbert, later ninth Earl of Pembroke. It is based on designs by Nicholas Hawksmoor. His designs were based on the pillar in the Piazza Navona, Rome. It was built to commemorate the Duke of Marlborough’s military successes.

We walked back to Woodstock and had some lunch at The King’s Arms before we ventured back to the Palace Grounds for our tour of the outer courts of Blenheim Palace and some of the grounds.

Later in the day while walking on the opposite shore of the Great Lake we saw the tree in the distance. Zooming in you can see others visiting the tree.

Back to the Present: This week ended with sorrow for us and our whole church family as our beloved church secretary died suddenly on Thursday evening. She was a dear friend to us here in Colville and she will leave a hole that will be hard to fill. She is with her Savior sooner than she expected but she was eagerly waiting for His return so she got an advanced calling Home. I rejoice for her but I will really miss her on this earth and I grieve, too.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a easy Crock Pot soup my high school girlfriend Nancy shared with me that is filling and will warm you up.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa (mild, medium or hot)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 can (approx 15 ounces) black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (approx 15 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos or green chilies ( choose according to the spice level/heat you prefer)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 or 2 6inch corn tortillas cut into strips
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

  1. Stir the salsa, chicken, corn and beans in a 4 quart slow cooker/crock pot.
  2. Stir the soup, tomatoes, water, cumin together in a separate bowl. Pour over the crock mixture.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
  4. Stir in tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro.
  5. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Enjoy with warm tortillas or corn bread!

Truth for Today #44

Thursday February 23rd

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Psalm 25:4-5

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 86:11-13

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O LORD my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

From Vera:

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?”

From Nikkipolani:

Psalm 3:3-4 NKJV

But You, O Lord, are a shield [a]for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill.

From Marilyn:

Psalm 91:1

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him will I trust.

A Lenten Hodgepodge

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge and the Season of Lent. Head over to Joyce’s blog to join in the fun.

1. What do you find is the most boring part of your life at the moment? 

Right now there is nothing exciting on the calendar until our granddaughter’s birthday in early Spring. Our meals at home are probably the most boring thing at the moment. Tuesday was Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day so we joined in with a pancake meal, maybe that will take the boring out of our main meal for a day at least.

2. February 22nd is George Washington’s birthday. You’ll find his face on the US $1 bill. What’s the last thing you bought for roughly $1.00? (.94 €/ .83 £)

Greeting cards at the Dollar Store. Certain section of the cards are 2 for a dollar and another section they are a dollar each not like the rest of the dollar store that is now $1.25.

3. Is it ever okay to tell a ‘little white lie’? Explain. 

I don’t think it’s wise to tell lies little or big but there are times when I would tell a lie.

If I was protecting someone like Rahab did in the Bible or like many people did during the Nazi regime. I would lie if asked to reveal where people were hiding to worship God together and study the Bible together as some people have to do in China and some even had to do in Canada in recent years.

In general I find the truth a lot easier to deal with and justify then having to explain why I lied.

4. What’s the last thing you ‘chopped’?

I chopped chicken for a stuffed shell recipe I made for an event at church last Saturday. I also chopped some ice patches on the driveway with a shovel so the sections would melt easier.

Cherry pie, chocolate covered cherries, a bowl of cherries, cherry vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, a cherry lifesaver…your favorite cherry flavored something? 

Chocolate covered cherries or a bowl of cherries in season.

Speaking of lying, when I was in elementary school I stole money from the kitchen cupboard and stopped at the liquor store on the way to school to buy a box of cherry flavored cough drops (Smith Brothers) and then proceeded to tell the teacher I needed to have them in class for my throat. A sinner saved by Grace am I. 🙂 She didn’t buy my story. To walk to our elementary school we crossed Whittier Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare, and continued a couple more blocks to Fremont Elementary. I checked google maps and Sam’s liquor store is still at 3rd and Whittier Boulevard in Montebello.

This is a picture of me in the 4th or 5th grade, my thieving years…

5. Describe yourself with three words using your first, middle, and last initials. 

I do not have a middle name on my birth certificate. It is my parents’ Russian custom to give their children their father’s name as the middle name. That way when you are introduced to someone it will be clear who’s child you are. This is helpful in communities where the first names are common. Example: I have a sister named Vera and two first cousins named Vera and more Veras in the churches we attended. It was clarifying to say Vera, Moisi’s daughter, when introducing her.

My description using my E and my B:    Eternity Bound

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras meal.

Buttermilk Pancakes, Beef Kielbasa, a poached egg, sour cream and real maple syrup. Yes, we do put sour cream on our pancakes instead of butter.

We don’t observe Lent but we do prepare our hearts and minds for Easter and all that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection means for sinners like us who repent, believe and are saved. We ponder this all year long not just during this time of year.

Blenheim Palace

On Thursday the 22nd of September we bought tickets at 1:15 in the afternoon for our look at the Palace and gardens. We did not purchase the tour of the interior of the Palace. In 2004 we toured the Palace with our daughter. Earlier on this day we walked to an unadvertised entrance to the grounds that is always open to try to walk on a path around the Queen Pool to get to the Harry Potter Tree but the path was closed because the pool and lake were being dredged to remove silt. More on our morning adventure in another post. After the morning walk which was a long one we went back to our hotel and freshened up. We returned to the King’s Arms for lunch and then walked back to the Palace for our self-guided tour.

Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener ‘Capability’ Brown. It was presented by the English nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his victory in 1704 over French and Bavarian troops. Built between 1705 and 1722 and characterized by an eclectic style and a return to national roots, it is a perfect example of an 18th-century princely dwelling.

Blenheim Palace is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace.

 

Blenheim Palace was always one of Churchill’s favourite places. He spent much of his time as a child there, both before he went to school and during school holidays. His parents were often away, busy with their political and social lives, and his grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, often looked after him and his brother, Jack, allowing them to play in the Palace and its Great Park.

If you are interested in more history of this beautiful palace and it’s grounds there are many sites on the internet for that information. I’ll have a couple more posts featuring our walk to the Harry Potter Tree and the gardens.

Back to the Present: Today is Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday. I’m making pancakes for our main meal with a side of eggs and Kielbasa. Heading to the market to pick up some buttermilk for buttermilk pancakes. Celebrating with our British friends. Cheers!

Breakfast at the Feathers Hotel

Breakfast was included with our stay at the Feathers Hotel September 21st-23rd. We enjoyed some nice options they gave us.

‘Soft’ boiled eggs and Soldiers. A soldier is a thin strip of toasted bread, reminiscent of a soldier on parade. The shape lends itself to dipping into a soft-boiled egg that has had the top removed. Sadly my eggs were far from soft boiled.

On our second morning at breakfast I went for a Benedict. While on the subject of food we had another nice meal at The King’s Arms on Thursday of our stay in Woodstock.

Back to the Present: We are plugging away at February. Dear and I have a 30 minute walking routine through our home most mornings. I follow him with music on nice and loud to encourage us along our route. He commented one morning that we must look like the pirates on the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ ride at Disneyland. That gave us a chuckle. If you’ve been on that ride you might get the correct picture idea in your head. We are looking forward to being able to walk the Rotary trail again as soon as the worst of winter is over.

Happy Presidents Day to those of you who live in the U.S. of A. and Happy Family Day for our Canadian friends!

Mighty Army of the Young ~ Hymn

Mighty Army of the Young

Mighty army of the young,
Lift your voice in cheerful song,
Send the welcome word along,
Jesus lives!
Once He died for you and me,
Bore our sins upon the tree,
Now He lives to make us free,
Jesus lives!

Refrain

Wait not till the shadows lengthen,
Till you older grow,
Rally now and sing for Jesus,
Everywhere you go;
Lift your joyful voices high,
Ringing clear thro’ earth and sky,
Let the blessèd tidings fly,
Jesus lives!

Voice of youth so glad and free,
Sing your song of victory;
Sing to all on land and sea,
Jesus lives!
Light for you and all mankind,
Sight of all by sin made blind,
Life in Jesus all may find,
Jesus lives!

Refrain

Jesus lives, O blessèd words!
King of kings, and Lord of lords!
Lift the cross and sheathe the swords,
Jesus lives!
See, He breaks the prison wall,
Throws aside the dreadful pall,
Conquers death at once for all,
Jesus lives!

Refrain

Words: John R. Colgan (1891)

Chicken Tetrazzini Soup

I saw this soup in a grocery store magazine and the ingredients sounded good so I made a smaller portion for my husband and me. I had Bucatini on hand and used that instead of spaghetti. Regular spaghetti or angel hair pasta would be easier to manage in this great flavored soup. Don’t forget the lemon zest, it really adds a nice finish to the soup.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 4 cups of chicken broth
  • 4 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
  • 1 cup chopped fully cooked chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. In large soup pot melt the butter over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and mushrooms seasoning with a little salt and pepper, cooking and stirring occasionally until soft, 8-10 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add chicken broth and spaghetti, increasing the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken, peas and half and half, and cook until heated through.
  7. Just before serving, stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan, and parsley.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
  9. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves: 4-5

Tea for Two at The Feathers

 

After some time walking about the town of Woodstock we were able to check into our room and get freshened up for our High Tea reservations in the hotel dining room.

 

 

Earl Grey was my choice for tea.

After our tea we took a leisurely stroll to get a glimpse of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

We walked to the end of High Street where these gates to enter the Palace grounds were. Happy to see a side gate open for us to get onto the property.

The end of a long day of walking we headed back to the hotel for the evening.

On Thursday September 22nd we planned to visit Blenheim Palace outer grounds more thoroughly and pay to enter the Palace grounds, too.

Truth for Today #43

Thursday February 16th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

2 Peter 3:13-18 (ESV)

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

From Vera:

‭‭Amos‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

“For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!”

From Karen:

Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee?
Be strong and of a good courage;
be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:
for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

From Nikkipolani:

John 21:25 NKJV

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.