Radio silence

I've been meaning to post my Farewell to London post for a while, but for various reasons haven't done so... at last, here it is.

I left London on April 28, after three and a half years there. I feel like I've been in extended mourning for its loss for almost a year, ever since I decided that the move to the US, and marriage to Dave, was the next stage in my life... the drive to Heathrow, past so many dear landmarks, did nothing to assuage that.

However, the arrival at Heathrow did... after a drive under leaden skies, the way ahead was suddenly illuminated like a portal to something big and bright; it seemed almost too heavy-handed to be symbolic, and yet there it was; sunlight streamed into the car for a moment... and then, stretching over the road from one side to the other, was an enormous double rainbow. We drove right under its arch, and the words of the blessing that all the lovely people at fEAST had sung to me the night before were ringing in my ears:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and the rain fall soft upon your track.

And until, until we meet again,
may God hold you safe in the palm of His hand.
In the palm of His hand,
in the palm of His hand,
in the palm of His hand,
safe in the palm of His hand.

Dearest friends and family, thank you for reading my blog over the past few years. The story of my various adventures, big and small, continues at www.kathrynintexas.blogspot.com, so please bookmark it, and join me over there! However, while I've called this post Radio Silence, as I'm no longer 'broadcasting' from London, I will be updating it sporadically with some photos and various bits and pieces that I always meant to include and never got round to... check back from time to time, if you're so inclined, and see what you might see!

Kathryn xxx

...and the frozen South

Even though I'd felt a bit cold during the night, I was totally unprepared for the sight that met my eyes when I pulled back the curtain last Sunday morning... the heaviest April snowfall in almost twenty years, apparently! It was truly beautiful.






And just for something a bit different - first attempt at video hosting! Let's hope it works. (There's no sound, so if you can't hear anything it's not a fault ;) )

The frozen North

Those of you who have been here may remember that green road signs on the motorways commonly direct travellers to 'The North' and 'The South', as if the details can be worked out later... last week I was very much in The North, with the Jones family, staying in a lovely cottage in Newton Upon Rawcliffe, in Yorkshire. We had lots of snow, although it didn't usually stay for very long, but I thought this was the best way to show off the village.

The village green, complete with duck (five points if you can spot him).

Looking back the other way, to the road out of the village leading toward Pickering.

Sebastian learned to say 'duck', while we were there.

The other side of the Methodist Chapel, looking back towards the village again.

The church we attended on Easter Sunday morning - a lovely service, with a welcoming vicar and a friendly congregation.

The path up to the entrance at the side of the church.

Where we stayed - Manor Farm Cottages (our particular one was called Gateside).
(For those who are interested - ie dad - ours were the windows to the right of the chimney, and the pond is behind me and to my left as I was taking the photo).

The back of the house, and the only entrance.

Behind the houses.

We had a LOVELY week; I will hopefully post more about it soon.

:)

Smoke and fire

I got off the number 30 bus at the head of the Narrow Way last week, just where a team of two men were re-laying the red surface of the bus lane. In the fading light the truck seemed full of flames, and the two men conjured smoke and steam as they nonchalantly poured the boiling mass onto the road and raked it out.






I loved that a mundane task became imbued with mystery, and sorcery, and fascination, just because of the time of day... and I loved that in the era of technology, and a machine to do EVERYTHING, they still had their fire burning and their rakes and their buckets...

Elegy in a London Churchyard

Hurrying to Moorgate one early morning last week, I couldn't help but stop for a moment in Bunhill Fields, which, in the spring mists, could have been anywhere in space or time...

Love the lovely friends

Last weekend Johanna and I decided, just on the spur of the moment, to go into town to find the Foundling Museum. We caught the 55 as far as Gray's Inn Road, and then walked... on our roundabout way through Bloomsbury, we passed the Perseverance, and as we hadn't had lunch yet, decided to eat there.




As it was after two, the lunch crowd had largely gone, and we had the place mostly to ourselves.




Everything about it was great - from the bangers and mash to the mis-matched chandeliers, the music and the atmosphere... we will return.



* Thank you to Bridget Jones for the title, an expression I have long liked :)

What is the Matrix?

Well, whatever it is, it's located somewhere in Bishopsgate...

Sankta Lucia, ljusklara hägring

December 13 is St Lucia's day, and as there were three Swedish people living in the house on that day, Lussekatt (saffron buns) were baked, Lucia chosen (Fran, with her lovely golden hair), and every sleeping member of the house was wakened by the candlelit procession entering their room and singing traditional songs, starting at 6am.

I was enchanted by it all, and could only sit up in bed smilingly wide-eyed, like a child, as they sang to me, but as the group left the manse to sing to Chris and the children in the house across the road, I managed to grab one shot. Initially I was disappointed that it wasn't clearer, but I've come to like it very much.