Places I Love 1: Nottingham

It was such a privilege for me to be able to study in England for six years. Sometimes I still can't believe that I was so blessed! What made the six weeks per year even more wonderful was that the place I stayed was beautiful, as much of England is. But there are the "industrial North" cities, where industry has overwhelmed architecture. Nottingham is not one of those. Located in the East Midlands it is perhaps best known for Robin Hood and his archrival, the Sheriff (yes...there actually is a Sherwood Forest and I've been there). There are other notable tourist attractions. Lord Byron's ancestral home is also there as well as the oldest pub in England (so they say). There's a castle of sorts (not a very old one) and some very interesting man-made caves which were used as bomb shelters during WW2. There is a lace manufacturing museum. Nottingham is special to the locals because of its football team, Nottingham Forest. About halfway into my years of study, Starbucks arrived....on every block! By the way, Starbucks in England feels very European; something about it there is different.

What I love about Nottingham is that it is visually pleasing with lots of the color of a European city, but it is manageable. The City Centre feels large, and is almost always crowded with lots of young people, but it is easily navigated. I've been to London, of course, which is vastly different and has its own decided advantages. I've also been to Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, comparable in size (some larger than Nottingham) but without the artsy character of Nottingham. (Leeds has its own distinction; my favorite things about it are the Victorian shopping arcades).

I savored Saturdays in Nottingham, my reward for accomplishing a lot during the week. I took the bus into the City Centre, disembarking on Friar Tuck Way, walked and walked, enjoying coffee, buying gifts for Corky and the girls (CD stores, Past Times, Laura Ashley) . The Council House is at the center, complete with lots of pigeons. There are two malls, large department stores (Debenham's features foods and linens designed by Jane Asher), lots of interesting food places, churches and small shops. Food vendors on the street sell "jacket potatoes" with prawns, etc.and flower vendors sell absolutey beautiful bouquets. I always ended up at Waterstone's Books, of course, W. H. Smith (books and stationery), Boots [pharmacy headquartered in Nottingham), and the Denbey Pottery outlet.

So, I'm posting some photos I found which make me "homesick".

Family

Family is more to me than a cliche or political position. Family is about identity. Never, until I was a wife, then mother of 3, did I realize how much those affective relationships would change my sense of self. While I do not see myself, by any stretch of my imagination, as the quintessential mother, "mother" is who I am. What I do, what I say, what I plan has an effect on my husband, my daughters and now the husband and child of one of those daughters. As a wife and mother, I understand integration. We exist in synergy, in participation with one another. Despite what Simon and Garfunkle sang, I am not a rock nor an island. The poet was right, "No [wo]man is an island" but we are part of a whole, part of "the main". Western culture, once again, has not helped us in this regard and it is quite ironic that a "Family Values" agenda is identified with a capitalist political platform. My immediate family relationships are simply a part of the whole family of humanity. We are all created in the image of God, and therefore we all have instrinsic value; we are brothers and sisters. My children, and now my grandson have taught me that it is not all about me, but we.

Mary and the Spirit of Christmas

"My Soul Does Magnify the Lord!" Mary, though often overlooked by Protestants, is a model of worship in the Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord has overshadowed her, brooded over her, performing a creative act; it is an act that can only be performed by Divinity. And in the Spirit she worships and prophesies, foreshadowing all prophesying daughters.

On this Christmas Day, I still anticipate the fulfillment of Mary's prophecy: the lowly will be exalted and the oppressive ones will be brought low. That is the Hope of Christmas: the Great Reversal began on the day of Jesus' conception by a virgin of the Holy Spirit. And as we wait, already we see the signs of the reversal. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

And So It Begins...

Last night the festivities began (not Festivus, Christmas!). Our immediate family (Corky, Hope and Josh, Emma, Leslie and this year....Lex!) were joined by Emma's friend Justin for the first Christmas gathering. We will continue the festivities this week-end in Virginia and South Carolina.

Hope and I decided that we would have a light dinner so that everyone could actually enjoy dessert! We had a Greek salad and bruschetta. Being the Domestic Goddesses that we are, we baked all day. She made yummy cranberry bread with cream cheese and biscotti. I bit the bullet and made the Buche de Noel! I have to say, it was beautiful. And delicious. Chocolate, of course. I love to try new things, but I'm not a very good baker. I blame it on the fact that I've lived so many places and had too many different ovens so I've never been able to perfect the art! It's a good excuse, anyway.

But the highlight is always gift-giving. Of course this year, giving to Lex was the "main event." He didn't quite understand it all but I think he looks sweet on his horsey from Marmie and Pop Pop!

The Evolution of Dance

So...being raised in the holiness church, I never have been a dancer (not the worldly kind, anyway). But this video of the Evolution of Dance is great! It's had over a million views altogether! I especially love the Hammer-time segment. Can't touch this! See the link under "Places I Go" at right.

The Greatest Christmas Movie Ever

Everyone younger than 30 will have to imagine what it was like to wait patiently for one of the three major networks or maybe a UHF independent channel (which always had fuzzy reception) to show a favorite movie. In fact, you weren't really waiting on it. It was all serendipity....a happy surprise....when a movie you really love came on TV. So, I distinctly remember happily stumbling onto Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. It was wonderful! "Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow!" being sang in what my dad called "modern harmony" while the quartet sat at a booth in the dining car of a fast-moving passenger train. I think it was that movie (and maybe "Holdiay Inn" and "Christmas in Connecticut") which made a New England Christmas seem so idyllic. Years later, when we went to the Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree in Portsmouth, RI, it was with that in view.

I remember when my sister and I talked our Dad into buying "White Christmas" on VHS when it first came out. Then you could always count on TBS to broadcast it. For years, my girls and I watched a taped copy with all the Atlanta local mid-80's commercials. Now we have a DVD which includes a commentary by Rosemary Clooney!

Even though I know that Christmas (even in New England) isn't that blissful; even though I know that Rosemary Clooney later had emotional problems and that Vera Ellen was anorexic; even though, as I mentioned earlier, I've never really experienced a White Christmas; even though (and perhaps in spite of) the anxiety I feel about this war in Iraq; I still love to watch Phil dance with Judy ("The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing") and Betty wistfully sing "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" (how 'bout those turtlenecked male dancers!); I still get misty when General Waverly is saluted as he walks into the theater in uniform; and most of all, I love to hear Bob tell Betty to "count Your blessings instead of sheep".

For a person like me, who is troubled by many things I see and hear, it is nice to allow myself to get sentimental at least once a year.

The Perfect Christmas

Sunday night Josh and Hope's youth group presented a play at Lovell Heights COG called "The Perfect Christmas". You know the story: someone thinks they can design the perfect Christmas by eliminating this and adding that, only to find out that it's perfect as we allow God to interrupt it and as we reach out to others.

Well, it doesn't get anymore perfect than our first family celebration, this past Monday night. Corky, the 3 girls, Lex and I went to the Christmas dinner for the service recipients at the agency where Corky now ministers. Of course, we went there to "share our blessings with others" by Christmas caroling. As usual, we were the ones ministered to. Later, we had dinner and a karaoke party at a home. I was thrilled to be a part of an all-out party where everyone was on the same playing field and everyone's contribution was appreciated. We sang, we danced, arm in arm, twirling, spinning, yelling, weeping (at least I was) and everybody was happy. When one sang a song, everybody cheered. Sheer joy!

For all our talk of egalitarianism, of democracy, of freedom for all, in the nation and world we certainly haven't achieved it. And as soon as we come close in the church, we try to perfect it, only to see the dream fade away. But on Monday night, I sat (and danced!) in a heavenly place.

It was perfect.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

So, here I sit, dreaming of a white Christmas. I'm afraid it is only a dream. The weather is balmy. It has actually seemed inappropriate this year to have a Christmas wreath on the door....it's sunny and warm.

But Christmas isn't really about atmospheric conditions. Snow, sleighbells (never have actually heard those on Christmas or much of any other time), even fires in the fireplace don't really make it Christmas. It's about tradition.

Of course, we always think first of the foods we love at Christmas, the ways our family celebrates. And that's a part of what I'm talking about when I say "tradition." As we learned from Fiddler, "Tradition!" holds things together. Our family traditions connect us to each other but also to the larger Tradition, especially at Christmas. The larger Tradition is the history of those who follow Jesus, and how they have worshiped and honored Him, and specifically, the Incarnation.

So, I'm tired of the annual Christmas War, led by those who want to diminish the importance of the celebrations. Yes, of course, we borrowed a lot of the traditions from Pagan cultures or Turner Classic Movies. But God is about redemption, so the hanging of the wreath, the lighting of the tree, the yule log (not my family's tradition but I've been thinking of making Julia Child's Buche de Noel this year!), all can be redeemed to honor the Incarnation. As the Eastern Church says, his becoming flesh has redeemed flesh and all of creation. So, the tree, the holly, the applesauce cake, the bubble light (that one is for Corky) can all reflect the greatest of all stories.

So, while I dream of a White Christmas....Christmas is actualized even in the heat of a Southern December!