St James Church, London

"They built this without the equipment we have today!"

This is absolutely true! My American friend who saw this photo of St James was blown away by the creativity, patience, and talent of so many hard-working British workmen and women. And it is all to a Purpose, you know. Every nook and cranny in this magnificent church points to the Story of Jesus, giving visitors the path to salvation. You could spend a month in just this room alone, and barely even scratch the surface!

I tiptoed into the church yesterday on my way to see Kensington Palace. I love seeing Kensington Palace, dear Readers, because the Prince and Princess of Wales are there from time to time. The appearances are always unannounced, which makes people watch out for them. I am not the only one with such hopes, because when I did actually seen Prince William in 2022, sudden crowds appeared, all shouting, "It's HIM!"

He was the pilot of this helicopter, (as the Brits surrounding me claimed. They were knowledgeable, confident, and knew more than I did, so I took their word as truth.) You should have SEEN their jubilation! Their noise joined the noise of the helicopter hovering and then touching down not far from our perch beneath the trees. If you want to review the blog post all about William that day in 2022, here it is: https://sconetherapy.blogspot.com/2022/

Entering St James Church yesterday had been lovely because of the prevailing silence. The street outside had been filled with horns honking and planes departing from LAX. Inside, though, had there been a hundred people in there with me, it would have remained quiet. A holy place.

But as I gazed at the graceful arches in the front, I heard something - footsteps. I turned and saw a lady holding a cloth duster, moving from pew to pew removing fingerprints. Not that there were any finger prints available to clean. 

"Hello," I sort of whispered. She smiled the whitest, most genuine smile I thought I had ever seen. Wow. Her teeth were so straight and white I felt that no dentist had ever whitened or braced those teeth. They were simply a gift, as is.

"Do you work here?" I asked her. 

"I do, as a volunteer. You'd be surprised at all the dust that can find its way into this place."

She smiled again, and then went back to her quiet work. Someone that deeply lovely was willing to volunteer her time to shine that already shining place, and couldn't help but smile while doing it. 

Wow.

See you along the Way!

the SconeLady

 

What Is A TeeTotaler?

Clock Tower in Downham Market

I might as well tell you, although it might make you upset at the man I sat next to on the plane. I did tell you that the flight was pretty much perfect, with next-to-no turbulence, and they served us so many meals and snacks that I, for one, became stuffed. The man next to me was comatose the first few hours of the flight, but all of a sudden he woke up, jumped to his feet and yelled, "HEY!"touching the call button. Now that he was properly awake, I noticed that he looked a little bit like Jesus might have looked. That was odd, because jumping up in an airplane and yelling "HEY!" real loud wasn't the sort of thing Jesus would do. 

Our row of passengers sat stock still. Soon a male flight attendant leaned down to ask the man if something was wrong. The man who looked like Jesus said that yes, there was something wrong, something very dreadfully wrong, because the flight attendants were all racists who didn't know what the goose they were doing. He flailed his arms around, escalating up and up until the flight attendant left and got two more flight attendants. 

Dreams of my lovely holiday in Cornwall began to dim.

Soon there were three flight attendants in the aisle being yelled at, and everyone else was getting sick and tired of these shenanigans. In the end I and the lady on his other side got new seating assignments. The man collapsed into the entire row, now empty of all but himself, and slept.

I have only one other note to add to this drama at 40,000 feet over the Pond. There were several empty beer cans laying around the man's feet. Great Scott! Where had they all come from? No wonder he was in such a State.

Which reminds me of something, dear Readers, that might shock you. Get ready for it: Airline flights ought to be TeeTotal. Do you know what I mean by that? I come from a long line of TeeTotalers, which means they don't drink alcohol and therefore would never dream of yelling at flight attendants and spoiling nice people's holiday plans in Cornwall.

(And there would be a lot less shenanigans.)

See you along the way!

the SconeLady

England

 

Wisteria in Norfolk

I am back in England, surrounded by beauty and the magnificence of Norfolk Wisteria. There is so much lovely Wisteria around here right now that you can literally smell it.

There have already been long walks as I reclaim the dreamy fields that are the earmarks of Norfolk. Outside, a fighter jet of some sort passes over the house. This brings back noisy memories of RAF Lakenheath and the fighter jets that still populate its skies. It's nice to see them again.

There is much to say to you, and I will say it. So far, I have made the overnight flight to London, achieved the maneuvering of the Underground without mishap, and been safely delivered to the home of friend Rosie and her Ted. Oh the food! The talk! the memories! because she was here with me through it all, and remembers.

Oh - there, she is calling up the stairs to tell me something important..."Dinner is ready for you!" I already know the dinner will be worthy of the long talks that will accompany the meal. And I will tell you all about it. Honest!

See you along the way!

the Scone Lady

Illumine Me

Can it really be time to go? Have 5 weeks really passed? They must have because: 

1.  a Yellow Canary crab sandwich awaits pickup at 9:15. 

2.  bags are packed and sit patiently by the door.

3.  kitchen items are dealt with and food tossed.

4. medications, makeup, and battery chargers for the laptop, iPhone, Apple Watch, hearing aids, and AirPods are all accounted for.

It's the fiddly bits that always get me, things that had been put into a Very Safe Place, and then forgotten (chief among these *for a while* was the front door key, which was in a Very Safe Place). But the bits are all remembered now, I'm pretty sure.

BBC Radio Cornwall is burbling away to itself, because I haven't the time to focus on anything but St Ives and the process of leaving it. Grandchildren await my reappearance! Not to mention their grandfather awaiting Same. I had already left St Ives once, but then came back, and...but hold on, Radio Cornwall is saying something about Truro Cathedral, which I love. She is the only cathedral in Cornwall and clearly the most beautiful in the kingdom. Those who look after her are thoroughly devoted to their task which I, and many of you, have seen close up.

So what is BBC Radio Cornwall saying? They are saying that the cathedral needs to reach netZERO for carbon emissions by the year 2030. Apparently it isn't easy to reach netZERO these days, so they want to turn off the soft, pretty illumination lights surrounding the cathedral. Have you ever seen it by night? It's a fair knockout! 

       (I don't have an illuminated picture)

                                                    

Maybe it makes people feel better to attach a number to a problem (zero, 2030, etc), and then hope the number will change. 

Five weeks ago St Ives turned off their street lights in order to reach netZERO while I was stumbling around trying to find my cottage in the dark. It would have helped immensely to have a light or two in the vicinity! 

I tend to lean in the direction of Light, myself. Don't you? And Light is what Truro Cathedral is all about (just ask the Docents), and somehow the idea of it sitting alone in the dark all night sounds sad. 

You are the Light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and hide it under a bushel. Instead they put it on a stand

and it gives Light to everyone in the house. Let your Light so shine before men.

Matthew 5:14-16

I am on the train now, watching bright green pastures flying past my window. There isn't a trolly lady this time, but a trolly man who is the jolliest trolly person I've ever seen! He constantly brings the weary travelers his sandwiches, fruitcake, flapjacks, horribly salty chips, and tea. 

I will make the dash for home tomorrow, where my loved ones wait and the Light of the world will not be hidden. 

(I just hope the plane has snacks and water and perhaps more than just one meal!).

"I'm gonna let it shine"

See you along the Way!

the SconeLady

You Never Know With Californians

                      

Sunrise this morning

 It is lovely sharing Cornwall with my California friends, whose names are Alex, Sam, Katie, Levi, and Jude. I had heard it would be a hilarious adventure. I had heard that wherever they go, there would be fun. There is!

 They all piled into their car yesterday to visit St Michael's Mount, climbing all the way up to the Castle church where stands the magnificent statue of St Michael, subduing Satan. It is no joke climbing up those steep, rough hewn cobblestone lanes because it can be tough on the ankles. But if you ever do it and survive, you will be rewarded by the beauty of that church, its view, and its statue. 

                                                 

Because my friends are here in England to celebrate their grandmother's 100th birthday, the St Michael's Mount people gave them complimentary tickets to the Mount! That is no small savings. Also, because she had reached 100 years, their grandmother received a letter from King Charles himself, delivered to her by his own agent dressed in beautiful royal clothing! Which they witnessed. And which the other people in her care home witnessed. They were the party guests! 

(A note about cars in Cornwall: if you use GoogleMaps you had better watch out, because you might find yourself guided smack dab onto a sidewalk-sized 'road' for miles and, if another car is coming your way? Somebody is going to have to drive all those miles BACKWARDS to the beginning!)

 Alex has it figured, but - man!

The Californians having Thai at Talay

 Have you ever gone surfing in absolutely freezing water in Cornwall in October? Well, guess who did this thing today? The Californians, of course! My photos of it haven't come through yet, but Levi and Jude were awesome.

 How brave do you have to be to tumble into what feels like ice cubes in a tub, with SCARCELY A SHRIEK (at least, I didn't hear them shriek). Over and over they plunged, further and further to where the locals surfed as if the water was as warm as Hawaii. When their dad finally said, "Time to go, guys!" there was a hesitation. "But - just one more, dad! Please?"

 When the surfing ended, the kids rested and we went on a loop hike that might have felt longer than it was (just think: BOULDERS). I did not know it yet, but we had set foot upon the South West Coastal Path! I recognized those boulders from the day Emmie and I vowed we would "never climb another boulder". 

 And yet, our small part of the Coastal Path is survivable. This was because: 

1. a nice farmer came by on a piece of machinery and told us we were on the right path, and that we would recognize 'more than two' styles ahead.

2. my companions gave me their strong hands up and over the boulders, and then up and over the several unexpected styles. 

3. my iPhone did not die.

4. Sam kept up a cheerful tone and made sure the SconeLady's feet were on the right hunk of granite (style).

5. Alex gave us helpful updates on the trail with his Trail App. Until his iphone died.

6. I don't like styles.

7. I like styles in about the same way David Copperfield liked Uriah Heep.

8. I like styles about like I like Marmite.

 At last, as we spilled out onto Burthallen Lane and saw Godrevey Lighthouse in the distance, we knew we were home free. It was a great day! I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. You never know with Californians.

See you along the way!

the SconeLady

My traveling companions

a 'style' (cattle grid)

Change of Scene

 I admit that Port Isaac is a beautiful spot - there is no denying it! But I am not there anymore. Beginning tomorrow I will be sharing photos with you that are NOT of that place. Here are a few lovelies from Port Isaac that I managed to capture between rain storms and sunny skies. 

 St Ives is welcoming me back with stunning seas still robust and a bit pushy. But with the addition of great California friends who arrived here just before I did, I am in my element - walking the cobbles of Fore Street, showing off the Wharf, and finding coffee joints too many to number. How to choose? And which place has the best scones in town? THAT was a poser. We discovered there is just too much food here to choose from: the Thai place called Talay, the ex-Seafood Cafe that is now called 'Ardor', Onzo Pizzaria on the Wharf, the Firehouse Bar & Grill which has warm chocolate brownies with ice cream, the Bier Haus Grand Cafe that serves German food PLUS waffles, the Mor store that has the best lunchy sandwiches ever, The Sloop, a pub favored by the locals here, and of course there is the everlasting Balancing Eel that feeds practically all of St Ives. 

It's all about food, right now. And I will start with a chocolate twist/loaf tomorrow morning. My, but it's good to be back.

See you along the way!

the SconeLady

                                                                

Fisherman's Friends and Doc Martin

The SconeLady visits Fern Cottage

I am going to start watching Doc Martin right away! He is in my mind now, and the minds of about 20 walking tour tourists who for 2 hours today learned just about everything there is to know about him. The best part was that our guide had actually BEEN IN THE SHOW! I'm going to turn it on and see if I can find him. His name is Mike and he was an Extra.

 At the beginning of the tour, the guide wowed us all by saying, "Do you see those two white haired gentleman standing by that boat?" We did see them. "Well, guess what? Those are two of the real Fisherman's Friends!" 

 There was a momentary silence as we all took this in. Then everyone pretty much freaked out, gasping and grabbing smart phones and taking pictures of the backs of their heads (they knew we were a tour group and would likely ignore their privacy). The man on the left is Jeremy, who is still an active member of the Fishermen's Friends - which means that I just saw him performing at Sandy Acres! The man on the right is John, who started the Fisherman's Friends but has retired from them. 

Jeremy and John, Fisherman's Friends

I always think it's exciting to see someone who is famous. I have seen Kevin Costner twice, Hugh Laurie once, Haley Joel Osment twice, Strom Thurmond once, Debbie Reynolds once, and - full disclosure - I possess a curtain ring that used to belong to Barbra Streisand.  

 My husband does not think about famous people the way that I do (for example, he would never be seen on a walking tour about them). If Tom Cruise himself turned up at our house my husband would probably think he was the exterminator, and start to tell him about the bees in the living room. 

 I just now started watching Doc Martin! The cinematography of Port Isaac is utterly stunning, both in the show and in real life. They did a terrific job of filming those rolling green hills and stark blue seas, all while telling a compelling story. The tour guide told us that Martin Clunes (who played Doc Martin) kept everybody cheerful on set by his kindness and humor, and would do 30 takes of a scene without getting upset. The lady pharmacist with a neck brace, the large handyman Al and his son Al, the cray-cray receptionist at the doctor's surgery, and the big black dog who jumped in Doc Martin's window were all just as important as he was. 

I will watch the next episode tomorrow and let you know if I see our tour guide Mike being an Extra. He's hilarious already, don't you think?

See you along the way!

the SconeLady