A Literary Walk #15

 I had to retrace my steps a bit on this one,

as I mistakenly thought this area was 

further north, so back to south England

I went!

                                     

18 miles

 A walk around Kent 

 with Frances Hodgsen Burnett

 The picture above is of Great Maythem Hall,

the "real" Misselthwaite Manor of

the Secret Garden, where Frances H B

lived while she wrote the book.

These are pictures of the gardens there...

 Kent

Favorite Book

I don't remember how young I was when I first

encountered the cross little Mary of this book.

I believe my Mom read it aloud the first time,

so I must've been quite young as I began reading

for myself at 5.

No matter, it had a profound impact on my life

and reading it again was just as wonderful

now that I am older. I have probably read it

at least 20 times and it's magic

never gets stale.

Favorite Quote

"The seeds Dickon and Mary had planted 

grew as if fairies had tended them.

Satiny poppies of all tints danced in the breeze by the score,

gaily defying flowers who had lived in the garden for years

and which it might be confessed seemed rather to wonder how

such new people had got there.

And the roses--- the roses! Rising out of the grass,

tangled around the sundial

wreathing the tree trunks and hanging from their branches,

climbing up the walls and spreading over them

with long garlands falling in cascades---

they came alive day by day, hour by hour

fair fresh leaves and buds--- and buds---

tiny at first but swelling and working Magic

until they burst and uncurled in cups of scent

delicately spilling themselves over their brims

and filling the garden air."

Also on a serendipitous note, a dear old

lady passed away this past week who once

told us that her most favorite book

was this one...that was my first thought

when I remembered her life.

A Literary Walk #14

6 miles

A Walk around Manchester

with Elizabeth Gaskell

 Home of Elizabeth Gaskell

Favorite Book

Cranford

Cranford is one of those books where

the humor is so subtle and laid 

out in such elegant wording that you 

are led into it's gentle trap without realizing it.

It is a story of 2 spinster sisters and the world

of women they inhabit.

Favorite Quote

                                        My next visit to Cranford was in the summer.  There had been neither

births, deaths, nor marriages since I was there last.  Everybody lived in

the same house, and wore pretty nearly the same well-preserved,

old-fashioned clothes.  The greatest event was, that Miss Jenkyns had

purchased a new carpet for the drawing-room.  Oh, the busy work Miss

Matty and I had in chasing the sunbeams, as they fell in an afternoon

right down on this carpet through the blindless window!  We spread

newspapers over the places and sat down to our book or our work; and, lo!

in a quarter of an hour the sun had moved, and was blazing away on a

fresh spot; and down again we went on our knees to alter the position of

the newspapers.  We were very busy, too, one whole morning, before Miss

Jenkyns gave her party, in following her directions, and in cutting out

and stitching together pieces of newspaper so as to form little paths to

every chair set for the expected visitors, lest their shoes might dirty

or defile the purity of the carpet.  Do you make paper paths for every

guest to walk upon in London?

A Literary Walk #13

 Walk around Juniper Hill and Fringford

10 miles

with Flora Thompson

Lark Rise to Candleford 

is a 3 part semi-autobiographical account

of Flora's life in the English Countryside

before the industrial world began to expand.

If you love nature and the beauty of 

small villages you will love her writing.

I would classify it as a "love song"

to a bygone era.

Favorite quote

"Nearer at hand were the trees and 

bushes and wild-flower patches beside the path 

she had trodden daily. 

The pond where the yellow brandyball waterlilies grew, 

the little birch thicket where the long-tailed tits

 had congregated, the boathouse where she had sheltered

 from the thunderstorm and seen the rain plash

 like leaden bullets into the leaden water, 

 and the hillock beyond from which

 she had seen the perfect rainbow.

 She was never to see any of these again

 but she was to carry a mental picture of them,

 to be recalled at will, through 

the changing scenes of a lifetime.

As she went on her way, 

gossamer threads, spun from bush to bush,

 barricaded her pathway, 

and as she broke through one after another

 of these fairy barricades she thought

 "They're trying to bind and keep me."

But the threads which were to bind her

 to her native county were more enduring than gossamer.

They were spun of love and kinship

 and cherished memories."

A Literary Walk #12

 I have indeed been walking, just not getting

the time to do my research so I can post

"where" I've been!

This is the 2nd walk in the Oxford area as I continue

to explore where the 2 greats did their major writing.

25 miles

This time I followed the incredible 

J.R.R. Tolkien

who wrote the famous series

"The Lord of the Rings"
He is also considered partly responsible for
helping C. S. Lewis to return to Christianity,
I like the series but "The Return of the King" is my
favorite as it is so reminiscent of the last days
and the return of our Great King-Christ.

Favorite Quote
"But when Aragorn arose all that beheld him
gazed in silence, for it seemed to them
 that he was revealed to them now for the first time.
 Tall as the sea- kings of old,
he stood above all that were near;
 ancient of days he seemed
and yet in the flower of manhood;
and wisdom sat upon his brow,
and strength and healing were in his hands,
and a light was about him.
And  then Faramir cried: "Behold the King!"

A Literary Walk #11

The walking tour continues,

this time into one of the greatest seats

of learning in the world,

Oxford
20 miles

To view the places that inspired 2 great 

authors...

First up: C.S. Lewis

The pub where the "Inklings" hung out
and discussed ideas.

I like all the books in the Chronicles of Narnia

but "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is the 

one I love best.

Favorite Quote

"Please, Aslan," said Lucy. "Before we go, will

you tell us when we can come back to Narnia

again? Please. And oh do, do, do make it soon."

Dearest," said Aslan very gently, 

"you and your bother will never

 come back to Narnia."

"Oh, Aslan!!" said Edmund and Lucy together in

despairing voices.

"You are too old, children,"

said Aslan, "and you must begin to come close to 

your own world now."

It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. 

We shan't meet you there.

And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

"I am, " said Aslan. "But there I have another name.

You must learn to know me by that name.

This was the very reason 

why you were brought to Narnia."

I have never forgotten as a young girl the
day I realized Aslan was Jesus...
I remember running to tell my Mom and she
looked so surprised and said
"Oh, you just figured that out now?!"

A Literary Walk #10

 A Walk with Miss Read

aka Dora Saint

The Berkshires

24 miles

 One of my all time favorite series of

books was written by Miss Read.

She has 2 series

Fairacre and

Thrush Green

 I love them both, but the Fairacre books

are my favorites.

They are written from the perspective of

a single lady who is the head school teacher 

in a small village school.

 My favorite quote is

"I woke the next morning to blue skies
and a wonderful sense of freedom.
Lying back on my pillows watching
 the unfurling pink tiny leaves of the copper beech
 fluttering in the morning breeze,
I made plans for my first day of the holidays.
 I should cook bacon as well as an egg."
from Summer at Fairacre

These are the type of books of which

when asked by my sons

"But what happens in the book?!"

I answer with delight

"Absolutely nothing!!"

In other words they are about every day

life and the little intrigues that

happen, which in the end turn out to be 

a storm in a tea cup:)

A Literary Walk #9

 Walk with Roald Dahl

12 miles

Great Missenden

 The cottage above is where Dahl would

go to get away from people and do 

his writing.

My Favorite book is

 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Favorite quote:

"Then the old man took a deep breath,

 and suddenly with no warning whatsoever, 

an explosion seemed to take place inside him. 

He threw up his arms and yelled "Yippeeeeeeee!" 

And at the same time, 

his long bony body rose up out of the bed

 and his bowl of soup went  flying

 into the face of Grandma Josephine,

 and in one fantastic leap, 

this old fellow of ninety-six and a half, 

who hadn't been our of bed these last twenty years, 

jumped onto the floor and

 started doing a dance of victory in his pajamas."

A Literary Walk #8

I have been meandering around the 

English countryside on my way 

from London to my next stop,

Great Missenden.

38 miles

It's been a bit on the rainy side,

but what can you expect in jolly Old England:)

At least the foot paths are not busy this time 

of year and the views have been lovely.
Next up Roald Dahl...

A Literary Walk #7

A walk with Dorothy Sayers

15 miles

Around London

 Bloomsbury square

Dorothy Sayers was a mystery writer

who eventually went on to write

Christian books when she came to know Christ

personally.

I have only read her mysteries.

Favorite Character:

Lord Peter Wimsey

He is the detective with a great sense

of humor and a very persistent nature

especially when pursuing Harriet Vane

his future wife.

Favorite Quote:

"Oh, by the way--I don't positively repel you

or anything like that, do I?

Because, if I do, I'll take my name off the 

waiting- list at once."

"No" said Harriet Vane, kindly and a little

sadly. "No you don't repel me."

"I don't remind you of white slugs or

make you go goose-flesh all over?"

"Certainly not."

"I'm glad of that. Any minor alteration,s

like parting the old mane, or growing

a tooth brush, or cashiering the eye-glass

you know, I should be happy to undertake,

if it suited your ideas."

..."I'm not trying to black mail you into matrimony

you know. I mean, I should investigate this for 

the fun of the thing, whatever happened

don't you see."

"It's very good of you--"

"No not at all. It's my hobby. Not proposing 

to people, I don't mean but investigating things.

Well, cheer-frightfully-ho and all that."

A Literary Walk #6

A Walk with Paddington Bear

around London

15 miles

 Paddington Station

 Harrods

Portobello Road Market

Favorite Character:

Paddington of course! He is a very

resourceful bear who can manage to

get himself in and out of scrapes with ease

(and a penetrating stare if necessary!)

Favorite Quote:
"Well, I'm going to leave you now", (said Judy)
"so that you can have your bath and
come down nice and clean.
You'll find two taps, one marked hot
and one marked cold. There's plenty of soap and
a clean towel. Oh, and a brush so you can scrub
your back."
"It sounds very complicated," said Paddington.
"Can't I just sit in a puddle or something?"
Judy laughed...."And don't forget to wash
your ears. They look awfully black."
"They're meant to be black," Paddington
called indignantly as Judy shut the door.