We are four days into Spring School and I'm excited. When I look at a calendar, I'm reminded of how fast Spring School goes...it is only eight weeks long. It seems so much needs to happen within these next eight weeks, but I know it will be gone before we know it. The picture above was my view today, of students hard at study, from the balcony in the new Conference Hall.
There seemed to be a few "sleepers" here and there during lectures today...but most for good reason. Two nights in a row now, we have had the fire alarms go off in the Main House (the castle). Monday night the alarm sounded at 4:30am...we had a full evacuation to designated fire assembly points, role-call was taken, there was no fire, just an alarm caked in dust...everyone returned to their rooms, probably just tucked in under their cozy covers when it blasted again...it only sounded for about 40 seconds and shut off. But within the hour, just when people had fallen back asleep, 5:30am it rang one last time. And then we Tuesday night, it rang at a 1:20am and the evacuation and role-call were involved as well. It was the same fire alarm that set them off the night before, we now think it may be a mouse in the ceiling or a spider that comes out at night? Yikes. Let's hope tonight will be a peaceful, full night's sleep!
Happy Wednesday.

Winter Bible School has ended.
Spring Break Holidays have come to a close.

New believers have been born here over the past three weeks!

Spring Bible School begins in 2 days.
Going home is in the near future.
Sun (and wind) is currently a more common forecast than rain.
I miss my family...and my country.

A fellow American and I were chatting the other day...how often do you thank the Lord for the country you were born in? Living in a different one for almost two years has reignited my American Pride. Living in England has been some of the best years of my life, but I never knew how much I would miss America. Yes, America has it's issues, but which country doesn't? People run our country, what do we expect? People aren't perfect. Do you ever wonder what it would have been like living with George Washington or Abraham Lincoln as your President? I do sometimes...when God was the most important influence in government and His name was freely and openly proclaimed.

On another note...

I tried to form a habit over the past month: to work the word "pardon" into my daily vocabulary. An American stereotype (that is true) is the overuse of the word "what". If someone asks me a question, my automatic response is "what?" or "huh?"....ew. It sounds so dull. Even worse, yesterday in Lancaster I was ordering food and the waiter asked me something and the only response I could get out of my dull head was, "say what?"! Oh my goodness! I felt ridiculous. Needless to say, it is not yet a habit. But I'm working on it! To be fair, it is hard to break a habit of "what" for 23 years, in only four short weeks.

I will give it up to the British and their elegant vocabulary. It does inspire me to be better.

I promised a few weeks ago (over a month actually) that I would be posting a detailed list of my daily routine here at Capernwray. What you must understand is this is a brief (you won't believe that after you read it) overview of what happens around here. Of course there's a lot of things not listed here that take place, but here's a little sneak peek...

7:30am - Breakfast

8:00am - Start Work

8:00-9:00am -

Greet Graih (Head Housekeeper) - Catch up on important details of the day ahead of us

Check Fridge Temperatures (2 Fridges, 2 Freezers)

Turn on Hot Water and Coffee Machine

Set up coffee and water flasks for staff and student break

Check main floor bathrooms - refill toilet rolls and paper towels

Check cleaning store - make sure supplies are there for the students doing their duties

Fax Sheet order...bundle over 340 (dirty) sheets and pillowcases for pickup (Mondays)

Order cleaning supplies (Tuesdays)

Order sweets/pop for Beehive (Tuesdays)

Be available for, as the Brits call them, "sickies" that need attention

Make any Doctors appointments if necessary

Once water and coffee machines are heated, start filling flasks for break

Prepare trolley for staff break

9:00am -

Start laundry (usually just the dirty cleaning cloths used for duties, but sometimes towels or duvet covers as well)

Refill all toilet rolls and paper towels in the entire castle (25 bathrooms) and check soaps

9:40am - Fill Tea flask for staff break (can't do it any sooner otherwise the Tea gets too dark)

9:45am - 10:15am - Staff Break/Prayer in the Quiet Lounge

Turn on dishwasher

10:15am - Move laundry into dryers

10:20am - prepare Student Break in Library (along with 3 staff from Dining Hall)

Check my post box

10:40am - 11:00am - Student Break (Pour over 170 cups of Tea and/or Coffee)

11:00am - 12:00am - Clean up Student Break and re-setup the Library (put everything away, run everything through the dishwasher, and tidy up)

12:00pm - 12:30pm - 

Go to kitchen to refill sugars, milk, etc. for tomorrow's break. Say hello to the rest of the kitchen staff and find out what's for lunch and steal a sample if available.

Fold cleaning cloths

Catch up with Graih

12:40pm - Announcements for students
Example:
"Just a few announcements for you guys..."
1. Those of you with a bathroom duty, please return the H1 spray bottles to the cleaning store, they seem to be disappearing and we need them back. 
2. Tomorrow is Sheet Change day, please prepare your rooms really well for cleaning day and strip your beds.
3. Boys...I have a small request to ask of you guys. As you know, I go around to each bathroom and refill toilet rolls and paper towels every morning. My only request is that you please, please, please, just flush your toilets. I mean really, I go in there and my esophagus burns it smells so bad. This morning only 1 of your 8 toilets were flushed. I would really appreciate it! :)
4. On another note...we seem to have a missing load of laundry. So whoever replaced their laundry load with the one that was already in Dryer #2, please let us know where that load disappeared to.
5. Girls...Zumba today at 2:00, see ya there!
6. If I could please Corky, Suzie, Timmy, and Sandy right after announcement that would be great.
7. And lastly...Sunday Night is Rock Solid! Coffee Shop Team, please be here by 7:00 and for everyone else, it begins at 7:30.
That's all from me, thanks guys."
(All of these examples are quoted from actual events. These were really announced)
12:45 - 1:07pm - Finish any bits that didn't get done earlier

1:15 - Lunch

2:00 - Clean Guest Speaker's rooms

Fill out Maintenance Repair Slips for anything needing fixing around the castle

4:30 - Done!

I am blessed to be a part of worship here at school. Whether it's a Sunday morning, evening, or a random Worship night, it's a real privilege to lead worship with the student body.

Growing relationships here is definitely my favorite part of the job. When work has finished for the day, it sure is a lot of fun to spend time with the students and enjoy a body of believers all day, everyday.

Things sure are lovey around here...as lovey as it can be at Bible School. Valentines Day is a day away. There's been girls getting mail-ordered flowers, Valentine's cards being exchanged, gifts are being given, girl's night (with Jesus of course), and lots of hugs. It seems, the older I've gotten, the less I've cared about Valentine's Day. For some reason it's just not a holiday I would get very excited about. With that being said, you know I still throughly enjoyed the cheesy made-for-t.v. movies on the Hallmark Channel and ABC Family. Maybe it's never been a big deal for me because I've never had that special someone to love on that day.

I will always cherish what we receive from our parents. A single red rose from Dad, and a gift (like earrings or an extra Christmas gift that was saved) from Mom, and cards from both. It was the best to wake up, ready for school, thinking it's a normal morning, until we'd come upstairs and our gifts and flowers were waiting for us on the counter. Surprise! I loved that. Each year you didn't want to expect that it would happen again, just for the surprise when it did. The Valentines I've known thus far in life have only ever been celebrated with family...which I've loved.

Now, Elementary School is another story. Remember those days? Homemade Valentines Boxes and fun activities throughout the day. And in the last hour of the school day: learning stops, love is in the air, and you have your Valentines party! Our class would always make a big circle around the room with our desks, set out decorated boxes, and run around the circle passing out personal Valentines. Nothing better than to open up your box to see which friends 'like' you and which 'love' you, and how much candy you received. Oh, but most importantly: the person you had a crush on would always get the best Valentine, maybe even an extra candy. And if you're really lucky, maybe you'd even receive the special note with the "Check: Yes or No" question at the end.

Happy Valentine's Day.

P.S. - I received a dozen roses by post today! Thanks J, best surprise! 

Well...

The cold bug has hit me, complete with the runny nose, sore throat, and no voice to speak with. Super bummer due to the fact our Christmas concert is this weekend. I'm due to sing a solo and am praying the Lord will restore my voice for tomorrow and Monday evening.

I have been blessed this week with the gift of people. My birthday was Thursday, and the cards I've received over the past two weeks have been both a surprise and a blessing. The day was an uneventful one, but I enjoyed my time and spent the morning with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, in You've Got Mail.

There was a sight to behold this week, when we looked out our Alley window and saw the beautiful snow-cap-mountains in the distance. For some reason I don't think I had ever recognized they were visible from here. So pretty.

Have a blessed weekend! 

Sidewalk Queues.

For a day off, today, I had the opportunity to visit Manchester. That's correct, thee Manchester; home of Manchester United. This means: Christmas shopping is accomplished, Christmas Markets were visited, a steak burrito was eaten, and Primark was shopped at. Now, I have never been in a city that was as bustling and busy as this was. You know when you go see a film at the cinema, and after the movie you file out of the theatre, kind of in a line, slowly shuffling your way out the door? Well that is the best way I can describe today. Not just in the stores, but on the streets and on the sidewalks. You literally moved at the pace that you would if you were in a queue. Ridiculous! 

After returning to Capes, we had an evening full of Christmas music, hot Apple Cider, Christmas Cookies, dancing, wood fire burning, and games. 

What a fun day! To finish it off...here is another Christmas gift tag:

Happy 1st of December!

With Thanksgiving past and Christmas soon to follow, Christmas-y things have been happening around here. Christmas music is now acceptable (to most) and decorations have been taken out of storage. I myself have been in the mood for some classic Christmas movies (already)! I don't know what's so different this year, but I'm ready for the holiday season plenty early this time. I am already missing home for Christmas, but know I'll be there next year! 

I happened upon these brown present-tags a few weeks ago and felt a little inspired. I don't have loads of presents to decorate and tag, but had to make some I can send in a card anyway. I'll be posting a photo of each: one-a-day. I already know who is receiving which...is Christmas here yet?