In the Steps of St.Paul

At Shrewsbury I spent some time browsing in a second hand bookshop (bliss! no comments of "Mum ... hurry up!" or "oh no! not another bookshop!") and found a book that immediately jumped out at me as a living book: In the Steps of St.Paul by H.V.Morton. It is part travelogue, and part biography of St.Paul, written in 1936, and I was surprised and pleased to find it is still in print. Here are the first couple of paragraphs as a taster:

I went on deck before sunrise. The storm had backed to the north-west, the sky was clear, and the ship rolled in a long, sullen swell. I hoped to see the pin-prick of the lighthouse on Mount Carmel, but we were still too far from land.

St.Paul must have known this moment: the grey light, the last star, the cold wind, the fusty cargo, the smell of beasts and tar, the movement of the mast against the sky, the smooth pressing forward and the rhythmic hiss of water running back along the sides of the ship. It was good to stand on deck, thinking that this ship might be the Castor and Pollux.

And there I was, 20 pages into the 800 plus of Rebecca Fraser's A People's History of Britain, which I have been meaning to read for ages, and now I am distracted. Tantalisingly, a number of Morton's other books are also still in print. Titles include In the Steps of the Master, In Search of England and A Traveller in Italy. I think I may be off on a pre-war geographical rabbit trail.

Shrewsbury

Yesterday Tevye gave me a day off (stand up, dear, and take your round of applause!), so I took a day trip to explore a town I have never visited before ... Shrewsbury, setting for Ellis Peters' Cadfael books. In British terms Shrewsbury is a long way from Bedfordshire, but I am an intrepid train traveller. I booked value advance tickets, undaunted by the prospect of a three hour journey, requiring four trains there and three back. Initially the plan went awry when the departures screen showed the very first train running ten minutes late, wiping out all leeway for the first change, but Tevye rose to the occasion and drove me two stations up the line to make the connection. After that every train ran like clockwork, making it a very pleasant and easy journey.

Shrewsbury is a lovely town, well worth a visit. It is built on a hill by a bend in the River Severn, and the combination of the river setting with the up and down streets gives it character. The town centre has a number of old black and white timbered buildings and narrow streets like this one ...

The church in the background was St.Alphage's, one of a number in the town centre, though not all are in regular use. I spent some time in St.Mary's, which was simply stuffed with extraordinary stained glass. This stunning Jesse Tree window dates from the 1340s. It was originally in the Greyfriars (Franciscan) Church, at the Reformation it was moved to the parish church of St.Chads, and then when St.Chad's was damaged beyond repair by the collapse of its tower in the late 18th century, the window was moved again to its current situation ...

The yellow patch near the bottom of the window is the recumbant figure of Jesse, from whom a vine twines upwards to pictures of his descendants, culminating in panels at the top showing Joseph, Mary with the baby Jesus, and the Crucifixion. The colours glow as brightly as they must have done when the window was first made.

Another window that particularly attracted me was a smaller window of 17th century Dutch glass containing a dozen of these delicate roundels. I particularly liked the scene at the top showing the Adoration of the Magi ...

Across the river from the town centre I found the remains of Shrewsbury's Benedictine Abbey, home to Brother Cadfael. The monastic buildings were largely destroyed at the Reformation, and those left were finished off by 19th century road builders - all except an ornate refectory pulpit marooned on the opposite side of the road. Today's church is a shadow of its former self as the original chancel was demolished, leaving just the nave. What is left is little more than half the size of the medieval church. I found it all rather sad, and didn't bother to pay £1 for a licence to take photos of what is left of the Norman interior. At least I managed to eliminate the busy road from this photo ...

From the Abbey I walked back across the English Bridge (at the other side of town is the Welsh Bridge leading, rather predictably, to Wales) and round the remains of the town walls to the "new" St.Chads (an unusual round church built in the 1790s) and the Quarry park. Within the park is an enclosed garden known as The Dingle, converted by the Victorians from an old quarry. I was lucky with the weather, and with the sun shining this garden was beautiful. I sat for a while overlooking the lake and just enjoyed watching the world go by ...

Shrewsbury also boasts the remains of a castle. The Great Hall is now a military museum, but is also used for weddings. Yesterday's wedding party couldn't have picked a better day after all the miserable wet weather we have had ...


Finally, here is a picture of the old Shrewsbury School building (now the public library). In front is a statue of its most famous alumnus, Charles Darwin. Who put that plastic barrier there to spoil the view?

I got home at 9pm tired but relaxed, and very grateful for the luxury of day to myself to explore such a lovely place.

New theme

How do you like my new medieval theme? I was playing with customised themes for my Multiply site and decided to update my Blogger template to match.

In case you wonder, the background is the text of the Magna Carta, and the header picture is of Kenilworth Castle. Both the charter and the castle played an important part in the constitutional history of England. Part of the castle was built by King John, and later in the thirteenth century the governor of the castle was Simon de Montfort, sometimes known (not entirely accurately) as the "father of the English Parliament", During the Barons' War of 1263-5 Simon kept both the king's son and brother prisoner here.

Shame this neat constitutional link was entirely accidental and I only realised it after making the changes. The real reason I chose that picture was that it fit neatly in the header!

Tiny Tot

You know your almost 14 month old is built on a very, very miniature scale when you buy her a cute little knitted dress and jeans set in the Next sale (aside: tell me, who would pay £21 for one baby outfit?) in a 6 to 9 month size ... and still have to roll up the legs on the jeans to stop her tripping over them!

Thursday Thirteen 14: Round the World

Thirteen countries on my tourist wish list (excluding any I have already visited) ...

1. Peru. Maybe I read too much Paddington Bear as a child.

2. Mali. I want to visit Timbuktu.

3. Botswana. I was going to put South Africa (which Tevye says is the most beautiful place he has ever visited), but the 1st Ladies Detective Agency makes Botswana sound appealing.

4. Egypt. To unleash my inner archaeologist.

5. India. One of the legacies of empire is lots of Indian-themed British literature (Kipling, Rumer Godden ...), which has caught my interest.

6. Tibet. On the list thanks to a combination of Michael Palin's Himalaya documentary and this book.

7. Japan. Ancient and modern. And I love sushi.

8. New Zealand. All that natural beauty. Think Lord of the Rings, which was filmed there.

9. Maldives. For that lazy holiday on a tropical island ...

10. Norway. Natural beauty again, with northerliness (is that a word?).

11. Austria. I have always loved Elinor Brent-Dyer's Chalet School books, and it would be so fun to visit Achensee, which is the real-life Tiernsee, setting for many of the books.

12. Greenland. Because I don't know anyone who has been there.

13. United States of America. Last, but by no means least!

What Byzantine Emperor are you?

You’re Constantine The Great!

Though he did not accept baptism until the very end of his days, Constantine was the first Christian Roman Emperor. His Edict of Milan put an end to institutionalized persecution of Christians in the Empire. He convened the first ecumenical council, the Council of Nicea, to settle major doctrinal and disciplinary disputes. Though it has become fashionable to portray Constantine as a ruthless suppressor of paganism, that is a caricature, based on almost no evidence. He is better represented by one of his famous pleas for tolerance: “Let those who delight in error alike with those who believe partake of the advantages of peace … Let no one disturb another, let each man hold fast to that which his soul wishes … What each man has adopted as his persuasion, let him do no harm with this to another.” Constantine condemned “violent opposition to wicked error.” The Orthodox venerate him as a saint.

Find out which Byzantine ruler you are at The Way of the Fathers!

HT: Studeo

Digital Art

In the past month or so things keep falling apart on us. The list of casualties includes Henry the Hoover, Tevye's mobile phone, the Freeview box (this gives us digital TV and extra channels - a kind of halfway house between standard terrestrial TV and satellite / cable), a lamp, and our digital camera. In one month. What is going on?

At least it means we now have a new, better digital camera (though we still languish firmly at the bottom end of the market). It has more buttons and many more settings than the old one, a whopping six megapixels compared to our previous three, and it will take close ups without dissolving into an unfocused fuzz. Star is my budding photographer, and is enjoying experimenting. Here is her latest work of art. Very minimalist!


It finally stopped raining long enough to take our much postponed trip to Wicksteed Park today. Did I remember to take the new camera? No!

MacCherub

MacBooks have a very neat magnetic connection between the power lead and the computer. It is so simple to use, even a one year old could do it. Repeatedly.

Don't ask me how I know this.

Fishy feet

Angel: What was that fish I liked when we were in Greece? I think it had something to do with a shoe?

Tevye: Sole ...

Cleaner than a whistle!

My blog rating ...



Not a single bad word to its name ... unlike the PG-rated Margaret in Minnesota and Katherine. Of course, I can't tell you what they said, without risking my unblemished reputation.

(Mind you, I did have an urge to jump up and down shouting rude and juvenile words, just to see what the bloggy thing would say about it. But I resisted.)

Montessori

As I have no homeschooling plans to put together for next year, my mind has turned to Little Cherub. Yes, yes. I know she is only thirteen months old. And I learned a lesson about overdoing early education with my poor experimental first child. But still ...

When Angel was small I dabbled a little with Montessori. Read a couple of books, and started (but never finished) making various manipulatives. I did manage to teach her to put on a coat Montessori-style, but that was about it. Star came along, and somehow time to make materials and prepare an environment went out the window. I discovered literature-based learning and Charlotte Mason and forgot about Montessori.

Recently there has been a lot of talk about Montessori education on the 4 Real Learning boards, and it has inspired me to think about this for Little Cherub. This time round I have time - at least in theory - to prepare Montessori activities (buying anything more than a select few isn't an option), and should also find it easier to create and maintain a suitable environment. Space is an issue, but with some creativity I should be able to manage. If I ever finish decluttering, that is.

There are a number of things that appeal to me ...

• the emphasis on practical life activities and fostering independence. I can see Little Cherub going the same way as her eldest sister ("I do it mine self! I do everything mine self!": Angel, aged 2) and this could help to minimise frustration.
  
• the ordered environment in which everything has its place and in which the child can function freely.
  
• freedom within limits. I like the idea that she can choose which activities to work on so that she can learn at her own pace.
• the materials. Many of them look so appealing and I can see how they would be enjoyable for a child to use while also being educational.
  
• lots of ideas for learning activities, which I hope would mean a child who was busy rather than bored.
  

On the other hand I know I would never be able to be a Montessori purist as I can't resist changing and adapting. Certain aspects do not sit well with me ...

• I understand Montessori discourages imaginative play, and that bothers me.
  
• I wonder how well Montessori would work with just one child. While it would certainly give me time to prepare and present materials, and to observe her needs, I suspect it could become too intense.
  
• My understanding is that Montessori materials are presented in a highly sequential way, and my older girls - Star in particular - have often learned in leaps rather than a steady progression. How would this work with Montessori?
• Is Montessori an all or nothing approach? I know I would end up picking and choosing parts and leaving others, and wonder if this would undermine the whole idea.
  

Lots to think about here, and to plan for. I'm afraid what would be typical of me would be to jump in with enthusiasm, spend a year or so making Montessori materials and then switch directions at the last minute and never use them. Either that or to spend too long thinking and then never put the plans into action. Can I manage a happy medium? Think ... decide ... construct ... implement. Maybe.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Got it.

Read it.

Enjoyed it.

Normal service is now resumed.

It's raining ...

... it's pouring (again), and we have postponed our planned trip to Wicksteed Park for the second week running. This was the view from our house this morning ...


... and our back garden ...

But at least there is one silver lining to the clouds ...


If I'm not blogging over the next few days, it's because I'm reading.

Thursday Thirteen #13: Summer

Thirteen ways to enjoy summer, despite the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, wet and miserable weather we have had for the past two months ...

1. Wear yellow.

2. Drink Pimms and lemonade. With ice.

3. If the sun comes out for five minutes, drop everything and go outside.

4. Listen to Summer from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

5. Get some holiday brochures and fantasise about long and expensive breaks in the sun.

6. Have crab sandwiches and strawberries with clotted cream for tea.

7. Chill a nice bottle of Chardonnay.

8. Sing silly summer songs ... We're All Going on a Summer Holiday; Oh, I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside; Didn't We Have a Lovely Time the Day We Went To Bangor. (Did I hear you say I'm Singing in the Rain? Don't even think it!)

9. Scrapbook photos from last summer. They may remind you what sun looks like.

10. Read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K.Jerome and think about lazy summer days on the river. (Swallows and Amazons and Coot Club would also do nicely.)

11. Add a nice summer wallpaper to your desktop ... maybe this one, or this.

12. Buy lots of summer flowers.

13. Read Jennifer's blog and dream about life on a boat in Florida. Sunny Florida.

Spelling Test

I passed!

I Scored a 100%!

HT: Studeo

I'll never be late again

Not now that I have discovered GOOGLE CALENDAR!!!!!!!!

(I admit it may be an exaggeration to say I will never be late again, but at least I no longer have an excuse for double booking myself or forgetting something completely.)

I saw a calendar in someone's sidebar, clicked, experimented, and fell in love. I have planning mania, remember, and this is planning heaven. So far I have set up calendars for each member of the family, a general family calendar, my daily routine, and a schedule of the girls' weekly activities. Tevye and I can both view and amend them from any computer, and it is incredibly user friendly - click Quick Add, type "birthday party 2pm next Friday", and up it will pop in the right place. Cool!

It gets better. You can search for public calendars to add. So far I have ...

• Catholic liturgical calendar for England
• Jewish holy days
  
• Kids activities in Bedfordshire

So I can see at a glance that Friday is the feast of St.Apollinaris, and Saturday is Shabbat Hazon (whatever that is!). On Sunday we could go to a Pirates and Mermaids Adventure Day at a country park, take part in a Weekend of Wizardry at a shopping centre (no prizes for guessing what that's about), watch the planes at a model aeroplane weekend, or go to an archaeology fun day. Or at least, we could if we weren't going to Mass in the morning and the girls to a birthday party in the afternoon - but I had no idea about any of these events!

Individual calendars can be pulled up separately, or in any combination.

You can share calendars with friends!

You can put them on your web page, or in your blog!
(ETA: Take a look at my sidebar.)

Oh, the fun! The possibilities!

It's all too much. It has turned me into a walking exclamation mark!!!!!!!!

Hey! Look what I found in my ear!

Pasta!
What do you mean it's supposed to go in my mouth?

Mmmm! Cappuccino!

Inspired by a friend's mysterious disappearing post I found this ...

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Before and After: Decluttering Task 5

Another task finished!

Before ...

... and after

The white wicker baskets are from Ikea. The larger basket on the right is for books. The other baskets hold toys which I plan to rotate - currently there are blocks, a tea set, a doll with a few accessories, a few small toys and one of those things where you bang balls through holes with a hammer. She also has a puzzle, chunky crayons and a push-along dog accessible. It will be nice not to have toys stacked on the floor.

The yellow Thing on the top shelf is an iPal, won in a raffle at Angel's music school concert. It looks like a furry alien, but is in fact iPod / MP3 speakers. Angel and Star were delighted with their good fortune; Tevye has been heard to mutter the words "poisoned chalice". Tell me, where would you put a set of speakers carefully disguised in bright yellow fur? On second thoughts, maybe better not!

Thursday Thirteen #12: One Year Olds

Thirteen things I love about just turned one year olds ...

1. Giggles and tickles.
2. Hugs. Little Cherubs idea of a hug is more of a snuggle.
3. Determination ... I am a baby on a mission. I will get that toy / phone / remote control.
4. Delight ... I got it! I did it!
5. Words that come out sounding as though they are spoken by a small, squeaky robot.
6. Dawning understanding of the world around them. Plug? Electric socket? Oh yes! I know what to do with that! (And yes, we do have those child safety socket covers. Fortunately.)
7. Recognition. Beaming smiles when they spot their family and friends.
8. Stickiness. The sign of a baby who enjoys her food.
9. Curiosity. What's going on? What am I missing? I need to know!
10. Feet. Still baby feet.
11. Shoes. Her feet grew and we found some that fit. Is there anything cuter than little feet in their first shoes?
12. Dinky little summer dresses. Shame there is no summer weather to go with them.
13. A little warm, snuggly person sleeping on my lap.