Birthday Flowers

Too beautiful not to share. Thank you, hubby.

Eat Thrice- Bury St. Edmunds, England

This very lucky year, we gave thanks three times (and ate delectable Thanksgiving meals) in three cities and two countries.

DINNER #3- BURY ST. EDMUNDS
I unfortunately don't have any pictures of this beautiful dinner either, but we had another delicious meal at a friend's house from our home church. Her husband was back in the States on business, so it was a perfect excuse for her to cook up a turkey and a great chance for us to holiday hop without having to worry about hosting. It was perfect.

The Hostess: As mentioned,a woman from our church and her two beautiful children (who were all dressed up with Indian feathers on their heads) opened their home to new and old friends. They live in a very small town (their address is: The Red House) outside of Bury St. Edmunds making it a perfect get away in the real countryside. The table was beautiful!

The Guests: We were joined by a British couple who had the pleasure of enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner at one time in the past, and who were seriously lovely. I hope we get a chance to see them again in the future. In addition, two of our favourite couples from base joined us to make a really varied group of wonderful people.

Why is Thanksgiving the best holiday? Not only do we get a chance to eat delicious food, but it is an excuse to gather around a table with new and old friends, taking time out of our busy schedules to really sit and have a dinner, just to recall our blessings. Lovely, darling. Just lovely.

Eat Twice- London, England

This very lucky year, we gave thanks three times (and ate delectable Thanksgiving meals) in three cities and two countries.

DINNER #2- LONDON
I don't have a single picture of this adventure, but I'll do my best to describe the company and the setting.

The Hosts: Adam's friend from Hillsdale College and his wife and two beautiful girls (Keira and Emery) hosted in their amazing apartment in the Notting Hill neighbourhood where we also spent the night (which was great considering they have heated marble floors throughout the apartment; we were in love).

The Company: Another American couple (one of whom is a movie producer turned Securities Lawyer) and their two beautiful children, and a Dutch Couple and their two beautiful kids who were experiencing Thanksgiving for the first time.

It was a great dinner (delicious food) and fun company.
Overall, an A+ of an evening.

ALL SOULS
We accompanied the family to church on Sunday morning at All Souls  Langham Place in downtown London. It was great. The Rector was thoughtful and challenging. He follows in the footsteps of John Stott, a former Rector at All Souls and a famous Christian Theologian. The message was titled: "How to Disagree with Christians Part II." He addressed the divided opinions within the church about women leadership. Feel free to give a listen: http://www.allsouls.org/

All in all, it was a pleasure to be there. The musicians were great (all professional) and the congregation was involved. It is also a large church-- people of every age and race.
Also, if you listen to BBC radio on Christmas, you will hear a service from All Souls; in case you're interested.

Weihnachtsmarkt- Stuttgart, Germany

The Weinhachtsmarkt, or Christmas Market, in Stuttgart, Germany was just the thing to put us in the Christmas Spirit. Pan in on us wandering around the streets of beautiful Stuttgart, bundled up with too many layers, drinking Gluhwein (hot spiced wine; there should be an umlaut over the "u"), eating brats, drinking some German beer, watching Christmas Carollers, surrounded by beautiful ornaments, nutcrackers, etc. that say "Christmas" by their mere existence. We would have had to be Grinches not to be in the Christmas spirit, even if we were human icicles by the end of the night.

The Antique Stall(s)

Ornaments galore. Nice hat, Adam. Um Ya Ya.

I mean, who wouldn't want to buy a life sized statue of a Bishop? Right, Josher?

A Nativity Scene

Which thing is not like the other? Adorable(live) hund.

German Christmas Pyramid

Nutcrackers

Trains

Jaclyn & Julia- yes, I was underprepared for weather and was playing the layering game.

Prost!

The Market

Each stall is decorated to the max. In this case, the Reindeer sings. In German. I have video, unfortunately it did not download, which is a real shame.

German Houses

Nativity Scene atop a market stall

Taxidermy. Why not?

German Pyramid atop a market stall. It was gorgeous.

Is that a kantele on the left, Carol? :)

All the stalls were lit after sundown.

A brat and Gluhwein. So German.

Real German Potatoe Salad. It was delish.

Maultaschen, a delicious soup with a sort of meat ravioli.

Live animals to be used in a Nativity Scene. Can it get better?

Eat Once- Stuttgart, Germany

This very lucky year, we gave thanks three times (and ate delectable Thanksgiving meals) in three cities and two countries. For this person who loves Thanksgiving more than any other holiday, it was glorious!

DINNER #1- GERMANY
We flew to Stuttgart, Germany to be with great friends and their new baby, Hunter William Chainsaw. He's adorable. It's hard not to eat him up.

Our Hosts

Zuki

Thanksgiving Table

We had Thanksgiving with three of our hosts good friends and it was really fun. Dinner was delicious, and the conversation was enlightening. It's not very often you get a chance to hear all about American foreign policy from the people who are making it all a reality.

The Bird (one of them, anyway)

The sides

Uncle Adam

Aunt Jaclyn

Hunter

We Gather to Give Thanks- Ely Cathedral

American Air Force personnel and British friends gathered at the Ely Cathedral at 7:30 p.m. on November 23, 2011 (the night before Thanksgiving, an American holiday) to worship and give thanks. 

Ely Cathedral is breathtaking. It has been filmed by Hollywood (think "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The King's Speech") and stands as one of the most gorgeous buildings in East Anglia. At night, the Cathedral had an ethereal feeling, and a rather cold draft was felt throughout.

The choir for the service was comprised of Lakenheath RAF members and the chaplains who presided over the service were those from the United States Air Force. It was a special time to hear about experiences others have had over the years being stationed in the UK, to give thanks, and to be reminded to be hospitable to strangers as we enjoy living abroad and become the living body of Christ.
After the service concluded, per tradition, we gathered at the back of to have pie, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Did I ever mention that I love Thanksgiving?

Inside Ely Cathedral

The altar and the Lakenheath RAF Choir

The beautiful ceiling that seemed to have light shining through it on this dark Thanksgiving Eve

Friends

After perusing an antique shop in Ely and having a bite to eat at a local pub called "The Lamb," we headed to the Cathedral, all bundled up, to enjoy the service.

So handsome

To learn more about (and see more pictures of) the Ely Cathedral: http://www.elycathedral.org/

Turkey Trot

It is an American tradition, and very necessary when you are planning on eating three Thanksgiving Dinners complete with pumpkin pie for dessert.

I completed the Turkey Trot at Mildenhall RAF with two girlfriends and about 150 Airmen in Physical Training (PT) gear. We ran along the flight line, and it was great.

The Best of British Telly (according to me)

Here are a few shows that we (but mostly I) have enjoyed since we have been here in England. If you get a chance to watch (try Netflix), I highly recommend them:

FOYLE'S WAR
This is a period drama that takes place during World War II. Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS) Foyle is busy solving crime in the Town of Hastings while the war rages on. It gives amazing insight into life during the war in Europe, including the role of the American troops, the existence of Nazi sympathizers, the existence of the black market, and more. And you will love the main characters. DCS Foyle is hard not to love.
http://www.foyleswar.com/

COME DINE WITH ME
This is reality television at its best (and has kept me-- not necessarily Adam) entertained for hours. The show is shot in a different city/town in the UK as it engages four to five strangers in a cooking competition. All of the participants host a dinner party at their house throughout one week and are rated by the other participants. The host with the highest score wins 1,000 GBP. It's so entertaining.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/come-dine-with-me (Unfortunately, I don't think online viewing will work in the States, but you can at least check it out).

DOWNTON ABBEY
This is another period drama that takes place at the end of World War I. It exposes what life was life for a wealthy British family who live in Downton Abbey, an estate complete with many acres of land and lots of servants, during the Great War. The interplay between the master/servant worlds is great to watch, especially seeing how they change due to the war. I highly recommend.
http://www.itv.com/downtonabbey/ (Again, it is unlikely online viewing will work in the States, but it will at least give you an idea. A friend just finished watching Season 1 via Netflix. Season 2 just finished here.)

Armistice Day

Today, in the spirit of Veteran's Day in the United States, is Armistice Day. Armistice Day is set aside to honor the veterans who have lost their lives protecting democracy. We are all so thankful for those who have laid their lives down in the past, and those who sacrifice in the present, to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.

Here is pictured a poppy (the picture was taken this weekend at Castle Acre Castle). Poppies grow on former battle fields, most famously on Flanders Fields, bringing life back to a place of death.

The famous first chapter of In Flanders Fields by John McCrae follows, the best inspiration for today.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Castle Acre Castle & Priory

One of the best (I know I have said that a lot on this blog, but there are a lot of amazing things) about living in England is that historical fiction can so easily come to life if you find the right site to visit. Such was the case today when we visited the quaint town of Castle Acre in Norfolk (about a half hour drive from home). Two sites of interest exist in the town: the Castle and the Priory, both interesting and notable for different reasons. It was at the Priory where the book I'm currently reading came to life. More on that in a moment.

THE CASTLE

The Castle in Castle Acre was a three story (or in British-English, a two story) home protected by some of the largest ramparts found in the country. It was fun to climb the hills and valleys, and to see the ruins.

Adam and Tanka (It's great to be in such a dog friendly country; Tanka can come everywhere with us)

The ruins of the Castle

The Ramparts

The Boys

The Ramparts & Land

The Castle Gate

The Castle Foundation- The building would have risen three stories

The Backside of the Castle

THE PRIORY

I am currently reading the book Dissolution by C. J. Sansom. It takes place at the end of King Henry VIII's rule and addresses the dissolution of monasteries all over England. It takes place in a priory (or monastery) that has a huge church, dorms, a cloister, outhouses, the Prior's house, and lots of land. Because all of the monasteries in England were destroyed, it is difficult to get a real understanding of how these buildings really looked and how they felt. Until today. (I realize you may not find this as interesting as I did, but I was like a kid at Disney World).  Welcome to one of the most complete Priories in England: Castle Acre Priory.

This is a drawing presented on site of what the priory would have looked like in its day.

This is what the pirory looks like today.

The Priory's land.

The entrance to the church, connected to the Prior's House (which was turned into a farm house after the majority of the Priory was dismantled).

The Prior's House

Examples of flint work on buildings.

More flint work.

Walking into property under Prior's House.

Just past the iron gate is a very narrow spiral staircase (that was pitch dark in the middle). Tanka did a great job climbing and descending it.

The stone walls and vaulted ceiling on the first floor of the Prior's House.

View of the Cloisters where the monk's would walk, study, and meditate.

The fireplace the last Prior had added to the chapel in his house so he could stay warm during services (this helps to substantiate claims that the monks became soft, and lived lives that were too luxurious).

The altar in the chapel in the Prior's House. Can you see the painting on the wall?

The boys.

The Outhouses.

Inside the Outhouses. There were 24 toilets along the sides. A river ran below to carry the waste away. There were two entrances: one on the ground floor, one on the second for entry during the night by the monks.

The inside of the church. Each pillar had unique decorations.

The altar in the church. It's always amazing to stand in places that were once so holy.

See the pillars? It is so unique to see the outer stone that made the pillars aesthetically pleasing. Often (across the country) we only get to see the stones that comprised the inside of the pillars.

The boys walking what what have been the aisle of the church.

Flooring that remains intact inside the church.