A Blessed Day

10/15/09 - Afternoon

As I mentioned in my "interlude", yesterday was incredible with a lot to share. The day was bookended with an incredible morning reflecting about Ali and an evening with Ali's friends (my new friends) celebrating her life with great stories. Meeting up with Hannah at lunch and exploring London was so fun! We had a great time taking goofy "touristy" pictures and the three of us got along like we've known each other for years. We got to take in the standard London sights and later got dressed up for a nice dinner at Gaucho followed by dancing and good times in Soho. The day was full of laughter and new memories that I will forever cherish. Today we'll finish up the London sights and tonight will hit up a local pub for David's favorite live music on Thursday. Ali sent me a video clip of the guy and was quite excited about getting to take in some of the local music. So today, no doubt, will be another great one:)

So that's my lame attempt to cover all that I've done. Leaving a ton off cause I want to focus this entry on my morning in Bath...

Started out yesterday morning in Bath. As I mentioned before, this was one of the highlights of the trip for Ali. Wanted to get in more of the city before heading back to London to meet up with Ali's other friend, Hannah. Went down to the thermal springs along the Parade Gardens around the Pulteney Bridge. It's a beautiful, well-kept area with beautiful Georgian buildings accenting the backdrop. The plan was to spread ashes in this area but sitting there, I just knew this wasn't "Ali" enough. It was a very pretty setting but too...something. Not sure why, but something about it just didn't seem right. Spoke to David and decided to go have an English breakfast and we would try and explore outside of Bath's city to find something that was more what Ali would want.

Breakfast was good with, of course, a great cup of tea. I tried Marmite, a yeast extract, spread on my toast. I hadn't realized how strong it would be so the first bite of toast was a kick to my taste buds. I wiped the majority of the spread off and then was able to enjoy the breakfast. From there, we headed to the outskirts of Bath to see what we found.

We got out on the road toward London but it was only a couple miles out when we saw a beautiful little village on a hill and decided to check it out. To the right there was an expansive, lush green plateau with little cottages sprinkled in the distance. The morning was very quite with no other cars out and about on the cobble roads that twisted and turned around the quaint town. We pulled over in front of a building we liked that was lined by an old stone wall. When we got to the front, we realized it was an old English church. So perfect. I didn't know anything about the location or the church(included that below) but it was so incredibly perfect.

Upon getting back to the house and doing some research, I was able to learn why this location was so perfect for Ali. The town is Swainswick, a quite small village spreading down the old A46 road. The hill is Solsbury Hill, a plateau famous for the Iron Age Hill Fort that occupied it between 300 BC and 100 BC. When you walk around the plateau, you'd see dry stone walls that would enclose the fort. The views are stunning and you can see Bath, Batheaston, Bathhampton and on a really clear day, you'd see the hills of Wales. The hill is also well known because of the song by Peter Gabriel about a spiritual experience he had on top of the hill. "Solsbury Hill" didn't have meaning to me before, but upon hearing the song I immediately recognized it and was so moved by the lyrics. "Son, he said, grab your things, I've come to take you home." Wow...I don't even know how to muster up a way to describe the meaning behind all this so I won't even try. I just know we were meant to come across this church upon the hill.

The church, I learned later, is about 2 miles North East of Bath, England, just off the A46 road that goes up towards the M4 Motorway. For those that want to learn more about the church than what I share, you can visit the following site: http://swainswickchurch.org.uk/#/history/4520260249. The church in Swainswick probably started as a wooded settlement used for worship but the stone church we visited was built toward the end of the 12th century. Here's more from the site:

"Vestiges of this are still to be seen in the south wall, the door entrance with its distinctive Norman pillars supporting a Romanesque zig-zag decorated arch and the simple loophole window to the west of the doorway with its corresponding loophole in the north wall at the base of the tower, the deep inner splay indicating that this was the north wall of the original building."

Right before spreading Ali's ashes, by the church's garden, we were greeted by Noodle, the wiggle-bottom black lab that was with the groundskeeper. The dog was so incredibly sweet and friendly and I could totally feel Alison there with us. He followed us around the church lawn, wagging his tail comically and picking up sticks to show off. Again, just so incredibly "Ali" on so many levels.

Inside the church, I was able to take a great deal of pictures and learn more about the people that attend and pray there. I signed their registry and wrote in their prayer request book that the Friedrich family, Chris and those touched by Alison all find peace and comfort. Right next to the book there was a Psalm handout. I found it so comforting and wanted to end this entry with what was no doubt left for me to find:

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me:
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.