Treehouse Tea Room at Alnwick
The Castle
Back to Hogwarts
From Alnwick and Harry Potter, we went to Edinburgh (an essential stop) and visited our favorite pub, as well as a tour of the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Alnwick, Harry Potter, and Edinburgh
Needless to say, Ben and I are big Harry Potter fans; and so, stopping at Alnwick (Anick) was essential because parts of Harry Potter were filmed here. Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures inside of the castles because it damages the furniture and tapestries, but this was the most amazing castle we viewed... imagine marble staircases, and a private chapel.
Treehouse Tea Room at Alnwick
The Castle
Back to Hogwarts
From Alnwick and Harry Potter, we went to Edinburgh (an essential stop) and visited our favorite pub, as well as a tour of the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia.
Treehouse Tea Room at Alnwick
The Castle
Back to Hogwarts
From Alnwick and Harry Potter, we went to Edinburgh (an essential stop) and visited our favorite pub, as well as a tour of the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia.
Durham and South Shields
After spending 3 days traveling, we were thankful to stay somewhere for more than 1 night. We planned to drive through Durham and then head to South Shields, a small coastal town south of New Castle.
Durham was an amazing town with an unbelievable Cathedral. Durham Cathedral has been holding services for over 1,000 years. I am always stunned to walk and pray where people have been walking and praying for millennia.
After spending a few hours in Durham, we headed for South Shields. We weren't expecting much from our cheap B&B or from the town, but we were pleasantly surprised! We were able to walk from our quaint B&B to the coast and found some amazing coastal cliffs and a lighthouse.
Durham was an amazing town with an unbelievable Cathedral. Durham Cathedral has been holding services for over 1,000 years. I am always stunned to walk and pray where people have been walking and praying for millennia.
After spending a few hours in Durham, we headed for South Shields. We weren't expecting much from our cheap B&B or from the town, but we were pleasantly surprised! We were able to walk from our quaint B&B to the coast and found some amazing coastal cliffs and a lighthouse.
The Lake District
After relaxing at the Inn, we headed north for the Lake District. The great thing about renting a car was that we could stop anywhere we wanted! We spent the day walking through the woods, visiting a castle, and stopping at Lake Windermere.
The Gardens at Siezrgh Castle
Siezrgh Castle
Cow in the Road
Lancaster Cathedral
Hiking through beautiful country
Lake Windermere- we showed up to late for a boat, but it was still beautiful
The Gardens at Siezrgh Castle
Siezrgh Castle
Cow in the Road
Lancaster Cathedral
Hiking through beautiful country
Lake Windermere- we showed up to late for a boat, but it was still beautiful
The Inn at Whitewell
On day 2, we hastily packed up and hit the road. The B&B we chose for our anniversary is situated in the Forest of Bowland (near the Lake District). We stayed here for 1 night and could not have asked for a more beautiful setting to celebrate 3 wonderful years of wedded bliss.
Ben driving on the left side... terrifying!
The Inn at Whitewell
Some pics of the pasture and from our room.
We finished our evening with a walk and a beautiful sunset.
There was no better way to celebrate our marriage and we were so blessed to stay at this amazing inn, even for just one evening.
Ben driving on the left side... terrifying!
The Inn at Whitewell
Some pics of the pasture and from our room.
We finished our evening with a walk and a beautiful sunset.
There was no better way to celebrate our marriage and we were so blessed to stay at this amazing inn, even for just one evening.
The Long Journey Home
It has certainly been a long time since I posted and a lot has happened in our lives recently!
- Ben graduated with his Masters Degree in Special Education... he now insists that I call him "Master Knighten" ("Master Husband" was not well received)
- I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Special Education! Graduated with honors!
- We are both beginning new jobs in the next couple weeks. Ben will be working at Sierra High School with students who have intellectual disabilities. I will be working at Abrams Elementary, also with students who have intellectual disabilities. We are both very excited and nervous about our new jobs!
- We are buying a new car (out of necessity) and will be purchasing a Honda Fit! Depending on what the mechanic says, we may also be replacing our other car : (
- Oliver stayed with the Texas grandparents for 2+ weeks while Ben and I took a 15 day journey to the United Kingdom!
Now that you are all caught up on life I will show you the good stuff. Our trip was amazing! I am amazed that each time I travel like this, I learn so much about myself and am always able to find my way back "home."
I am going to post our trip in a series of posts so that I can get everything in without making your eyes glaze over ; )
We started our trip by driving to Texas where we would be leaving Oliver. It is always good to see Ben's family and we enjoyed our short time there.
Next, we drove to Houston and stayed with Ben's brother for 1 night before boarding an overnight flight to Manchester, UK.
Upon arrival in the UK, we found out that our rental car had been reserved and paid for in Manchester, New Hampshire rather than Manchester, UK... we were not happy and it seemed that no one was able to help us. We ended up renting a new car the next day and paid for both rental cars because of Hotwire's unwillingness to help : (
Our first night, we stayed at the Eazy Sleep in Manchester... little did we know that the Eazy Sleep was in the center of GayVillage Manchester!
We were a little surprised and definitely heard some strange things in the dead of night. However, we persevered; even though Ben contracted some sort of mild skin rash on his back from the bedding. YUCK!
Needless to say, we were not impressed with Manchester and were more than happy to pick up our new rental car and head to the countryside.
Here are just a few pics from our time in Manchester.
- Ben graduated with his Masters Degree in Special Education... he now insists that I call him "Master Knighten" ("Master Husband" was not well received)
- I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Special Education! Graduated with honors!
- We are both beginning new jobs in the next couple weeks. Ben will be working at Sierra High School with students who have intellectual disabilities. I will be working at Abrams Elementary, also with students who have intellectual disabilities. We are both very excited and nervous about our new jobs!
- We are buying a new car (out of necessity) and will be purchasing a Honda Fit! Depending on what the mechanic says, we may also be replacing our other car : (
- Oliver stayed with the Texas grandparents for 2+ weeks while Ben and I took a 15 day journey to the United Kingdom!
Now that you are all caught up on life I will show you the good stuff. Our trip was amazing! I am amazed that each time I travel like this, I learn so much about myself and am always able to find my way back "home."
I am going to post our trip in a series of posts so that I can get everything in without making your eyes glaze over ; )
We started our trip by driving to Texas where we would be leaving Oliver. It is always good to see Ben's family and we enjoyed our short time there.
Next, we drove to Houston and stayed with Ben's brother for 1 night before boarding an overnight flight to Manchester, UK.
Upon arrival in the UK, we found out that our rental car had been reserved and paid for in Manchester, New Hampshire rather than Manchester, UK... we were not happy and it seemed that no one was able to help us. We ended up renting a new car the next day and paid for both rental cars because of Hotwire's unwillingness to help : (
Our first night, we stayed at the Eazy Sleep in Manchester... little did we know that the Eazy Sleep was in the center of GayVillage Manchester!
We were a little surprised and definitely heard some strange things in the dead of night. However, we persevered; even though Ben contracted some sort of mild skin rash on his back from the bedding. YUCK!
Needless to say, we were not impressed with Manchester and were more than happy to pick up our new rental car and head to the countryside.
Here are just a few pics from our time in Manchester.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
In truth, I am not even sure how to begin this post or what to write. I want to begin by saying that I am broken. My heart is broken and if I truly let the pain sit, I would not get out of bed in the morning.
I have thought of putting Half the Sky down or taking it back to the library because that would be easier than reading the stories and seeing the pain that exists in the world. I do believe though, that in order to truly serve you must be aware of the world that you are serving.
"Half the Sky" discusses the plight of women all over the world, because let's be honest... the biggest problem for women is not unequal pay or sexual harassment, it is the use of rape as a weapon, the prevalence of sex slaves, and it is the ignorance of the world to truly make a difference.
According to the Girl Effect, when a girl has a job and makes an income she brings 90% back to her family; whereas when a man has a job and an income (in many parts of the world) he brings back only 30-40% to the family. To me, this says that the world when change when women take action, are supported, and can pursue an income the world will change.
Unfortunately, the world is not tidy and it is not possible to say that women are oppressed because men oppress them. In many countries, it is common for women to be beat when they are "disobedient" and the women support this practice. Reading this book makes me thankful for my mother-in-law who never encouraged Ben to burn me with acid or beat me when I didn't wash the dishes. "This is not a tidy world of tyrannical men and victimized women, but a messier realm of oppressive social customs adhered to by men and women alike" (69 Kristof & WuDunn).
Perhaps the most poignant aspect of this book, is the inclusion of personal stories by women who have been raped, burned by acid, and oppressed in unimaginable ways. These women are the true pioneers of the movement and these women will be the ones to change things in the developing world. A final quote that I want to share is one the is brief but speaks volumes to what women experience in many parts of the world. "It has probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in an armed conflict" (Major General Patrick Cammaert, 84 Kristof & WuDunn).
I have thought of putting Half the Sky down or taking it back to the library because that would be easier than reading the stories and seeing the pain that exists in the world. I do believe though, that in order to truly serve you must be aware of the world that you are serving.
"Half the Sky" discusses the plight of women all over the world, because let's be honest... the biggest problem for women is not unequal pay or sexual harassment, it is the use of rape as a weapon, the prevalence of sex slaves, and it is the ignorance of the world to truly make a difference.
According to the Girl Effect, when a girl has a job and makes an income she brings 90% back to her family; whereas when a man has a job and an income (in many parts of the world) he brings back only 30-40% to the family. To me, this says that the world when change when women take action, are supported, and can pursue an income the world will change.
Unfortunately, the world is not tidy and it is not possible to say that women are oppressed because men oppress them. In many countries, it is common for women to be beat when they are "disobedient" and the women support this practice. Reading this book makes me thankful for my mother-in-law who never encouraged Ben to burn me with acid or beat me when I didn't wash the dishes. "This is not a tidy world of tyrannical men and victimized women, but a messier realm of oppressive social customs adhered to by men and women alike" (69 Kristof & WuDunn).
Perhaps the most poignant aspect of this book, is the inclusion of personal stories by women who have been raped, burned by acid, and oppressed in unimaginable ways. These women are the true pioneers of the movement and these women will be the ones to change things in the developing world. A final quote that I want to share is one the is brief but speaks volumes to what women experience in many parts of the world. "It has probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in an armed conflict" (Major General Patrick Cammaert, 84 Kristof & WuDunn).
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I have this t-shirt...
and it says "Everyone has a story"
I like thinking about people's stories because it makes me pull my head out of my @$$ and consider the perspective of others based on their starting point.
"I am not without scars, but I am softer, gentler, slower to judge, more spontaneous, more resourceful, more willing to see the story behind the behaviorm more open to receive help from others, and more zealous to see how God really wants to use my adversity to make me of maximum service to him" ~Laaser
Everyone has a story... what's yours?
I like thinking about people's stories because it makes me pull my head out of my @$$ and consider the perspective of others based on their starting point.
"I am not without scars, but I am softer, gentler, slower to judge, more spontaneous, more resourceful, more willing to see the story behind the behaviorm more open to receive help from others, and more zealous to see how God really wants to use my adversity to make me of maximum service to him" ~Laaser
Everyone has a story... what's yours?
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