I have a list of things to do today, and I’m headed off to accomplish each one, but humor me for a moment. Mentally, I want to stroll through the green hills of the Cotswolds, drink a hot cuppa tea, and eat a fruit scone with clotted cream at the local establishment. What fun it would be just to be silly for a time and do something ridiculous so that I gain a sideways “get real” look from a friend.(smile)

The last time we were in London, we made sure to check out the gate the Queen enters to open Parliament. It is called the Sovereign’s Entrance. St. Paul’s Cathedral has one, too. It is a door that is only opened when the Queen arrives. This morning (November 18) the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in a horse-drawn carriage at this location—the Houses of Parliament in central London for the State Opening of Parliament. http://tinyurl.com/crpeby

Imagine its Friday afternoon and you are sitting at C. S. Lewis’s feet as he reads a passage from Prince Caspian.

“Please, Aslan! Am I not to know?”

“To know what would have happened, child?” said Aslan. “No, nobody is ever told that.”

“Oh dear,” said Lucy.

“But anyone can find out what will happen,” said Aslan. “If you go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me—what will happen? There is only one way of finding out . . . .”

“But they won’t believe me!” said Lucy.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Aslan.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” said Lucy. “And I was so pleased at finding you again. And I thought you’d let me stay. And I thought you’d come roaring in and frighten all the enemies away—like last time. And now everything is going to be horrid.”

“It is hard for you, little one,” said Aslan.  “But things never happen the same way twice. It has been hard for us all in Narnia before now.”

Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face. But there must have been magic in his mane. She could feel lion-strength going into her. Quite suddenly she sat up.

“I’m sorry, Aslan,” she said. “I’m ready now.”

Yesterday was a rainy day in northeast Georgia, which always tempts me to think of being in a place that is sunny and bright or a place that is literally worlds away—like Windsor Castle in England.

Just received a Twitter from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London saying today marks the 70th anniversary of evacuation of British citizens during World War II. Germany had begun bombing raids on the city at night, and the decision was made to send as many people—particularly children—as possible to homes outside of the London area. The Kilns, which is in Oxford and was owned by C.S. Lewis and his brother Warren, became a safe haven for several youngsters during the Blitz.

Blackout curtains still hang on the windows at the Kilns as a reminder of World War II and the precautions people had to take even outside of London.