More highlights from the camping trip extrodinaire!

This was the view from the beach area at our campground. I know! How beautiful!? The campground is in an ideal location: beautiful waterfront, quick walk into town for a pint, even quicker walk to peruse the posh grocery store, Booths, and our tent pitch was right up against a small river.

Whilst setting up the tent (in a brief moment of non-rain that we had) Somehow! through a combined effort of putting on the rain fly we managed to rip the hole in it that you see pictured above. I had Tim put his hand next to it so you could see the size. Now, the forecast was for rain, and in the Lakes you will can count on that being true. We went on an unsuccessful search for duct tape and in the end fashioned a makeshift solution with some bin liners. Worked quite well! After we found duct tape the next day, it was fixed completely, and I think it adds more character to an already great tent.

We tested Tim's new camping stove with a fajita feast!! It was so delicious! What is it about camping food that makes it taste so good? Even the worst meal is better eaten whilst camping. another thing I like about camping is the way that it takes so long to cook everything, you really get to spend time together making meals. As long as you have some snacks so no one gets too ravenous, it is good times had by all.

I was the slicer/chopper/cheese grater/ hand Tim stuff from the tent and the 'kitchen' area person.

We went to this really great coffee shop that Tim says reminds him of Italy. Well, if the coffee shops in Italy are anything like this one, I think I shall be very happy to visit there. The place had a huge stack of board games, and we selected backgammon. Some of the pieces had gone missing and were replaced with other odds and ends, buttons, dice, 2 pence pieces, but it worked!Mark your calendars: I want an ale named after me for my 90th birthday. What a gift! This place had, in addition to really great coffee, sandwiches and ale of which we did not partake, and chocolate cake, which we did. Delicious.

This is another view of Derwentwater. Lovely, no?

After a really tasty sandwich lunch, I balanced my camera on my bag,on the dock and gingerly walked out to the end in ten seconds or less to take this picture... careful not to knock the camera too far off balance and into the water. I think I was mildly successful, the camera didn't go in the water and I think the angle of the shot adds some charm. :)

Ullswater and Helvellyn

On the Friday of our trip to the Lakes, Tim and I decided to try our hand at hill walking. I was excited to try out my new waterproof jacket! Also to see some lovely scenery. We hopped into the car and drove to Ullswater to walk up to Helvellyn.

It was uphill for the first... forever... to get to the ridge line. On this particular hike you walk 700 of the 900 meter climb at the very start. It is a good exercise...

...and the views were beautiful. This is a picture of Ullswater on our way up the hill. When we reached the top of the ridge it was crazy windy, but really beautiful. The cloud cover didn't allow for all that much visibility. See that scary looking bit of a walking behind me? That is the summit of Helvellyn, a summit I was happy to see from this distance. Without waterproof trousers, being caught in the rain would be less than fun, and I was on holiday! :)

The view from the ridge was really gorgeous. Even though it was windy as heck we were happy to be there!

After looking at the map we decided that the best way down would be to go straight down the hillside! Tim went much more quickly than me when he slid on the red, plastic rucksack cover.

When we arrived at the bottom of the mountain we had to cross a river to get back to the path. Unfortunatley where we crossed there was not a convenient bridge like the one pictured below and the force of the water much more fierce. I have a bit of a fobia of water. Not all water, mind you, I love drinking glasses of water and going into lakes on a hot day is a good time. However I find that crossing rushing rivers on slippery rocks makes me a little uneasy. I remember from the high ropes course at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp that the longer you wait to make that scary leap, the larger a gap it seems and the more impossible task it becomes. I have found that to be metaphorically true for other aspects of my life as well as crossing rivers. So I was pleased to make it across with a little encouragement, a leap of faith and someone to catch me on the other side. hooray! Verdict on Ullswater and the surrounding area? Highly recommend.

Bowness-on-Windermere

Windermere is a beautiful body of water in the Lake District and was our first stop on our holiday camping adventure! We pulled the car over in Bowness-on-Windermere, this is a lovely little town on the water. Tim and I drove past lots of people taking ridiculous pictures. I deem it ridiculous to take a picture with normal and even ugly things in the background (examples include, strange warehouses, street crossings, cars, toilets, really anywhere that seems to block traffic appeared to be a hot spot) when there are so many beautiful spots in this particular part of the country. Usually the picture was one person posing with a peace sign whilst the other took a picture of them in front of a rubbish bin or duck. Below Tim and I have a variation of this idea. Except ours is awesome.

This is the classic Bowness-on-Windermere picture; I felt compelled to take it as well. The wood boats are really beautiful.

What is also cool is the food we ate on our short stop in this provincial little town. We were walking up one of the side roads past all these great shops and then the siren call of chips captured the noses of Tim and me. We went to purchase bread, butter and ketchup to enjoy some chip butties. The best part of this adventure took place when I went back to the car to butter the bread (whilst Tim waited in a monstrously long line for the chips)...There I was, sitting on the curb by the side of the car, bundled up and buttering bread on a metal camping bowl... As parents walked passed with their children, they freely stared at this strange hiking boot and skirt wearing girl buttering numerous slices of white bread. I could tell they were amused... and I could also tell that I would be used as a warning to their children of what can happen to them when you don't finish your homework. etc. Tim soon rejoined this Gypsy lady (me) buttering bread on the curbside and we found a friendly looking bench on which to enjoy our snack and listen to the ducks laugh. A good way to start a holiday :)

The Bed and Breakfast Experience

I was very excited to book my first Bed and Breakfast experience here in England. Little did I know that the lovely charm of a B & B is most delicately balanced by the personality of the proprietor who was crazier than a box of frogs. I think I should have known when the website had floating clouds surrounding each picture of various rooms... but hey! They were nice on the phone, flexible and the price was right.

When we arrived, the woman showed us to our room, and informed us that breakfast would be served between 8:00AM and 8:30AM... that was the first dose of madness, who wakes up that early on a holiday? Even a working research holiday, the library and archives didn't open until 10AM. Here I have chosen to highlights some of my favorite features in the decor of the room.

We were informed that this is called the 'Princess Toilet', and we had it all to ourselves. Apparently the shiny silver toilet seat was a gift, but she found the cowboy hat to match. This is a real throne, with silver glitter captured for all eternity in a plastic toilet seat. Part of the reason that this made me laugh so frequently is because it reminds me of my mom. That's right, the glitter queen herself. My mom doens't actually love glitter as much as we love to tease her about it, but she too, would find it ridiculous, gaudy, yet... strangely alluring... all the things a toilet seat should never be (in my humble opinion).

Our room was en suite, so in along with the magic only sparkly toilets can inspire we had a strange shower closet thing. It was literally a closet made into a shower stall; space saving and functional... but odd. I like my shower stalls to be more than 2 feet from where I sleep.

I don't think that this photo does this picture justice. Not only was our room decorated with many fine bird ornaments and paintings, but featured the above painting... some sort of twisted child-whore-bride precious moments combination. I am not sure why the bride's dress is so short, or why the couple's age collectively does not hit double digits, but I do know I find it mildly horrifying and fascinating at the same time. I am sure that it was a charity shop bargain of the century.

In the end, the bed was comfortable and the room close to town centre, so all is well. Plus it was amusing to hear the proprietor talk to her parrot every day, especially when the parrot ignored her and remained silent. Another highlight was hearing the forced cheerful 'HELLO DARLINGS!!' as a good morning greeting. Though I think my favorite bit was when I went to order breakfast off a menu and thought to myself, 'Eggs Benedict sounds good' so I ordered that, then she looked at my quizzically as if me actually using the menu vexed her slightly. I quickly changed to a full English breakfast without any of the meat and she quickly morphed into happy-hello-darling woman again.

Bed and Breakfasts... not to be missed.

Ice Age 3

That's me and Scrat when Tim and I went to go see Ice Age 3. I know, I know... what?? Ice Age? Well, yes. I happen to like clever animated films, Kung Fu Panda is another I would recommend. I remember when Ice Age the original first came to the theater; I took my cousins, Garrett and Megan, with me to go see it. Most likely they will not recall this now because they were quite young. I remember it as one of those cool times when you get to be that 'fun' cousin. Very similar concept to being the fun aunt, except even better because I am closer to age with my cousins, than I would ever possibly be to a niece or nephew.

I hadn't seen the original Ice Age since the theatre so many years ago until last December, and since then it has had a warm and secure place in my heart. I especially love Scrat, and if you go and see this funny and family friendly film you will be delighted to meet Scrattet and see the crazy antics that ensue.

Tim and I went to go see Ice Age 3 after spending the whole afternoon moving my belongings into my summer accommodations. The movie was worth it, and the situation was kind of funny because there were only two other people in this MASSIVE theatre for the movie. I think it did have to do with the fact that it was late on a Saturday night. England does this great thing where some film showings, usually the late night ones, do not allow children. I mean, I love kids as much as the next person; however, I do not like them in the theatre with me (unless they happen to be my extremely polite and well behaved cousins). So we had a chance to laugh at the antics of Ice Age 3. It was a really good night.

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

A few years ago I was gifted the incredible cookbook, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Every recipe that I have baked from that book have been delicious. Not just delicious, but there Chocolate Stout cupcakes (just to choose one) will make you believe in cake again.

Before leaving for England I purchased another cookbook by the same authors entitled Vegan with a Vengeance. Now, I am not vegan, but I love cookbooks, interesting recipes and learning how to cook with a variety of new and interesting ingredients. I love that I will never be prevented from backing because I don't have eggs. :) hooray! freedom!

In the most recently mentioned cookbook is where I find myself dabbling today. After recently returning from a camping trip and finding slim to nothing in my fridge (one of the blessings and curses of eating fresh food) I am going to go to the store to get ingredients to make a few new recipes. hooray! Because I am going to be working a lot this week, I decided it would be prudent to plan my meals ahead of time to save those precious thesis writing moments...

But there is one recipe that I almost always have the fixins to make... and it is such a heartwarming soup (needed for the summers in England, and maybe winter everywhere else) that I thought I would share a bit of the recipe with you:

Rachel's version of White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup:

2tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 teaspoon salt
As much fresh ground black pepper as your little heart desires
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups white beans (great northern,whatever, NOT chick peas... save those for hummus)
3 fresh sage leaves, or a few shakes of a container of the tried variety
1 bay leaf
juice of 1/2 lemon to taste
2 heads of roasted garlic (the best part! makes your house smell gorgeous!)

First step is roasting of the garlic because this takes awhile. A trick to this is to preheat the oven to 350F/180C and peal as much papery skin as you can off the garlic bulb, leaving the bulb intact. Then chop off the top bit of the garlic bulb so that each clove has had the top end nipped. it is okay if some are a little more cut than others. Then drizzle some olive oil over the top of the head of garlic, wrap it in foil (or put it between two pie pans like my simple self does, as long as it is covered) and leave it in the oven for about 30 minutes. When complete, let it cool and you should be able to squeeze each of the cloves right out of their skins. delicious in this soup or just on bread. roasted garlic... yum yum yum

Saute the onions in olive oil in a stockpot of medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the salt and pepper and saute for another minute. Add the broth, beans, sage, and bay leaf and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add roasted garlic and puree in batches with a blender, food processor or magic wand thingy, whatever you can do to make it smooth. Return to the put and add the lemon juice.

Enjoy with warm crusty bread. wow! I must be hungry. It is time to get to the store. :) Happy lazy sundazy.

Better World Books

I was introduced recently to a website called Better World Books that sells new and used books all over the world. They raise funds for global literacy, prevent books from ending up in landfills and partner with such cool organizations such as:

World Fund Books for Africa Room to Read NCFL Invisible Children

I am resisting the urge to go on a shopping spree, as I am want to do when it comes to book stores, until I settle on where my bookshelf and I will be living in the Autumn... or am employed... or at least until I finish another chapter on my thesis (Due in roughly 34 days!!!! but who is counting???AAAAAAck!) I don't do this often, but I will give a plug for this website. I would encourage the avid readers amongst those that avidly read my blog to check it out.

Better World Books just became my favorite bookstore.

As You Like It

Earlier this week I had the amazing opportunity to pursue my research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Library and Archives. I spent two full days looking at videos of past productions, thumbing through photos and news paper articles and generally, on cloud nine with two days of Henry V all day all the time. My thesis is centered around performances of Henry V in historical context. I am particularly looking at aspects of heroism and patriotism, nationalism and the ways in which directors react to England's involvement in war times correlates with various portrayals of Henry and Englishness.. :) It is GREAT! or will be if I can ever get my crap together. In any case I am really grateful for my tutor for helping me get a small research bursary that paid for me to travel down there for a few days and work. Thanks Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Jubilee Fund!

Last night as we were leaving Stratford, we had one more wander around. I didn't book any tickets to see a play whilst in Stratford because I knew I would be working most of the time (which I did) and that we would be driving back on Wednesday evening. Wednesday is when As You Like It was playing at the RSC, and then I saw that Michael Boyd was the director for this particular production. Well I will be darned if that isn't one of the directors I am looking at for my thesis! So Tim and I wandered over to see if there were anymore tickets for the show that night. Our luck! There were two tickets returned for that very evening. hooray!

It was a really great performance. I feel like every time I have read As You Like It, I kind of skim over the songs, but watching them in performance, watching Jacques sing them on stage was pure magic. There was a lot of music Incorporated into this show, something for everyone, the shepherd even skinned a REAL rabbit on stage. Not my favorite part, but I did think it was a unique way to show the realities of 'country life' in the play.

Two days of research, two nights with a crazy lady at a B&B, a fantastic Royal Shakespeare Company Performance, and a new toast rack? Does it get much better than that? I don't think so.

Oh! Although... when we were leaving Stratford-Upon-Avon, literally about to drive off after consulting the map... two gals walked up to us and asked if we knew how to call a taxi. They were Americans (I can tell) and didn't have a phone that worked over here (I understand that! Silly locked sim cards!) So we called them a cab, and I noticed she was wearing a purple jacket that had a small yellow 'W' on the front. For those of you who do not know, this is the insignia for the University of Washington in Seattle, the university very near my home town.

I asked if she was from Washington, and she said yes, that she lived in Seattle. Then I said, 'Get out of town! I am from Auburn!' I discovered that she is originally from Federal Way and attended Decatur High School, a high school in the very school district where I spent my entire childhood. Crazy. This world keeps getting smaller everyday.

Maddy hits a Pinata

Because it took Maddy at least 20 minutes to finally break open her birthday Pinata, using a spatula... I felt the experience deserved its own blog entry... in pictures:starts with hat and blind-fold


loses the hattries from a different angle
hits it with a chair
I like this picture best. It looks like she just went completely ape-crazy.

Maddy's Birthday Mexican Bean Feast

Last weekend was Maddy's birthday. She expressly desired to have a Mexican themed barbecue with cupcakes for dessert and a pinata. Well the party was REALLY fun and we did have all those things. I have included some pictures of my favorite aspects. Maddy and I have lived together for awhile now and she is not only my flatmate, but a really great friend. I am glad that we've found each other, and am really excited that we get to live together in our new summer accommodation this summer :) Happy Birthday Maddy!

The amazing kebabs! delicious!

Me, Maddy's Pinata and Maddy
Matt doing the cooking. Matt is Maddy's partner and he wore this outfit all night. It was awesome.

Maddy made mojitos, and my sister would love this, printed out a little recipe book for all the different drink for the evening. Then bound it and brought it downstairs. good job Maddy!

For the Mexican theme I made Margarita Cupcakes and Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from my infamous Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World cookbook. They were delicious!

'The Sales'

So in the US of A, as we all know... we have myriad sales, all with their own special name, I will list a few:

back to school sale!
labor day sale!
memorial day sale!
holiday clearance!
day after Thanksgiving sale!
close-out clearance sale!
4th of July sale!

The list is endless.

In England, things are a touch more simple. There are simply 'The Sales'. That's right. Four times a year corresponding with the seasons most every store in town has a clearance sale of some kind... So when talking with the natives, if they get a bargain on something during one of these times periods they reference it as, "oh yah! I got this in 'The Sales" It took me a few seasons to understand what was happening. It makes sense, clearing out stock from one season to the next, but I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that ALL the stores (almost) were having a sale.

I think I now have the hang of it and have been able to join in on this bit of English shopping culture... "that's nice, but I think I will wait to see if it is on offer during the sales." Those words have passed through my lips I am proud to say. You may be asking yourself, what does it mean to be 'on offer'? Well! Since you asked, when things are 'on offer' it means they are at a discounted price, people in the states would say, 'on sale'. From what I understand, saying something is 'on sale' on this side of the pond just means that you are able to purchase it and does not connote a discount of any kind.

Also, stores in this country close at 5pm everyday with the exception of 'late night' shopping which happens on Thursday. On this very special day, the stores (shops) in downtown (city centre) stay open until a crazy late hour of 7pm. At first I was a little surprised by this, when do people buy their clothes? Take days off? Saturday? But it seems to me that it speaks well of English culture that their evening social outings are not shaped around 'going to the mall' as I did in my youth. I quite like that. They go to pubs. I like that too :)

Yesterday was a big day in the life of my clothing wardrobe. I bought a pair of jeans for 9.99 at GAP. They are black jeans, in the skinny style. I never thought I would see the day. I am sure that the tens and tens of readers of my blog are thinking... 'I don't even know you anymore' 'what is this new British Rachel' and some are thinking '9.99! steal! bargain! go for it!' well I had both of those thoughts when trying them on. At first put them back and reasoned that I don't know if I would wear them, but in the end, they are a tenner... I went for it. I hope you have found that inspiring.

Okay. Back to work. I move tomorrow! Tomorrow! and need to pack, but more pressing than that is prep for the meeting with my thesis tutor at noon (midday).

Leave Leeds Tidy and Green Streets

These past few weeks I have assisted with a project to help reduce waste in the landfills around Leeds by encouraging students to donate their unwanted and perfectly good items to a FANTASTIC University of Leeds organization called Green Streets. My official job was to be a change-over warden and walk around for a few hours a day in a day-glow vest with my comrade, Perpetua, trying to avoid the sun as much as possible. Mostly we talked to students about moving and not leaving their crap around but also discussed Nigerian culture, the natives (English) customs, life and God. Was a great time, I will really miss walking around for two hours with this lovely new friend, but I am happy to have uninterrupted thesis work time :o) I worked for a project called Leave Leeds Tidy, but I think one of the best ways we can reduce waste is to support a project run by an organization called Green Streets.

Students in Leeds throw away an amazing amount of perfectly good stuff. I’m not just saying this because I have been known to do the occasional dumpster dive (here called ‘skipping’ which I think is quite cool) Students move out and don’t want to take their things with them. So Green Streets gave out these huge red garbage bags (bin liners) that students could fill up with clean, re-usable items. The student then puts the full bag in front of their place of residence on the appointed day of pick up, and the Green Streets team (all volunteers and full-time students… AND full time volunteers!!) go around in a van and collect all these donations. This is a HUGE effort. The items are then sorted and put out in Riley Hall. They are constantly sorting out new donations, so that the hall is perpetually full of new and cool stuff! This is a brilliant project, and I would encourage anyone who is near or involved with a university to take on a similar project. Hooray for not putting stuff in landfills!

Riley Hall in the student Union building is full of these colourful bags of donations, I mean, hundreds and hundreds of bags. Friends of mine have been able to get a new microwave, clothes drying rack, shoes, and clothes, clothes, clothes! I myself snagged a new dress and a jacket. The shop is open to the student body as well as the entire community, which is great. The best part… it is all FREE!! F-R-E-E. I could go on for another blog about the virtues of giving and receiving from a project like this, not only is it a good deal for someone with tight purse strings, but also when you get something for free I think it is a good reminder that you are just holding onto it for awhile. I find that I am less possessive of something given to me, and more likely to give it, and other things away to others who may need it more than I do. It helps me to recall the temporal nature of all this STUFF that we accumulate, and that the real source of all our gifts is not some great big store that we go to with our money and credit cards.Freely give, freely receive, it is a nice way to live!

One of the qualities fairly ubiquitous of student housing is that it is in neighbourhoods that are a little rougher. Whereas the students may live there for a few years, maybe a few years after they finish university, some of these families are set here for life. There are problems with plunking down students with their laptops, i-pods, mobile phones, extra cash for booze in the middle of these rough areas, but this seems to be the way it is, and for the most part, smart choices will keep you safe. Hopefully, and I am sure this is just the idealist in my speaking, that efforts like the Green Streets project will help build a better dynamic between area residences and the students who live amongst them.

Building community, helping reduce waste, bringing people together… Way to go Green Streets! You guys get two thumbs up. I’m going to make one more stop at the free shop!

Summer Arrives...

As I sit here, writing my thesis and basking in the glow of my free finds the past few days (green jacket! blue flowered dress! who throws this stuff out? a bowl! I have two bowls now. call me if you want to eat some ice cream or cereal with me) I feel a bit nostalgic... I think it is the summer time air... a little romance, but maybe that is the humidity, or the impending thundery storms that I can see rolling closer...

I move out of this room, that I have called home for the past nine months, this coming Saturday. It is a bitter-sweet move. In a sense, a place like this is never sustainable. Though I have lived here, the flat has changed its essence with first Terry moving out, then Charlotte; Maddy moved in, and people from the entirety of the building are packing up their belongings and transitioning to where ever life takes them next.

I mentioned I am working on my thesis. It is an awesome task. Awesome in the fullest sense of the word. Both fascinating, challenging, intimidating, and down right exhausting. I think it is most difficult just to begin. Next week I get to go to Stratford-Upon-Avon to do some research in the Library and Archives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust... sometimes I am so lucky.

So because I have a rose sitting on my desk, because I have delicious, cold strawberries and because summer is finally here in England... I feel nostalgic and I am reading poetry. I recently re-read this poem. It is by ee cummings... who has recently (in the past two years) managed to take the spot in my heart as the writer of my favorite love poems... I love the last stanza.

Enjoy!

Somewhere I have Never Traveled, Gladly Beyond

by E.E. Cummings

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

,your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands