#129 Nomad Diary. 8-14 April 2023. 2/4 Week at Bells Yew Green, Kent, England. Renewing and Growing Friendships at Church. Walking, Shopping, and Living Local.

 

Early morning view from our Bells Yew Green kitchen window, of the moon through the morning fog.

A simple and delicious fresh veggie soup we made for a meal. Mushrooms, baby leeks, napa cabbage, okra, and chicken bullion, salt and pepper. On the side we had cheese and crackers.

Saturday. 8.

This is a full on holiday weekend here in England. We have two issues we are facing with living next to the Frant Train station and depending on it and buses to get to places. The place we wanted to go to visit Margaret on Friday is not serviced by trains. Also the buses weren’t running from Friday- Monday to accommodate the National holiday. So instead of us making our own way to visit Margaret, her daughter Hazel is taking us on Sunday afternoon with her to have a visit. Hazel and her friend Gill, both at the Tunbridge Wells church, have also invited us to have lunch with them at Margaret’s house which is about a block from the church building in High Brooms. Our second issue with riding the train from here is that the train line has closed for 9 days just one stop away from ours. The line serving Tunbridge Wells to the coastal town of Hastings, is closed for maintenance. There is however a ‘rail replacement bus’ running this line. Today we successfully boarded the rail replacement bus both ways to Tunbridge Wells. 

This little cutie-pie at church in Tunbridge Wells is named Isabella! Her family came from Nigeria to live and work here. 

Here we are at Margaret’s kitchen in High Brooms for Sunday lunch prepared by Hazel (Margaret’s daughter) and Gill (church and family friend). A day or two later, Margaret’s house is on the market to be sold as a way to pay for her long-term care. This is the house where Hazel grew up with five brothers (including Paul)!

Gill made a Chicken and Leek Pie! Hazel added a load of steamed veggies, fruit juice, hot tea and cheesecake for dessert. We feasted together.

Gill, Margaret and Hazel visiting on Sunday afternoon. I so enjoy sharing together with these women! 

Sunday. 9.

Today Darrell preached at the church we are attending. His sermon was on the differences between the church and the kingdom. The two terms are not interchangeable within the Bible. Jesus said, “my kingdom is not of this world” and yet we are servants in the kingdom and working together to worship within congregations or churches of christians. After our worship, we walked up to Margaret’s house to have an amazing Sunday lunch with Hazel and Gill. Once we were full and finished here we went with Hazel in her car to Hawkhurst House to visit her Mom Margaret. It was a lovely visit! We are quite new friends to the family, just arriving and meeting them last summer. They have made us feel welcomed and as though we are longtime friends! It’s very comfortable and enjoyable to be included and to be a part of their lives now. Hazel drove us back to our house and we had our dinner and rested.

Inside Grace’s old family Bible

Inside Grace’s family Bible. Darrell had just read a history book that included some information about the man who wrote this ‘Self-Interpreting’ edition!

Another page inside Grace’s old Bible.

Monday. 10. We enjoy not having an alarm to wake us up now that we are retired. We visited at Grace’s place today, and had some curry she spiced up for us. She showed us a family bible that she has that is about 150 years old! She hopes to get it restored. 

I’m taking this picture from the backseat of Paul’s car. This is a ‘2 lane’ road fully blocked by a delivery van. We waited only a few minutes for the truck to move on. Paul seems to always take us on some sort of adventure that is so English-style! Lol!

Paul and Darrell walking on an old street in Rye. Here is Paul’s face as most are from the back of his head! lol!

Nice view of old church with some Spring blossoms in Rye.

Me at Rye Castle.

Next to an amazing tree at the old church yard in Rye.

A windy walk to the other castle in Rye, out in a sheep field! It rained on us on our way back.

Darrell and Paul walking ahead of me all the way to the castle.

We were near the sheep on our walk to Camber Castle.

Tuesday. 11. Around 11am Paul from the church at Tunbridge Wells came around with his car to take us on an outing. We decided to go to Rye. Last summer we stopped and had lunch here but that was all. Today we arrived, parked and walked through town. This town has many old houses from the 1100’s- 1400’s. One sign stated: rebuilt in 1406! This is a town with character. It is worth the trip. I would go here again and keep looking around and enjoying the history. There are two castles here because the English channel used to come right up to this town. Now there is a canal connecting out to the channel as the water has receded. We decided not to go up in the tower for the best view of Rye. We did go into the small Rye castle and now I think that the tower would have been a bit more interesting. The castle was small and I learned a couple more stories to put into my fabric and knowledge of England’s history. 

We ate fish and chips at a local restaurant, then took a mile walk out to come castle ruins that sit inside a sheep grazing pasture. It was cold and windy as we walked through the green pasture with the many new lambs. On our return walk to town we were rained on for a few minutes. We all had raincoats and hats to help shield from this event.  Being up close to new lambs was new for me. I enjoyed seeing 3-4 ewes standing together as their 5-8 lambs played together. Paul drove us back to our place. On the way back we stopped at Hawkhurst house and stepped in to say hello to his mom Margaret. She remembered us and my name! That’s pretty good. Once we were back to our place, we had some dinner than got online for an evening Bible study. After that we had a call with Eric and Owen. Eric’s wife, Erin had just left on her first business trip of 3 days since before the pandemic. Owen is 1 ½ and will probably wonder where mommy went. 

Wednesday. 12. I wanted pancakes this morning but we are out of maple syrup. Time to go to the grocery again. We shop more often in small amounts and we do laundry in smaller loads. Usually each of these chores are 2-3 times per week. 

Darrell bought Red Bullace Jam at our town’s little shop. It’s a fruit that we have never heard of. It’s delicious and sort of tastes like a combination of small plum and grape. On the sour side. 

Exercise. Computer work. Laundry. 

Grace fully enjoying her dessert of Coconut Ice Cream.

My Orange Sorbet is frozen in a real orange peel!

Darrell’s is Chocolate Mint Ice Cream.

Phone call with Owen in Alabama.

Phone call with Quinn in Maine!

Thursday. 13. We met Grace for dinner in Tunbridge Wells. We splurged and ordered desserts too! We all rode the train one stop to High Brooms for 7:30 pm Bible Study at the church building.

Friday. 14. I went back to visit Grace at her place while Darrell did some grocery shopping. Grace and I are enjoying our visits together very much!

Nomad Notes.

Since downsizing our house and moving into small furnished accommodations,we have adapted to living on a similar schedule. We go to bed and get up at about the same time. I can often be the one who goes to bed earlier and sleeps a bit more. We have a morning exercise date that we began over 10 years ago. We get up and do a DDP Yoga exercise routine together before breakfast. This has been a really good constant for us. I needed this when we began to get me more awake in the morning. I remember after doing DDP for about 3 years that I felt happier and less depressed and melancholy. At the time I thought it was from doing ‘down dog’ position regularly. Whatever helped me feel better I am glad for it!