There & Back Again

   I've put off writing this post because I know it will be difficult. And the end result will probably be a confusing read. But in an effort to sort out my swirling thoughts, I'll make the endeavor.

{All these words . . . }

Today marks one month since our return to America, and I'd be lying if I said I don't still achingly miss England. Back when the move was in process my mind was swirling with words and thoughts. I couldn't think straight for all the words. Now that I've had several weeks to process it all, I find I've lost the words but some of my confusion and struggles remain.

I have such mixed feelings about being home. On the one hand, I'm so excited to be back with all my dear friends here and to be living in my house again (my own bathroom). I have lots of projects I'm inspired about and parties I want to host. But on the other hand, I've had to say goodbye to Cambridge. Say goodbye to all the amazing people I got to know (including the ones I basically lived with for six months). Say goodbye to the town centre with all it's shops and restaurants. Say goodbye to all the walking and the freedom to go anywhere I liked. My time in Cambridge was so special, and it is so hard for it to come to an end.

{What I miss . . . }

Sometimes I close my eyes & walk around my Cambridge. I can go anywhere. I can walk down Sedgewick. I can visit Aromii. I can call on Zuzana & little Andy. I can go pick up bread in Newnham for mum. I can bound down the stairs from my flat to check the mail. 

   But I can't. And that hurts.

I just miss everything about England, the walking, the stores, the accents, the fashions, the old buildings, the people, Tyndale House, the food, everything!

   My family & I, here in America, are trying to implement some of the lifestyle choices we enjoyed in England. There are things here we can not change, but there are choices we can make to enrich our lives. We want to slow down. Not rush about so much. Linger with friends more. Simplify our lives of all the stuff we own. Recycle paper, plastic, & metal. Eat healthier (more veg). Get more exercise. Limit the things we're involved in & be fully focused & intentional in those things. Don't spread ourselves so thin.

   I have to remind myself every now & then that life wasn't perfect in England. But it sure was wonderful, despite it's shortcomings.

{Things England taught me . . . }

   I have many regrets about how I spent my time over those six months. I wish I'd done less Pinterest and more journaling. I wish I'd watched less Netflix and took more photos. I wish I'd been more intentional about reading deep books. I wish I'd done some drawing & painting. I wish I'd written more letters. I wish I'd blogged more. (Sorry to you on that account.)

   But I don't want to focus on my regrets. I will use them to encourage myself in making wiser choices, and then I will move on. God taught me so much on this trip!

Being in England has given me fresh eyes. 

   I see things more clearly now. I see what I want to change in my life. I see what I don't like about my culture. I see the things I want to be more intentional about. I see how to love people more honestly. I see how very blessed I am.

Being in England taught me the meaning of temporary. 

   Before our move, nothing much had ever changed in my life. And I liked it that way. But living in a magical place you know you won't be in forever started to teach me how to savor moments. Knowing something won't happen again gives it a bittersweet taste, but it encourages you to delight in the moment & to soak it up while you still can. 

   That's how I should have been, at least. I often took things for granted. I didn't slow down. I didn't write about it. But I am learning. I am trying to savor the moments.  

Being in England taught me to not care so much what others think of my appearance. 

   In England there isn't as strong an emphasis on dressing to please others. People are who they are and that's okay. They're confident in it. 

   I did fall in love with the girls fashion though. The black tights, the casual dresses, the boots, the scarves, the cardigans. And messy hair was in, so I wore it everyday. Before our trip, I curled my hair every morning. But in England my hair curled however it wanted and often frizzed however it wanted. But that was okay, because no one cared. So I confidently didn't care either. It's a very freeing feeling to be confident in who you are.

Being in England taught me God has a grand plan. 

   There are so many things I could write under this one, but I'll just choose a few. Before we left for England I was scared. Scared about leaving the only home I'd ever known. Scared about leaving all my friends. Scared I would be lonely for six months. What if I don't make any friends? What if everyone hates me because I'm American? What if living in a flat the size of our living room is suffocating? 

   I laugh a little now when I think about these former fears. God is so gracious. I grew to love Cambridge as a second home. I developed many wonderful friendships, both in my church youth group & at Tyndale House. We ended up enjoying the small living quarters because of the simplicity of it (though I'm not going to lie, sharing that bathroom was a struggle). I actually felt more freedom living in our flat there than I do in our house here. There I could walk anywhere I pleased, while here we live out in the country far from town. 

   One after another the things I feared were negated by God. They always are, when will I learn?

Being in England taught me to seek beauty in the everyday.

   When you live on less you learn to make the most of it. Why not eat soup out of a pretty mug? Why not display pretty things on a shelf instead of hide them out of sight in a drawer? Why not wear jewelry today? You see, there is so much beauty around! Sometimes you have to look harder for it, sometimes you have to pull it together yourself. But it's there. 

   Now that I'm back home I find myself so inspired & I hope I'll inspire you too. Hang pretty pictures on your wall, (don't worry about the holes)! Eat morning toast off of a fancy plate! Wear your favorite socks! Put on make-up even though you're staying home today! Wear those fancy shoes! Pick that flower for your hair! Wear your favorite lotion, even though there's only a bit left of it! Light that special candle! Today is a special day because you are alive!

   If I had to summarize I'd say this. {Simplify. Be intentional. Make life beautiful.}

   There's really no way I can recapitulate my magical time in England. But this is a start.

P.S. I plan to write several more posts soon. There are several adventures we went on that I have yet to write about! So don't be sad, this is not the end.

A Very British Christmas Feast

   I think I will always remember our Christmas Feast in Cambridge. It was a massive feat of deliciousness. 

   We began with a "starter" of shrimp with Rose Marie sauce. Oh my word. I don't even like shrimp but this was delicious! And even better, it's extremely easy. The fancy Rose Marie sauce is really just ketchup and mayonnaise! Mix. Serve. Impress. (You don't have to tell them it's just ketchup & mayonnaise if you don't want to.)

   Then dad cut our bird (or birds, depending on how you look at it). Since we were in England we knew we had to do something special for our Christmas feast, so we got a three-in-one bird. Basically there are three birds (we choose chicken, pheasant, & duck) stuffed inside each other! And then there's bacon on top. Anna approves.

   Right before the meal we all stood in a circle & popped our Christmas crackers! We don't have crackers in America which is a real shame because they are so fun! If you have never heard of a cracker, they are little circular packages with treats & (very often) a paper crown inside. You pull them apart and they open with a loud crack! We donned our paper crowns and sat down to enjoy our feast.

   Mum really is spectacular. We had our three-in-one bird (chicken, pheasant, & duck), sweet potato casserole, bacon wrapped sausages, bread sauce (so British), & cheesy Brussels sprouts. The bread sauce was (unfortunately) only enjoyed by mum, but everything else was a winner! My favorite? The Brussels sprouts. Who would have thought. They were amazing! 

   We feasted. We laughed. We told the (endearingly lame) jokes from our crackers. We talked. We acted out the charades from our crackers. We laughed some more. We reminisced. We toasted mums amazing cooking. It was a good night.

P.S. Just as a disclaimer, that's Raspberry cordial, not wine. =)

P.P.S. After our feast, Joshua & I rushed off to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special! Goodbye 11th Doctor!

Christmas in Cambridge!

   About a week before Christmas it was time to decorate the flat! We got our adorable little tree at the market. As many of you know, I'm a firm believer in Christmas lights, so mum got a string of lights that's 20 meters long (almost 22 yards)! Joshua and I hung them all around our flat.

   On Joshua's first Sunday here we had a lavish Sabbath Tea. Scones with clotted cream & jam, several kinds of cheese, salami & ham with crackers, a meat pie, fruit, & (of course) tea.

   A few days before Christmas we received our Abel & Cole Christmas box! Complete with tangerines, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, herbs, & complementary mistletoe.

Christmas Day!

   Christmas morning dawned and we all gathered in the living room anticipating the day's delights! We ate Night Before French Toast & sausage for breakfast while the potpourri on the stove made the room smell live cinnamon and cloves. Then it was time to open gifts!

  This year we did something a little different with our stockings. Normally Joshua and I would be the only ones with stockings, but this year we decided that everyone would have one. Dad gave everyone a certain amount of money to spend on everyone else's stuffers. It was the funnest thing to go around Cambridge searching for the perfect little gifts! 

   On Christmas eve we tried to fill our stockings, but mum and dad's were too narrow and mine and Joshua's were too small. So we got creative and used backpacks for dad & Joshua, a bag for mum, & a pillowcase for me. 

   It was the best thing opening our "stockings"! We went around in a circle pulling out one gift at a time and guessing who gave each thing. Gift giving is my love language, so I was almost more excited for everyone to see what I got them than to see what they got me. 

   After our gifts were opened we had a lovely relaxing day reading, resting, eating, enjoying each others company, & remembering how our savior came to earth as a little baby. It was a very blessed day. 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas . . .

   Hello everyone! Sorry about No Blog November. And December. Oops. Not much happened around here until a week ago when my awesome big brother arrived! It's been lovely having Joshua here. It feels strange and normal at the same time though, which is confusing. But I've managed to deal. We've filled up this first week with Christmas shopping, eating, and just hanging out. I'm very content. 

   I also finished my first semester as a Senior in high school! I'll be posting again now that I'm on break. Yay for space to read, knit, blog, & watch Netflix!

   I can't believe it's almost Christmas! We've got our little flat decorated with lots of lights and there are buskers on every street playing Christmas carols. I'm this close to being done with my Christmas shopping and I've made some brilliant buys (if I do say so myself). I can't wait for Wednesday! Eek!

  I also can't wait to tell you what Christmas in Cambridge is like, but for now I just want to say thanks for sticking with me through my no-post season. I'm glad to be back.

   What are you most excited about this Christmas? Baking favorite cookies? Watching old Christmas movies? Shopping for presents? Let me know, I'd so love to hear from you!
 

A is for Apples (lots & lots of Apples)

   Yesterday was Apple Day at the Botanical Gardens! It was very windy & a bit chilly, but the sun was (thankfully) shining and we enjoyed ourselves immensely!

   For Apple Day there were two big tents set up. One was an apple tasting tent with over twenty-eight different kind of apples to try! Another tent had hundreds of apple varieties on display along with apple goodies to buy.

The most interesting apple I tasted was the Pitmaston Pineapple. It really did taste like pineapple! And I just realized that "pineapple" has "apple" in it. Woah. So I suppose this Pitmaston Pineapple is more of a pineapple than an actually pineapple is! (Did anyone follow that?)

There was even a Sleeping Beauty apple! It wasn't available for tasting, but I'd imagine it would be softly sweet.

   After we were full of apples we wandered around the Gardens. The sun was shining & the were leaves turning all shades of red. I happily strolled through the trees & over bridges snapping pictures.

You know, stairs are always exciting. Who knows what's on the other side? 

I thought it would make an interesting Alice in Wonderland story if there was a magic tree that was cut down & the hole to Wonderland was inside it. (I checked this one but it was only a foot deep. *Sigh*)

"I think it's a coot!"

   Autumn is here! The vibrant red & yellow leaves float down from trees & cover walkways. I'm always amazed at how God created nature to make such beauty as it goes to sleep for the winter. 

My Cheery Abode

   I love decorating. Before we even got to Cambridge I was dreaming up ideas of how to decorate my room to make it happy. I've done a lot to it since I last wrote about it here. I'm quite please with how it's turned out! 

   I've mentioned a couple of times how I was sewing a bunting. Well I'm pleased to say I finally finished it this past Monday! It's been in the works for like, three months. In my defense, I sewed it all by hand. This is no wimpy bunting either, I'll be able to take it home with me. It was a labor of love, but worth it. It adds so much lovely color! 

   One of the reasons why I wanted to sew a bunting was because it would be a cheap & easy way to add lots of color! Well it turned out to be neither cheap or easy, but it was worth it in the end.

   Another new addition to my room is my Favorite Things wall! I'm hanging photos, cards, & anything I find inspirational or cute there. This project was much easier and cheaper than my bunting (no offense bunting). All you need are:

• A few thumbtacks
• Some string
• Mini clothespins
• Stuff to hang up! 

   It makes me so happy. I plan on adding another string & changing out the cards & photos often.

   Also, my seriously awesome dad bought me this beautiful comforter! It's pretty much my favorite. I'll be able to take it back home too, since it's just a duvet cover.

   Aaaaaand he also bought me twinkle lights! You remember my sob story about my twinkle lights I brought from home & burned up? Yeah, well dad was sweet & got me some new ones. (I'm slightly obsessed with twinkle lights, in case you haven't figured that out.) 

I have seriously awesome friends who send me owl post and hedgehog cards. Mah fave. 

Flowers are always a good idea. Especially zinnias. 

   I'm super happy how cheery my room looks now! Doing DIY projects is my fave. Here are a few other DIYs I'm thinking about trying out!

• This cute Book Page Bunting
• Fluffy Pom Pom Push Pins
• Happy Scrap Fabric Tassels
• Pretty Fabric Hoops

   Are there any brilliant decorating DIY projects that you've done in the past or are dying to try out? 

Please Sir, Can I Have Some S'more?

   I'm going to tell you something that will shock my American readers and confuse some of my British readers. I was talking with Hannah, one of my European friends, & I learned that she had never heard of a S'more. If you're American you are now probably thinking something along the lines of, (to quote my friend Emily) "They aren't universal?!" And if you're British you're probably thinking, "What's all the fuss about?" This is what all the fuss is about.

   Well, not technically. But this is the best I can do while I'm in England. When I learned Hannah had never had a S'more, I decided to do something about it. It's not her fault she's been deprived all her life. 

   First of all, they don't have gram crackers over here. I had to explain what a gram cracker is! It's surprisingly difficult to do. Basically, it's like a slightly sweet bread cracker. With a distinct taste. That I can't describe. 

   So I looked up a gram cracker recipe, picked this one, & we got together & made S'mores!  

   What makes gram crackers gram crackers is the gram flour that goes in them. That's probably something even my American friends didn't know. Now everyone does. I feel so accomplished. Anyway, there's a certain kind of flour that's called gram flour. And you use it to make gram crackers. Makes sense, right? 

   The gram crackers turned out more like a cookie. Like a gram cracker, a snickerdoodle, & a molasses cookie had a baby. (You might tell me three cookies can't have a baby, but I'm telling you no cookies can have a baby, so I do what I want.) I've named them Gramdoodles. My mum loves them. 

   To make the gramdoodles into S'mores we, of course, needed chocolate & marshmallows. We only had mini marshmallows and we had to toast (really just heat) them in the oven. (Normally you toast big marshmallows over a fire and they get all crispy on the outside & gooey on the inside.) Then we scrapped them onto a gramdoodle with a piece of chocolate on it & added another gramdoodle on top! And there you have it, a European S'more! =) 

   They definitely didn't taste like the S'more I know & love, but they were still quite delicious! And now Hannah has been introduced to the wonders of S'mores! (Thanks for being willing to try my strange American food.) =P And I hope that any of you readers who are British will try out this scrummy American staple!

P.S. Don't forget to enter The Cambridge Scarf Giveaway! Tomorrow is your last day to enter!