Farnham Castle Keep and The Vyne, 27 April 2015

We were off on a minibus trip today.  It changed from the original plan with us driving our car and taking missionaries.  One of the places we were going to see, Waverly Abbey, was closed today due to filming a movie there.  The other place Farnham Castle Keep, closed part of their site due to a movie shoot.  Some dropped out and that made room for all that was going to ride in the minibus.

We went to Farnham Castle Keep, built in 1138, by the Grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester.  This was the residence of Cardinal Henry Deaufort, who presided at the trial of Jeanne D'Arc - The Maid of Orelans (Joan of Arc) in 1431 before she was burned at the stake at the age of 19.

Note the shrub at the bottom of the tree.  I went down and walked around to it and noticed that it had an entrance.  I peeked in and saw a path that led up to the walk that took me to the bench in the previous picture.  And, I found the trunk of the tree to have huge branches, larger than any I have ever seen before.  I could only think of Gabe, Carson, Jere, Jack, and other grandsons that would have a heyday climbing them.

From the top looking out over the town of Farnham.  It doesn't look like much but when we were driving to the castle, there were plenty of streets, buildings, and people everywhere.  There is a hotel at the castle and that part was where the movie shoot was taking place.

We were to The Vyne, in December.  Today it was a bit of a different look with more foliage in bloom and the staircase was open and we were able to tour the rest of the house.  It was most interesting with seeing the room King George VIII stayed in on his one visit to the house.  The library was very warm and inviting.  There were books but not so many that made you feel overwhelmed.  The piano is a spinet and very small.  There was a full grand in another room that I played.  I had played it in December as well.  We enjoyed the walk around the grounds and discovered a nest with an egg in it, belonging to the lovely swan in the water.

John Chute had the staircase built when he lived in the house in the 18th century.  Note, there are no handrails.

This is the ceiling above the staircase.

We tried to decide if this duck was alive.  It never changed position all the time we watched it.  When this other duck came swimming along, we noted they look the same.  I asked the buggy driver and he said it was most likely for real.

Week #46, 21-26 April 2015

The week in the temple was great.  There was a group of Saints from Paris in for the week and they kept us busy.  Many of the sessions were in French and the English had to use headsets, including those officiating.  It was an interesting experience for all of us.   We had a brother from India show up, all on his own, for his first time to the temple.  He gave excitement to our shift and seemed to enjoy his time here.  A young couple also were here for the first time and he is American, Noah David Nelson form Phoenix, Arizona.  You guessed it, he is related to Dad, which makes him related to all of you!  They had a neat conversation in linking up their great grandfathers, etc.

 We were on the early shift, causing us to be out by 2:30 p.m.  We filled the afternoons with chiropractor appointments, shopping, hair cuts, temple session, errands, and such.  Dad took his final driving lesson in preparation in taking the test next week.  We hope for the best.  Wednesday night was a potluck family home evening for our shift to say goodbye to the Davis' since they leave in May.  It was great to be together, visit, and enjoy good food.  Sister Smith wanted to show a couple of You Tube videos but did not know how to get them from her computer to the TV.  She came over on Monday and we used our HDMI cable to get her set up and walked her through how to turn everything on to get her desired result.  She was excited and said her practice later that evening went well.  After family night, a couple of the missionaries talked with Dad and I about this cable we had because they want to watch movies in their flats from computer to TV.  I guess Dad and I are the techno geeks for the group.

The weather was outstanding with days of bright sunshine and warmer temperatures.  I wore sandals on one day and then a sweater the next.  By Saturday it was raining in the am, sunny in the afternoon, and then rain in the pm.  Sunday followed the same pattern.  The trees and shrubs are leafing out and buds are turning into blossoms.  The temple grounds are becoming a lush garden of colorful spendor.
This tree is in front of the lodge and the buds and blossoms were to beautiful to miss.

Thursday night we took the Garrett's to eat at the Siam Orchid in Carshalton.  Dad was fantastic in his driving and the Garrett's were so amazed at how well he maneuvered the narrow streets and one round about after another.  Brother Appleyard is a periodic worker on our shift.

Natalie Green texted on Thursday that she would like to meet us for a drink and to talk.  We set up to do that at Haskins, a garden shop up the road, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.  We got home from our shift and rested before time to meet her.  Dad said he wanted more than a drink, something more like dinner, and suggested I call her about eating dinner.  I did and she was so excited for the change.  We picked her up and went to T.G.I. Friday, her favorite place to eat.  We enjoyed a delicious meal and conversation.  We thanked her for the invitation to get together and she thanked us for suggesting dinner!

Sunday was a Hi & Bye.  Two couples are leaving and a sister and another couple has arrived.  We enjoyed hearing from them, why they are here, or what they have experienced while being here.  President Irwin sang his traditional made up ditty about each couple leaving.

Left to right:  Danny Rumis, Elder Rumis, Elder & Sister Davis, Sister & Elder Mulholland, Sister Rumis, and Sister Christensen.

The Rumis family is from Belgium.  They are here on a six months mission.  He and their son are doing repairs and maintenance and she is in the kitchen at the temple.  Sister Christensen (other shift) is here for 18 months.  The Davis' (our shift) and Mulholland's (other shift) are going home, Davis' to America and the Mulholland's to Canada.

Sister Davis shared this parable which tells the story of working together, especially in the temple:

A BREAD-MAKING PARABLE

By Nancy Wyatt Jensen

Once there was a baker who wanted to bake a loaf of bread.  He called all the ingredients together and asked them to help.  They all agreed that it would be great to make bread, but you will see how well it worked.

The first time the baker tried to bake bread, the yeast felt inadequate.  She thought of herself as just a coarse, grainy substance, with no spectacular qualifications.  Even when the baker told her that with his mixing and kneading and the help of the sugar and warm milk, she would rise to the occasion, she didn't believe it and wouldn't get in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a flat loaf of bread.  

The second time the baker tried to bake bread, the oil had been thrilled to be asked to participate, but got so busy frying donuts and French fries late the night before, that she slept in and forgot all about getting in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a very tough loaf of bread.  

The third time the baker tried to bake bread, the sugar didn't show up.  She knew that her role was only to support the yeast, and she felt the yeast could easily handle the job of rising by herself.  The end result was a thick and heavy loaf of bread.  

The fourth time the baker tried to bake bread, the salt felt annoyed with her job.  It was a lot of work to spread herself so thin to flavor the entire loaf.  If she had had a better job--or at least one that was more prestigious, like the flour's--she would have happily climbed in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a bitter loaf of bread.  

The fifth time the baker tried to bake bread, the milk was frustrated.  Although she poured herself into her work, no one seemed to notice in the end.  So she stayed in the fridge rather than waste her time and effort.  The end result was a hard, cracked loaf of bread.  

The sixth time the baker tried to bake bread, the flour had already been asked to be in the gravy, the biscuits, the pretzels, and two batches of cookies.  She was sick and tired of doing more than her fair share, so she just plain turned down the request to get in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a glob of goo that didn't remotely resemble bread. 

The seventh time the baker tried to bake bread, the flour, the sugar, the oil, the yeast, the salt, and the milk realized that each of them was essential to the baking of bread.  They each realized that, working together, they were much more than they had been alone.  They each realized their jobs were equally important, although different.  Each finally offered her services in the mixing bowl with a joyful heart and a trust in the baker and his recipe.  The end result was a light and beautiful loaf of bread, much more nourishing, delicious and fulfilling than any of them had imagined.  

From Home:  We were excited to see that Isabel now has her driving permit!  Watch out Tucson!

Canterbury, 20 April 2015

Canterbury Cathedral has a tradition of visitor welcome that reaches back to the days of medieval pilgrimage.  In 597AD, Pope Gregory the Great sent a monk, Augustine, to England as a missionary.  Augustine established his seat and monastery in Canterbury and became England's first Archbishop.

The Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and still very much a working, living church.  Services take place daily and for millions of Anglicans worldwide, the Cathedral is their Mother Church.

The Nave

Baptistry Font

 The organ of a much more recent date.

 The pulpit

 Stained glass windows were brilliant in color and detail.

The Bell Harry Tower is adorned with an exquisite fan vaulted ceiling.

The roundel with the old priory shield, IX, is a trap door which was used to transport building materials and the bell on top of the tower.

 From the Quire looking back through the Nave.

The Quire

 Magnificent architecture and murals fill the Cathedral with beauty and reverence.

 Canterbury Cathedral is also noted for being the location of the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.  After a long lasting dispute, King Henry II said to have exclaimed 'Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?'  Four knights set off for Canterbury and murdered Thomas here in this place that is now called the Martyrdom.

The Cathedral has many worn steps and uneven floor.

Outside the Cathedral, we walked around a busy area of the city in which it is located, inside the city walls.

This is a portion of the wall that is still in existence.  There were four gates, one on each side of the city when it was first built and today, only the west gate remains.  When we were here in June with Dennis and went to church, we drove through the west gate and did not know what it was.  Here is a view from 'inside.'

When you drive through the gate, there is an immediate round about and directs you to the right or to the left.  Traffic does not drive down this part of the street as it is used for foot traffic.

 This is the plaza right in front of the Cathedral grounds entrance.  There were many school groups on tour in the city.

This is a view looking at the Cathedral grounds entrance from the facing street coming off the plaza.

We found a frozen yogurt shop among the shops and eateries.  We did not try it.

The Royal Museum and Free Library.  Founded 1858.

We took a tour through the area in a boat on the River Stour.  Henry, in the corner was our captain.  He pointed out the yellow colored building on the right.  Note how short the doors are!

We purchased our tickets and left from the dock at The Old Weavers House, A.D. 1500.

Note the bridge in the distance.  That is the street that runs in front of The Old Weavers House.

 The river tour had many low bridges on it and we were always ducking our heads.

Yes, we did go under this bridge.

 What a surprise to see this mama duck and her babies scurrying out of our way.  How many can you find?

 A tree in bloom.

Buildings on the river's edge.

At the end of our tour, we saw the 'dunking chair.'  In medical times it was used for wives who talked too much and husbands that were a bit too rowdy with their wives.  If a person was so charged, they were strapped into this chair and dunked into the river for 2 to 3 seconds.  Now that doesn't seem very long, but you need to know that at that time the River Stour was used for sewage.  It was a perfect way for one to keep their mouth shut.  Talk about nasty!

You gotta love an English toilet.