Thankfulness...

This time last year, AJ and I were ending our Thanksgiving holiday in the Midwest.  Last fall, it seemed as if all the pieces could fall into place to make AJ's dream of working overseas for his company a reality, but Thanksgiving of 2013 left us waiting, wondering, and praying.  There were a lot of prayers for peace, patience, and guidance.  We entered the holiday season hopeful that we could be moving to the UK in 2014.  As this goal became a reality in early 2014, we prayed for so many aspects of the move and our new life...to make new friends, to build a community, for guidance and wisdom on a multitude of decisions, and to just have faith.  As we gathered for three separate Thanksgivings this year, AJ and I reflected on our blessings in 2014.  

This year, we are thankful for...

Opportunities to make memories that would not be possible without this assignment.

Neighbors, who have embraced us, loved us, and guided us through life in the UK.

Family, who have listened to our fears and successes and encouraged us each step of the way.

A Bible study group that welcomed us with open arms and has given us a sense of community and belonging.

Friends to sit around a Thanksgiving table to celebrate a truly American holiday.

Most of all, we are thankful for courage to step out of the comfortable life we knew and into an adventure that will shape us in ways we do not even know.

As we end this holiday weekend counting our blessings, remember the lights are always on!

~W

See It: Tynemouth Priory and Castle

A few weekends ago, we headed north for our next history lesson at Tynemouth Priory and Castle.  This was once the largest fortified area in the northeastern part of England. It is situated at the mouth of the Tyne and had strategic value for centuries.  Until the development of modern infantry and weaponry, this stronghold was essentially impenetrable to the enemy as it is connected to the mainland by tall cliffs.

This land was occupied as early as the eighth century; however, these ruins date back to the medieval times.  The ruins of the monastery are dedicated to St. Oswine, whose body was preserved in a shrine on the grounds. 

Tynemouth Abbey ruins

These are the ruins of the priory church.  The two openings on the right that look like window were actually niches for statues. 

The vast height of the walls was astonishing.  If you look closely, you can see me on the left side for a size reference!

The devotion to the Virgin Mary was a long monastic tradition.  Due to this devotion, Lady Chapels were often built.  The walls above are the ruins of the Lady Chapel at Tynemouth.  It was considered a new addition in 1336!

Stained glass window in the Percy Chantry

One of the characteristics of cathedrals, ruins, and castles that I never tire of looking at are stained glass windows.  Each is so beautiful!  The complexity or simplicity varies greatly.  These masterfully-created windows often take such skill, precision, and time.  I always wonder what stories these windows could tell about the people that labored over them for days, months, or years.  This gorgeous flower stained glass window is located in the Percy Chantry, the only portion of the church to survive completely.  Mass would be chanted for the family that endowed the space.  It is not completely known which family endowed this space.  The Percy family, a powerful and well-known family in the northeast, arms decorates portions of the space.   Though the Percy arms are present, the initials I L P for Iohannes Langton Prior are also visible in the ceiling suggesting the space may have been endowed in his honor.

The graveyard on the priory grounds has tombstones that date back to the 18th and 19th century.  The majority of the tombstones are made of sandstone.  The headstones represent people who stood on this land, protected it, and worshiped on it have been eroded by salty wind from the North Sea and the rain.  There is something extremely beautiful these headstones.  

Tynemouth Gatehouse

The only medieval defense that has survived and remained largely intact is the Tynemouth Gatehouse.  Since 1390, it served as the main entrance to the headland.  Its grandeur conveys the wealth and power of the institution it protected.  

Church steeple located in the center of town

After exploring the Tynemouth Priory and Castle, we spent the afternoon strolling down the High Street.  This area was lined with quaint tea rooms and picturesque boutiques to pop into to browse or enjoy an afternoon treat. 

After a day learning about the history at our doorstep, we headed home to plan our next outing.  As we contemplate the next stop on our adventure, remember the lights are always on!

~W

Octobers...

A friend posted this quote on Facebook. 

October 1st...not technically the first day of autumn, but in a way it has always felt that way to me.  The back to school feelings of September have ended, and the school year routine is a bit smoother.  There is usually a slight chill in the air by October.  As we transition from summer to fall here in the UK, my homesickness has hit!  Summer in the UK felt similar to the states, but without the unbearable heat.  Now that autumn is in full swing I am feeling the differences. 

October embodies everything I love...sweater and boot weather, pumpkin everything, changing leaves, cool temps, hoodies, and harvest time.  As AJ will tell anyone, I live for sweater weather.  I love throwing on a sweater with boots.  When we first moved, a lot of Brits told us about the weather.  AJ would always respond with, "W will absolutely love the weather...she lives for sweater weather!"  It is true. Sweater weather has been one of the aspects of daily life in the UK that I wholeheartedly love!  Our temps have been in the mid fifties..perfect for a sweater, scarf and boots!.  Everyday, I smile as I pull on another sweater.

Pumpkins are another iconic fall symbol for me!  For over two-thirds of my life, I lived in the Pumpkin Capital of the World (it is a real title!).  We celebrate pumpkins with a town-wide festival for four days, and then we later have a competition to chuck pumpkins from catapults!  There are pumpkin cookies, pies, donuts, ice cream sundaes, and chilli.  One of my favorite memories from elementary school was making pumpkin bread in sixth grade after learning about fractions.  In the fall (and into the winter, if I am honest!), our kitchen routinely smells of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bars baking in the oven.  I loved to treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte on my way to work.  I am sure there might be few places that revere pumpkins as much as my hometown, but Northeast England is not one of them!

So true...so true...Edinburgh won my heart instantly!!

Pumpkin anything is a large part of my sense of autumn.  In previous years, our grocery store in the states has put limits on the number of tinned pumpkin that could be purchased at one time.  My hometown is serious about their love of pumpkin.  We easily use at least twelve cans of pumpkin in a season for breads, cookies, bars, and pies.  I knew that tinned pumpkin would be nearly impossible to purchase at my local grocery store when we moved.  Pumpkin is not a common item in the UK.  We looked at the stores, googled possible locations, and asked store clerks.  One clerk even asked me, "Why would you eat that?"  Unwilling to accept defeat on the tinned pumpkin search, I headed to Amazon!  Just as we ordered tinned pumpkin, we received some from one of AJ's visiting co-workers as well as his visiting parents.  There will now be enough pumpkin to satisfy my cravings and maybe convince our UK neighbors of the glory of pumpkin!
 

The tinned pumpkin shipment

There is not an ounce of me that is a farmer or has any desire to be a farmer, but there is something about the Midwest harvest in October that is home to me.  Cornfields have always been a part of my life.  I never had to look far for one.  They frequently have a prominent place right next to the highways.  I never realized how much cornfields were a part of my landscape and sense of home until I moved to the UK.  On my drive to and from work for four years, I spent the majority of the drive passing cornfields.  The fields gave me a sense of the passing time.  I would witness the planting in spring, the growth through the summer, and then the harvest in the fall.  

Octobers in the past have always brought trips to the apple orchard.  AJ and I would always dedicate at least one Saturday to the apple orchard.  We would headed out early every year in attempt to beat the crowds.  We would buy a bushel of apples, cider, cider donuts, and many other treats.  Pumpkins and mums for the porch would be loaded into the trunk.  There are no apple orchards or pumpkin patches in our area.  Walking into our grocery store today, I was pleasantly welcomed by pumpkins.  A few of them came home with me to adorn our porch! 

A welcomed sight of autumn!

Octobers have always held a special place in my heart!  They truly encompasses everything I love.  Our first October in the UK looks a bit different than in the Midwest, but it is no less special.  This will be the October that we traded the apple orchard and pumpkin patch for castles, cathedrals, tea, and scones.  It will be the October that I shared an important part of heart through pumpkin anything with neighbors and new friends.  This October will be the one that I truly learned that home can be anywhere if you look hard enough!

As I am baking up all things pumpkin this October, remember the lights are always on!

~W

How Costco Can Cure Homesickness...

We have now just celebrated our three month anniversary of living in the UK.  We are more settled into daily life.  The novelty of everyday in England has worn off a bit.  During our relocation process, our cultural trainer that advised us that about three to six months into an assignment, we would start to experience homesickness.  It has been amazing how accurate he was about when homesickness would start to hit.  We obviously miss our family, friends, and coworkers, but there is another aspect of homesickness that I had never experienced until living overseas.  It is a homesickness for the familiar comforts that define home.  The environment, the food, the routines, and the sights that signal to you that you are home...that is what I am starting to miss.

This past weekend, we became members of Costco UK!  I had never been to a Costco in the states, because I did not feel like AJ and I needed giant-sized packages of anything.  We definitely still do not need giant-sized anything and do not have the space for it, but we had heard that the UK Costco carries some items that are not sold in the regular grocery stores.  Off we went with hopes and dreams of finding the items we wished for from the states! 

When we pulled into the Costco parking lot, it immediately felt a bit like home.  The parking spots were huge!  AJ easily pulled the car in without any worry of getting too close on either side!  I opened my door the entire way and just got out!  While this sounds a bit silly, the reality of UK parking spots is that they are tiny.  You never can open your door the entire way.  There is often a short discussion determining if there is enough room on each side for each person to get out of the car!

After joining Costco, I went to get a trolley (cart) and instantly felt at home!  The Costco trolley only had two swivel wheels versus the four swivel wheels on all other UK trolleys.  More swivel wheels on a trolley is definitely not better!  For the past three months, I have fought with trolleys in the UK.  All four wheels swivel on all their trolleys, thus making them impossible to steer without constantly balancing the weight of the groceries in the basket.

As we explored the aisles, the anticipation of finding something, really anything, from the states was heightening!  I think I literally ran down the aisle when I saw a box of Ghiradelli brownie mix.  I can get brownie mix at a store in our town, but the texture is just a bit different, and they are much more expensive!

I then found a mammoth-size bag of chocolate chips.  Two things excited me about this find.  The first was the price per ounce was incredibly cheap...just like in the states.  The chocolate chunks, which are sold at my local grocery store, are fairly expensive.  The second was that the chips are shaped like American chocolate chips, and I love that!

We continued to hunt for American items we were missing! Krusteaz pancake mix was our next find.  Our grocery store only sells crepe mix that makes four crepes...which do not satisfy the pancake craving!  We bought the oversized bag of pancake mix, which will probably last our entire time in the UK.  We also found maple syrup to go along with our pancakes!  Golden syrup is the common topping for pancakes here.  Frankly, pancakes and waffles are not the same with golden syrup!

With each item that we added to our cart, a bit of homesickness drifted away!  As we were checking our, I glanced over to the magazine rank.  In the states, I love to browse the magazine rank while waiting in line.  I usually avoid the magazine rank in the UK, because it makes me feel like outsider.  I still do not recognize any of the celebrities or gossip on the magazine covers.  While gossip magazines are not high caliber reading, the celebrities and their stories in the states provide a sense of familiarity and comfort.  The Costco UK magazine rank was filled with US magazines!  I quickly grabbed a US Weekly with Joan Rivers on the cover. 

Our trip to Costco was successful and cured my homesickness for a bit.  As I curl up with my US Weekly and a brownie, remember the lights are always on!

~W

See It: Warkworth Castle

We continue to take advantage of our Saturdays to explore all that the UK has to offer.  We took one Saturday to explore Warkworth Castle in the small village of Warkworth along the northeast coast of England.  It was about an hour drive north through the countryside.

As we drove through the countryside, we were surrounded by fields and then suddenly, the ruins of Warkworth Castle appeared.  It was kind of like a "Field of Dreams" moment without the corn and baseball field, but with grass and a castle!  There was one small tourist sign pointing the way.  

Warkworth Fortress Ruins

This castle is one of the most impressive fortresses in the northern portion of England.  The most notable occupants of the castle were the Percy family.  The lion badge, which was important to the Percy family, can be seen throughout the castle and grounds.

Warkworth Castle drawbridge

We entered the ruins and grounds by crossing the drawbridge.  As we walked across the drawbridge, it was not hard to imagine knights on horseback approaching the fortress from the vast fields in front of the walls.

 There were a few towers within the walls of the fortress that the guards used to lookout for intruders from the countryside.

The Warkworth Castle residence

The Warkworth Castle residence is still standing.  As part of the tour you can walk through the various rooms.  The mere size of the residence was daunting when you think about people carrying each and every stone used to build the structure.

You can see the unpredictable British weather in the background of the photo above.  The sky was blue and sunny when we left our house and arrived at the castle.  We could slowly see the dark clouds roll in.  Just as we finished our tour, those dark clouds opened up, and it downpoured for about an hour! 

AJ listening the audio guide while standing in one of the ovens of the castle's kitchen.

There were at least two kitchens in the Warkworth Castle.  Each kitchen had two ovens that were used to prepare the food for the residents and visitors of the castle.  Great feasts with other nobility were often held in the Great Hall of the castle.  The cooks of the Warkworth castle had to have strong backs to carry all the meat and produce, not to mention the wood to fuel the fire, up an uneven flight of stairs. 

The views from the castle windows were incredible even given the temperamental English weather!  To the left of the castle were rolling hills that vaguely reminded me of the Midwest.  A river out to the North Sea could be seen over the fortress walls to the right of the castle. 

Warkworth Village

We had planned to walk into the village of Warkworth for lunch, but changed our plans due to the downpour.  We were not adequately prepared for the rain as a true Brit would have been!  As true Americans, we hopped in our car and drove into town.  It has a quaint High Street full of unique shops. We ate a delicious lunch at the Caboose Chocolatier.  Caboose's claim to fame is that Prince Charles recently visited the restaurant! 

We had a lovely Saturday in Warkworth.  Now that we are home, remember the lights are always on!

~W

Now I Can...August 2014 Edition

Well...another month has passed.  We have now lived in the UK for over two months.  Life has become much more routine and familiar in some aspects that it is hard to believe we have only been here for two and half months.  Just as I get comfortable and feel like I have UK life under control, I encounter something that quickly reminds me that I have just arrived!

In  August, I conquered one major fear of life in the UK as well as just learned more about UK life.

Just as a review...at the beginning of the month, I hoped to be able to do the following by the end of the month:

1.  Drive around our local area with some level of confidence, not too much anxiety, and without hitting the curbs!

2.  Join a local gym.

3.  Learn what all the road and highway signs mean.

4.  Pay our bills using the pay point system.
5.  Obtain a library card.

Well, I accomplished 4 out of the 5 goals!  Here is a recap! 

1. Driving:  This has been a major fear of mine for a multitude of reasons, such as driving in a new place and negotiating roundabouts at every junction.  Let's also not forget the main source of anxiety...driving on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road.   I can happily report that I am driving comfortably in the UK.  I have taken four hours worth of formal lessons as well as passed a company driving assessment.  While I have come close to nicking the curb, I have only actually hit it one time.  I am still most comfortable driving with AJ in the car, but I have ventured out to the grocery store by myself.  I still need to practice the driving maneuvers, parallel parking and reversing into a parking spot, for the UK driving test.  In all fairness, I avoided doing those maneuvers in the states!

2.  Leisure Centre/Gym:   I have joined a gym, or leisure centre as they are called in the UK.  It is about a quarter mile from our house, which is convenient!  It is fairly similar to gyms in the states, but smaller.  The hours of operation are different from the states, which has been an adjustment.

3.  Highway signs:  I know what the majority of the road signs mean.  The UK has a lot of signs that do not depict their meaning obviously to a foreigner.  In addition to learning the road signs, I have been studying for my UK driving theory test.  I have not yet scheduled the test.  Just the thought of the three tests for my UK driver's license makes my stomach turn a bit!

4.  Pay Point:  In the UK, there is a pay point system that can be used to pay certain bills.  Various locations, such as grocery stores, are designated pay points.  It is really convenient for me to walk in with my bill and cash.  I just pay the cashier, and it is done.  We only really used this method while we were waiting for our bank account to be set-up. 

5.  Library card:  I did not accomplish this...I tried multiple times!  There is a library run by the council in the neighboring village, which is within walking distance.  This library is only open three days a week due to budget cuts by the council.  It seemed like every time I could go to the library, it was closed!  Hopefully, I will get there this month!

By the end of September, I hope to
1.  Conquer the driving maneuvers required for the driving test
2.  Plan our first official holiday
3.  Inquire about volunteering in our area
4.  Host our first dinner party

As I continue to conquer life in the UK, remember the lights are always on!

~W

See It: York

When we decided to take on this adventure, AJ and I make a pact that we would see as much as we could pack into our time in the UK.  Saturdays have become "See It Saturdays!" in our house.  Now that we are settled and have taken care of all the tasks associated with moving, we are starting to explore the UK with day trips!  For our first stop was York.  It is a 45 minute ride south on the train! 

Just before boarding the train to York...thankful that we would not have to deal with traffic or parking!

York is home to a rich history with lots of sights to see within walking distance of the train station.  Per my typical type A self, I had set out our itinerary using Google maps and my trusty Rick Steves' Great Britain.  We planned to see the major historical sights!  My American mindset of tourist sights made me think that there would be signs, directions, or a production pointing lost tourists in the direction of all the sights to see.  I quickly learned sights in the UK do not scream, "Point of Interest...Stop and Look at Me!"  The sights are much more subtle and just part of the landscape.  We luckily stumbled upon a free walking tour led by local pensioners that were also amateur history buffs!  Had it not been for these guides, we probably would not have known what we were looking at!

Multangular Tower: It was a 12-sided tower built to protect the town from the enemy approaching on the river.

St. Mary's Abbey ruins were spectacular to see.  This abbey stands in the shadows of York Minister, but is no less impressive when I think about it being constructed in the 11th century, without the help of heavy machinery.  The pictures above illustrate the ruins of just half of the monastery.  This abbey stood and was a working monastery until the 16th century when the Dissolution of the Monasteries occurred. 

The King's Manor, formerly Abbot's Place before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, was the next stop on the tour.  The Coat of Arms of Charles I adorns the door above the entrance.  Charles I stayed in the King's Manor during the 1640s.  The unicorn on the arms indicates support of Scotland while the lion indicates support of England.  The flags of St. Andrew and St. George are held by the two beasts.  I do not know if the door above is of any significance, but it was gorgeous, and I love doors!  

The King's Manor has housed a variety of people and organizations since its use by Charles I.  For a time, it became the School for the Blind.  The building above was the school headmaster's residence!  Not a bad house for a headmaster!  The King's Manor and surrounding grounds are now used by the University of York. 

Bootham Bar: A 4th century Roman gate in York's wall

Our guide explained that in York, "Streets are gates, gates are bars, and bars are pubs!"  While he said this in jest, it does hold true.  Bootham Bar is a gate into the walls that were surrounding York in the 4th century.  After climbing a flight of stairs, we were able to walk along the wall.  Soldiers would stand on this wall to protect the town from intruders.  The distance between soldiers was exactly the length that a shout could be heard! 

Walking the wall.

We then walked the wall.  It was about a person and half wide.  At one corner of the wall is Robin Hood's Tower.  No one really knows why it is named that, and if it had not been for our guide, we would not have known we walked through it!  Along the outer edge of the wall, where the grass now is, was a moot.  It was amazing to stand on the wall and imagine water surrounding you as a means of protection. 

Dutch House

This is the Dutch House, which is the first house in York to be built completely of brick.  After the Great London Fire of 1666, people started building homes of brick in hopes of protecting their homes in case of another disastrous fire. 

Street view leading up to York Minister

York Minister has an obvious presence in the city.  Throughout the tour, I was struck that I could see portions of York at almost all the stops. This is just one of narrow road, that is still in use, leading to York Minister.  

York Minister

After the walking tour, we toured York Minister.  It is the largest Gothic church north of the Alps.  York Minister is also a cathedral, since it has the seat of a bishop.  York Minister was not destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries as it was not a monastery.  It is still an operational cathedral, holding weekly mass.  On high holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, it is said that 4,000 people worship there.  While over a million people visit each year to see its grandeur and view history, York Minister is still a holy place of worship.  We arrived just before 2:00pm for our tour.  At 2:00 pm, a priest stood at the lectern and prayerfully reminded all that were visiting that this was a house of the Lord and then solemnly led prayers for those suffering from oppression, victims of war and conflict, and all people needing the comfort and guidance of God.  I do not know if this is just conducted at 2:00pm or at other times of the day as well, but it was a touching moment and reminder that amidst the grandeur and spectacular sights, this is still a place that God dwells. 

Holding owls just outside of the Multangular Tower

Just before boarding the train, we stopped at the Owl Adventure exhibit.  I do not think that owls hold any significance to the history of York.  It just happened to be there on the day we were visiting...so we did it! 

York was a magnificent historical city to explore for our first day trip out.  Now that we are back home, remember the lights are always on!

~W