Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 1:11PM 
in the week or so before I left, Dean and I took one last little stroll through Stanton St John, just to say good bye. I shot film. The light was lovely that day.
Oxford, Stanton St John Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 4:50AM 
It is a gorgeous, COLD, clear autumn day in Stanton St John. I just cleared a giant pile of leaves from the Chapel's front steps, in anticipation of the movers coming later this week.
The sparse tree branches out there are a good metaphor for what the Chapel looks like indoors - pretty sparse! Pictures are off the walls, bookshelves are empty, and all we have to show for three years of life in the UK is in four big boxes.
Maybe it's fitting then, that I finally show you all (those of you who haven't already seen these on FB) what the Chapel looked like at the height of summer - voila! a much overdue house tour, here on the front lawn! Downstairs: Living, kitchen, entry and a little loo
Stanton St John, design, the Chapel Monday, October 26, 2009 at 3:55AM 
happy Monday!
we've got a full weekend behind us including brunch with two old friends and one new one, a ramble through STJ's footpaths, dinner at a quintessentially Italian spot and drinks at a quintessentially Oxford spot, church, the world's best tomato soup, another ramble - this one through Blenheim's park grounds and finally a quiet night of reading by the fire.
I love full weekends. By Monday I feel like I can accomplish ANYTHING. Though so far this one has just involved email catchup, picture posting and an entire pot of earl grey :)
Oxford, Stanton St John Friday, August 21, 2009 at 9:40AM 
Two wonderful things happened last weekend:
First some lovely friends came to visit, and then the sun came out.
Erin and Jonny spent a couple days in Oxford/Stanton St John during a 2 week tour of England. They are incredibly fun and doubled the Canadian contingent at our chapel warming party on Saturday (which was a smashing success and I was having too much good chat to bother with photos).
On Sunday, after a dose of tourism and high tea in the city we came back to STJ for a highly competitive match of croquet on the Chapel lawn.
In Oxford this is a sport they take seriously (see above, the boys doing their best to look club-worthy). It's a little known fact that croquet is the worls'd oldest varsity sport - the first match took place between Cambridge and Oxford in 1231. One rumor purports that the sport was so popular with Oxford Dons back in the day that one college, Balliol, was even named for the sport (ball in 'ol)... umm, but I think the Balliol family might take issue with that claim. University Parks, near our former home, has a pitch specifically devoted to croquet and on any given day you might see the club out in their whites and hear them cursing over a missed wicket.
We were four novices at this ancient game so there was more guessing at rules than passing through wickets. Erin, however, forgot to tell us that 'lawnsports' is her middle name and left us all behind in a trail of grass clippings. See photo below of her looking smug during a post-match pint. I, for one, am looking forward to a rematch! 
Oxford, Stanton St John, croquet, the Chapel Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 6:19AM The other day I was enjoying a leisurely jog near the village. I stopped at a wee bridge to stretch, when I saw another jogger, half a kilometre behind me. Striding further along, I heard the steady beat of footsteps coming closer and closer until we were running side by side and the jogger slowed to my 5-foot-2 girlie pace.
"You local?" he asked.
I thought about it, and with some pride answered, "yes I am!"
Still running, me trying to pick up the pace to not reveal the softie that I am, he proceeded to recruit me for the Stanton St John running club: the Stanton Sweaters (and you thought this post was about fashion!).
Dean and I had actually heard about this club some time ago, but the Saturday 8am meeting time has yet to line up with our sleeping schedule. I admitted this and my new friend informed me that they also meet on Monday evenings. He also assured me that his wife and teenage daughters run at my pace and would accommodate my 5km rule (there is no pleasure in running further than that!).
So on Monday night we 'pitched up' (as they say) and joined the Sweaters on a back country tour of Stanton St John. Pavement gave way to clover fields, limestone farm roads, a nettle strewn bridleway and finally the road again! whew! Once I had picked the burrs off my Lulus (and thanked heaven that the overcast sky induced me to wear long pants) I had to admit, it was pretty fun.
I think we'll pitch up more often!
