Thursday Market & Old Divinity School

Every Thursday, Oxford has an antiques and craft market set up in Gloucester Green.  The kids and had a bus pass from the night before, so I decided we should go out and see what they had to offer.  Most mornings in Oxford seem to be pretty nice weather; the sun is out and shining and then later in the day it gets gloomy.  Today was the opposite.  We went to the market anyway, in the rain and very cold weather.  I did not take any pictures there because it was just a little too hard to wrangle my kids, my purse and the umbrella.  It was really awesome though.  Lots of neat antiques, fresh produce, baked goods, and flea-market type items.  Next time I’ll get a pic!

After the market, we headed down Cornmarket to meet Scott at the mobile phone store.  YES!  We finally have phones!  They are cheap-o, non-data phones, but that’s okay.  We can now communicate with one another and other people!  It is hard getting used to a plain phone when you’ve had an iPhone for 3 years, though.

We ate a quick lunch of jacket potatoes at a quirky little cafe before heading down to the Bodleian Library to see if we could peek in at the old Divinity School.  Today, no ceremonies were taking place, so they let us have a look.  You can take tours (60 or 30 minutes), but children under 11 are not allowed, because the library is still in use for students to actually conduct their research.  They do have special family tours on some Sundays that you book in advance, so we plan to do that later so we can view the Duke Humfrey’s’ library (the one used in the Harry Potter films).  As it was, we were able to see the main lecture hall, which is used in the HP films as both the hospital wing and the dancing practice room in The Goblet of Fire.  The kind gentleman who let us in said that it is 500 years old and is the first lecture hall built for that purpose for the university.  It is truly beautiful!

Some of the treasures it housed are Thomas Bodley’s chest in which important documents were stored, and a chair made from wood of Francis Drake’s boat.  Cool!

The ceiling in the old Divinity School

Doors facing North (I believe)

Thomas Bodley’s chest…I love the intricacies of the locking mechanism.

Looking back at the main entrance (facing East/the Old Schools Quad)

Kids in front of the doors facing North

Chair made from Francis Drake’s boat

I don’t know if you can see, but some of the figures in the ceiling are missing their heads!

Claire took this picture…I thought it turned out pretty neat!

Claire also took this one of me…

…and this one of Scott…

…and this one of the Earl of Pembroke that stands outside the Old Divinity School.

Scott ran into a friend outside on the quad; I took a picture of them talking as we were leaving.

Saturday in Oxford

After visiting Christ Church (see previous post) we headed to the Bodleian Library, to see where some of the other scenes in Harry Potter were filmed. Scott got this photo of the kids and I walking down the street. The tower in the distance is the University Church of St Mary.

The back of the tower of University Church of St Mary the Virgin. It’s under going renovations right now, pardon the scaffolding! This is just off the Radcliffe Camera Square.

Inside the Bodleian Library courtyard

I know I’ve posted a picture of it already, but it’s just so cool! The Radcliffe Camera, which is part of the Bodleian Library.

Unfortuately, the Divinity School in the Bodleian, where the Harry Potter scenes were filmed, was closed due to a degree ceremony (the nerve! 😉 )  So, we’ll have to come back again another time.

Scott and Claire in the foreground. Bodliean, Radcliffe Camera, and St Mary’s tower in the background.

This was too weird…we saw this car earlier in the day while waiting for the bus…we noticed how cool it was and when it came closer we noticed a bride and flower girls in the backseat. Then, hours later, we see the same car right outside the Bod, along with another antique car and two antique double decker buses! So cool!! The wedding was held at Hartford College. I love how the Radcliffe Camera and St Mary’s tower are in the background.

Close-up of the front of the car. It says “Princess” on the bumper.

Vintage double decker, decked out for the wedding! I suppose this was to transport guests to the reception.

Side view of the car in front of Hartford College

The Bridge of Sighs, right across from the Sheldonian. Scott cycles under this bridge daily.

The other side of the Bridge of Sighs with the Sheldonian Theatre in the background.

Dude in “robes with the fur” outside the Bod. (Must be sung to the tune of “Apple Bottom Jeans”)

Another guy in robes outside Brasenose College

Autumn leaves…the colours here are gorgeous!

I’m not sure what building this is. But I just love how you can just look down the street and see such beautiful architecture.

St Michael at the Northgate Tower. See #3 on this post: Did you know?

I think this building is so cool. It looks so very old. It is right across from St Michael at the North Gate.

Leaving the city centre, taken through the bus window. I was trying to get a picture of the huge throng of people down Cornmarket Street (one of the main shopping streets, and a pedestrian only area.) It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to be on Cornmarket! Unfortunately, it’s blurry because we were already moving, but maybe you can get the idea.

Will, in his “British cap,” and Claire on the bus. They love to ride on the top deck.

A photo of myself on the bus. Although it was too warm for my hat today, I wore it for my picture 😉

 

Now to Him

Who remembers this Acapella favorite from waybackwhen?  I have always loved this song, and the scripture that comes from Ephesians 3:20-21.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

LOVE that song!  Don’t you?

I am constantly awed by our Creator and the amazing things He does for us!  We have been so blessed in the last few days by new friends we have met here in Oxford and the blessings just continue to flow.

On Saturday, one of my new friends was kind enough to take me to a nearby (as in 45 minutes away) IKEA to purchase some much-needed items for our home.  You can only go so long without a can-opener, folks.  How kind of her to spend half her day to help me…time she could have spent with her husband and kids, or doing anything else she might’ve needed or wanted to get done.  AWESOME.

Then on Sunday, we were again blessed by some new church friends.  They had us over for Sunday lunch for which she made authentic, homemade Mexican food.  Complete with handmade, hot-off-the-press tortillas, y’all.  DELISH.  They knew we don’t have a washing machine, so they kindly drove us to pick up our laundry and let us use their washer and dryer all afternoon.  In our conversations, I mentioned I was desperate to get my hair cut.  So she says, “I’ve got hair-cutting scissors; I can cut it for you!”  So, we made an impromptu salon in her kitchen.  Over the course of the day, they ended up loaning us a vacuum cleaner, a table, and some chairs as well.  WOW.  And on our way home, we saw a desk out by the curb just around the corner from our house that said “Take me home <3.”  So we did!

Last night, before going to bed, I decided to check my email, since I hadn’t been home all day.  I opened my inbox to about five messages from a couple of friends entitled “Washer/Dryer.”  Intrigued, I opened the first one and found out a friend’s landlord was getting rid of a washer/dryer  combo!  Like for FREE.  It was time-stamped at 10:15 pm and by this time it was already around 12:00.  The landlord was very ready to be rid of it so she had put it out on the curb by the bins.  I quickly replied that YES, we wanted it and would be over (somehow) ASAP in the morning to get it.  She said if it was still there in the morning, she’d have someone move it and it would be mine.

Today, our friend who so graciously opened his home to us just the day before, helped Scott with transporting the machine to our house and getting it properly hooked up.  So, so nice.

So, today, I have a home that is slightly more furnished and put together.  I have hair that is not constantly driving me crazy (despite the fact that I fried it with my flat iron…oy vey).  I have a washer/dryer installed in my kitchen and clean towels on my towel rack in the bathroom.  It is a good, good day.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow…He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!

Best. Shopping Trip. Ever!

I went grocery shopping last night, in my pajamas, with my hair lookin’ not so hot, and in my stocking feet.  And I felt no shame.

Wanna know why?  I did my grocery shopping online.  A store employee will do my shopping for me and they will deliver to my house tomorrow morning.  And, because I spent a certain amount, I’m getting free delivery.   Another plus?  The site remembers your order, so the next time will be a lot easier.  I can just reorder my “favourites.”

SO COOL!  I may get used to this.