Saturday...
what a beautiful day! I woke up and went on a run with my roomies. The sun was shinning and we did a jog/sprint down the road and back (about 30 minutes). We took showers and got ready for breakfast and I wore jeans and a tank top - it was that nice outside! It was so amazing. After, I talked to Mandy and a few of us decided to go see the waterfall that is close by (about 45 minutes away - once you know where it is).
So about 6 of us ventured off with directions for a fellow student. We cut across a few fields and continued on for an hour before we found the stream that would lead to the waterfall. The path along the water wasn't very clear and we had to make our own way stepping into long grass and plants and cross the water a few times (once I landed with my shoe in it, soaking my sock full of water (but it's better than the mud that filled Mandy's shoe). we nearly turned back before Mandy and Hannah ran ahead to see if they could find it (we'd been looking for an hour and a half). We ended up being really close so at their whistle, we continued up to find a cute small but beautiful waterfall.
We spent some time enjoying it, climbing the rocks and exploring the area before we felt the sprinkles. Luckily I had changed into crummy jeans and a sweater (but the sweater falls apart in the rain, leaving black fuzz on anything in it's path (especially my hands).
The beautiful sunny day had turned into a down pour that we walked in all the way back (only 45 minutes) as it increased in intensity, we increased our laughter at the situation. Our hair was dripping, clothes socking wet and our spirits high, finding much joy in God's sense humor. I might have complained a few times but in all honestly it made the area beautiful and the memory unforgettable. Coming back my roommates couldn't contain their laughter and thus the joy from God was spread...at my expense - but that's okay!
Best part, I decided to wash my towels that day and I put all of them in the wash before I left and they hadn't made it into the dryer so I had wet towels, wet hair, wet clothes and soggy shoes - I have pictures, don't worry!
The lesson was learned, the weather is so unpredictable and I need to remember to bring a sweatshirt and umbrella (though I discouraged others on bringing one - go me!) anytime I venture out in England.
My love to you all,
Nat
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
the food
The food…
…since the days run together there is no point in noting what day but the meals themselves are worth mentioning.
Meat pie: this should be have a sub-line, “looks can be deceiving” because it looked cute in a little pie crust (they were all individual) but the were stuffed with “some kind of meat” – by the way they use that phrase about once a day here and it’s not reassuring for those of us who aren’t too keen on meat when we know what it is. So, I have committed to trying everything, even just a bite, so I did. Spicy meat in a pie crust cannot be considered dinner. It was so bad I struggled to swallow but the best part is that I was sitting next to Dave, from Scotland, who eats mince pies a lot and loves them – so he ate four and I had one bite of a half and called it a night…so grateful for the yogurts I bought! Along with this mystery pie we had baked beans, salad, ginger cookies (though not good ones), and some tea...healthy dinner:)
Steak pie: for the record, putting random meat in a pie-crust doesn’t taste good so don’t do it or add a few other things so it’s interesting (and so I can pick around the meat). Lunch today was pieces of steak (leftover from a really good meal a few days ago) that they put in a pie-crust (must be an English thing). Along with that we had green beans and something orange and square (so I just ate it and didn’t ask) and some potatoes (good but trying not to eat a ton of these but when your options are meat in a pie-crust, what can I do? Ps the vegetarian option for the day was ground beef in a sauce, in a pie-crust – so beef in whole pieces or ground…take your pick (I chose the box of cookies in Mandy’s room).
Tuna Casserole: It’s basically tuna with pasta in a red sauce…yum. According to “head chief” Joel, I am the pickiest eater but in my defense, tuna surprise is nasty. It’s not like our tuna at home is like stanky-smelly fish that is wet and gross. So I complained to Joel about the Tuna Casserole, only to be corrected that it’s called “tuna bake” – call it whatever you want joel, it’s still tuna grossness with pasta and red sauce. Vegi option was curry pasta (John, not sure how you did curry for three months) and so after I talked my way out of this, he gave me vegi pasta, which was actually good.
Best meal so far: We had rice and beef in a great sauce with salad and some pita bread (but a really good, fancy one). Lemon Meringue for dessert – though it was a bit too lemony for me. A few of us ate outside in the beautiful sunshine (but I forgot I had a kitchen duty so I had to leave everyone in a hurry and I also had to leave a great conversation on diseases, prayer and God’s will in this – it was truly interesting.
Then, dinner was baked potato with chives, cheese and tomatoes along with salad and flap jack for dessert – sweet flat baked goodness of butter, brown sugar, and syrup – so good!
A word about the small of Capernwray: normally it smells like sheep poop because we are surrounded by fields of it (and sheep and cute little lambs) but today they were fertilizing – and let me tell you, cow poop is way worse here than anywhere else I have ever smelt it – wow! It filled the whole area including the buildings because we had some windows open. After a bit you get used it – sounds weird but when it’s the only thing going up your noise, you do. So that was the smell of my afternoon.
…since the days run together there is no point in noting what day but the meals themselves are worth mentioning.
Meat pie: this should be have a sub-line, “looks can be deceiving” because it looked cute in a little pie crust (they were all individual) but the were stuffed with “some kind of meat” – by the way they use that phrase about once a day here and it’s not reassuring for those of us who aren’t too keen on meat when we know what it is. So, I have committed to trying everything, even just a bite, so I did. Spicy meat in a pie crust cannot be considered dinner. It was so bad I struggled to swallow but the best part is that I was sitting next to Dave, from Scotland, who eats mince pies a lot and loves them – so he ate four and I had one bite of a half and called it a night…so grateful for the yogurts I bought! Along with this mystery pie we had baked beans, salad, ginger cookies (though not good ones), and some tea...healthy dinner:)
Steak pie: for the record, putting random meat in a pie-crust doesn’t taste good so don’t do it or add a few other things so it’s interesting (and so I can pick around the meat). Lunch today was pieces of steak (leftover from a really good meal a few days ago) that they put in a pie-crust (must be an English thing). Along with that we had green beans and something orange and square (so I just ate it and didn’t ask) and some potatoes (good but trying not to eat a ton of these but when your options are meat in a pie-crust, what can I do? Ps the vegetarian option for the day was ground beef in a sauce, in a pie-crust – so beef in whole pieces or ground…take your pick (I chose the box of cookies in Mandy’s room).
Tuna Casserole: It’s basically tuna with pasta in a red sauce…yum. According to “head chief” Joel, I am the pickiest eater but in my defense, tuna surprise is nasty. It’s not like our tuna at home is like stanky-smelly fish that is wet and gross. So I complained to Joel about the Tuna Casserole, only to be corrected that it’s called “tuna bake” – call it whatever you want joel, it’s still tuna grossness with pasta and red sauce. Vegi option was curry pasta (John, not sure how you did curry for three months) and so after I talked my way out of this, he gave me vegi pasta, which was actually good.
Best meal so far: We had rice and beef in a great sauce with salad and some pita bread (but a really good, fancy one). Lemon Meringue for dessert – though it was a bit too lemony for me. A few of us ate outside in the beautiful sunshine (but I forgot I had a kitchen duty so I had to leave everyone in a hurry and I also had to leave a great conversation on diseases, prayer and God’s will in this – it was truly interesting.
Then, dinner was baked potato with chives, cheese and tomatoes along with salad and flap jack for dessert – sweet flat baked goodness of butter, brown sugar, and syrup – so good!
A word about the small of Capernwray: normally it smells like sheep poop because we are surrounded by fields of it (and sheep and cute little lambs) but today they were fertilizing – and let me tell you, cow poop is way worse here than anywhere else I have ever smelt it – wow! It filled the whole area including the buildings because we had some windows open. After a bit you get used it – sounds weird but when it’s the only thing going up your noise, you do. So that was the smell of my afternoon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
