harvest time

One of my favorite writers, Sarah Clarkson, had some wonderful thoughts on her blog, thoroughlyalive.com, this week.  Needless to say, I agree wholeheartedly.

“I’m having a harvest time of soul this year. It’s funny, on this road trip, in the quiet of my driving hours I have found the freedom to step back and take stock of my life. The ruts of worry and emotion in which I had become mired at home were left behind, and I found myself able to see what is good and sweet in my life, even as I still wait for some prayers to come true. I have been counting up the harvest of books read, of friendships strengthened by walking hard roads, of knowledge gained in lonely hours, of family loved in quiet evenings. I have found the harvest of this year to be more than I thought.

An indrawing, October of the soul – perhaps we all need it. Maybe we all need a space of quiet, even a couple of hours in which to pull up sharp from the rush of living and count up all that has grown. An hour in which to sit, aware of the minute in which we sit, be it dappled by light on a front porch, or woven with the flicker of a fireside evening, and count in slow cadence the number of graces that lighten our days. It’s an exercise to bring joy, to gladden the heart, that’s for sure. But I also think we need it because, well, winter is coming. Days of cold, days when the summer sun cannot break through will come to us, perhaps already have. The noticing of the goodness that persists, daily, in our lives, will bring us through the cold. We can be hale and hearty even in the winter of spirit if we gathered well and stocked up grace in the harvest time.”

 

Final Days in England

Our last days in England were spent in Oxford, Aylesbury and London.

In Oxford, we had lunch at the Eagle and Child pub which is where CS Lewis,
JRR Tolkien, and other great writers met as the Inklings in the 1930s and
40s to critique and encourage each other. It was so wonderful to sit there!
We also visited Magdalene College where Lewis was a professor for many
years. We walked around the small pond area where Lewis often walked.
Sigh. Sigh. Lovely. I felt so stirred up and thrilled by it all.

THEN, we went to Christ Church College where Lewis Carroll worked and was
friends with Alice Liddell and played croquet with her before and during the
writing of Alice in Wonderland. Do you recognize the field? Absolutely
thrilling. Makes me smiles writing about it, 4 months later!

In Aylesbury, we did some family history research and went geocaching.

Back in London, a delayed flight made time for a quick trip to the Tower of
London which is filled with dark and interesting history. Saw the crown
jewels. Stood where Lady Jane Grey and Anne Boleyn were executed. Crazy!

As you can tell, I was so blessed to be able to make that trip and
incredibly grateful to my mom for taking the kids in order that we could go.
It was a perfect trip. I adore England and CANNOT WAIT to go again.