UK Musing From Wingham, England

25 May 2015

Gobery Hill Cottage 

I’m sitting in this beautiful home we have rented in Wingham, England. I’ve been pondering the experiences we have had in Wales within the last week. This home is called Gobery Hill Cottage and is just the perfect place for writing.  The vantage point of this photo is facing the cottage back door of the cottage which has an outstanding view from the dining table.  Today the family went to Dover Castle for a special re-enactment of WWII and I had the entire day to write.  

The dining room has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the gorgeous lush green garden with grass and trees. The sky is like a video presentation of various cloud formations moving quickly across the sky.They vary in color, size and shape.  This scenic sky is insuring that the experienced person will be layering today and taking a brollie along. There are some park benches in the garden for just being.  There are lovely potted flowers on the patio and planted in beds around the perimeter of the yard. Added perks include little bunnies hopping through the yard now and then. The environment for writing is important for me. Solitude and quiet are essential.  Beauty is helpful as well.  I am in love with this day!

This reminds me of the day I was able to write all day in Yosemite looking out through the huge  windows from a secluded place within the big lobby of the Ahwahnee Hotel. That was four days after Jim and I retired in 2010.  That was more than five years ago now but seems like yesterday.   The scenery was captivating. There is something calming about elements of nature that open my spirit, heart and mind to thoughts that only surface with less confusion when I write.

We have been here a couple of days with our kids Chris and Melissa and their four kids.  The house was rented  so we could all  have a little vacation together as well.  It is hard to believe they have already been living in the UK in Loughborough England for nearly a year.  A Sabbatical at the University Design School in Loughborough brings them here.  As I begin my musings about this trip they have only about six weeks before they will return home to Utah.  We have already spend some time in Loughborough at their amazing home and find it absolutely charming.  Oh there is so much to tell!

I will write about all our time there later as we are still going to be there for a few weeks once we leave Kent and go north to their home.   

 The Uk is very different in many ways that the USA and yet very familiar too.  There are a lot of adjustments going on as we make our way from place to place.  It's all about adapting, something that seems to get harder as you get older.  

It is all about “no hurry” over here. It is good for my legs but not my nerves because the American contingency I’m with is still on the fast track. The same held true for getting new sim cards for our old phones. We needed a hotspot and they were out. We couldn’t find one until getting to Chester*, England and then when we got it, it didn’t work well. It’s nothing akin to a hotspot in the US that is just incorporated into your internet provider fees…the hotspot here is an added device you carry with you.  

*Chester will have it's own post as well.  I feel such an urgency to get the genealogical parts of the trip down first.  

Here is a little about our cottage here in Wingham before I dive completely into the trek to Wales.  

Chris and Missy's Room

The grandkid slept in this upstairs room.

The Living Room

Our Melissa~Our Magician in the Kitchen!  

She is unbelievably good at the culinary arts.

The Kitchen was so nice and well-stocked.

Our Cozy Room

 

The Game Room

The Loo

They have these incredibly modern bathrooms in some places but not one of them throughout the Kingdom has a socket in the bathroom for blow-drying your hair. What the heck? That does not seem to have changed in 20 years.  It wouldn’t be bad if they placed their mirrors close to the plugs they do have but that doesn’t necessarily happen. I could go on but you get the picture. Even getting ready for the day is a chore until you acclimate. Different is not bad, it is just different and it takes some adjustments to your regular mindless routines.

We take our conveniences at home for granted and we are far too dependent upon them and our many creature comforts. Don't get me wrong this home was spectacular and spacious with all the amenities but still no place for plugging in your hair dryer that was convenient.  It's not a priority in England apparently.

First hand experiences are so enlightening and reveal things about one’s self one might not really want to know. Just sayin’. Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue…

All that aside we had a lovely, lovely time in Wingham, England.  There were some great family times and fun adventures in Kent.  We went to Warwick Castle and Canterbury Cathedral.  The ward we visited was so friendly and kind.  We made new friends with shared values in a matter of minutes. That is one think I truly love about The Church. There are so many good people and hunting for common ground is unnecessary.  I cannot help thinking what a wonderful experience this is for Chris and Missy and their kids.  They have been so thoughtful in how they have spent their time here.  They ave been to western Europe and all around the UK during this year.  These kids are so privileged, they have grown closer than ever and this has been all good for them.  They have missed their friends and things at home but like all all of us...when they get home they will long for these memories once again.