Chimney

I have a friend, her name is Holly. My brothers wifes name is Holly but she is not whom I’m talking about. My friend is living in Ecuador for a year and keeps a blog that many of us, her friends, often read. They are short inlength but wonderful in depth and description. She describes her experiences and memories with beauty and honesty. I pretty much devour every word she writes. I don't think she would say out loud that she has a way with words but she is one of the few people I know that can tell a story that wraps around you like a blanket. Her eyes light up when she talks and she tells stories like she is on a merry go round spinning pass those who will listen. She tells the first layer of a story and when she passes by again tells the next and the next until you can hear the tones of peoples voices and see the lines in their faces. She has comedic timing that is very much her own and sounds cool when she curses. A dying breed if you ask me.

I met Holly a little over two years ago. She lived in a house with some other Vanderbilt girls she went to school with. They graduated in may and slowly left Nashville over the summer. I was a year behind them and as August approached I was unsure how to start the year knowing that they wouldn't be as frequent visitors in my life. They used to live right down the street in a house together. (Now we all know that in Nashville there can’t be more than 5 girls living in a house together or its considered a brothel, in other words its illegal.)

8 people lived in their house. It was amazing.

It was always full of laughter and conversation, I remember my first visit like it was 5 minutes ago. I walked in and could hear thunderstorms of footsteps going on upstairs, people were getting ready to go to the Justin Timberlake concert and at the same time gathering in someone’s room to watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Further in the house I heard someone listening to Ludacris and rewinding the same verse over and over again, as if they were trying to memorize it. I was in love.

A friend of mine asked me the other day how I met all of these girls and at first I felt like I had always known them in some way because when I am with them it feels like that, but then I realize its been close to 2 years since I have really been getting to know them.

I also, have a friend named Kristen who has opened her life to us but on Friday she opens her home for all of us college folk to come by and to enjoy in some cookies and quality conversation. That’s where I met my chimney friends.I call them chimney friends as do others because that is what they named their house, which consequently did not/ does not have a chimney.

Fridays were my favorite day of the week. They were scheduled to start at 5pm but all of us would find our way to Kristens around 5:30. We were always greeted with the smell of fresh chocolate chip cookies and cold organic milk. After we all devoured the cookies we would gather on the blue couch in the living room and begin what others might call bible study but what I can only describe as tasting community. I could sit next to any of these women in the room and see truth in them when they spoke. I could also see heartache, suffering, passions, dreams, excitement, joy, hope etc. The only reason I could see that was because they allowed me to, they were the most transparent people I've met and I think might have the privilege to know. (If any of them are reading this, they are probably shaking their heads thinking they weren't... but to me, they were.) They are all out saving the world at the moment. One in Ecuador, Two in Nashville, One in San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Lewis, Fayetteville and lastly somewhere in South Asia. And I mean that they are saving the world. You would only have to meet them once to know I wasn't lying.


The tone of this blog is a bit more serious... but for me, part of saying goodbye to people is remembering what they mean to you. These friends helped me to believe and to hope in the fact that community is real and its around us whether we notice it or not, its one of the most important things in our life that lets us know we are loved and not alone. Saying goodbye to people you tasted community with is knowing that its not the end, its really just a pause until the next moment you see their face. I hope wherever my friends are that they remember mine and know that for all who knew and loved them here in Nashville, we remember them often and praise God for them constantly.

Top 5

So I never got around to posting pictures. I know... I know.

However, I was talking with one of my friends today and I started listing things that I had read in the past year so I decided to make a top 5 list. But not just one good people. A top 5 list of Movies, Books, and Records. Here is the rule... anything you choose has to be something that you listened/read/watched in the last year.

Here I go...

Movies
1. Juno
2. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (saw it for the first time in October or something.. I was obsessed)
3. Wall-e
4. Groundhog Day
5.The Bourne Ultimatum

Books
Fredrick Beuchner - Telling the Truth; The Gospel as Comedy, Trajedy and Fairy Tale.
Rob Bell- Sex God
C.S. Lewis- A Grief Observed
Anne Lammott- Traveling Mercies
Hannah Hurnard- Hinds Feet on High Places

Records
Coldplay- Viva La Vida
The Weepies- Hideaway
Katie Herzig- Apple Tree
William Fitzsimmons- Goodnight
Jon Foreman- Fall, Summer, Spring, and Winter Ep's
Matthew Perryman Jones- Swallow the Sea
Mindy Smith- My holiday
Aaron Roche-Travel *
Feist- The Reminder
Boniver- For Emma, Forever Ago
Jars of Clay - Closer Ep

*not on itunes, check myspace/aaronroche

I know I listed more on the Records than I was sappost to... but I just couldn't stop... I actually had around 20 down but decided to show some restraint. Also, these are no in order of preference... I would definately not put any of these records on the bottom of any list.

Senior or Freshman

I am back in nashvegas. Its good to be home.

I don't know how faithful I will be to this as the year progresses, however I think a recap from the summer is appropriate. Of course there will be favorite pictures included. That will have to come later because I am using the Library computer as of right now because the internet at my house isn't working.

I really enjoyed my time in London because it was completely new and the first time I was really exploring a city and having an adventure. I mean coming to college is different. Your parents take you, Belmont parents you the first year and its so small that its impossible to not meet people. However, going abroad is different. New culture,food, transportation, customs, everything. Even though they spoke my language they didn't understand me half the time.

After London, I went to Italy with my parents. We had a fun time and visited places that I had always seen in books, the sistine chapel was one of my favorite moments as well as lake como. I didn't really go to southern italy but more so the central part and northern area. Despite all the adjusting i learned a lot and had time to think about this next year as well as my whole college experience. I feel very blessed for everything that has come my way, the good and bad and I can't wait for the next year to start. It all seems very overwhelming but what year hasn't since I've been here, I think its all going to be okay.

pictures to come.
love.

Last Day and a Thumbs down to Paris

Its my last day in london and sadly I have more errands to run than time to see the last bit of things that I wanted. Its alright though... there will be a next time.

I ended up hating Paris. I had a bad experience with a taxi driver that I don't really want to go into, which ended with me braking one of my dads cameras. SO it ended up being kind of a downer. The first night there was really great though, we went on riverboat tour of the city and then we got some wine and went to the eiffel tower and watched it glow in its blueness. It was quite neat.

I haven't done tons of things since, because I've had a lot of homework and stuff to catch up on. However, I did have time to go back to Camden town and shop through the markets one more time. I bought this amazing Schruti box. I realize no one might know what it is, but its really cool. Its like a drawn out bag pipe/ organ sound. Its really great. Anyway, its my favorite thing I've gotten because they don't make a lot of them in America... I don't know if we even have them ... but anyway... its great.

Also, an instrument I would kill to get my hands on... its called the hang drum. Here is a video clip, of imogen heap playing one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElPHo40_6lg


anyway, thats all I have for the moment... I cannot wait to be back in America.

Recap

The past few days have been a blur. Its so weird that time in London is almost over.

Lets see, a recap is in order. I went to the national portrait gallery and the national gallery the other day. They were great. I really loved a lot of things in each place and even bought a couple prints. I also plan on going back before my time is up. I went to Brighton Beach with some friends last Saturday and it was lovely. Their beaches are composed of tiny rocks but the breeze and atmosphere of the little beach town was perfect. This last week on Tuesday I went to Camden Market which has been my favorite market thus far. Portabello road was cool but so expensive when I went with Brittany, and I didn't really enjoy it. Anyway, I bought clothes and jewelry, scarves and books to take back as well as a few purchases for some family members!

And....today I went to Cambridge. I enjoyed every part of it but I'm really mad because I didn't bring my camera with me. Our class walked through these huge fields to see the original inspiration for the narnian lampost was. It was beautiful. There were tall cypress tress all around and a waist high to over your head high wheat looking type grass... to the right, and on the left there was this little babbling pond that had lillypads and little purple flowers. I walked through it and just fell in love with it. Our whole class walked to a place called the Orchard and they had all sorts of teas and cakes and crumpets and such, I got a coke... duh.... my favorite drink of choice (thanks mom) and on the way back I decided to put on some songs by Thomas Newman, he did the new Walle movie as well as the Cinderella Man and Finding Nemo movies. So as I'm walking and looking around, my friend Austin is walking next to me and he starts singing Bob Dylan and if I haven't specified this before, there is one simple thing you need to know about Austin, he always wears a feather in his hair. I love it, I wish everyone wore a feather in their hair. So he's gotten really into this walk and has stopped and added flowers to his hair and even found a cool stick that he's carrying... he just got really into it. So we are walking and i'm ya know listening to this music and he starts singing this obnoxious Bob Dylan song and we both just started laughing hysterically and speaking in a British Accent, making fun of the Brits and talking about how we miss america. It was one of those moments that you are really glad you shared with someone else, even if they don't remember it the same way you do.


I might be heading to bed because I am very tired and am getting up early tomorrow to go visit paris. I didn't think I was going to go on this trip, but decided I wanted to go and get out of London because I've seen almost everything and still have a week left to go back and re visit things and.... i mean its paris.... I would love to see the louvre while I'm over here. I think it will be a lot of fun, I'll have to tell all of you readers about it... or just you mom.....



love.

I've been everywhere man...

St. Pauls





















































Salisbury Cathedral































Brighton Beach



















Stonehenge






















Tower of London














I love these things....

Jack

Yesterday I hopped on a train and went to oxford town.(please sing the bob dylan song as desired.)

The train was about an hour long and upon arriving, I wasn't so sure I was going to love this new place. Anyway, the group I was with started exploring the town a little and we went around to a couple of really cool churches and even went up into this beautiful building that Christopher Wren built.sidenote: I have become a little obsessed with this architect since I've been here. Mainly because he was an astronomer and all of his buildings somewhat tailor to the love of having a place to see the stars above the city. Smart man. So we explore oxford a little and then we were told that we needed to meet back at this bookstore at 12:30 to have a tour about the Inklings around Oxford. When we arrive I see this awesome old British chap wearing sweatshirt grey keds. not kidding they were the coolest shoes. He also is wearing what you picture older fellows wearing slacks, a white collared shirt with a tie. Anyway, he starts giving the tour and i love it because hes telling these stories about Lewis and Tolkein that I would have never known, and you hear the stories he's telling and seeing the places where they happened. It was all quite wonderful. Here are some of my favorite.





Back of the Church
















Front Part of the back. Also, the place where Lewis gave his famous sermon "The weight of glory"





Front altar









outside of the church










Built by Christopher Wren, used by Oxford Graduates.









Tolkeins Room in College, some random student is living there now.














If you saw shadowlands, this is the bar where Lewis meets Joy Gresham for the first time.




Eagle and Child, favorite bar of the Inklings















Rabit Room Inside Eagle and Child







House where Tolkein edited the Hobbit and Lord of the rings














After the tour our group went out to a place called the Kilns. Which is where C.S. Lewis(Jack), his brother Warnie, and Joy Gresham(Jack's wife of 4 years) lived. It was really funny because at the time when Lewis lived there, there were not a lot of other houses but some have been built sense and as we're walking up many of the houses have been named Narnia or Caspian, at least... something to that degree. Anyway, we all went inside the house and walked into this amazing study filled with books and old chairs and pipes and all sorts of wonderful things you expect a c.s. Lewis room to be filled with. So we are sitting there and this man is telling us about Lewis and the stories are wonderful and he asks if there are any questions and I raise my hand and say "what in this room was actually theirs?" the man replies with well, just the flooring in this room. I was a little sad to tell you the truth. The man explained that when the Lewis brothers died another family bought the house and at the time when the brothers died many things were auctioned off or donated to salvation army, however, they did have many original photos of the house and the places that things were and the decorations that were used in the house when the brothers lived there. Furthermore, they did have some original furniture stored up in the attack of the house and warnie's original typewriter. Once we started going room to room in the house, I began to really love it. I mean I was sitting in the same space where lewis created and imagined his stories. The same space where he lived everyday and eventually died. I know it is just space but it was great to imagine for a bit what it might have been like.




The Kilns Then.









The Kilns today.










Jack and Joy Lewis







Warnie's typewriter








Jack and Warnie







The room was recreated to look like Lewis's room.

















The famous Shrowd picture that Lewis always kept on his wall.












Room where he wrote most of Narnia.












The only real furniture that belonged to the Lewis or his brother






Austin sitting in the chair
















Pathway to pond behind the house















Pond where Lewis would go skinny dipping.








Room where Lewis died




After the tour we went and saw his grave sight and eventually made it back to town where some of my friends and I ate dinner at the eagle and child. we sat in the same room where the inklings met every tuesday morning and thursday night to discuss among other things, their books.






grave site







Graveyard where Jack and Warnie are buried

V & A Museum

So far this museum has been the most enjoyable to walk through. The Imperial War Museum is still my favorite but the V & A (Victoria and Albert) museum was so interesting. I had been once before but came back to see some of what I hadn't looked at yet. After I went to the museum I wondered around and found these really cool buildings that were near a park and then right next to them was this old tunnel that people used to sleep in during Air raids of world war two.

Here are some pictures













One of two identical carpets made in 1536 for the King/Emperor of Iran

























Dress made during the 1700's. The description said that the girl actually had to walk sideways through doors because of her petticoat.













Plate from the Rennaisance









Lantern.



















Crown for the Dutchess of Manchester.










Original Winnie the Pooh drawing

















Peter Rabit drawing








Peter Rabit Textile










Banksy










Building One










Building Two










Tunnel