Well, Hello There!

Hello friends, family, and bloggers ~

Life has been fabulously full with lots of interesting and fun work projects, hikes in the Scottish Borders, concerts (from the Royal Chamber Orchestra to Rupert Jeffcoat), social events, Latin dance classes, dates with a handsome husband, lectures on archeology housed in the British Museum, travel planning ...... and the list goes on! Please excuse my absence from the blog, but I'll be back soon with updates!

x Ashli

N.T. Wright at University of Edinburgh

This past Friday I had the opportunity to hear N.T. Wright, perhaps the brightest and most well known New Testament scholar, speak at the University of Edinburgh. His paper focused on Romans 2-4, and his main argument was about the instrumentality of the people of Israel in God's covenant. Wright claims that Paul, the apostle and author of Romans, affirms that the creator God is committed to rescuing the created order through Israel, and that the role of the Messiah coming to earth was to extend that covenant to the Gentiles. Wright is an absolutely brilliant mind and incredibly articulate speaker. He graciously accepted criticism after the paper from Professor James Dunn and fielded questions from the audience in a very pastoral and compassionate manner. Overall, it was the bee's knees to hear Professor Wright!

If you want to learn more of Wright's thoughts, here's an excellent website with links to some of his articles and lectures.

Visit to a Gestapo Prison

We've been to some pretty museums -- l'Orangerie in Paris, the Academy in Florence, the British Museum in London. This was not one of them. Instead, it was ugly and sad, but necessary. 

 At the El-De Haus in Cologne, the above prison cell would hold up to 30 prisoners at a time. Only intended for two or three at a time, their holdings swelled as the Nazi's power and reign grew. On the walls of the cell, you can still see the etchings of prisoners -- messages cataloging who was there and the atrocities committed against them.

The El-De Haus in Cologne is a former gestapo prison that's been converted into a museum to document both what had gone on in that actual building and the actual progression of Nazism in the city of Cologne.

While the two floors in the basement are preserved as the prison, the floors above ground have been converted into space that tells the story of how Nazi Socialism took hold in this area of the Rhineland.


After World War II, this house was used for other civic purposes -- but mainly as an office for pensioners to come and collect their checks. 

This is the El-De Haus. Strangely inconspicuous.

Can you imagine if you had been imprisoned and tortured here, and then years later had to come collect your pension check in the exact same spot? This allegedly happened.

It was not until the 80's that the truth of what went on in this building was revealed and and opened to the public.

Now it houses important pieces of history, such as the above propaganda put forth during World War II.


 Below is one photograph that caught my attention:

 The sign atop of the destroyed bakery quotes Hitler as stating, "Give me five years and you will not recognize Germany again."

Sadly, I'm sure so many saw this as very true.

In Case You Haven't Heard ....

Matchbook launched last night! I've already been flipping through this online magazine, and it is so fun!

Happy Saturday Morning!

Happy Saturday friends! I hope you are all up to fun stuff today.

My sister loves She & Him, so I have to share this fun video of them. Enjoy!

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Isn't Zooey Deschanel brilliant?

Go Forth. Jam Out. Be Happy.

Newton Faulkner - Gone In The Morning

If you're located outside of the UK, you can listen to the song here.

And We're Back!

MBA and I are back from the Rhineland. We had a great visit to Cologne and Bonn. The Germans in that area are strikingly friendly.  It was so refreshing for people to look me in the eye on the street and return a smile. I loved it! And so many people would just start speaking to us in German. I then had to spit out something that sounds like this: "schpeeken English?" Not only did most people do a great job of responding in English, but they were also a jovial lot and joked around with us. So fun! 

Once my camera cord is returned (it went missing somewhere in Washington Heights, Manhattan), pictures will be posted. In the meantime, here's a brief run down of our visit:

Night 1
Arrive in Cologne
See Dom Cathedral at Night -- brilliant!
Dinner at XII Apostles -- total European ambiance & delish food

Day 1
Tour Dom Cathedral - largest gothic cathedral in central Europe and most visited tourist attraction in Germany
Visit the former Gestapo Prison and Nazi Socialism Museum -- stark, sobering, but very interesting
Stop by bakerie for yummy treats
Wonder Old Town
Dinner of pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes at Peter's Brauhaus

Day 2
Catch train to Bonn
Walking tour of beautiful Bonn (see birthplace of Beethoven, University of Bonn, and many other 18th century buildings)
Return to Cologne & wander through the Dom a bit more
Stop for Currywurst -- "God's gift to man" according to the shop owner
Wander Old Town a bit more
Catch flight back to Edinburgh!

Passport Please!

Our bags are packed, and we're headed off to Germany for a weekend away for my birthday. Yesterday was so fun and included: breakfast in bed (french toast), a car hire for running around town, dumplings for lunch at a Polish restaurant, shopping and a coffee date with my husband, dinner out at The Saint, and a stop by Peckhams to pick up dessert for my birthday. Will return Monday with adventures to share!

It's My Birthday Today!

It's my birthday today! I'd love to hear from all of my friends out there. Leave me a message in the comments about a good memory we've made together or about something funny we've experienced together or anything you'd like. It'll be fun reading all your comments :) Cheers!!!!

Perfect NYC Itinerary

Want to know the perfect NYC itinerary? Here goes:


Day 1

Late lunch in Washington Heights at El Malecon with mom -- my ultimate partner in crime! I loved the fresh and wholesome flavors of Dominican food, and this place was great!

Explore sister's neighborhood Washington Heights. Catch the 1 down to the Upper West Side for a bit of shopping. Meet up with sister. 

Dinner at Isabella's in the Upper West Side. I highly recommend the poached pear salad. Delicious!

Walk down to Lincoln Center and soak it all in. 

Day 2

Catch the train to Brooklyn for a morning of browsing and eating at the Brooklyn Flea Market. This is no normal flea market. There are no tchotchkes here. There's only art, artisan goods, antiques, and brilliant vintage finds. Plus - there's some amazing food. We even bought a bit of pate from Brooklyn Cured and lunched on fish tacos from Chonco's Tacos. Yum!

Next up? Head to Soho! For more eating and shopping! (Hey - that's what people do in NYC!!!)

While in Soho, get a personal tour from sister as to where all the hot spots are. Next, stop for cupcakes and coffee at the Little Cupcake Bake Shop. 

 Hil with her Cupcake

Shop at Anthro for jeans -- not because jean shopping is fun because it is not  -- but because they have a knowledgeable personal shopper who can actually get the job done. I start off trying on a stack of jeans and feel utterly depressed because none of them fit right. Enter personal shopper = enter jeans that work for me. Enter happiness.

Dinner of tapas at Cafe Noir in Soho. So fun. So yummy. So fun to have a night on the town with my favs. 

Day 3

Cousins brunch at Sarabeths. Run to Sarabeths. It really is the best! I had a potato waffle with chicken sausage. To die for.  And it's worth the wait. (Because -- you will wait :)!

Cousins outside at Sarabeths in the Upper East Side

More shopping, errands, and a slight rest at the hotel .... and then we're off to 5 Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen for some pre-show burgers. Have you heard of 5 Napkin? Apparently, it's one of Sherri Shepherd's favorites. I know you won't be shocked to hear this -- but it was good. 

Next up: In the Heights. Which, sadly just closed this past weekend. It's the best Broadway show I've seen. If it ever comes to a theater near you, you must see it!!! Here's just a taste of what we saw:

I looooooooved it! Such a great story. So well-executed. Soooo creative!

Day 4

Breakfast of bagels and lox at local diner.

Morning spent at Macy's on 34th. Practically ran into Regis Philbin while getting on the escalator. Strange fact: he and I are about the same size.

Visited friend Jennifer who works at Empire State Building. Can you imagine working at the Empire State Building? Wow. That's normal for her. It was also very cool having a guest pass into the Empire State Building. Very different from the tourist pass. Thanks for the tour Jenn!

On to Soho to meet up with an old friend from junior high/high school for coffee. It was such a treat to meet up with her! 

Caught taxi to Union Square where we met sister at Max Brenner for a chocolate feast. Yum. Yum. Yum. I say, skip a main course and go straight for dessert. We did chocolate fondue. No regrets.

Sister heads home because she actually has a job in NYC and must maintain a normal schedule. Mom and I head to Rockefeller Center where we arrive just in time to see someone proposing in the center of the ice skating rink. Sweet! That area of town really is magical during the Christmas season. We see a lights show there timed to a Christmas symphony. We also tour the front windows of Saks. That really is a "must." We proceed to walk back to the hotel in the snow. It was so bitterly cold, but the snow really was a perfect ending to a perfect night.

Day 5

Catch train at Penn Station for Lynchburg, VA!

Thank you mom & Hilary for the most amazing NYC trip ever. I had such a fabulous time making memories with you both!

What I'm Reading

Hi friends! 

We're back in Edinburgh, and I'm curled up under a blanket with a lovely Seda France candle burning and am reading some great books. Here are my latest reads:

I've been a follower and committed reader of Gretchen Rubin's blog since 2008, so I'm pretty thrilled to have my hands on her book. It's great. She's great. Her life is fascinating, and she'll make you think. I definitely recommend this one!

I'm just getting started with Little Bee but it already seems like it's going to be a great read. Starting off in Black Hill Immigration Removal about 40 miles east of London and telling the story of a refugee, this book is bound to be headed somewhere interesting! I'm already hooked!

I also am an avid follower of both of Dr. Bauer's blogs -- one on classical education and the other about her experience writing books on the history of the world. Thus far, this book is a fantastic read. It's not only a guide on classical education, but it is also a guide about more meaningful reading. Five stars!

Frequent Flyer 2010

First off, I must note -- isn't 1/1/11 a cool date or what?

Aside from my current hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland, here is my 2010 in cities in chronological order:

London, England
Brussels, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium
Fort William, Scotland
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Oxford, England
Washington, DC
Lynchburg, VA
Raleigh, NC
Memmingen, Germany
Ottobeuren, Germany
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Munich, Germany
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The North Sea! (sailed from the Netherlands to Newcastle, England)
Cotswolds, England
London, England
Paris, France
Windsor, England
Geneva, Switzerland
Washington, DC
New York City, NY
Lynchburg, VA

What a year it has been! We also moved three times, survived a flood, were graciously hosted by lifesaver friends due to the flood, hosted my sister Hilary in Europe on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, worked hard, and played hard --- yet there's something in my bones that feels that 2011 holds even more hope and promise for a wonderful and exciting year.

We wish you a very happy new year and hope you face the new year excited about all the promise and goodness it will hold! Here's to more adventure and globetrotting in 2011!

Fondue Anyone?

This was one of my favorite parts of our visit to Switzerland! Katy and I went for fondue on Lake Geneva at Buvette des Bains (Bains des Paquis) on Friday evening.

While we arrived a bit early, this place became the happening spot as the evening wore on!

 Look at this yumminess!

If you ever visit Buvettes des Bains, make sure to order outside at the counter. Unlike our approach, I'd also recommend having a reservation for a table because this place gets crowded!

Next up, we headed for a stroll through town. 

 Switzerland has amazing chocolates!

 Store front at Globus -- a fabulous design-oriented department store!

 Isn't it a beautiful city?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm now off to spend the day with my family! I'm soaking up every last moment with them!!!

Geneva Explored: Afternoon & Dusk of Day 1

My friend Katy and I decided to take a city break to Geneva when our husbands were in the States for a conference -- this was a way more fun option than simply trying to hold down the home front!

Flying into Geneva was great -- the view of the Alps on descent was breathtaking. Snow capped mountains make my heart skip a beat. After arrival, we walked right into the train station (which is at the airport! convenient!) and caught a train into town.

Tip: all trains at the Geneva airport go into Geneva city. Make sure to get your free train ticket for city centre in baggage arrival at the kiosk. Once you get to the train station, just find the train that's leaving the soonest and step on. No one ever checked our ticket, and I imagine that's the norm. The complimentary ticket is also good for 80 minutes (if I recall correctly -- could just be an hour) once it's printed out of the kiosk.

Upon our arrival into city centre, we walked over to our hotel, checked in, dropped our bags, and headed off. One of our first stops was at this lovely deli:

I couldn't get enough of how pretty this produce was!!! Splendid!

Speaking of beautiful things, Lake Geneva itself was breathtaking. The mountain at the top left of this photo is Mont Blanc. Wow.

The buildings in Geneva were also topped with luxury brand names and names of international banks. But -- that didn't necessarily mean that Deutsche Banc was actually housed in that building. Just classy advertising? It seemed so!

Check out how clear this water was  --- simply amazing!

The English Garden -- at the base of the Left Bank

Hi!

Hello friends ~

I kind of love that I haven't been posting on this blog because it means that I've been LIVING!!!!! And living is fun!!!! 

Our trip to the States started off with a fabulous bang at the Normandy Hotel in DC. Happy early Christmas to me and MBA from my parents! After laborious and tiresome travel, it's so nice to have such a lovely place to rest your head. This hotel checks all the boxes --- amazingly comfy bed, beautiful interiors, fun bath products, wine & cheese in the evenings and lovely continental breakfasts in the morning. The next morning, mom and I were off to NYC for a long and super fun break to see my sister Hilary. The front desk clerk at Normandy Hotel even sent me off with a stack of brand new magazines for our trip to the Big Apple -- including Architectural Digest, National Geographic Traveler, Newsweek, Forbes -- not that Forbes is my favorite, but I love a hotel that goes the extra mile.

My trip to NYC was above and beyond what I could have imagined the trip to be like. It was fabulous on every level, and I'll share more about that later. 

I've also been sick. 

Ick. Not fun to be sick while I'm in the States. Not fun to pay an American doctor or to pay American prices for medicines. Not fun for the sickness to be lingering after I've taken the full round of antibiotics. 

But --

I've still been living. And having fun. And trying to seize every last moment out of this trip. 

Meanwhile -- I've just turned on one of my parent's fireplaces with a remote. 

A remote!!!!

Yesterday morning I asked my grandmother what my Grandma Ida would have thought about me moving from America to Europe. My grandmother informed me that Grandma Ida  (my great-grandmother) would have thought I was crazy. Grandma Ida escaped the "old country," and she had had enough of it, enough of London, and enough of Paris. Once she landed in America, she never wanted to leave. And Grandma Ida hadn't even experienced a remote controlled fireplace!!!!!

I'll share one book that I've been chipping away at:

Anyway - I'm going to get back to living and back to enjoying my family. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying your holidays!!!

A Few Thoughts in No Particular Order

Hi friends! This afternoon I'm hosting a Cookie Exchange Party, so I shouldn't blog too long but there's just a bit of life to share.

First off, we saw Des Hommes et Des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) last night. It was one of the most moving films -- if not the most moving film--  I've ever seen. 

While the above trailer doesn't have English subtitles, I think you can still pick up on a bit of the meaning by viewing it. These monks sacrificially loved people. If you want to know what real love looks like, watch this movie. It's a revolutionary kind of love. 

I also finished the 570-something page Alone in Berlin (then there's an afterword and then a file of documents in German they were used in the investigation). True story of an aging, working class carpenter and his courageous defiance, albeit non-influential, to Nazi Germany -- this book is brilliantly written by a tormented genius. Fallada penned the book in 24 days then died before it was published. Fascinating stuff. In the afterword, Geoff Wilkes writes: "whereas Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963) dissects and analyses 'the banality of evil', Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin comprehends and honours the banality of good." An exploration of metaphysical realities, religiosity, evil, the banality of good -- Alone in Berlin will be a story I'll mull over for some time. This quote also reminds me that I should pick up Eichmann again! 

In other news, did you know that Kate and team are starting an online mag? Matchbook Mag. Thanks J. Tharp for the hat tip! Matchbook is guaranteed to provide some pretty eye-candy!

And on to what I'm really really really excited about:

I'm packing a bag and heading to the States very soon!!! First stop: to see this one!

Lots to Blog About

Wow! Life has been flying by, and I haven't been blogging much. There's so much to share!

First off, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the first time in my life last Thursday. It wasn't that complicated of an affair, as my lovely friends pitched in to bring dishes of yumminess over. All I made was a turkey, gravy, green bean casserole, and pumpkin bars for dessert. It was so great spending time with friends that I'm very thankful for. We're very blessed to be surrounded by some truly wonderful people in Edinburgh. And to top it off -- my friends can cook!  They each brought something so delicious over!

 Above is Josh and then Joe & Amanda. Amanda is doing a fabulous job of posting about all of her adventures in the UK at her blog The Riveras in Edinburgh. Keep your eye peeled for all of her snow pictures!

This is the lovely Alicia! When I get together with her, I'm not surprised when she tells me nonchalantly that she just biked 15 miles to the ocean and back. Wow.

On a side note - if you don't have a hand held blender, you are missing out an a fabulously convenient gadget. It was my lifesaver for hosting our Thanksgiving dinner. Is the cream cheese icing clumpy? Use the ole' hand held blender. Is the gravy disgustingly clumpy where you couldn't fain the existence of bits of turkey in it??? Hand held blender to the rescue!

This is the lovely Kidwells! Katy is who I went to Geneva with last week, and we pitifully do not have a picture together from our time in Switzerland. You should definitely check out their blogs: Sparrow Hopes and Domesticated Theology. And they even went one year of their life living "green," which you can read about at 52 Bright Green Weeks.

Next up, I helped host a "Hoo-Roo" for a very dear friend this past Friday evening.  This is a very sad yet happy thing for me. Peter, our guest of honor, is a very, very dear friend who I'm so sad is leaving Edinburgh. He's moving back to Sydney to start teaching at a seminary this month. He's been such a faithful, loving friend and has played such an integral role in our lives and has also been a constant source of encouragement and blessing. It makes me really teary that he's leaving, but I know we'll see him throughout the coming years -- whether it's in the States, Italy, or Australia.

This is Peter entering his surprise Hoo-Roo!

A little shocked at his surprise hoo-roo?

Did I mention why I'm "happy" for Peter to be returning to Australia?  His mama is in Australia, and I'm sure she'll be very glad to have him back home. I, on the other hand, would have been happy to have him wherever we live! (Totally selfish -- I know!)

Christine (the fabulous host!), Nigel, Becky, half of Josh, and Peter with his godson Dominic.

Speaking of Friday evening, that's when the snow began to fall. And it hasn't stopped! And it's Wednesday. The last report I heard is that we're under two feet of snow in Edinburgh. Isn't that ridiculous amounts of snow?!!? Yikes! It is so chilly here!

Here's a picture MBA took on Saturday:

 This was just a light dusting compared to what we have now! I ventured out with my camera today for a few more shots and will be back to share those with you shortly. 

But can I just say how nuts it is that we have two feet of snow, and it keeps falling. And falling. And falling. Now the officials are worried about flooding. But considering that it's - 3 and shouldn't be above freezing until Saturday -- and at that, only 1 degrees -- I'm not that worried about the flooding. 

(After my own flat flooded this past year and my grandmother's house floated away in the Great Flood, you would think I would be worried about flooding. Is there something wrong with me?!!?)

Anyway - back at the ranch. 

Or the tiny flat that my sister calls a tree house. 

I've also finished Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor:

I so wish I had the benefit of sitting under an amazing literary scholar and really gleaning all the insights that make this book what it is. It's a weird tale. The literary devices she uses are foreign from so many other books I've read. But, I appreciate the book. I'm glad I read it. I think I should read a minimum of five literary articles on the book and take a class on O'Connor. I've read her Spiritual Writings before and loved them. Yet, this novel was in its own ballpark. I'm still mulling over it ...

This is turning into the longest blog post ever!

Other things I'm thinking about:

1. The irony of people who allege to emulate the ethics of Jesus and are consumeristic-- especially consumeristic at Christmas time. What's that about? 

2. Making chili in this wintry blizzard we're having! Anyone have a recommended chili recipe out there? Are you still reading? I don't blame you if you're not!

3. The lovely German Christmas Market here in town and the super yummy blueberry coffee I got at the market. This was my first flavored coffee since living in Britain, and I so appreciated how super delicious it was!

4. How the movie Green Zone reminds me of No End In Sight (minus the conspiracy part). 

5. How the documentary on Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds me to be alert for present victims in need of assistance and compassion. Who are victims in our present society? May we truly see others in their struggle and seek to help them where they are. If you haven't seen this film, rent or buy it now. It's sooooo good. 

6. World AIDS Day.

7. Remembering Advent: when Jesus entered history.

"…[T]here must be no weakening or obscuring of the saving truth that the nature which God assumed in Christ is identical with our nature as we see it in the light of the Fall. If it were otherwise, how could Christ really be like us? … God’s Son not only assumed our nature but He entered the concrete form of our nature...". - Karl Barth (emphasis mine)