Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Hodgepodging Up North and in Canterbury

Canterbury Cathedral


Join Joyce and the Gang
for


  She writes the questions;
we write the answers.
Plug them into your own blog post
and join in!

1. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your sense of direction? 1=can't find my way out of a paper bag and 10=if I've been somewhere once I can find it blindfolded ten years later.

I'd say it's a 10 or close to it. I have a pretty good sense of direction, although I can't promise about the blindfold. :-)  The last time I used a map that I can hold in my hand was today. And yesterday. And the day before that. Not only were we traveling and needed to look at the map, but I tend to look at maps a lot anyway. I need to know where I am and where I'm going - on a daily basis. And even when I don't need to know, I'm curious to know where things are in relation to other things.


When was the last time you looked at/used a map you could hold in your hand? (phones don't count!) 
back east, down south, out west, up north

Choose one of these directional expressions and tell us why you chose it.

Back east. I chose it because here in Wisconsin, we don't call it 'back east,' but 'out east.'  Maybe if I were from the East, I'd call it 'back east.' But I've lived 'up north' almost all of my life.

 Canterbury Cathedral


2. Did you do more talking or listening yesterday? Is that typical? Describe your yesterday in one word.

Sometimes I do neither. It's pretty quiet here. My day yesterday in a word: JETLAG.

3. Time, money, water-power-resources, opportunity...which one on the list are you most guilty of wasting? What might you do to change that?

Maybe I'm most guilty of wasting time. I'll try to keep this answer short.

 Canterbury West Gate

4. Did  your family take regular vacations when you were a kid? Tell us something you remember about a family roadtrip from your own childhood.

We didn't take regular vacations. We were farmers. Dairy farmers risk a lot by going on vacation. They don't know if anyone can actually be trusted to care for the cows properly so they don't come back from vacation to a sick herd. But I do remember a road trip with  my grandparents and parents - to Florida. I've told of this before. I must have been about 10 years old and it was when I learned what 'obnoxious' meant. My grandma used it a lot to describe me and my newly acquired skill of chewing/snapping my bubble gum.


Canterbury Cathedral gate

5. If you could grow anything you wanted, what would you grow? Why?

I would grow patience, kindness, and compassion. They don't come naturally to me. I could use them. The world could use them. And I pray about it every. single. day.

 Private prayer alcoves, Canterbury Cathedral 


6. Insert your own random thought here.

I foolishly thought I could beat jetlag by staying awake 23 hours from the time we left London until we were home again in Wisconsin. And by going to bed at 9:30 PM Monday instead of when I felt desperately tired at 6 PM. I kept busy washing/drying/folding clothes, cleaning the kitchen, taking care of the cats, etc. and finally went to bed at 9:30, but awakened with a fierce caffeine deprivation headache at 2 AM. I was an hour late in getting my morning coffee - on London time.

 Henry IV and his wife Joan of Navarre
The only king buried in Canterbury Cathedral (d.1413)
(played by Jeremy Irons in 'The Hollow Crown')

***

20% OFF SALE NOW THROUGH SATURDAY

At my Etsy Shop, use Code: OCTOBER2017
to get 20% off your purchase of $35 or more.

Christmas Soaps Are Ready

Check out my natural, handcrafted vegan soap!
Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE

Woodland Flowers
Natural Vegan Soap


...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at
 
HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop



Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning

Judy

The first photo of Canterbury Cathedral in this post is from 2015, because this is what the main entrance of the cathedral looks like right now:

Canterbury Cathedral 
an ongoing restoration project

 It is so good to be home with the sweet kitties again.
It looks like they might have decided that the box just isn't big enough for the two of them. I have a soft blanket on the floor next to the box. They take turns lying in the box.





Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Dover Castle and Homemade SoapnSuch SALE


Hello, everyone! I'm finally back in blogland, albeit with a bit of jetlag. We had a wonderful 12 days in England, and for those of you who follow @cranberrymorning on Instagram, you're probably sick of photos, so I'll just post a few now and then. As much as I love England, it's always nice to come home to wide, straight roads, sunshine - along with cold temps and wind :-(  and to be awakened by the kittens fighting over my feet. 


The photos in this post are of Dover Castle and harbor, on the southeast coast of England. I've always wanted to see it, and I was not disappointed. I thought it was even more interesting and impressive than the Tower of London. In the photo below you can actually see the coast of France as you look across the breakwaters and the harbor. 


It was a beautiful, sunny day, and although there were the inevitable showers on our vacation, there were also large patches of sunshine. One just has to be prepared for every eventuality. A packable down jacket under a raincoat served me well. As soon as it got too warm, I could stuff the lightweight packable down into my day bag.

Dover Castle Keep


These last two photos are of earthworks around the castle, and on one side are very steep. I was surprised and delighted to see sheep zigzagging their way up the chalky embankment. It's a clever way to keep the grass trimmed.

I think these are Herdwick. Beatrix Potter bred Herdwick sheep
on her farm in the Lake District.


 ***

20% off your purchase of $35 or more

 SALE NOW THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

at my Etsy shop
Must Use Coupon Code 'OCTOBER2017'

or at my website, HomemadeSoapnSuch.com 
(I will refund via PayPal)
No Coupon Code Necessary at my website

And as always, Buy 5 or More, Get Another Free

All Christmas Soaps are now in my shops.

Due to family business, my shops will be closed from 
October 17-October 29
and reopened on October 30.

Peppermint Tea
All Natural Vegan Soap
With Peppermint From My Garden


...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at
 
HomemadeSoapNSuch
and at
Our ETSY Shop


Join me on Instagram @cranberrymorning


Judy

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