Tyne & Wear

I don't know why so many people make a face when Rebecca tells them she lived up north for 6 years in Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland. (Rebecca also lived in Durham, but this is widely regarded as a most desirable place to live) I wonder if many of these people have ever actually been there, just drove through, or have only heard negative things about the Tyne & Wear area? Very similar to the reaction we get when telling people we live in Coventry. That being said, I have been guilty of this very attitude towards the north! Some years back my good friends from Holland took a ferry over to Newcastle and expressed how much they enjoyed it. I had driven through the area before, but not actually visited. I joked with them on numerous occasions about their choice of first places to visit in England. 

The Tyneside area is beautiful with really nice parks, great views of the river Tyne which separates Newcastle and Gateshead, and the seaside in Sunderland. (Picture above is of the river Tyne and beautiful music venue The Sage). 

This makes me think of many negative views and perceptions that I carry towards places, things, and people, that I have never really experienced...

Gotta have that 'folk'

A couple weeks ago we decided to scoop up my Mom, Doreen, in Kings Lynn(she had been over for approx. 5 weeks by then) and head up to northern England and see some of Rebecca's old stomping grounds... Durham, Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland. We decided to stay in Robin Hood's Bay on the way up since my family had stayed in this beautiful little town on the east coast of England about 14 years earlier. I wanted Rebecca to experience this beautiful area.

Just outside of town we decided to stop and ask at the petrol (gas) station of some recommended places to stay in the area. He said it was kind of a busy time as the Whitby (town just next to Robin Hood's Bay) folk music festival had just started. Interesting, as I had mentioned to Reb before leaving Coventry that it would be nice to hear some live music, maybe folk while up north. Gotta love it. People come in each year from all over England as well as Ireland to listen and play outdoors and in over 20 pubs around town. Below is a short clip of Doreen enjoying the tunes...

Blogging for baby

This is my virgin voyage in the blogging world.  Quite surprising I've never blogged before, but I thought since many of the good parents I know seem to set up a blog about their new baby to inform anyone interested of all the gory details (mostly family and very close friends that read it I assume) that we should follow suit.  So, I'm blogging for baby you might say.  We're almost 34 weeks, so this is prior to being fully initiated into parenthood, but certainly in the preparation process. 

Ok, so there is another reason for the blog.  Scott mentioned today that we need to be better about 'building altars', in the sense that it would be good to write down more of our reflections on the journey of life so that we can share it with others.  So you may see a little of both here.

Scott and I have been reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (thanks Hattie) and have been really challenged and refreshed by his humour and honest journey toward living out sincere love for Christ.  It's a rare book that can get Scott choked up, and this one has done the job.....as well as stirring us up into fits of laughter.  I'd highly recommend it.  So after reading a bit today we've been talking again about the choices we make, what we have presumed we should have and how to continue shifting attitudes and lifestyle for better stewardship and relationship.