Adventures From a Small Island

The End of the Beginning

2012-01-28T14:23:00.001-08:00

Another year, another start of term. Another mad cramming of 'tools' with which to survive on the wards into my little doctor's bag. Instead of moaning, I'm going to be trying to enjoy every minute as I'm more and more conscious that soon, I won't be an on-looker, but will have the responsibility squarely on my shoulders. Here's to the final year, and the end of the beginning...

Romania Medical Trip 2009 Pictures

2009-09-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

The team

The villages

The German ‘old town’- Sighisoara

Little "blue eyes'

The two medical students: Deepa and Iulia

The flowers the kids brought us when we were leaving one of the villages (they ran after our vans waving goodbye too) Reminded me of that Mexico trip to that sweet orphanage-yes, that was the year of the ‘patato-lip’!

A little bit of minor surgery in the back of a classroom- no biggie! ☺ I was in charge of bleeding- I had to control it using silver nitrate sticks!

"Going to see the Doc is over rated"

Iulia playing doctor: “Can I listen to your heart please?”

A little girl with endocrine problems (she had gynacomastia) I didn’t do anything to her- I promise! She had just never been to the doctor before.

KIDS, KIDS, KIDS! (I’m clearly in my element!)

“I’m not sure about this going to the doctor thing”...

Trying out the ECG machine on one of our hosts, the wonderful Norman Patterson.

Kids waiting patiently to see the doctor.

‘Aunt’ Molly our brilliant pharmacist (she did an incredible job and she is not trained as a pharmacist by trade- I think maybe she needs to think about a career change!)

“I want to have a listen too!” – this cutie made our day!

Praying with our patients- God was moving amongst us!

The 8 year old girl I diagnosed with psoriasis

One of the pastors offered to pray with each and every person as they left clinic- I didn’t hear about one person refusing prayer!! And some families even came back for more prayer!

Men working in the fields outside our make-shift clinic- oh how I love the Romanian country side!

Say Aaaaahhhh” – this kiddo looks like he could be the inspiration for a Norman Rockwell painting!

Say aaaahh

Waiting to be seen by docs #3. Triage was going on inside the tent and most people could sit and wait under the shade of the grape vines.

Devon Small Group Surfing Weekend Away

2009-04-06T14:34:00.001-07:00

We just took a lovely 3 day weekend away to the lovely Atlantic Ocean in Devon (Croyde) with our Sheffield small group at church. We had fabulous weather and enjoyed spending some extended time with one another away from day-to-day activities at home.

We did some surfing...

And lots of sitting on the sunny beach...

Our small group... we like to eat- and do A LOT of it!!

Northern California or South-West England???

Northern California or South-West England (No. 2)?

Our gorgeous 'sun-trap' garden!

Where we all loused about in our PJs/had Dave's lovely pancakes/read each morning...

Dining Room

Living Room

Long Weekend in Bristol

2009-02-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Snow Day

2009-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve at Helen and Stu's 'Heros and Villains' Party

2009-01-01T04:35:00.001-08:00

One of the knights of the round table warming up at the fire in the back garden.

The most difficult game of Charades EVER! (Thanks to Johnny!) How does one 'act out' Barabas????

Chatting until the countdown to Midnight!

Why so SERIOUS? (Johnny's re-creation of Heath's Joker)

Scooby and his pirate friend

Super hostess Helen as 'Rogue' from X-Men! (Her husband Stu was Wolverine, but I don't seem to have gotten him in any pictures)

Pirate, Pink and Cruela de Ville

Hiro and his Nemesis

Geordan as Hiro Nakamura

Iulia as Daphne or 'Nemesis' off of the TV show 'Heros'

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas at our house

"Family" Christmas with Dave and Sarah

Our FIFTH Christmas Eve with Tim and Barbie!

Geordan in his office at the Wesley Rectory Museum and pictures of things around Epworth Village

My flowers from James and Alex

My new 'bob'

Lincoln Christmas Market with Claire

Whirlwind through North Yorkshire

2008-09-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

NUNINGTON HALL

RIVEAUX ABBEY GARDENS

THE LOVELY GEORGIAN TOWN OF RICHMOND

THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS

I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.

Babies, babies, babies

2008-08-29T15:18:00.001-07:00

Meeting baby Joel and playing puzzles with Emily!

A lunch date with gorgeous Gerber Baby Hannah!

Wedding and the Cruise

2008-08-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time on our cruise! All 5 of us kids shared a little cabin- which was like a 7 day sleep-over! We loved stops in Cozumel and Jamaica! The wedding took place on Jamaica- it was beautiful! We love our new family members! It was so great to meet Dani, Jordan, Rem, Mandy and Chase - and of course to be there for Dad and Dennise's wedding.

On our cruise!

My birthday with our beautiful nieces

Bunch of 'quacks'

2008-04-02T13:53:00.001-07:00

Two words: stinking hilarious

And I was blown over by a big gust of wind

2008-03-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

A few more funny/touching things that have happened lately...
While doing a couple of neurological exams on two dear little old ladies that were very confused about their whereabouts; when asked to write a sentence the wrote:
"Why are you asking me these stupid questions"
and
"I don't know what's going on"

How funny and how together! And yet the dears couldn't even tell us their names, where they were, or what the date was.

The chart for a 96 year old lady who had come into hospital for a bad fall said "She was walking a friend home, bent down to kiss her and was BLOWN OVER BY A BIG GUST OF WIND."

I do love me some old people.

"In Praise of Yorkshire"

2008-02-21T13:52:00.000-08:00

Day 4 of intensive clinical experience.
There is now a routine to getting up way too early, meeting my fellow 'buddy' classmate to take a train and a bus to get to the hospital.
On the train we talk through the day over coffee and ruffle through our 'Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary' and Churchill's "Differential Diagnosis" clarifying new terms and symptoms learned the previous day.
The hospital doors swing open and we are greeted by lovely nurses and some fellow classmates. All of us far too eager and a bit shell shocked that we are now 'student doctors' -we adhere to the same regulations as our superiors and are expected to have impeccable comportment at all times. Most of our patients think we are doctors no matter how hard we try to clarify that we are only students.
Mornings begin with ward rounds with a favorite specialist nurse (God bless these super hard working people!!! With 25 years experience behind them they know just as much as the doctors, and we all know it), lunch (more talk about what we are learning and seeing and a chance to catch up with peers and to see what they've been up to), then afternoon clinics- more pamphlets and things to read up on and before we know it its 5pm and time to head home. Loads of reading and far too much crammed into our heads in a days work.
Two interesting experiences:
1. My first encounter with a bad diagnosis: having the doctor tell a patient he had prostate cancer and seeing how lovely the nurses were-by the time he walked out of the consultation he was smiling and joking around.
2. We had a young lady flat-line for 18 seconds. Someone was headed for the crash cart when she began to come around on her own. I had the oxygen ready to go. Apparently its always the young ones that are the most trouble when in comes to syncope.
Two things really struck me about this: how quickly you can lose someone, and how exciting it is to see a patient come out of a bad patch and be ok.

The heading is only because I did a neurological exam on a dear old 91 year old lady and when asked to write a sentence she wrote: In Praise of Yorkshire.
I do love me some Yorkshire folk.

I am pond-scum

2008-02-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most people have now experienced the wonderfulness that is SCRUBS. One of my favorite things about the show is the relationship between JD and the janitor (oops- I mean waste management engineer) Whatever. The point is, JD has had 8 + years of school and the WME hasn't got any. Yet as an intern, JD is so low on the hierarchy of hospital life, that even the janitor has a hold over him.

Well friends, I am not even an intern (ie Jr House officer for our English mates) and therefore, within a hospital setting, I am even lower than pond scum.

Three weeks of intensive clinical experience here I come!

A day in the respiratory clinic

2008-02-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

I spent the day in the respiratory clinic. I saw patients with conditions such as asthma, bronchiectesis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder ... well you get the idea.
I percussed, listened to their lungs with a handy dandy stethoscope, talked over their conditions with the lovely consultant and on top of all of this- I learned proper hand washing techniques (that’s right! I'm doing MY part to stop the spread of MRSA in NHS hospitals!).
Other things of note:
1. number of patients I saw: 7
2. number of wheezes heard with stethoscope: 2
3. number of crackling lungs heard with stethoscope: 2
4. number of edemas I palpated: 2
5. number of X rays on SCRUBS that are presented wrong way round on the opening credits in Season 1 : 1

Yes. I know I'm a dork.
I'm just loving medicine- what can I say? I'm finding everything fascinating and exciting. The next few weeks are all on the wards so watch this space

10 year anniversary-so happy together!

2008-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas, hiking, New Years and a Winter Tea Party

2008-01-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

A Winter Time Tea Party!

New Year's Eve!

A post Christmas Hike at Hathersage

Christmas Day with Kate and Dan

Christmas Eve with Tim and Barbie

1920s Era Murder Mystery

2007-12-22T16:33:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of a fabulous murder mystery party kate had for her birthday. As you can see from the pictures, we had a wonderful time!

The Bits and Bobs of Christmas

2007-12-17T03:27:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas Tree

A Winter's Walk at Froggat Edge in the Peak District National Park

Lunch with the Booths- how my boys have grown!!

Medics Ball and Thanksgiving # 1

2007-11-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed with great friends. November has been a wonderful month of spending time with people. I had a great time at my first 'Medic's Ball', and a great time doing Thanksgiving for the Sheffield lot. We are thankful for them!

We settle in

2007-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I've put up a post. Its been a very busy 5 weeks. In many ways it seems like we've been here forever- yet with the thrill of finding new things to marvel over. I'm very much enjoying my course- some bits better than others of course. I've come accross some lovely classmates, with whom I often spend my afternoons pouring over our practicums nad lectures. Last week went by so quickly that I realized that I've been quickly lulled into that very lovely rythm that comes with studying- and that horrible feeling that there is ALWAYS something else left to do.
I've posted just a few pictures of the last few weeks-what we've been doing when we haven't been studying.
The pictures are of us at at Gnomes's going away 'do', our Harvest Meal at church, some pictures of my walk to and from school, and a 'family' Sunday afternoon tea with our Housemate Hugh.

Espania with Louisa

2007-10-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

Church

Beautiful mountians

Beautiful Spain Beaches

Beautiful Church

View over medieval village

Me and Lou

Lake view from medieval village

Pictures of hills around Lou's parent's house.

Our House

2007-10-06T02:41:00.001-07:00

So, I'm really sorry about this, but I cannot figure out how to make these pictures the right-side up. They are the right-side-up when I look at them, and then, they come out like this when I try to post them. So, if you have a laptop you can at least turn the computer around... if not, then you can tilt your head :). You can get an idea about it anyway.

Our Garden

Our Dinning Room

Kitchen

The Study

View from our Bedroom

Our Bedroom

Our Bedroom

Our Living Room

Sara and Dave's Wedding

2007-09-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

First Day of Freshers Week

2007-09-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

First day of Freshers Week today. I got poked a few times for blood for antibody tests for every vaccine/illness known to man. The phlebotomist was very poor (Yes! Like the last time!) but the lovely (male) nurse stepped in a did a good draw the third time around. Queued for miles for everything imaginable and had to register without the grant money (which or course did not come in on the date it was required!) Luckily I have a month to get it in.

Tomorrow is the first day of lecture in the Medical Lecture Theatre ( as opposed to the lowley BioMedSciences Theatre of the past). The 2.5 hour lecture is entitled "An Introduction to Medicine". Hhhhhhm. This is the part where I pull out the pathology book and look at a few gruesome pictures and show them to surrounding students to pass the time.

To come Wednesday: an introduction to the Gross Anatomy Lab. I wonder how many 19 yr old girls will pass out at the sight of their first cadaver?

A Sunny Day in Manchester

2007-08-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

So, Geordan always tells me that I need to actually admitt to the days of sunshine that we have in Manchester. Well, yesterday was a beautifully sunny day and we celebrated by going to Fletcher Moss Park. Here are some pictures of the day.

Beautiful Summer

2007-08-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Heres a few more pictures from our trip. Some family photos, one with our good friend (and bestman- Timbo) who came up to visit for a long weekend, and some that my dad took.

Hanging Out on the North Coast

2007-08-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Poker Night. Hanging out on the patio.

Vacation Pictures

2007-08-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

On the trip to CA. Having fantastic pesto bread in The City By the Bay with Iust and Katie. Hanging out with Jen and girlies.

Mom's Garden

2007-08-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here is my Mom's beautiful garden.

Grandma Hammonds on utube!

2007-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Check out the clip of Geordan's grandmother on uTube!

http://www.valleymorningstar.com/articles/hammond_6420___article.html/bears_children.html

My Very 'Harry' Day

2007-07-21T13:30:00.001-07:00

Its dark and rainy and very much an in-door kind of day -perfect for snuggling in a blanket with a cup of tea (or a few...). Luckily for me, I didn't have to spend today moping about the horrid weather. Oh no! From the moment my doorbell rang at 9:30am this morning with my Amazon delivery of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - I've been oblivious to mostly everything but enjoying every word of the last ever Harry Potter. I must say as I start the last 100 pages, I'm very sad to say goodbye. These books have given me many happy hours of reading and I'm sorry to see the series end. Well done Jo Rowling!

Birthdays, Wedding Days and Last Days

2007-07-16T09:21:00.001-07:00

Birthday
Birthday girl and flowers from Geordan:
Birthday 'high tea' at the office- with M& S scones to die for!

Some of my lovely work colleagues who helped me celebrate!

Birthday dinner with Sara and Lou!

Wedding day...

Helping Dave and Sara with putting together their wedding invitations:

Finally all done!

Glamour Day...
Kate and I had a free voucher for a day of massage, hair and makeup and photos- here is the (very paired down) finished result. I had to take off most of the eye make-up just to look normal!

Last days...

My last day with the boys...

James:

And Alex:

My lovely Tiffany's bracelet and flowers:

It is the end of an era :) Upward and onward.

Weekend on the North East Coast

2007-06-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

There is something so very English about stormy skies and churning seas, thick salty fog that wraps itself around everything at night and fish and chips. We really enjoyed our visit to Captain Cook Country during which we experienced all of the above. Our drive up was very foggy- and the fog was really so thick by the decent into Robin Hood's Bay that I somewhat panicked as we headed into white clouds at a 25 degree slant. Once we got the the bottom of a steep and windy road the fog cleared just enough for us to be able to find our quaint accommodation.

ROBIN HOOD'S BAY

It was a tiny room done completely in wood with every amenities you could want. Especially because it was so close to the sea, and you could hear the waves lap up against the sea wall at night it felt like being safely snug in the bowels of a ship.

We had a little garden where we could eat and spend time looking out over the little town below, but it rained more or less every time we were out, so we didn't really get a chance to properly enjoy it.

The main gathering spot a the bottom of the hill. Our little 'hideaway' was up the hill, across the road to the right of the white house (roughly from the spot where I'm taking the picture). There were all sorts of traditional clog dancers all over the place. Can you spot them?

Geordan walked into the little tunnel that guides the river to make its way down the hill through the town. It actually feeds directly into the sea at high tide.

When walking on beach that is completely covered by feet of ocean every night, its always a good idea to bring along your wellies!

The magnificent view of Robin Hood's Bay from the beach:

Trying to pick our way through water and seaweed to walk as far as possible down the beach front:

Robin Hood's Bay looks like the houses were stacked on top of each other. Squeezing so many houses together on such a steep incline is a bit of a marvel.

Geordan is amazed at how much water covers the beach area where we were were walking at the beginning of the day.
Walkway along the hill which weaves its way along the side of the village:

View of the bay from the top of the village.

WHITBY

You know you are in a proper fishing village when you look around the docks and all you see are crab/lobster traps AND...

lovely little fishing boats.

Of course we had to take advantage of the local fishing industry and have ourselves a bit of fish 'n chips!

Then we walked along the pier.

The next day, we went to Whitby Abbey.

SCARBOROUGH

On our way home we stopped at Scarborough. The whole town is spread under the overwhelming presence of The Grand Hotel.

Though it must have been majestic in its prime, it actually seems a bit dowdy and 'past its date' now.

We ended our lovely weekend with a long walk overlooking the town and then making our way back to the car along the beach.

Enchanting Edinburgh

2007-06-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: "The happiest lot on earth is to be born a Scotsman. You must pay for it in many ways as for all other advantages on the earth...But somehow life is warmer and closer; the hearth burns more redly; the lights of home shine softer on a rainy street; the very names, endeared in music, cling nearer round the heart."- The Silverado Squatters 1883

Now that I've been to this enchanting place myself, I see exactly what he means. Geordan and I had already fallen in love with wild Scotland: Arran, Loch Lomond, and the Trossachs- now I've fallen in love with its proudest city.

This is a view of the castle from the 'new city.'

How could I HELP but like it when this picturesque town boasts hobbits as inhabitants??Some beautiful views of the 'old city.'
Taking a stroll inside Edinburgh Castle.
I thought this little guy looked like Aslan- he has such a kind face.
AAAHHH. Nothing in the world like the bond of sisters.
Views over the city from the castle top.

I guess it must be genetic.... we really are our Father's daughters:

Sporting the crown jewels:

In the military museum, a bit of paraphernalia that hit close to home: A soldier's New Testament alongside his gas mask. Seems like it would be fairly difficult to read it with the gas mask on!

Phew! After learning about so many battles, we decided we needed refreshment... so we went for 'high tea' on Prince's Street:

The view from our Tea Rooms:

Hmmm...Iust and Sara have gone 'native'. I guess they've become Scottish Viking Lasses??!

Hollyrood Abbey outside of Hollyrood Palace, the official 'in-state' residence of The Queen:

Iust making good use of her 'Gumbi' tripod. Can you BE any more your Dad Iust?

In the gardens at Hollyrood:

Biggest dork-tourists ever! Look at us with our headphones still on even though we were no longer listening.

The dramatic 'hanging' on our "Ghosts and Ghouls: the 'not-so-nice' history of a beautiful city"

Inside the spooky vaults:

'Blair Witch' anyone? Good thing our guide was a skeptic because we really were starting to loose our cool down there a little bit!

On the last day, the girlies had to leave at noon, so I had the whole rest of the day to explore by myself...

I started out walking through the park and ended up at the magical St. John's.

Then I happily found myself right in the middle of a 'church music concert practice' at The Kirk. A little bit of Bach choral music in the middle of the day is enough to make anyone happy!

Then I hit the People's Story Museum:

It was so interesting to see all sorts of displays about life in Edinburgh for the last century.

Of course, I found my way to the writer's museum. It holds all kinds of paraphernalia which belonged to Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and (my personal childhood favorite) Robert Louis Stevenson. The exhibits reminded me of some marvelous reading from my childhood- the place is set up in a very cozy way, and there is a 'reading room' on the top floor in which I spent a pretty hour.

My last stop was maybe the brightest of the city's jewels. Amongst the 'studenty' area- not too far from the famed Edinburgh School of Medicine, is Greyfriars:

I particularly found the graveyard and gardens surrounding the church so peaceful. It also offers fantastic views of the city- but of course my camera battery died just as I had set up the 'money' shot!

I have to say it was a lovely trip and I SO MUCH enjoyed a girlie mini-break with Iust and Sara. Please come back and see us- we miss you already!

Hare Hill to the Wizard

2007-06-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Saturday a couple of weeks ago - we met up with J, JA and E for a little walk from Hare Hill to the Wizard.

Emily sat perched happily on her daddy's back...

Our boys and Emily walking towards the edge

Geordan spends some time with Emily when we stop for a yummy lunch at 'The Wizard'.

Just look at the lovely grin! We had a truly wonderful day!

Lovely visit

2007-06-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to have a wonderful visit with my sister. She and her best friend Sara came to stay with us in Manchester for a few days and then the three of us took off and went to Edinbrough for a long weekend. We had a lovely time and I will post pictures as soon as I have the patience to re-size and upload them.

Beautiful Day!

2007-05-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

This was the beautiful day that was Kate and Dan's wedding!! Here are the Coopers with their little mini-cooper!

I LOVE my beautiful friend Kate! It was WONDERFUL to take part in their wonderful day!

Geordan and I on our way to the reception:

Here are is the amazing venue: The Cavendish Hall on the Chatsworth Estate

Jamie- this is my 'fascinator'. Whatdda ya think??

Check out Carola's hat! Next time, I'm DEFINATELY wearing one of those!!

April Showers

2007-04-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I've done a more 'personal' post. This is us on holiday with our friends Dennis and Rebecca (who came out to be with us from Nevada!) over Easter. We had a lovely day walking the grounds and going into the property at Sledmere House in the Yorkshire Dales. And yes, we did have cream teas in case you were wondering :)! With proper Yorkshire Clotted Cream no less.

It was a beautifully sunny Easter weekend, and we did the 'pilgrimage' to Epworth. We saw Samuel Weseley's Parish Church (and celebrated Easter morning there), had ramble round the graveyard and had a picnic lunch on the grounds.

We also had a tour of the Wesely Family Rectory and a wander around the grounds there as well.

Coming up this weekend is the wedding of my dear friend Kate, in a hall on the Chatsworth Estate.

Otherwise, Geordan is busy PhD-ing and correcting Church History 11 final exams. (Of course he had to take time off to watch the match at Steve's last night!) I'm trying to spend as much time as possible with friends (before I'm tied down to homework again in a few months).

Looking forward to 'pie night' with our small group- and excited that May is just 'round the corner - which means more sunshine and less drizzle. I really can't complain though- we have had two WONDERFUL weeks in April, and for this I am thankful!

I Grieve

2007-04-18T02:56:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of mornings our alarm goes off broadcasting grief over the airwaves about this horrific shooting. I wake up with a sense of emptiness - a certain sense of detachment. My brain cannot grasp the ludicrous act of the last few days.

Today it finally hit me. I've just spent a few minutes soaking up the words in this article on msnbc.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/
It puts faces and names and stories to the 30 people who died in the massacre at Virginia Tech. 30 beautiful, productive people with families and friends and long lives before them. The tears came as I watched the slide show. I made myself read each and every profile. Completely useless, I know, but I feel that I ought to at least know a little bit about who they are. I can remember them without having met them, I can acknowledge their lives and pay tribute, even if its in a very small personal way. I'm too upset and angry to care much about the shooter. I'm not ready to ask probing questions about how and why this happened. But my heart aches for lost lives and families torn apart. I cannot do much, so I sit and I cry and think about the lives that have been ended and I think about the families left behind. Until I can bring myself to think critically about this tragic event, I grieve.

Vintage Faith and CathloCalEmergence

2007-04-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

Having recently just read an article http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/february/11.35.html
about the 'Five Streams of the Emergent Church' and having had some conversations to do with misconceptions about the Emergent Church in North America, I submit my own 'home' Emergent Church: Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz:
http://www.vintagechurch.org/about.php

Here is a taster of their BASIC DOCTRINAL
STATEMENT
Vintage Faith Church holds to an orthodox historical Christian faith,
as reflected in these basic statements of our beliefs.
About the Bible We believe that the Bible is fully inspired by God, that it is entirely
trustworthy and is our guide for faith and life.
About God We believe that God is the loving Creator of all that exists, both seen and
unseen. God is eternal and completely good, knowing all things, having all power and
majesty. God exists eternally as the Trinity, in three persons, yet one God: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.
About Jesus We believe that God expressed Himself in human form through Jesus
Christ. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and lived a sinless life. We believe He was crucified
for the sins of us all, rose again from the dead and ascended to heaven.
About the Holy Spirit We believe that the Holy Spirit, sent from God to live in all who
believe in Jesus, teaches, comforts, and empowers us, giving each follower of Jesus diverse
gifts for serving in the church and serving others in the world. We believe that it is through the
Holy Spirit that we change and develop a holy life and Jesus-like character.
About Salvation We believe that all people are created with dignity and great value in
the image of God. That people were created to live in a thriving relationship with God.
However, through our sin (failing to live by God’s moral standards), we break our intended
relationship with God and we experience the sad consequences of that broken relationship,
both spiritually and socially. However, because of God’s love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus, to
rescue us from those consequences and to restore our broken relationship with God, through
Jesus´ death on the cross, a perfect act of redemption for each of us. We receive the free gift of
forgiveness and are spiritually reborn through repenting (changing our mind and heart) of our
sin and placing faith in Jesus alone.
About the Church We believe that the church is comprised of any person, anywhere in
the world who puts faith in Jesus. The church itself is people who are empowered by God’s
Spirit to be part of the mission of Jesus here on earth. The church is one global community, but
has smaller, local expressions, such as Vintage Faith Church. Each local church expression
has a unique personality and we see beauty in that diversity. We believe that the church does
not exist for itself, but exists as a community of worshipers who are here to serve others, as we
bring the love and hope of Jesus to the world around us.
About the Afterlife and End Times We do believe there are a literal heaven and
hell and that one day Jesus will return, although we approach the topics of the afterlife and end
times with great mystery and wonder

Because the nature of Emergent Churches is to grow out of their own local traditions, I realize that for some (Dee??) this may not seem 'emergent' enough. I find it a tantalizing blend of what I like to call CathloCalEmergence.

Sheffield and Various Ramblings...

2007-03-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

We had lovely spring day in Sheffield today. My status has finally been changed from 'international' student to 'home' student- which is fantastic! We also went running around the city looking at possibilities for University housing... not too encouraging a prospect as there are about 60 flats for every married/family person applying to the University. Chances are fairly slim that we will find anything University affiliated, but it doesn't hurt to look I suppose. It was fun to show Geordan some of my favorite haunts- though it was all very quick (there and back by 4:00pm!)

This is the park nearest the hospital/biomedical sciences building:

These are the newly finished fountains outside the new City Hall (and incidentally the site for my graduation in 2012!)

It does make me happy though to drive through the Peaks. I think the Peak District must be one of my favorite places in the world - it did make me hanker after a lovely little cottage half way in between Manc and Shef - but after doing the drive twice today, I think the driving would drive me completely mad - so that will have to remain a lovely dream and we'll probably end up either in Manc or Sheffield and one of us will have to commute.

I'm doing my best to try to enjoy my last few months of freedom before all things related to medicine take over my life. This means a LOT of reading! Because I'm always interested to hear what you all are reading, I'll tell you whats currently on my nightstand:

1.Kathleen Norris 'The Cloister Walk' and 'Amazing Grace' (Fast becoming necessary reading for lent)

2.'In Search of C.S. Lewis' by Stephen Schofield (Am a bit in two minds about this one, its an amalgamation of many people's viewpoints on Lewis as a scholar, tutor and friend- some of these guys are clearly a bit self involved and envious, but then again, I am a staunch Lewis lover so I might be a bit biased myself)

3.'Attention All Shipping - A Journey Round the Shipping Forecast' by Charlie Connelly (My colleague Debbie got this for me after hearing me wax eloquent about my deep love of the 'Shipping Forecast' on BBC 4. Hilariously enough, the author seems to have found the same solace as I have in the rhythmic pentameter of this lovely nautical poetry. I'm sad to find that this wonderful British institution is no longer strictly necessary for those brave men fighting off gales in North Utsire, South Utsire,Fitzroy, Sole, Fastnet, Shannon,Rockall,Malin, Hebrides. But I also discovered that the Shipping Forecast brings in more letters to the BBC than any other broadcast! And of course, they are mostly from little old people who've felt that the Forecast was read to slowly, loudly,melodically, not melodically enough, with too many pauses, with too much emphasis... well you get the picture. There appear to be many avid Forecast listeners around this lovely island (whether necessary or no) and so, I hope this grand institution will last for many years to come.

4. 'C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church' by Jospeh Pearce - I just borrowed this one tonight from Peter Nockles, so will have to wait to comment at a later date.

5.'Un An Bun' (or A Good Year- just finished reading it in Romanian- just because I CAN :) by Peter Mayle. The British humor was completely lost in the Romanian translation, but a good read for all wine lovers and French gourmet enthusiasts.

Currently on my ipod (by the way did Jamie ever get his money back for the phony b-day ipod??):

Switchfoot's 'O Gravity!' (it gets played over and over and over much to poor G's frustration).

TV following: Am watching the 'Jane Austen Season' films on ITV 1. Did anyone see Northranger Abbey last Sun? (I only just realized it is said with a 'g' as in 'great' as opposed to a 'g' as in 'German') I thought it quite good!

Films I want to see: 'Amazing Grace', 'Into Great Silence' and that new film about Bob Dylan - who, btw, now has a RADIO SHOW on Sun nights?!!?? This seems decidedly uncool for the greatest poet of the 60s, but I'll reserve judgement till after I've actually listened to a full broadcast.

So what are you all reading, listening to, watching?? Enquiring minds want to know!

And just for a quick side note: I've somehow managed to crash my newly begun 'personal blog' whilst trying to download a picture from google images- and I really don't think I can be bothered to re-post the whole thing again. And to be perfectly honest, I can barely keep up with this blog! :)

Homemade is Best

2007-03-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

Romania

2007-03-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Being in Romania was interesting to say the least. I was pleasantly surprised by the increasingly decent looking buildings in the city center. The example bellow is not one of them. It is Ceausescu's hideous 'House of the People'. Geordan was just musing that the size of this building would barely be appropriate for a UN headquarters building, not suitable for one country's government building and most certainly ridiculous for Romania's government building. But alas. There it is. Visible from EVERY angle of the city- a monstrosity present around every corner.

Here are some of the nicer views from the city center:

The churches were absolutely beautiful. It was really interesting to go in and watch people going through their Sunday rituals. Some prayed and kissed every icon. Others did an intricate dance of weaving their way through only certain stations. Others sat solemnly at the back of the churches in the shadows of the pillars. I find the darkened interiors interesting. I like the smells of the incense. I even like the ritual of lighting candles for the living and the dead. What I don't like is that MARY is at the head of every church. Jesus is sometimes just a small mosaic on the side. How frustrating. This idea that one must go through MARY or the priests to get to God is so upseting and untrue. And yet it is such a pillar of the Orthodox Church in Romania- that there is something beyond the shadows of the church, beyond the black veils- a place where the common man cannot reach without the help of priests. Strange, mystical and altogether in many ways not what the Bible teaches. But still, as a study it was beautiful. The times spent wandering through churches was was the best and most impformative.

The unofficial patron saint of Romania : St. Nicholas!

Last stop: Olathe, Kansas

2007-01-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

In Kansas we:

Went to our first dinner theatre. It was really fun! The food was great and the show was really funny- featuring all 'home grown' actors!Hung out with John Raux- talked about old times and caught up on the three years since we've been home!
Had amazing coffee! Look at how lovely that is!
Ordered the flaming cheese...

And boy was it worth it!

Sat for a portrait drawing... isn't it wonderful?

Stop 3: Opreyland Hotel, Nashville

2007-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

I've never really seen anything like this! It was like a rain forest built in the middle of the hotel!

So cute!

Very southern type of building.

You can actually take boats out on the in-door river!

And, last but not least, every hotel should have their own waterfall!

Stop 2: Atlanta, Georgia

2007-01-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

We stopped in Atlanta to see the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial:

And his father's church:

And his childhood home:

There is a lot I could say about what we saw, but I think this quote says it all...

The Everglades and the Alligators!

2007-01-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

A very cool thing we did in Miami was to visit the Everglades.

On the boat:

The beautiful scenery passing by as we were looking for alligators:

Iulia: the alligator hunter!

Look I caught one!

This is the meal we made with the alligator that I caught:

Geordan hanging out with his alligator friends:

First stop: South Beach Miami

2007-01-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd do a few posts about our trip. Our first stop was Miami! Best thing about it was definitely meeting our gorgeous little nieces! Geordan with a serious case of baby love...I fell in love right away. They are both SO good! Little baby Avery has to be the world's sweetest baby- she loves to be cuddled and held. And Jade is the world's best 2 year old! She will stay out till midnight and just amuse herself while the grownups chat!

They went around everywhere with us! We got a chance to taste some Cuban food- which was really, really nice. We went to South Beach- which I LOVED and saw Amy Whinehouse hanging out and eating with a friend at an outdoor cafe.

Miami palm trees are actually different than Cali palm trees- and they grow fruit! They are beautiful and I'd LOVE to see these outside my window everyday!

Reminiscent of our beach bum days! What a joy to be by the water!

Avery and Jade love the beach too!

The Dreaming Spires

2006-11-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

So we had a lovely mini-break away in Oxford last weekend. I've been quite bad about blogging, so I thought I'd try to write a tiny bit. What can I say about my passion for Oxford other than that, it is clearly caused by the rather inexplicable way in which going to Oxford, to me, is 'going home'.

This last weekend we started by taking an autumn-day walk along the Thames (commonly 'Isis'). Half way through the walk we stopped for shelter, warmth and grub - and ate at the The Trout Inn (which is most definitely my favorite pub in the whole of England). The building is ancient and rather satisfyingly gives one the feeling of having walked straight into Hobbiton - as the ceilings are low and timbered and every little room boasts its own smoldering fireplace. The windows provide a lovely view of the river rippling by, and the food is fantastic. We showed up about 20 minutes before they started serving food, as so we contented ourselves by sitting by the window and watching coloured leaves float by. It felt like one of those endless afternoons- the kind that move ever so slowly actually giving one time for a bit of reflection.

We popped into some favorite bookshops and spent a leisurely evening listening to the Oxford Philomusica play through a few Mozart piano concertos. The conductor was also the pianist- he was an excellent conductor but left a little to be desired as a soloist.

Sunday morning we were to see a Mystery Play at St. Mary's. We missed the beginning and instead went to the sung Eucharist at Christ Church. It was truly a little piece of heaven. I just can't get enough of the services there! The Christ Church choir is truly amazing. As Dr. K Brower would say 'it is the sort of thing that makes the hairs on one's neck stand straight up'. And I wish I could partake in their fellowship more often.

It was a good refreshing change from the monotony day to day life in a big bustling city. I don't know how it keeps that very small-town feel, but Oxford always feels so homey. Anyway, enough said- we enjoyed ourselves very much.

In other news, half of the Christmas cards are written. Today we got our tree. I have managed to either misplace or throw out the lights however, and I shall have to wait to decorate until I can purchase some new ones, The tree trimming must be done as soon as possible since as of next Sunday, the Advent Season is upon us. And, of course, one's tree MUST be put up and decorated to welcome in the season. That's all for now. I'm rather proud that I've managed to get something out at all!

Fun times with Friends

2006-10-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to have Darci and Andy visit us for a weekend. We laughed so much and had good talks and saw some beautiful things. It was such a God-send for me especially to have a taste of home while I was yearning to be home with my dad. We hope they come again very soon!

Back to the Bleakness

2006-08-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

So this isn't going to be the most inspirational of all blogs - I just thought I would update quickly to let you all know that I have arrived safely back. I flew in directly to miserable weather and well, it hasn't let up since! Between the rain, grayness and grime everywhere (did I MENTION the rubbish??) I'm not super thrilled to be walking the sidewalks and frequenting the train stations of Manchester again. Having said that, I did have a lovely first weekend back. It was a bit manic (we had a wedding to go to just 3 hours after I got off the plane- and it lasted all day!) but great! I got to catch up with good friends and we really enjoyed staying at Steve and Lynn's lovely new home. We are now house sitting for my dear friend Louisa and also loving her place- which incidently would be just about the perfect size for a new little nest for us. And on that topic-the house hunt continues - we have a few avenues we exploring. I am working full days until next Wed so I cannot do any viewings except for on the weekend. I am definately ready for a place of our own again.

Mostly I'm nursing a bad case of homesickness on top of a sore throat and cough. As much as I love being reunited with my wonderful husband, it was incredibly difficult for me to say goodbye to family and friends. Leaving after the THIRD year was just as hard as leaving the first time- it really doesn't get easier for me! However, as my dad reminded me this morning, I can and will cherish the time that I had with everyone in sunny Cali. Being with you was good for my soul! It also reminded me of how blessed we were to grow up in a place where the outdoors can be enjoyed year round- more or less 24 hours a day. And I mean this literally! I was reminded by a friend of how we used to sleep out in my mom's garden on a futton. It was so great to go to sleep under the stars with the gorgeous smell of summer flowers all around. It is SO amazing to be able to be outdoors at anytime and I really took advantage of being able to eat outside! I really do believe that there will be long meals in the gardens of heaven someday!

I must get my pictures onto a disk and then I will post a few of my lovely month in the sun.

Summer Days on the North Coast

2006-08-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

I thought that since I haven't really posted for a while that I should give a quick update.

I am having a wonderful time being home. My parents took the family up to the north coast for 2 weeks. It has been the first time in a couple of years that all 6 of us have gotten away together.

The location we go to is a 25 mile stretch of rent-able properties along the north coast (like the house you see in the picture) called The Sea Ranch. It is a funny eclectic mix between very upper middle class comfort and a bohemian artist colony. More or less each house as a painters studio and every single house has an ocean view, and is just 10 minutes walk from the many little beaches along the shore. This picture, taken by my dad, is of my sister and me on one of our 6 mile strolls to the recreation center.

I spent a glorious 2 weeks in which I baked in the sun to my heart’s content, and reveled in many lazy hours reading and sipping on smoothies. We went berry picking (and picked about 3 lbs of blackberries!) and made homemade tarts which were so good that they never made it to plates because we ate them straight off of the baking sheets.

I’m still working on resizing a lot of the pictures we took, but I will post more as soon as I get a chance.

Now I’m back in San Jo- spending long summer days (and wonderful evenings outdoors) surrounded by the sweet comfort of old friends. It really doesn’t get much better than this. It would be perfect if only G were here also.

Sweet Days of Summer

2006-07-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a summer baby- which means, I guess, that summer is in my blood. As much as I LOVE Christmas time, I relish this season in a different way than all others.

Some of my favorite summer things:

1. Cherries in a bag (fast food - the old fashioned way!)

2. Our summer time Birthday parties! (In this case Geordan's at Nawaab)

3. Getting to go visit friends in new places! (With Matt, Meghan and Jeremy in Starnburg)

4. Long evening meals with good friends (preferably in the garden)

5. Traveling!!! This is beautiful Munich or 'Munchen'

Just look at these May poles!

6. Funny things that you stumble across while traveling!

Do you notice anything about these sunbathers?? Look just a bit closer and you will see what WE saw when we found ourselves amongst a bunch of nude sunbathers smack in the middle of the largest park in the city center of Munich!

Holiday Pictures

2006-07-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from our wonderful trip. Most are images from Bavaria- land of beer, pretzels and leiderhosen. There are a few shots of a match, and supporters singing and cheering in the city center of Munich. Another is us drinking a "Russian" (Russen) - which is 2/3 lemonade and 1/3 weissbeer at Andech's Monastary - where making beer has been the monk's primary source of income for hundreds of years. And the one of the iron gate is at the 'work camp' Dachau, where the inscription on the gate reads "work will set you free".

The Agony and the Ecstasy

2006-06-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

So we had a fantastic match last night - FINALLY. I was SO proud of our boys! Brian McBride had to have stiches, Convey played with blurred vision for the second half after he was elbowed in the face and Donovan was given fluids by IV at the half - but they played with their hearts, and the result was a good one! (Thats not to say that we weren't robbed of a player - neither of those two yellow cards where rightly given to Pope!) I can't even begin to express how junvenile some of those ref's calls where, and I will not go into a tirade about the behavior of the Italian players- the fact that their own Italian newspapers denounced the team as a 'disgrace' this morning is enough for me :)

Having said all of this, we had SUCH a blast last night! The fans were amazing, and Bruce Arena gave an interview saying that it was the best fan show of support outside US soil that the US team has ever had. It FELT like it! We lost our voices and I clapped so hard I burst a vessel in one of my fingers! Its blue and purple today! We kept meeting up with people who we saw at the last match as well- it was a make-shift community kind of feel. I was 'high fiving' people I didn't know and everyone was just hugging each other and screaming after our goal. The groanings and 'boo-ing' and feelings of despair at missed shots and bad calls was just as emotional. The crowd's reactions where really funny! What torment and what fun it is to be a football fan! I loved it, of course, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Hopefully we will do as well against Ghana...

Hope you get to watch a few more of the matches Eif! So much for the Aussies beating Brazil eh? They did put up a valiant effort though!

Gutten Abend from Munchen!

2006-06-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

We are in Germany! We are having so much fun! Yes, we sucked, and got schooled on Mon. I've never been so ashamed of a US team in my life. It was a complete throw-back to the days when we had college students playing in international tournaments! It seemed like they were just sleeping for most of the match.

But, nevertheless, we are really enjoying ourselves. The atmosphere here is absolutely AMAZING! We haven't witnessed any uncouth behavior really. The banter between supporters seems to be really good natured- which is great, and exactly as it should be!

Some of the highlights include:
1. Preztel bread! (so good!!)
2. I haven't yet eaten a wurst I didn't like!
3. Tunesian fans singing their hearts out in the city center of Munich for about 5 HOURS before the game tonight.
4. Germans (of ALL ages) in LIEDERHOSEN!!!! with painted faces waving flags around.
5. Spending time with our friends Matt and Meghan and their joy of a baby boy, Jeremy.
6. Going to the game and meeting loads of Americans along the way who are football mad! Its really refreshing! We didn't know so many existed!
7. Getting to spend so much time with Geordan and not feeling guilty that I'm keeping him away from the thesis!

God is good! We are having a really refreshing and FUN time.

Oh! And I got my exam results back! I made the necessary marks for the med school, so all is well on that front!

Thats all for now. Will update again when I get the chance - though I might be too depressed after Sat's match against Italia to do so anytime soon.

Newest News...

2006-05-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

So here I am, with the last week of school upon me. I have exams Tues, Wed, Thurs of next week and, as usual, I'm shaking in my boots. I won't be on a for a while, so I thought would just post a quick update:

1.) Due to tuition/EU entry/passport issues, I have decided to defer my first year of med school till September 2007. There is just no other way around $140,000 dollars worth of loans.
2.) We are currently living and Dee and Andy's (though I will be in Sheffield most of next week).
3.) We leave for the world cup June 11! Hurray can't wait afterwhich we will be back at the Swanson's for about 3 weeks.
4.) Today is Geordan's 28th birthday! HAPPY B-DAY honey!

We will post pictures from our trip as soon as we have anything worth posting!

Coming Out of the Closet

2006-05-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

First, I want to just say that the views expressed on this blog entry do not reflect the views and beliefs of the Hammond family at large. I write only for myself (iulia), and only because I cannot stay silent after the amazing spectacle we all witnessed last Wednesday.

I can no longer hide, I must admit that I am, and always will be, a passionate Gunners fan. From the first time I saw them -almost 3 years ago, I have always admired and enjoyed watching Arsenal at play. There is something in the relationship between the manager and the players - something unique. There is no boot throwing, no angry marches off the field in protest of the manager's decisions- the players always seem to be in agreement (or at least to be willingly subordinate) to their manager. In some amazing way, Arsene Wenger seems to somehow get the absolute best from every player- and the result is a TRULY beautiful game.

Its probably pretty obvious why I would choose this time to 'come out of the closet' after Wednesday's game. Those men, with one man down, played like gladiators. It was such a great beginning to the match - and then to fight tooth and nail as they did, to stay in the lead for 75 minutes - well, I feel the pride swell up in my little heart just thinking about it :).

For you Mancs who are now out for my head, let me just say that I do not see this as a breech of Mancunian pride. I have just as much right, as any of you, to choose my club of choice and stick with it. As I was neither born, nor raised in Manchester - and face the prospect of a move to Sheffield in the near future, I feel perfectly at liberty to support any club I wish - even if it is a London Club. Even if I wanted to do otherwise, I'm afraid I cannot - for the Gunners have won me heart and soul -and I am happy to join the ranks of their proud supporters.

May Day!

2006-05-04T03:25:00.000-07:00

We spent the first of May with friends David and Lisa in the peaks. We did a loop hike from Bakewell to Chattsworth. It was a beautiful and refreshing day. Here are some pictures.

Spring is here... sort of

2006-04-22T04:30:00.000-07:00

Steve Tambourine said that 'summer was on a Tuesday' last year. Well, I'm just wondering... is spring the same way? Last year we had a lovely May, so I'm hoping that in 1 1/2 weeks time spring will really be here. I'm tired of the winter coat, I'm TIRED of the boots. I' m ready for open toed shoes and flip-flops. I can't even remember the last time I wore short sleeves outside. There have been, however some lovely blooming trees springing up around the city - their singularity making them even more beautiful among the mounds of concrete.

Not much to update really. I've been working long hours with the boys this week when I should be studying. They have been stir crazy. Alex fell off his horse for the first time yesterday while attempting a jump. He got right back up and had a very good attitude about it all. I was quite proud of him. The week ended however, with James kicking a football right into Alex's face. The poor kid was covered with mud and had a split lip - but like I keep telling you all, those two aren't happy unless they draw blood so I supposed the week ended appropriately. Only about 3 1/2 more months...

Soon we are going to move out of our flat and begin our summer as house-sitters / squatters - we are looking forward to that! Until June 1, I am supposed to be avidly studying. In between studying I'm trying to sort stuff out with the University regarding tuition, CRB check, vaccinations, etc. A bit of the excitement inevitably wears off as the mundane takes over. Geordan is still faithfully helping me look after the boys when I'm in Sheffield and will fill in for me when I'm at home in Cali. Other than that he is still plugging away at that dissertation. And our house hunt for the next year continues - do we move to Sheffield or do we stay in Manchester? I think we'll put off making a decision for as long as possible...

On History, Lectures and the Hobbits who give them

2006-04-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending a lecture the other night on John Wesley as holy man. I truly enjoyed myself so much. While the lecture itself was invigorating and had (I thought) a few inklings of quite a fresh, very open and intriguing take on John Wesley’s links and inspirations with other denominations of the Christian faith, it wasn’t the lecture that thrilled me. It was instead, finding myself in a room of somewhat elderly snowy haired men who were passing about information about a well loved subject in the most congenial way I have ever seen academics interact. Less then a lecture, it was like getting a sneak peak into the post-war gentlemen’s clubs of yore. One man in particular could have been Bilbo Baggins, another sat at the back of the room and shouted things (much like the hobbit at Bilbo’s 111th B-Day party who grumbles stuff during Bilbo’s speech), while the speaker apologized about 20 times for not really being the ‘expert’ on the subjects at hand, and deferring to an old crony also in attendance (even though the man is widely regarded as one of the top Wesley scholars of this century). I’m not saying there weren’t some younger, sleeker guys as well. But the speaker and the men that I had the fortune of meeting that night were from a different era. I was most impressed at their interaction with the younger up-and-comers, the young historians hoping to glean from the knowledge of their older and wiser colleagues. Not only did they make time to speak with them that night, but freely offered up advice, contact information and even lunch meetings. There was a (to use a French word as I can find no English one to suite) ‘gentilesse’ about them and indeed about the whole affair. It strengthened my faith in ‘old school’ English academics- the kind best executed through direct tutor/ pupil contact. What a fun night. This, my friends, is one of the many reasons I love not only England, but also the English. Hail Britannia and long may the hobbits reign.

Winter Days

2006-03-21T03:59:00.000-08:00

This is a winter picture from Timisoara. This is kind of my feeling at the moment - the wintry road goes on and on and on and on! However, I'm trying to combat the feelings of frustration with trying to do a bit of hibernation - and by this I mean just relaxing into the weather because I can do nothing about it (Steve called in 'beavering' in his blog which made me thing of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Peter et. al. in that 'warm and cozy' cave hiding from the White Witch's secret police of wolves). Helping me ride it out is: good reading (Chesterton, Norris, Austen - a change from my normal winter reads of Dickens, Dostoyevsky -White Nights is a great winter read, and Flannery O'Conner all of which sort of depress me even more); good music (loads of Shins, Cary Brothers, Joshua Radin - 'Winter' is nice, Jack, John, Nora and Jose Gonzalez); and of course yummy food (big steaming bowels of chili and soups are always good comfort food!). The good thing about winter is that you make more of the indoor activities. This weekend, I made an attempt at celebrating St. Patty's day ( but I didn't plan enough in advance and we had neither Guinness or soda bread at our local shop) so it was a miserable failure. However, I unexpectedly took on kitchen duty at church and had a fun time serving tea and coffee and washing soup bowls with Papa Brower, JoJo, Gid, Olga, and Andy. It was so hot and the windows were so steamed from the hot water that we couldn't even see out - but the time flew as we chatted while we worked- sweating profusely and laughing about it all the while. In my mind are jumbled funny snippets of conversation about 'real men not wearing aprons', food conservation in soviet block countries (reminiscing about fighting over chicken organs in the soups and sucking marrow from overly boiled bones for a little more nutrition in empty bellies), and good books. That many people stuffed into a hot kitchen would never have happened in summer (we would have all had heat exhaustion!) and so for this I am thankful. Winter days have their moments...

Mavericks

2006-03-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

I was recently shown some photos from the best surf competition in California by a friend who went this year. For those of you who don't know- Mavericks is a Nor Cal surf spot best loved and most dreaded by even the most experienced surfers. The day before the big event a San Francisco Paper says: "Mavericks Surf Contest, often labeled “the most dangerous surf contest on the globe,” will take place in just 24 hours... weather conditions enable the competition to be held this Tuesday, with world-class big-wave surfers flying in on a day’s notice." Mavericks is along very typical craggly Northern California coast line and often produces amazing waves (great for surfing). The area is also filled with jutting rock formations on the ocean floor along the rocky cliffs (not so good for surfing). Surfing Mavericks is not for the faint hearted. And Nor Cal surfers are most certainly not the faint of heart. They are a motley crew who often take great pride in "out-surfing" their more soft-shelled (yes- that is a nice way of saying PANSEY) So Cal competitors - ESPECIALLY on their own turf. For California surfers, Mavericks has always been the spot for showing off their prowess. Now, on the 5th annual contest, Mavericks is attracting world wide attention and bringing out the world's best surfers. The Nor Cal surfer favored to win this year (Anthony Tashnick- who won last year) was disqualified early on. But South Africa's Grant Baker won with a perfect score- that picture on the bottom is of him in the last heat. Here are some great pictures from this year - they bring me much pleasure- thought you might like them as well.

Silent Reflection

2006-03-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

Geordan informed me that I'm slacking on my 'once a week' blog. Because life is busy, a quick update is all I can offer. Annoyingly, I woke up this morning with a cold. What was a sinus attack has turned into a throat thing as well. It was probably brought about by sitting at the Sheffield station in the cold for 1 1/2 hours as my train was cancelled. To recoup I've begun my usual measures of lots of tea with lemon and sitting by the radiator, reading. Geordan and I are reading Chesterton's "The Everlasting Man" amongst other things. He is so witty and cutting and interesting. Also continuing with "Just Peacemaking" by Glen H. Stassen.
Had a day in London last Thursday. I took a trip to the Romanian Consulate for more paperwork and to pick up my 'travel certificate' which authenticates my Romanian citizenship (even though I don't hold a current passport). I had loads of fun navigating the underground. Heard some lovely Vivaldi on the violin and clarinet in the bowels of those intricate tunnels. Also treated myself to Chinese in Chinatown at a little hole in the wall place Geordan and I always go to when in London. Overall, life is good. Geordan is really enjoying teaching his class with Dee. He comes home really energized and happy. Good thing he is in the right profession. I think it gives him a 'light at the end of the tunnel' in the midst of the archival/writing work- a way to see how all of the current work will bear fruit in the form of teaching. After the two days of snow, its nice to have rain again. I don't know why I feel that way because I LOVE the snow. Maybe its because it is one step closer to spring?