Monday 30 December 2013

(K.I.S.S) Keep It Simple, Stupid!

I feel like Christmas this year has been simply wonderful and wonderfully simple. We've spent time with friends and family, played games, given and received and felt the spirit of memory building.

We have managed to get to a few different places in the last month. One of them was Lincoln which boasts one of the most stunning cathedrals in England (and therefore, the world!). I love to visit churches and cathedrals - they make a real impression on me as I try to imagine the people who built them with religious fervour.

It's the simple things that really add wonder. I've long been a fan of black and white movies and it is usually the simple but intriguing story lines, the total lack of special effects and the reliance on interesting dialogue that amuses me.

Another simple thing I love is going for walks. England is such a beautifully green (and as you will see from the mud on the pictures, brown) country.
Here we were on Christmas Eve walking around Kedleston Hall . Fans of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice may recognise it!

We tend to over-complicate life, just because we can. Like the times when we try and be over-inventive with Christmas presents rather than going for something solid that we know will be appreciated such as someone's favourite chocolate. I'm definitely someone who can confess to being guilty of this. I like to seem savvy and smart when in reality it's more important to try and make someone happy, no matter how simple it might seem.

I like truth to be simple, too. I studied Philosophy and Ethics at A Level and enjoyed considering these different view points but mostly I like the simple explanations. I feel like just because I have a brain and the power of reflecting on ridiculously complicated aspects of philosophy doesn't mean that I should. In fact, it bothers me to focus on the complex when in reality, I haven't learned the simple lessons perfectly yet!

One thing I've loved receiving this Christmas is the book "Bonds that Make us Free". It's a book about relationships with others and how we improve them. To me, that is the ultimate key to life and happiness. If I learn nothing else, achieving better communication and feelings for others would be hugely beneficial. Sometimes it's these things that are shrouded by very little mystery that are actually far trickier than the essays you could write on 'whether Adam had a belly button'.

They also mean a lot more. It's been a joy to spend Christmas with these people and others from our extended family. 2013 brought me a new brother-in-law. It's been great to see a new addition to our family and especially to see the joy that has brought. People are wonderful and it's fun to develop understanding and love for all the different personalities that surround us.

Roll on 2014!!!

Friday 20 December 2013

Sine experientia nihil sufficienter sciri potes

Oxford Blue

Once upon a time, I had an interview at Oxford. That was a long time ago, when I was applying to study medicine. From that time, despite the fact that the University and I didn't suit each other, I have loved the city of Oxford. It's fantastic! 

If you want to see an English city with character and culture, you really can't do better. I love the cream-grey limestone that adorns the city walls and the Radcliffe Camera (below). 

During my brief trip to Oxford I went into the Bod Library and looked at an exhibition about medical advances that have been made in Oxford. It was really amazing to see the contribution of one university and imagine the combined contributions of universities and students across the country in changing the world.

A lot of these advances stemmed from brilliant ideas. Not just ideas about what to do practically but ideas that were philosophical or scientific and the mere thought motivated and informed the way that knowledge was pursued. Look at this gem (the translation of the title of this post):

"Nothing can be sufficiently known without experiment"

This idea was essential to scientific and medical advancement. It informed the structure of the evidence-based medicine we still practice today. Perhaps Roger Bacon wasn't the first person who had this thought, but the fact that he did is still remembered and quoted. 
Bod Library Oxford
Though this is a rule for science, I started to think about how it applies to life and faith. Often when we talk about faith we don't think it can be experiential and maybe we're right in the fact that it doesn't seem to be a formula that produces something measurable by the senses we easily appreciate in our temporal world. Faith itself is not a raging wind or a colour or anything else we can easily perceive as being factual.
 
However, let's assume that we can apply the rule to it - that we can know these things by experimenting on them and finding out the consequences. After all, we live in an empirical world in which theory and logic are often not sound enough for us. We need to prove things.
 
Oxford University Church


I'm a great fan of logic but I have to say that sometimes, for me, logic doesn't explain this world. There are so many things that happen around me every day - feelings I have, things that I do because I felt they were right and they turn out to be so. Call it intuition - but I'm not that smart!
 
Evidence builds up for me in everything. Let me share a silly and trivial experience from my week. While I know this was silly, I'll tell you about it because of how it made me feel.
 
I was going to do our weekly shop and had written out my list. I had some cash in my purse but thought I was really pushing it as to whether it would be enough for the things we needed. I have to admit I felt a bit down going around the shop and looking at the things piling up in the trolley. I thought I would have to put it all on my card, thereby not sticking to my budget. Finances are something we're working on at the moment as a couple and it was important to me to get this right.
 
Anyway, I got to the till and went through the self-checkout to save myself the embarrassment of not having enough cash. I put everything through, packing it into bags and hardly daring to look. When I did glance up at the end it was £5.00 over what I had in my purse. I pressed the total button and it came down to just £1.59 over the amount of notes I had. I checked my coin compartment and just didn't think it looked like enough but I took a deep breath and started feeding in my coins. As I fed the last penny into the machine, I looked up and it read £0.00 to pay. I took my receipt, gathered my things and seriously wanted to cry as I walked out of the shop. Because... Heavenly Father loves me. Because, in that moment I felt like someone was watching out for me and desperately trying to let me know that He was aware of my needs - even if that need was just to feel loved in that moment.
 
I told you it was a trivial thing but I'm grateful for those little moments. 

Church Panorama
It's always nice to receive a big bunch of flowers or a weekend away or anything from someone who loves you - but to me real love means consistently being shown love in action. That's the way Heavenly Father loves us. He doesn't send us wads of cash so our purse is full to overflowing - He just makes sure we have that last penny every time.
 
Want an experiment? Get down on your knees (somewhere private so you can feel daft on your own if this isn't something you do routinely) and just simply ask Heavenly Father in whatever way you feel comfortable with how He feels about you, or even if He is there. Just try it. :)

 
If you're not in the mood for experiments why not listen to this, just to balance it up between Oxford and Cambridge:



Monday 16 December 2013

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

nativity

Christmas is now less than ten days away which feels strange because this time last year the world was covered in snow more or less constantly... or maybe I'm remembering it all wrong and that was actually January. Either way, despite the fact that I'm not particularly a fan of the snow I feel like this season should be more snowy! 

However, the Christmas spirit has definitely entered our household. It really started kicking off 9 days ago with the arrival of our second Christmas tree. 
christmas tree
Now, I know opinions can be very divided on the subject of Christmas trees but for me it has to be real. Ideally picked from a forest so I can go and immerse myself in the wonderful fragrant aroma of fir trees.

mmmm.....

Anyway, this year we went to a warehouse locally with my parents and picked up our beautiful tree.
lights and christmas tree
It doesn't shed needles because of an amazing stand we have for it. Honestly would completely recommend the one we have and it made the tree really easy to put up. Not that I was particularly involved in that part! 
red bauble
We put on the Michael Buble, got out the shloer and danced our way through the lights, baubles and beads.

We are not particularly tinsel people. I say not particularly... I don't like to touch the stuff! I have seen trees look absolutely beautiful with tinsel but I'm not a fan of the texture so putting it on our tree (or anywhere in the house) is a no-no for me. It is fine seen from a distance. Much like wigs. 

Finally, we got a tree that looked something like this: 

star on christmas tree

The pinnacle of the decoration, really, is the picture at the top of this post. Our nativity decoration. 

I was speaking to a friend who is religious recently and she was bemoaning the fact that everyone stresses out so much to celebrate one day that in reality doesn't mean much to people who don't believe in Christ. The commercial elements of the season are sometimes overpowering, that's true, but I'm still grateful that the non-religious people in the world do acknowledge Christmas and use it for spending time with family and friends. 

Because, you see, ultimately the message of Christ and subsequently Christmas is love - and whatever you do or don't believe at this time of year it is always nice to surround people a little bit more with love. 

This is a scene from a Mr Kruger's Christmas, which I hope you enjoy: 


Merry Christmas!

Thursday 12 December 2013

The Magic of Books...

My Top Twenty Favourite Childrens' Books (and Series)


1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
A whole new world was created in this series and yet it seemed like it was only a step away from the world in which we live. We all accepted our position as muggles, yet through the books we learned a new lesson in magic. The beauty of Harry Potter, for me, is its simplicity. A boy finds out he is a wizard and goes to a wizarding school. You know that feeling when you hear a new song and you feel like you've always known the tune? That's how Harry Potter makes me feel. 

2. Help, It's Harriet by Jean Ure
"PROPER PENS OUT! BALL-POINTS IN!" - this is my main memory of this entertaining book which I, obviously, loved because the main character shares my name. It's a book about a young girl who is constantly trying to help but is totally accident-prone. We had this as a book-on-tape and I remember hearing it on holidays. I laughed and revolted as Harriet caused trouble. 

3. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter 
With illustrations as well recognised as the stories themselves, it's easy to fall in love with a world in which animals full of character run around having adventures. I remember visiting the Lake District as a child and seeing the garden wherein the little blue Peter-Rabbit jacket hung as a scarecrow. 

4. A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" is a mouse you can seriously learn to love. He's a mouse that dreams big and accomplishes much. While I was learning a love for music, so was Wolf. His name is wonderfully ironic and I love jokes like that in childrens' books. 

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 
You know you carry a book with you when you see it in life. Whenever I see a walled garden with an interesting wooden door I wonder whether a secret garden lies behind it. I love stories that make you cry and fill you will hope of a better life. This story does that for me.

6. Beaver Towers by Nigel Hinton
I remember reading these books at school. I loved the details like the characters Mick, Ann and Nick whose profession was.... Oh, I forget! ;) I remember telling someone I knew that the answer to a question they had was the shape of the islands in Beaver Towers. These stories were exciting to me. I still occasionally call people named Phillip "Flipip" in my head.

7. The Five Find-Outers or The Mystery Series by Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton makes most people's list of children's authors, but my choice is probably not a classic favourite. I read the Secret Seven and the Famous Five but my favourite stories were the stories of Fatty and the others: Larry, Daisy, Pip and Betts and the additional member, Buster the dog. My favourite story was The Mystery of the Invisible Thief. Fatty was always the hero of the books and would come up with a wonderful explanation in the end. The books always had me completely intrigued.

8. The Blue Balloon by Mike Inkpen
This is my favourite illustrated children's book. I loved it especially because of the pull-out rainbow balloon in the end. That, to me, was magic!

9. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
"We're going on a bear hunt. We're going on a bear hunt." Please watch this video performed by the author. Actually amazing! When Mom read this to us, she would say a line and we would chant it back to her. It was great fun and I still do it when I'm on a walk with Ben. Please lend us your children so he can have his sanity back.

10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
I think I read the Hobbit when I was about ten years old. As an adult I find Tolkiens writing a bit harder but as a child I remember not struggling over the way it was written at all because I fell deeply into Bilbo's world. It completely absorbed my imagination. In "Riddles in the Dark" I was right there with Gollum and Bilbo, trying to work out the answers. I felt like Bilbo - like at any moment my ordinary world could be plunged into adventure - and it was when I read that book!

11. The Bad-Tempered Ladybird by Eric Carle
Looking back on this book I laugh. I think I was the bad-tempered ladybird when I was younger. I wasn't afraid to pick fights even if it meant I may one day get swatted by something much bigger than I am. I still love the story and I think it has a great message for kids!

12. Horton Hears a Who by Dr Seuss
"WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE!" - In my opinion this is Dr Seuss' best book. I love the tale of Horton the Elephant who finds out that "a person's a person no matter how small" and sticks to his knowledge when everyone around him doubts. It is a great book!

13. Little Bear's Trousers by Jane Hissey
It still makes me giggle that they used Little Bear's Trousers as icing bags. I love the pictures and story. I loved the 'Old Bear' books in general, but this was my favourite.

14. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Stanley is flattened at the beginning of this book. It's a trauma and tragedy that I, as a child, readily accepted. Things do happen, after all. I liked imagining what he could do with his new 2-dimensional proportions. I remember writing about it at school.

15. Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell
This was me. I was always the little bear who "couldn't sleep" - I loved the story of the bear being taken out into the night to see the moon. A great book for eye-close time.

16. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
I have to admit to reading these outside of my 'childhood' years. I don't know why people don't talk about Artermis Fowl more. These books make me laugh out loud. I can't wait to introduce my kids to Mulch Diggums and explaining to them what a "kleptomaniac" is. The first book, in particular, is an absolute treat. It has a magical world and a wonderfully lovable villain.

17. The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark by Jill Tomlinson
Who ever thought of a barn owl called Plop? It's amazing what you can get away with in children's books. It never seemed odd to me! In the different chapters Plop meets individuals who teach him about why the dark is so great and how exciting it can be. A great book for teaching children not to be scared at bed time!

18. What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
Some books affect you deeply and this had that impact on me. It was hard to 'feel and see' Katy's pain as she becomes bed-bound after an accident falling off a swing. Through her experiences she grows and learns. I often still think about the poem "In School" that Katy is sent by her cousin on Valentine's day. It's a lesson in learning from pain and from love. I cherish this book!

19. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
If I could choose any fictional world to live in it would be Narnia. I have heard The Chronicles of Narnia criticized as being too preachy. As a Christian, I love them because they teach about Christ. I'm grateful for the understanding that came to me as I read and heard (we had it on tape!) about Aslan the Lion and the sacrifice he made for the mistakes that had been made. But, aside from that - Jack Lewis created a world that was incredibly rich - a massive playground for children's imaginations.

20. Jeremy James by David Henry Wilson
Every time I'm poorly it's because "errmm.. well... a red licorice allsort has probably had a fight with a blue licorice allsort". When I feel tiny in a crowd I am "weaving in and out of the leg jungle". When I see a tower of tins, I know that the very best one must be right on the bottom. David Henry Wilson, I salute you. Just remembering the antics of the (very brave) Jeremy James has brought laughter to me. Just be warned: you may need to explain to your children that as a rule their Uncle Arthur won't come into the house wearing black in the middle of the night. 

Harry Potter Studios

We're heading into a magical time of year. 

I'm not a fan of the cold - I'm a creature that is much happier in a tropical climate, thank you very much! I've regularly heard people remarking on the heat when they walk into our flat. There is one insanely brilliant thing about this time of year though and there are no prizes for guessing what that is- CHRISTMAS! 

I'm officially "allowed" to talk about it now - it's less than one month away, after all. Plus, during our weekend trip to London we saw Christmas trees up and decorated and even got to see the preparations at Hogwarts for Christmas. 

As I said, it's a magical time of year! 

It's a great time for celebrating and getting together with family. Ben and I had a totally wonderful weekend with Ben's parents, Graham and Judith. 
We always have a lot of fun when we go and visit them and our adventures take us to London quite often which is something that I love to bits! It's really fun to be able to explore and experience things together. Ben always says that he can't get a word in edge-ways when we all get going talking about something or other. 

One thing that often becomes a topic of conversation (less with Graham and Ben - but certainly with Judith and I) is books. Anyone who knows me knows I am a total bookworm. I love to read. I love to be recommended books and to recommend books. I try and influence everyone around me to get as enthusiastic about reading as I am. In our marriage, this has led to reading "Life of Pi" and "The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared" out loud together as I have tried to impact Ben. I think he's enjoyed it! 

There are books that touch me deeply. They give me memories and they inspire me. I will never forget the first time I cried with Katy or the moment I first read the line, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."  I've loved all kinds of fiction from the sublime to the ridiculous. I admire good writing. I also love stories that suck you in. 

How about this one? 

"Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number fourPrivet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."


I devoured the Harry Potter books. I remember reading the sixth one under the desk at the back of a history class and having the teacher come past and, instead of telling me off, asking me "How is it???" in excited tones. 

The nation - the world - fell in love with this book. I mean, they had to print an adult cover due to the need to 'legitimise' all the grown-ups that were just as thrilled about the world of Quidditch, Hippogriffs and Wizards. 

I loved visiting the Warner Brothers Studios and taking a step back into my childhood. I grew up with Harry Potter - the characters are my peers! It was absolutely amazing to see the sets and the amount of work it took to bring Harry Potter to life on screen. It was already very much 3-D to me as I read the books but it was actually pretty moving to imagine how it must feel to see the fruits of your imagination being realised. 

Imagine being J.K. Rowling! 



Tuesday 3 December 2013

Borrowers

It is the festive season and I'm starting to get jolly. Blogs will certainly reflect that.

I was actually writing a blog about our visit to the Warner Brothers Studios - and I'm going to carry on writing that at some point. However, there is a subject that has grabbed my attention and is of a more serious nature so I wanted to write about this now so I can post amusing nothings closer to Christmas.

The Headline that made me think was this one:


With Christmas approaching, I wonder how many people will be borrowing money to fill the stockings of people they love with things that they probably don't really need. 

As a nation, we have a habit of buying things that we can't afford. 

Now, I'm not really talking about mortgages or student finances - though if you decide to take on such debt I do think you should have a plan of how you will pay it back - I'm talking about the accumulation of 'stuff'. It kind of irks me to think that to keep up with the latest in technology and fashions people would flash their plastic without ever thinking about the fact that in doing so they are spending money that they don't have. 

If they can't afford it now but simply cannot wait to purchase something that seems pretty worrying to me. I have a lot of sympathy for people who are struggling financially and being dragged under because life just seems to keep costing more and more - people for whom a roof over their head and food on the table is just about all they can manage. I can't, however, understand why you'd be in that position and then decide to add to your burden an unsuitably expensive mobile phone contract or a new car. 

Borrowers used to refer to the fictional "little people" who borrowed from the big people in order to survive. I would suggest that too many of us have joined them in the walls and floors and instead of helping us to survive, borrowing from the big people is going to lead to them calling in pest control and exterminating us! 

Ten Ideas to Help You Stay Afloat Financially (by super-wise people)

1) We all occasionally fall into trap of trying to "keep up with the Joneses". Our neighbour has a (very loud) Ferrari and I know how easy it is to aim to have what other people have rather than to be content. Which leads me on to.... 

 2) Be grateful for what you have. Like... the roof over your head (no matter what shape or size), family and friends, your access to communication... once you start looking at all the great things in your life, you'll stop wanting so many material things.

3) There seems to be an attitude that accompanies spending too much money - especially spending 'plastic' money. That attitude is one of entitlement - I'm having it because I can. Working and saving for something you want is becoming an idea that is foreign when there are all sorts of cash-borrowing schemes around. I really do think that as we work hard we appreciate what we have and we also make ourselves financially better off and more self-reliant. Work creates in us a sense of self-esteem. It's important to learn to work hard! 

4)  Serve other people. Be kind to people. Find those who are worse off than you whether financially or because they're lonely or unwell and help them. This is another of those things that place our consumerist lusts into perspective. 

5) This one might not be easy to do! However, it's useful advice and most of the time it is possible - even if it's only £10 a month. Rainy day cash is so vital! 

6) What if we're already in debt? Surely if I'm a significant amount down it's not going to hurt me to buy a sandwich on the road rather than taking lunch with  me, right? ;) Deal with the debt first by living frugally for a while. Then you can budget properly and you might even be able to factor in that little extra thing that you like as a treat! 

7) Get out of debt! Then, stay out! 

8) Financial storms come. You might have one of those months where the car, washing machine, television and every bulb in the house decides that it's more fun to play up. You might have difficulties with loss of employment. Prepare for the worst, work for the best. 

9) I love this quote. It emphasises the importance of staying out of debt. When we are able to provide for the things we need and not reliant on anyone else, we have freedom. Otherwise... we're going to get squished by the Big People. 

10) Finally, share. Share the burden of finances including decisions about the daily incomings and outgoings. Life is easier, more rewarding and healthier this way. 

That's everything for now, folks! 
Hope this gets you thinking and talking. 

I'd love to hear your comments and advice too!