Absolutely in love with this song!

Lacrimosa - Day of Tears by Zbigniew Preisner

(the first 20 seconds or so are silent).

I'm really missing him right now.

"What are men compared to rocks and mountains?"

- Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

*My younger sister snapped this picture on our way to the airport so I'd have a pic of the mountain with me. I'm so grateful she did. So majestic =')

I only have 22 more days in UK and I mean to make the most of them...

But its kind of exciting to think I'll be back here so soon =)

Date time with Mansfield Park.

"There certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women who deserve them." - Jane Austen

I think this may be my new favorite blog: "Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops"

One example:

Customer: Excuse me, do you have any signed copies of Shakespeare plays?
Me: Er... do you mean signed by the people who performed the play?
Customer: No, I mean signed by William Shakespeare.
Me: .....*headdesk*

You should check it out... you'll probably get a good chuckle =)

Tonight, I feel that I became more British. I had bangers & mash for the first time!

For those of you who don't know (which was me about 3 weeks ago), bangers & mash is a typical British meal composed of sausages served over mashed potatoes and perhaps something served on the side.

A few of my friends and I went to an adorable little bangers & mash place in Oxford called "The Big Bang." It was such a fun restaurant!

First off, they handed us these "menus."

They are actually old books. They've glued the menu inside the book. Loved it.

Oh, and did I mention that the table-top was a collage of old dictionary pages? So cool!

Ok... then they brought out our glasses and drinks. They've frozen a lemon slice inside of the ice cube! Brilliant!

I had an incredible Lime & Lemonade. Just so fun.

Water pitcher. Yah, adorable!

"The Big Bang" specials. Just a few of the amazing sausage options they have!

Look what we found while looking through the dictionary pages on our table.

Just confirmation that tonight was supposed to happen =)

Kristina, eagerly waiting for her bangers & mash

(and looking so cute if I do say so myself =)

My first bangers & mash:

I had 1 venison sausage (venison is sooo good ;) and one lamb and rosemary sausage.

Underneath was garlic and rosemary mash potatoes covered with a rosemary gravy.

[Yes... I went a little crazy with the rosemary, but it was so good!]

On the side were peas and red cabbage, which I tried, but did not eat. Sorry =/

Oh... did I mention that all of the food and drinks come from local produce?

Tonight was food heaven, not to mention a really fun time!

If you're ever in Oxford, check out The Big Bang. You will not be disappointed.

Ironic, no?

Strange and fascinating...

Today as I was leaving a restaurant, an older gentleman held up his sketchpad to me. On it was a profile sketch of a young lady."Who's that?" I asked.

"It's you," he replied.

Apparently, during lunch with friends, he was trying to sketch me.

Kind of cool. Kind of weirded me out.

I found out that a guy who goes to the church I'm attending knows Marcus Mumford =)

As we were driving through Oxford--actually at a stop light--the weather went straight from dry to a thunder-storm-like downburst of rain. No sprinkles. No warning. Just monsoon force rain for about 2 minutes.

While hanging out at a church friend's flat, he broke out his record player and vinyls. I got to sit around with a bunch of Oxford grads listening to old school ELO and Genesis records. Haha... wow =)

weekend adventures

Well, I hope you have all had an exciting weekend--I definitely have =)

My adventure-packed weekend started on thursday when our whole group went on an excursion, which included a trip to Broughton Castle (filming location for Shakespeare in Love among other movies).

The gardens were absolutely gorgeous!

entrance to the secret garden...

surrounded by beauty: the gardens and Kristina =)

Picnic in the sun across the moat from a flock of sheep.

Kristina and I listened to Pride and Prejudice on my ipod while reading our Jane Austen homework... quite a sublime moment.

This tree reminds me of Jane Eyre

Friday afternoon, I settled in the sunny quad at Magdalen for a bit of afternoon study.

That night, I attended an absolutely marvelous production of A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Oxford Shakespeare Guild. There interpretation was as hilarious as it was creative. An absolutely wonderful night with friends.

Saturday, my friend, Elizabeth, and I did a day trip to London. We took a literature inspired approach to the day and had a marvelous time.

Here is part of Kensington Gardens, the park from which J. M. Barrie got his original inspiration for Peter Pan.

These are two of the "Italian Fountains":

221 B Baker Street

happy girl =)

Probably my favorite literary stop of the day, this is John Keats house in Hampstead. This is the house he shared with Fanny Brawne and it is also where he composed many of his poems including a personal favorite, Ode to a Nightingale.

Today I went to church at OCC and then went out with some new friends from there. They are all so fun to be around.

How was your weekend?

Also, do you know of anything else in London that I should really try to see before I leave? I'd love to hear your ideas!

A group of friends and I went to see Midsummer Night's Dream tonight. Afterwards we were wandering the streets of Oxford and were all rather giddy. At one point, my friend Stephanie says, "No, we're not drunk--we're just high on Shakespeare."

Wow! Favorite moments =)

For those who were wondering... I have officially been =)

Today is a relaxed day to "read and roam." On the docket for todays reading: Sense and Sensibility (of Austen's novels, this is the one I have read least recently--does that make sense??). Anyway, it should prove a fun day with Elinor and Marianne.

Tonight, I shall delight mine ears with the Choral Evensong at Christ Church. Yay for boys' choirs!

ps... Christ Church has hosted a choral evensong in their chapel every night except Christmas nights since the chapel was completed by Henry VIII. That's nearly 500 years. I just can't help but imagine weary groups of people in the 1940's shuffling in to hear the Evensong hoping to forget, just for a moment, the war that embroils their nation and of the blitz that could strike at any point. What a hope that must have been. What a delight I am looking forward to tonight...

London at night: Big Ben, the Eye, and the River Thames

So grateful for friends!

There are some girls here that I have grown so close to, so quickly!

This is Kristina. Oh, and she was nearly crying in this picture because she had just heard Big Ben chime for the first time =)

She is just as much of a nerd as I am--and that is totally a compliment!

Here are several of the girls in the Jane Austen course at our reception dinner at Magdalen college =)

I am so grateful for good friends!

I was hoping to do a bit of fashion blogging while over in England. This is my first attempt (and it was, in fact, done stalker style).

I love the details: the airy scarf, the navy blue handbag, and the way she carries herself.

Memory of the day...

Walking around Magdalen College (pronounced "Maudlin"... by the way - yah, weird), but anyway... walking around Magdalen College, Oxford, where C. S. Lewis was a fellow, where Oscar Wilde lived and went to school, where the "new building" was built in the 17th century. I went over and put my hand on the wall, and said, "Are you real? Am I dreaming? This is too beautiful to be true..."

[not my photos]

in love with Oxford =)

Took my first "tube" adventure today, currently just across from Tottenham Court Rd. underground station at a cafe. Just wanted to say hi...

Mind the Gap =)

Greetings from the UK.

I'm in a little town called Chertsey (outside of London) . But I wanted to say hi to all of you. I'll post more later =)

London calling...

Oh gosh! This melts my heart... I am going to miss these little people so much when I am gone ='

love love love the Baker family!

Well... we ordered pizza and I introduced Lew to Julian Smith.
Long days aren't all bad =)

It's official... Samara's bored

*That is how I feel right now =/
Long shift at work today--10 am to 9 pm--and right now its slow. I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. But the paycheck I get after this will be good =)

(the video cuts off... so you may just want to go check it out on youtube)

Ok. Finished the Auralia Thread last night. I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes. Two characters, Myrton (a gardener) and Warney are having a conversation -

Myrton: Here you'll find the greatest freedom. Know what that is?
Warney: Solitude?
Myrton: Humility... Surround yourself with things that amaze you and you'll forget about comparing yourself to others.

Wow! Only 8 days and so much to do!

Update on my mac -

Bad news: the genius bar did in fact confirm that the hard drive is dead as a door nail
"She's not only merely dead
She's really, most sincerely dead..." haha

Good news: the guy at the genius bar told me how to get the best deal [i.e. buy the hard drive somewhere else and have apple install said hard drive and the OS]. So, I ordered a hard drive from amazon that should be here by wednesday. When all is said and done, the repair should cost me less than $50 =) Zinedine (my mac) should be up and running in time for its 4th birthday (july 2 =)

I'm still praying for the Lord's provision over this trip. I mean, He has provided over-abundantly. But I still need his grace so desperately!

I've started packing and going through checklists of what I have and what I need. It's so strange... 6 weeks is quite a while, but not like I'm moving there... just in between. Travel is so much fun. Just nerve-wracking in the best way possible!

Oh and I should let you know that I still have about 60 pages left of Dorian Gray and the most of The Ale-Boy's Feast to finish. But if I own the latter and can therefore bring it with me.

Oh, and any suggestions for what movies to bring on the plane? I'm not allowing myself to watch any movies whilst in England, but the plane ride will definitely require a little entertainment. But there are several movies my mother would never let me take. hmmm... suggestions would be great!

Have a great Monday everyone!

cooking incredible home-made dinners. good music. abundant laughter. garlic. a little bit of sherlock and a lot of b.c. beautiful hopes. shared memories. chai. road-trip plans. un peu francais. dreaming. pictures of cute babies. long-time friends who know they've only just begun. comfy clothes. peonies. film conversations. book conversations. lots of conversation.

...these are what make a lovely night and a happy heart :)

Sadness... :(

My computer's hard drive crashed this morning--just 10 days before my trip to England.

Please pray for a quick and cost effective solution.