a safe space

i'm in telford, england now with mark berry's family and the safe space  space community.

i've already picked a word for them, and it's 

COMFORTABLE.

i think part of my comfort is the fact that i met mark berry two years ago and we've stayed in pretty good contact.

another part is that i've got my own room with a large double bed! hooray!

the room is full of neutral colors and just oozes peace.

they're also a family that really reminds me of my own.

today i went shopping with mark's wife-louisa-and the supermarket really resembled the ones back in the states and i suddenly found myself really missing shopping with my own mother.

kinda made me homesick a bit.

mark and louisa are a lovely couple and they have an adorable (and energetic) four year old named nathan (or 'natty' as they call him).

today i got to meet one of the families that journeys with 'safe space'...

they are actually leaders in another church that is much more charismatic than the meditative safe space.

i got to hear some of their journey this afternoon and really enjoyed getting to hear where they've come...the families' journey is drastically different from my own, but i was put at ease very quickly by their kind and inviting manner.

tomorrow we'll head off to wales or the peak district (yay jane austen!)

i really am loving it here in telford.

i suppose deciding to stay on these next couple of months made me realize just how much i've been running myself exhausted by all the experiences i've had thus far,

and it will be nice to be in a place i can rest. 

in a week or two i'll head back up to the orkney island to take care of andrew jones' kiddos while he and his wife debbie are away.

it's already cold here...and rainy, of course.

makes me kind of miss the hot texas days,

but who can beat london in the autumn and winter?

perhaps another cup of warm tea will do the trick...