Durham Castle

When you live in a castle, where do you go for breakfast? Why, to the great hall of course!

Full English breakfast served here. Yummm.

And where do you find the best wifi signal?  In the undercroft (below the great hall) ~ note the Romaneque arches,  built by the Normans; also supposedly the oldest public place in England continuously serving alcohol.  Although there may be some controversy about that claim.  This was a great place to go at the end of the day and catch up with email and Skype with family or chat with new friends before climbing the tower to bed.

South of Peterborough, the first stop on this line to the North from London: lots of water seemingly out of the banks of a river. I notice a canal boat on the river, very picturesque: black and red and green with decorations.  It reminds me that you can go on cruises on the canal system of England.  Looking on a map, you can do this primarily in the midlands and north country, not the southwest where we will be, but could be a nice long weekend trip; closest to us would be one out of Bath.

The countryside: long sloping hills, green green fields divided by hedges or rows of short trees.  In some places the fields look plowed or newly planted; reminds me of spring trips to Illinois with water standing in fields’ low places or between the rows.  I wonder what is planted here, and is the water a normal part of spring?  Is this spring?

Small town seen amidst the fields, dominated by the church; everything grey stone work.

Just north of Doncaster, amidst the rolling fields, suddenly eight nuclear reactor towers spewing steam high into the sky. Always thought it was so silly to use nuclear power to boil water!  Especially given the Japanese reactor problems; well, really lots of problems through time with these reactors.  We are so hungry for the electricity, that we forget the cost: generations of vigilence for spent nuclear fuel and the potential contamination with its health risks.

The train station at York, complete with white brick-a-brack on the roof edges of platform shelters. Really seems like another world.

North Allerton – we are opposite the North York Moors National Park.  Don’t know if I can see it; would I know a moor if I saw one? I think I do: a high area, almost mountainous, blue in the distance rising over the fields.

More sheep up here, some with red wool on their flanks (later I find out these are ownership marks) .  More water standing in fields.  Seagulls must be the national bird – they are everywhere from London to the north.  They love the flooding of course.  And there are some birch-like trees too.

18 min to Durham; time to put away the toys and get ready to hop off the train with rolling briefcase, portable CPAP machine and a 45# suitcase!  I travel heavy.

Along the way to Durham the terrain changes dramatically to tree covered hills, reminding me of upNorth Michigan.  But I don’t suppose they call this ‘upNorth’ (I’ve learned that they call it the North East).  Then suddenly we’re gliding into Durham with rows and rows of terraced houses stepping down the hillsides. On the far side the castle and cathedral rise over the valley.  The castle, built in 1066, will be my home for the next week.  Could it possibly be that old?

The Cathedral at Durham

I am ensconced on the 7th floor of the ‘Keep’.  The view is expansive looking back across the valley towards the train station and the countryside.  But, I can immediately see why it is called a ‘Keep’.  Once you go up those seven flights of stairs, you want to be sure that you’re going to make the minimum number of trips each day!  I feel a little like a damsel put away in the tower up here (I read all about that in those King Arthur stories when I was a kid).  And no wifi either.  Help! help! Where is my knight in shining armor? How will I let him know where I am?

The Castle at Durham; I am living on the top floor of the building in the center of picture.

a full day of packing yesterday. this, after MONTHS of planning and making lists!  how do you pack yourself and your work for six months?  sudden final hour decisions when the big bag is too heavy: just leave this book, and that one, arrggghh, and that one, too; but i must have this sweater…

bumpy flight absolutely full, so not much sleep; just dozing in and out, sending prayers so this is not the end.

landing at Heathrow, as i have done several times before, but this is no 1 week research conference or even 2 week visiting professorship, this is coming to live here! it does feel different, yet familiar.  i hope i like it.  i hope i like the people.  i hope they like me.  today is gray and rainy.  i’ve decided to be in love with rain.

remarkably easy to get through passport check – all that work to get that visa paid off along with carrying papers proving I really do have a reason to be here.

pick up luggage, drop off one bag, find the bus stop; wait…

in the bus i realize that i don’t understand the English language, it sounds as foreign as the French being spoken behind me.  it seems that the English people are biting off the front of the words.  i keep having to ask people to repeat what they’re saying.  then they slow down and i begin to decode the sounds and it IS a language i know!

remarkable sightings: bright green grass, bushes with yellow flowers in bloom, the cement walls leading into and out of a tunnel densely covered with with green growing plants – a living wall.

i find my way to the hotel, glad that today is a ‘rest day’.  i feel like i do after a busy 24 hour call in the hospital, pleased  but physically wiped out with leaden limbs that i can barely lift.  i am happy to have a warm bed. and i notice my hair is not electrified – i love the rain!

I recently saw a patient brought here complete with stretcher, IV tubes and bags, attendant and family.  They sat by the cascading water surrounded by tropical plants, breathing in the sweet moist oxygen-filled air: resting, finding relief, feeling most human and almost normal, adding nature’s healing to the handiwork of the doctors, nurses, and technicians.

The staff, too, come here regularly for lunch, to read, to meet a colleague, a friend, or a student.  Each one of us relaxes here briefly, feeling whole and refreshed, so we can go on gifting our minds, hearts, and hands in service.

May all your gifts and giving nourish you and yours.  May the wonder of the natural world fill you with awe, delight, and the hope to carry on.  Wishing you adventures and abundant blessings in the New Year!

from the book The Shape of the Journey, New and Collected Poems

Try this:  when you see the light of the new day for the first time, stop and give thanks for what ever you can, even if it is just that you have this new day.

Integrative Family Medicine’s friendly Medical Assistant, Keshia, shared this bit of advice on giving thanks.  It turned my head around and inside out!  Thank you!

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~Author Unknown

I wish I could take pictures of each of your sweet radiant and sometimes sad faces.  I would carry you along with me on this journey.

I have always seen you as a community with much like-mindedness.  You share this passion for health that is open to all ways of getting there.  In my musings, I imagine us all outside on a sunny breezy day of summer among tall trees beside lightly rippled water. Over there are long tables laden with potluck foods; each person’s favorite healthy recipe.  What bounty and savoriness, we could make a cookbook!

I have the pleasure of introducing you to each other, multi-generational families, couples, lone ones, across ages, connecting by beliefs, interests, challenges, quests, and needs.  Mingling with the breeze is music played by some of you.  We feast our eyes on artistic pieces made from your pain and joy.  We reach out to touch the bright color, texture of crafts.  We make notes, take cards, make appointments to meet again.  We look forward to sharing this one’s healing arts, that one’s amazing business, a yoga class, a cup of tea.  Each one of us finds a new friend, a group of friends, a family like ours, a companion where once we were alone.

And I slip away, knowing you will be okay, you will grow, you will heal and flourish, you will have each other.

snow? so early? someone says sagely
‘it’s supposed to be a hard winter’
‘no wonder it’s snowing early’
good time to go where winter looks like spring!

but coming home, feeling that lightness
and pull of ice on the Scio Church bridge
sloshing down the muddy road
I am once again captivated by snow on towering trees

like cake icing blown at high velocity
splattered onto everything
here liming the branch edge
highlighting it against the night sky

there revealing the skeleton within the limb or trunk
like the holloween costumes so recently discarded
here pines fan out their newly puffed needles
there leafy branches droop with the weight of icy wet

now home, warm light bounces off the brick wall opposite
creating a tunnel
conducting me into the house and the holidays
filled to the brim with memories, good byes, and dreams