Oxford Exchange

I am not sure how to express to you how much I enjoyed this place. Other than to say- this place was made for me! Ever since I heard about the new addition in Tampa, I have been aching to go. Aching like I ache to go back to Oxford, England (okay, maybe not quite as much). But Oxford Exchange is much closer.

Oxford Exchange is in a historic building renovated with such old class and beauty. It contains a restaurant, bookstore, tea bar, coffee bar, and home store. Also, this central seating area in the middle of it all, complete with classy furniture and a staircase leading up to the second floor. The glass atrium ceiling allows so much light inside, and you can go upstairs to gaze back down to people-watch. Everything is thoughtfully designed and richly decorated. Dark wood paneling. Black and white floors with eye-catching geometric designs. Wood floors. White brick walls. Rich fabrics in pleasing colours like golden rod and caramel.

Emily and I had such a blast here. Everything about the day was relaxing. We ate a delicious breakfast, browsed the home store and the bookstore, and got some tea from the tea bar. We each ordered a Lavender Fog, which was the most delicious drink ever. It's a London Fog (Earl Grey with steamed milk and vanilla) with lavender.

The thing I love about this place is the way it invites you to slow down. To sit and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. To find a book in the bookstore and take some time for reading. A good place to meet friends and have a cup of tea with a delightful place to hang out. This is the kind of place I could spend a lot of time at, and we did. It has that European charm of a place that is open to all and promotes taking time to just enjoy the day.

I am afraid I will making many more trips over to Tampa for you, Oxford Exchange.

Communication

Proper communication is vitally important in all we do. At work, absolutely, but also in our personal lives. I have just finished a book my boss gave me to read called Crucial Conversations. The premise of the book is how we find ourselves in crucial conversations (meaning, something is on the line) frequently, and if we do not know how to communicate with the other people involved, we have made the situation worse.

It all boils down to taking the focus off of you. Stop being so selfish and myopic that you are unwilling to see a situation from the other person's perspective. After we stop and ask ourselves "what do I want?" then the situation should shift to see that, most likely, both parties want the same thing, but just have different ways of approaching it.

That is why talking through it can be the best thing, but only if both can listen to one another.

This book supplied helpful reminders of how to turn a bad conversation around to keep it focused, calm, and productive. The chapters go through the ingredients we need to toss into the circumstance when a conversation becomes crucial. It all starts with you, and finding what you want, but in order to have a successful dialogue, you will need to then look at the other person's needs/problems/tensions and allow a gentle understanding to seep through your speech.

Being gentle with our words is a biggie, because once something is said it cannot be unsaid. So, guarding our speech is quite an important element in being a part of a tough discussion and creating a safe arena for both to talk is crucial. 

Laurel Oak

Good we must love, and must hate ill,
For ill is ill, and good good still...

If they were good it would be seene,
Good is as visible as greene.

-John Donne

The moss sways on the branches of the huge Laurel Oak outside my place. With so much greenery around this neighborhood, there is plenty of shade, which I like, of course (pale redhead that I am!). There are also gorgeous rays of light that come in through my windows. I like that too.

There is also a sense of history here. Huge trees do not sprout up overnight. Neither do the best things in life. They are worth waiting for.
My admiration for this place grows. To be at home in a neighborhood is comforting. Giving me a sense of place. Talking to one neighbor. Waving hello to another. Fixing a cup of tea and sitting by the window, gazing at the fading light as the sun sets.

I praise God for such a place as this. To be so blessed to have found this home through my friend Emily is such evidence of God's hands working all the pieces into place, which means I need to continue to trust in all the things that I still desire.

So as I stretch out on my sofa and gaze out to the Laurel Oak I think about how truly satisfied I am with where God has placed me at the moment. He provided the job and the place to live, all without my lifting a finger. Truthfully, the job and the home found me. Which is further proof of God's will just being revealed according to plan.

Waste not.
For I never want to miss any of the delights of this moment.
There is so much to be thankful for.

Toil Toil Toil

We toil and toil all day, and then our hearts are filled with anxious thoughts. And yet what good has come out of our anxious thoughts?
Not one.
I dare you to find one.
So, why do we keep doing it?

We seek answers to our questions and when we are not readily supplied with satisfying answers we toil and lose sleep over that which makes us anxious. We attempt to comfort ourselves with our favourite movie, going out, or favourite food, but we emerge unchanged.

The problem is within each of us. At the surface we fix it with distraction, but at the root is our heart. While it remains unchanged and focused on our own self, we will continue to toil needlessly. It is only when we see in ourselves the things that need to change.

You are the only one who can make that decision to change you and to ask God to work through you.

Our troubles gain momentum as you toil over them. Soon it becomes a snowball that swallows you and carries you down the mountain.

But God lifts you up to the peak so you have no worries falling on you. He doesn't want us to live with anxious thoughts overcoming our hearts and minds. But you have to let Him take you up.....all the way up. And that is the difficulty. In letting God.

Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
- Matthew 6.25-27

Fresh Summer

Something about the Summer makes me demand things that are fresh. Perhaps because the air is so humid and full of heat that I seek the refreshing things in life to escape the heat.

- I could not resist a bag of organic Valencia oranges at the grocery. Valencia oranges are a juicy orange, so they make perfect orange juice. I got out my little vintage-looking juicer and easily juiced some oranges. This is the only kind of orange juice I like. The kind that is fresh-squeezed moments before. Delicious.

- A fresh haircut is always welcome. It is simply too hot here for long hair, so I got it cut. It will grow out and be long again by the time cooler weather rolls into Florida (give it about 6 months...).

- Another fresh item is the new little blanket (afghan) I crocheted for my sofa. It it bright and cheery, and perfect for in the evenings when I am all cozy on my sofa with a book. I guess this doesn't take away the heat, but provide warmth, but I use air conditioning (of course), so it can get chilly in my apartment.

Happy Place: The Library

Happy Place: The Library

I confess. I love to own books. I love to re-read them, write in them, underline passages, and the way they look in stacks or on shelves. I could go on, but I will spare you.

I have now entered the enchanting world of the downtown library because it is literally two minutes away from my home. I realized that there are many delights that await me there. Tucked away in the corner where the English Literature and Poetry is located, will be my most frequented spot, I presume. And where I found three books to take home with me this week.

This is a new idea for me (and probably old to you), but the library will save me a bunch of money! I tend to buy books without a second thought, and if given the choice I would forgo a meal for books. But now my library just grew by the thousands!

I know this is all obvious to you, because you are much brighter than me since you probably go to the library to check out books and even DVDs. And furthermore, this is clear evidence of our ability to miss something grand that is right under our noses (or my nose, anyway).

Also, I met up with my co-worker Jaime at the library who had her 3 year-old daughter with her. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a little one excited about reading, with a big stack of books in her arms.

Love of God

If nothing can separate us from the love of God then even in my most dreary moments when I feel completely alone I am not alone. God's love is there with me. Even when I am on the back-roads somewhere and nobody knows my location. Even then I am not separated from God's love. On trips that I take by myself, God is there along with me. His love is always next to me, or rather, inside of me. No storm, or distance, or change of situation will ever take God's love away from me.

Since the love of God is inside my heart, nothing can separate me from it. I need that reminder in this season of my life. I will need that in every season in some way or another. How do we find ways to think otherwise from what we know to be true?

With our broken words, we can speak praise to God. In our darkest moments we can turn our hearts and minds to Him. In our deepest worries, we can choose words of praise and release the worries. Our prayers are assaulted by all the negative thoughts that Satan wants us to focus on. But our prayers don't have to be full of fine words.

I am reading T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets, and it's amazing, to put it simply. His words reach deep into my soul like Rilke's (my favourite German poet). I am sure I will post about these poems in more detail, but the following excerpt was too good to not share right now:

Words strain,
Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
Will not stay still. Shrieking voices
Scolding, mocking, or merely chattering,
Always assail them.

'Burnt Norton', T.S. Eliot

Rose Tea

Standing at my counter with a cup of rose tea steeping, my book open, and a feeling of thankfulness.
For each moment.
Each gift.

Now I sit down with my cup of rose tea as an evening lightning storm flashes outside. The summer heat builds up all day and now it's being released twixt sky and ground through heat lightning.

I simply cannot get enough of this rose tea. Quite the perfect delicate balance of rose, lavender, and lemon verbena. Soothing and relaxing after a long day. My days used to be so stressful at my old job with no relief. But that has all changed, and now even if there is pressure I don't feel that stress. Instead, I feel thankfulness for being here and having my job situation make such a good change. It is truly a blessing I could not have predicted or tried to coordinate.

Life's simple pleasures are so tiny, but somehow they bring a special element of the creative world that reminds me of God's imagination and love.
Simplicity.

This is how I choose to live and how I am happiest. The simple ritual of brewing tea. Making a meal from scratch. Decorating. Reading.

Simple, but elegant. Less is more.

Summer Hours

Lulled by the heat early in the morning, my refuge is in coffee, tea, and books. A mind awake, and yet not willing to roam outside to the sticky hot Florida weather, which drenches over our long summer days.

A soft breeze rustles the tree limbs, but only succeeding in shuffling around the thick air which melts to you instantly when stepping out the door.

I lied. I do venture out for moments and make my way to the farmer's market for a short visit. I come back in need of a shower, after such a short excursion. That is absurd! Don't you think?

Oh, the summer hours are long and full of heat. On the ground, rain water pools, and in the sky rain water forms to pour on us late in the day.

Why do people desire summer so much? If you know, please tell me. If you love it, I am so glad for you. Do you love the humid air so dense and a heat index over 100 each day for months and months? And a whole season of frizzy hair? I don't deny the sky can be beautiful and the light shines with glean on the lakes at sunset.

But the long hours of summer heat. It doesn't make much sense to me, so I just settle with the fact that not every season in life is happy-go-lucky. We go through different seasons of life, both literally and figuratively. And not every one is all pleasant. But even in these struggles of life and we can find glimpses of joy in each day, like this deep blue sky and whispy clouds. When you admire the little things, you are admiring pieces of what God has created.

The Silmarillion

No theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me....
- The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien

The first chapter of The Silmarillion is the creation story, full of beautiful description and imagery. It is breathtaking. You should read it. Ilúvatar is the Creator, and he creates the Ainur who sing the songs of harmony weaving many themes that become one song of creation. A heavenly realm in sync with one another which increased beyond hearing, and flowed from depths to heights.

But as we know from our creation story, a dark theme enters into the song. In this case, it is Melkor who begins to change the music to a loud, clanging sound with intentions to distract and disrupt. A war of music ensues with Melkor seemingly winning the battle, until....
Ilúvatar stands and he seems to smile. At the raise of his left hand and then his right, a new song was created in the midst of chaos. Melkor's theme was loud and only meant to 'drown the other music by the violence of its voice, but it seemed that its most triumphant notes were taken by the other and woven into its own solemn pattern."

This is what God does in our lives and in our world. This beautiful retelling of creation by Tolkien is so enriched with imagery and depths of music with the Creator always having the final say when it seems like evil is gaining power and control. The Creator uses the darkness of Melkor's theme, interweaving it into the music, not letting it take over, but melding it all together in the whole of creation.

It is just like God to take something dark and make it into something beautiful.

That is the story of God and what He does for us. Sub-created by Tolkien. 

Greenhouse: Succulent Love

I made a visit to a local spot called The Greenhouse, which is a garden center with a large outdoor maze of plants, herbs, flowers, etc...and a very helpful owner. I was shown back through the trails of plants passing by lavender, terracotta pots, Geraniums, and so many plants I could not name. I have loved the idea of having a few plants in my home, but I haven't ever been able to have plants because apartments tend to have very little natural light.

But now that I have beautiful natural light in my new place I can get something like this succulent (or a cactus, which is what I want next) because I can supply the sun, or at least, several windows that offer bright sun! So, this little succulent came home with me, and has been a resident of my kitchen since the most sunshine comes in there. And instead of a pot or planter, I am using a big mug. Perfect fit.

G. K. Chesterton and Words

I had always felt life first as a story: and if there is a story there is a story-teller.
- G.K. Chesterton

He is so logical, that Mr. Chesterton. I like his words so much. He can state in a short sentence that which takes someone else paragraphs to relay to the reader. His words free me from the sugary coating that I read sometimes which seem so unnecessary. He was a great debater for the Christian faith back in the early 1900's, and always had something to say which invoked thought from the reader.

It was Chesterton who said:

"What is wrong with the world?
- I am."

In one tiny sentence he opened up the reader's mind to a whole new way of re-arranging our thoughts. That is a good writer. He brings to light what we hold in darkness. Ourselves. We are what is wrong with the world. We try to blame other things and other matters. But it boils down to us.

Chesterton's writings remind me about our words and how they can affect others. We have influence over other people of our acquaintance by words spoken and written, whether we realize it or not. We do not have to be elegant in our verbiage, necessarily, but our words should be carefully selected nonetheless. Chesterton talked a lot and wrote a lot, and his words are selected carefully to provoke thoughtful responses (and even debates) from the audience. We are not all wordsmiths, but we are all word-users, so we should be making the effort to pay attention to the words we use.

Upside Down

I am grasping at words to properly acclimate my faulty self with the truth of God's creative love, which enriches me even deeper than I allow to emerge in my life. Sometimes I feel upside down in my thoughts when I cannot quite pinpoint the right word to articulate my feeling.

As a conduit for God's love to the world, I am a tiny meager piece, but I am part of it. And I want to do my piece well, for in everything I do, glory rises to Him who has given me all abilities.

My soul sings today with words of praise, simply because it's His day to give, and He has given it graciously.
Down to every ticking second on the clock, it is all a gift.

My words flow easily at times and sometimes I feel they are not fully projecting the deep thoughts that drift around in my mind, especially when that happens minutes before I fall asleep. Why is it that profound thoughts make their way to fruition as I fall asleep? In these moments when my mind is moving but my body is between waking and sleep, I am tempted to get up and scribble notes in my journal. And often I do.

And in the deep moments of quiet, as the night is still and solemn, my mind awakens if I let it go....with a thankful heart.

Re-Reading Books

I have heard many people talk about how they love their e-readers because they can have many books on the device and can purchase books to read that they won't read again. I won't get into my argument for the real tangible books vs. the e-readers, but I think a lot of people who do not know me well wonder why I have so many books. They look at my shelves and shelves of books and ask if I re-read them.

Of course I do! I agree in entirety with C.S. Lewis who said that the best books should be enjoyed several times, and it is in the second or third reading that we actually enjoy the book more.

One such example of an author I cannot re-read too much is Jane Austen. While many are scared of her 19th century language that most think is above their reading capacity, it is a delightful challenge and if you read a bit slower you will appreciate the wit and humour in her stories. She was a master at writing her fiction tales based on what she knew best. Life, society, relationships, and manners. She changed literature!

Right now I am re-reading Sense and Sensibility (by Ms. Austen). I have read it at least twice before, but never have I enjoyed it as much as I am now. The more we read, the better readers we become. And when we challenge ourselves in our reading, the better readers we become. The second and third readings are not to learn about what happens (although I tend to pick up at a lot more minute details that I had missed previously), but to see the pieces fall into place from a new perspective. To slow down and appreciate the author's writing style and method of story-telling. To pay more attention to the details. These are the things that draw my attention on repeat readings.

Do you have any books that you re-read eagerly? Why do you enjoy re-reading it so much?

Weekend Snapshots

 Every afternoon lately has brought stormy weather. And the first tropical storm of the season passed by leaving lots of rain and wind. There were several days this week that didn't show any sunshine, which is odd for Florida. I got to hang out with my baby niece during the rainy Saturday night. She brings sunshine wherever she is.

 This is my essential gear for going to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, when there was sunshine.

 This little coin/jewelry basket was my purchase at the farmer's market from a girl about my age with all handmade items. So lovely. I wanted to buy it all. Oh, I made some iced coffee as well. 

I did a lot of reading, naturally. So many good books to read. I will share more this week about readings I have been indulging in.

I love wheat berry salad. It is so good. I guess that's all I have to say about that.
How was your weekend?

Quirks of my Home from 1950

Quirks (that I have discovered so far) of living in a home built in 1950:

- The windows are beautiful, but not energy efficient

- Old dust can be found anywhere

- The door is a little crooked

- The glass doorknobs on the interior doors tend to come loose

- The wood floors are scratched and are not totally flat

- Not all the burners on my gas stove light

- No dishwasher

- No washer/dryer

- Very little storage

Realize, though, that the advantages of living in this charming home greatly outweigh this short list of quirks. My list would be very long indeed if I were to list all the positives.

Mainly, though, the overall theme would be "older is better". Seriously, I am an advocate of restoring that which is there, and make it beautiful again. I don't always know how to do that, but my landlord does. And he shares that same view. Living in a place with 63 years of history is privilege, to me.

Summer Delights

For everything that's lovely

is but a 

brief, dreamy,

kind delight.

O, never give the heart outright.

- W.B. Yeats

The flowers blush after
a sweet rain
glistening with dew I see
from my window pane.
Oftentimes I slumber through
the day
by far missing the summer
delights on display
so I carry them inside
fetching the garden to
be a constant reminder
of God's rich hues.

Apartment Tour: Living Room and Kitchen

My new home has been dubbed "The Treehouse" because it's a second floor apartment, which is happily situated among a couple large, old trees. Being in a historic neighborhood, there is a lot of history here. My little place, with the height and the good amounts of shade without being too clustered by trees, is kind of like a treehouse. And I am okay with that.
It was built in 1950, after WWII, when all the soldiers were coming home. Some places, like mine, were built to persuade them to purchase the home in front (a 1920's bungalow home) and rent this out for some income.
I have a lot more to do, like hang items, organize certain areas, etc... My bedroom and bathroom have several things to be done, so they are not ready to be shown yet.

 I love the curved doorway from my kitchen into the living room. Just another charming feature that makes it unique.

A good reading spot.

My piano rests comfortably on the pine floor, after being bounced around in my move. I will get you tuned sometime soon!

My mini-size refrigerator is perfect (5 feet tall). Anything bigger would swallow the kitchen. We wanted to get one of those cool retro fridges, but the price tag was ridiculous. This is the second best option. All the light in this kitchen is lovely. And the white wainscoting is so beautiful.

Mexican Sunflowers from my landlord's front yard. He brought them to me one evening, and I exclaimed how lovely it is to have fresh flowers in the apartment! The next morning I found another jar of flowers on my steps.

The beautiful natural light in my apartment is astounding. It is one of my favourite things about it. I have never had that before, since I have only lived in dorms or apartment complexes since leaving home for college and beyond. I am in love with the light and the way it gleans on the newly varnished pine floors. 

The Rabbit Room

Can I just gush about how much I enjoy The Rabbit Room?

Let me just premise my adoration of this website, it's authors, and their content by explaining the name.

The Rabbit Room is the room in The Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford where C.S. Lewis regularly sat with his friends for a pint and a good discussion about literature (and other deep things). Need I explain more?

It is a website where the collective of artists (songwriters, writers, readers, etc...) share their work. I enjoy reading the posts and listening to the podcasts immensely.

The people who contribute to The Rabbit Room are people I would love to sit and talk with. They love C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, England, Oxford, theology of the arts, deep conversation over cups of tea, travel, and writing all about it! That's exactly what I love to do.

It is inspiring to read their profound thoughts and stories. Reading their words inspires me to read more, expand my vocabulary, write more, and think deeper. If you enjoy anything that I just mentioned, check out The Rabbit Room. 

Home

It's a peaceful quiet
enclosed in its own space
set apart from the busy
and set in soft harmony,
with grass and trees, which pursues
a lofty summer breeze
and bright lighted hues
reflecting into my home.
Deeper, a sense of joy fills me
in this welcomed sense
I've not known before;
blessing present in a place
full of variety and lovely space.