Puppy Raised English

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hiya! </div><div style="text-align: center;">(that's English for 'hello')</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm Millie,</div><div style="text-align: center;">a 5 month old spaniel<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSEwj84UTwRot6D_zSb9zsDvlzUyNQ2aMzc0bQEqnCOAym0rwOoyJadPvbOPDrM87NornXfENJiUa8ogDrqnndulBwXDpoHfNp0MLSbJRs6-V4AqqPZGG7DSpKpTVhnW9cOCuHj14M8HC/s1600/photo+3-014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSEwj84UTwRot6D_zSb9zsDvlzUyNQ2aMzc0bQEqnCOAym0rwOoyJadPvbOPDrM87NornXfENJiUa8ogDrqnndulBwXDpoHfNp0MLSbJRs6-V4AqqPZGG7DSpKpTVhnW9cOCuHj14M8HC/s640/photo+3-014.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I want to tell you a bit about my puppy class in England,</div><div style="text-align: center;">which may interest my American doggy friends</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is <u>really</u> different from the US!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGLzaEKAfYCFe-qrwKLV30KWoIdIDgs56CD7jh6Fmk4MSC01B4WJYGiC_iH99vNcUYwLPlWFWMwp6gvyU1Ewj94crYqfm_1pNaHUkzJoMcP1gNjGRg0YCNKcrmJodmPjScf74QXIEWb9w/s1600/photo+4-012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGLzaEKAfYCFe-qrwKLV30KWoIdIDgs56CD7jh6Fmk4MSC01B4WJYGiC_iH99vNcUYwLPlWFWMwp6gvyU1Ewj94crYqfm_1pNaHUkzJoMcP1gNjGRg0YCNKcrmJodmPjScf74QXIEWb9w/s640/photo+4-012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My school</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rain or shine</div><div style="text-align: center;">we meet weekly in a grassy field at a nearby farm</div><div style="text-align: center;">with chickens, guinea fowl and sheep</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Boris, Bertie, Tess, and Fleur are some of the pups in my 'small dog' class</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My favorite part of class is off-leash playtime</div><div style="text-align: center;">to give my brain a little rest</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fleur is my best playmate</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't you love those ears?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavZOSJnzUBV8tM4vf-bAOVQ6VculN_cGzOsWxEe5hDzAdCY1dQEHu5PVBf3RNrGD8affrps1mVfX5BTip2VhE8iMiuUMrUbuLqmkZIHxDfQNZ-tQOtUVqM9Vz0tyqgrVv7BDuhw7-URGc/s1600/photo+5+(6)-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavZOSJnzUBV8tM4vf-bAOVQ6VculN_cGzOsWxEe5hDzAdCY1dQEHu5PVBf3RNrGD8affrps1mVfX5BTip2VhE8iMiuUMrUbuLqmkZIHxDfQNZ-tQOtUVqM9Vz0tyqgrVv7BDuhw7-URGc/s400/photo+5+(6)-002.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Fleur, the sweetest French Bulldog</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I was surprised in my very first class</div><div style="text-align: center;">we worked on 'lie down' </div><div style="text-align: center;">(which would have come later in a US class)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The goal is to have me off leash in public </div><div style="text-align: center;">and under my owner's control at all times</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For our 5th class</div><div style="text-align: center;">we met for a country hike</div><div style="text-align: center;">- off leash -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At first we were a tumbly mess of puppy pile</div><div style="text-align: center;">- we are such a playful group -</div><div style="text-align: center;">and then one of us said, Hey! Our people left without us!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So off we sprinted to find our owners</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although our humans were concerned we may run off,</div><div style="text-align: center;">we went for more tumbles and checked in with our owners periodically<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDEK4cTZVltA6AdxpiSQaUSoZX_LMSlIJyMIHg-p3W56qqDNKKe_Tq-V-yasAwMnjLFqH8jAVOm0s6A3aTqdPF-T3sJun_CcQ0CJObHzRl3e_XRT01GnJ_d-XFCWBpt76XlIiYTmCLxsR/s1600/photo+3-009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDEK4cTZVltA6AdxpiSQaUSoZX_LMSlIJyMIHg-p3W56qqDNKKe_Tq-V-yasAwMnjLFqH8jAVOm0s6A3aTqdPF-T3sJun_CcQ0CJObHzRl3e_XRT01GnJ_d-XFCWBpt76XlIiYTmCLxsR/s640/photo+3-009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At times Laura blew a whistle to indicate I needed to find her</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was rewarded with a treat and accolades and off I went again</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It was super fun</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The following week we were back at the farm</div><div style="text-align: center;">Laura went on the other side of a fence and </div><div style="text-align: center;">I needed to work out how to get to her through a series of gates</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was in case I get stuck somewhere</div><div style="text-align: center;">and would have the confidence and knowledge to work it out by myself</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We continue to work on sit/stay and heel</div><div style="text-align: center;">on and off lead in school</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wow, is it hard when there are so many friends and good smells to distract me!<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBtiXYhgkDLJxfEotIBEjT9I7x4fZzgcMXlNmqdt7gX5Gb6hM-vG9hpVnG7twP6aRedfWV4XBE18707kjW0X3RjQJN0vhzgBVo-3EGktWFnKxpp5vd-t5pzV6A7oh0xBAbPx46A__jnw3/s1600/photo+1-015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBtiXYhgkDLJxfEotIBEjT9I7x4fZzgcMXlNmqdt7gX5Gb6hM-vG9hpVnG7twP6aRedfWV4XBE18707kjW0X3RjQJN0vhzgBVo-3EGktWFnKxpp5vd-t5pzV6A7oh0xBAbPx46A__jnw3/s640/photo+1-015.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My classroom</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In a few weeks</div><div style="text-align: center;">I think the class will go for coffee for an hour</div><div style="text-align: center;">and I will practice my sit/stay/lie down next to Laura</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I should be well behaved the whole time I am in the coffee house</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hmm, sounds like a challenge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I think puppy classes are a lot different here</div><div style="text-align: center;">than in the US</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I will grow up with my classmates, as the class is ongoing</div><div style="text-align: center;">At one point I can join a specialized spaniel group,</div><div style="text-align: center;">try agility classes or gun dog training</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For now,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I still have a lot to learn and practice</div><div style="text-align: center;">in my puppy class</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am a good girl</div><div style="text-align: center;">Woof :)<br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- photos by my person, laura -</span></i></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Puppy Raised English

Hiya!  (that's English for 'hello') I'm Millie, a 5 month old spaniel I want to tell you a bit about my puppy class in Engla...

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Hint Hunt London

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Browsing <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186338-Activities-London_England.html">TripAdvisor</a>'s site for things to do,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was surprised to see this activity currently ranked</div><div style="text-align: center;">as the #1 Attraction in London</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hzJ842Ut87p5MPWonZzF7MppZO2p4ZvLsy7JjDfL-ltxHw1hF_FgIy6L5WHsM5P4DXujWT2Mn2p2p2VfulMpk06cYlnuLLU18uLSUen8bBO2_AFn9soqItd0P1Sqj3vdQWQZSm5MIuJz/s1600/541252_305351182869701_493306453_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hzJ842Ut87p5MPWonZzF7MppZO2p4ZvLsy7JjDfL-ltxHw1hF_FgIy6L5WHsM5P4DXujWT2Mn2p2p2VfulMpk06cYlnuLLU18uLSUen8bBO2_AFn9soqItd0P1Sqj3vdQWQZSm5MIuJz/s640/541252_305351182869701_493306453_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So me</div><div style="text-align: center;">(being me),</div><div style="text-align: center;">HAD to check it out</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shrouded in mystery,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hint Hunt describes itself as</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A new simple and fun live escape game</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We lock up a handful of people (3 to 5)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>into a small space that looks like a normal room at first sight</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>However, it is a smartly designed environment where the captives</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>start discovering hidden objects, codes, keys, riddles and clues</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>to help them escape the room in 60 minutes</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Created by a clever group of Hungarians, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Hint Hunt has locations in London, Paris, and Cape Town</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It was CRAZY fun</div><div style="text-align: center;">I promise it is nothing you have ever done before</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Perfect for families or a group of friends,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hint Hunt is conveniently located across from Euston Station</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Put this on your 'must do' list for your next visit to London</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- minimum age of 9 with an adult -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">More info: <a href="http://hinthunt.co.uk/">Hint Hunt</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br /><br />

Hint Hunt London

Browsing TripAdvisor 's site for things to do, I was surprised to see this activity currently ranked as the #1 Attraction in London So m...

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C.S. Lewis

<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5iwCvNAMC6dk1IoqAAN49Yp3Exg0ZCnltYR7viseZ3ja3GInO6iCcrAciwpwzkNTduiAsvrQeT5RyHRlBVJAxtPO56NyTSSti4uP_PW_fM2M9WVw8jdogk1ujxUTP_j1NEtY4GYzwTLV/s1600/DSC05444-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5iwCvNAMC6dk1IoqAAN49Yp3Exg0ZCnltYR7viseZ3ja3GInO6iCcrAciwpwzkNTduiAsvrQeT5RyHRlBVJAxtPO56NyTSSti4uP_PW_fM2M9WVw8jdogk1ujxUTP_j1NEtY4GYzwTLV/s640/DSC05444-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Last week I traveled to Oxford</div><div style="text-align: center;">to visit the home of C.S. Lewis,</div><div style="text-align: center;">who is famously known for writing</div><div style="text-align: center;">'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Today,</div><div style="text-align: center;">his home 'The Kilns'</div><div style="text-align: center;">is not a museum but a residence</div><div style="text-align: center;">that houses visiting scholars</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So many fun things to tell you,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I'll try to stick to just a few...<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbNH9Y37ucQaLPK2-rnmaVgewj0TLhVGdTQD9c_a1dhdUFrgUHtGVlcknwaOv86UBgYpPI-A99_ioQRnyChDfk53Of4uxUs1DEmSLiZeOy9ewKF48r0btSiTo71Cja6C9BwtoE1oeBSgm/s1600/DSC08450-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbNH9Y37ucQaLPK2-rnmaVgewj0TLhVGdTQD9c_a1dhdUFrgUHtGVlcknwaOv86UBgYpPI-A99_ioQRnyChDfk53Of4uxUs1DEmSLiZeOy9ewKF48r0btSiTo71Cja6C9BwtoE1oeBSgm/s640/DSC08450-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having lost his bedroom key, <br />C.S. Lewis had to enter & exit his bedroom by the exterior stairs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1898</div><div style="text-align: center;">and was also known as 'Jack' in memory of his dog</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He was a professor at Oxford and Cambridge Universities</div><div style="text-align: center;">in Medieval and Renaissance Literature</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lewis knew many foreign languages<br />including Norse, Greek, and Latin</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He would play Scrabble with his brother</div><div style="text-align: center;">and wife with two sets of tiles<br />- words in any foreign language were permissible -<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkfIk3sZ_jzslkDu5KYjIzvGGhE2Sjku4Le0rMThUKqQlT_ZDos671Cs-I21c1QCHWjuiKK3B66x_lgGPCIgNCMX4KLFS4G2LpvC_b58V5BxdDb1zdzzrnmJKkqnU2bf0CsC7_wQu56xe/s1600/DSC08435-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkfIk3sZ_jzslkDu5KYjIzvGGhE2Sjku4Le0rMThUKqQlT_ZDos671Cs-I21c1QCHWjuiKK3B66x_lgGPCIgNCMX4KLFS4G2LpvC_b58V5BxdDb1zdzzrnmJKkqnU2bf0CsC7_wQu56xe/s640/DSC08435-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room where they played Scrabble</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">C.S. Lewis loved his house, The Kilns</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As he married later in life, he had had quite the bachelor pad</div><div style="text-align: center;">that was 'held up by books and cobwebs'<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hqRDjU_XHHZy0mSfJ4xKlsETQ4KS9G4v-TyhdhANH0XGC2-HtbyCOSts-Y0NsXI5vw9ctJZAC7rIIHLbBCJDz99wjCqlitGTMdK41PSiS3Q0zgCKttHuzMmrvP7oCnvQmqZljTma0fJl/s1600/DSC08433-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hqRDjU_XHHZy0mSfJ4xKlsETQ4KS9G4v-TyhdhANH0XGC2-HtbyCOSts-Y0NsXI5vw9ctJZAC7rIIHLbBCJDz99wjCqlitGTMdK41PSiS3Q0zgCKttHuzMmrvP7oCnvQmqZljTma0fJl/s640/DSC08433-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where C.S. Lewis chatted and smoked cigarettes with friends in his home</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With the help of photos,<br />the C.S. Lewis Foundation decided<br />to restore the house as to how it looked during WWII,<br />including blackout curtains<br /><br />You may remember<br />the four children in 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'<br />sent to the countryside home of an old professor<br />to find safety during WWII<br /><br />Likewise, C.S. Lewis housed 4 children (all girls) during the war<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifLc06rTWZWnnXZqiPEyCZs1jIbmYnOG6rbBdvk3W0acIshUr25bSHE_KH0GDsT4VD3TWlIYEsIq76YgC3cWgmgStFll_QKLusWAlCStZT0b-FvSRUvj27y7X7Rffqct12lZWOpivZASY/s1600/DSC08446-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifLc06rTWZWnnXZqiPEyCZs1jIbmYnOG6rbBdvk3W0acIshUr25bSHE_KH0GDsT4VD3TWlIYEsIq76YgC3cWgmgStFll_QKLusWAlCStZT0b-FvSRUvj27y7X7Rffqct12lZWOpivZASY/s640/DSC08446-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is where C.S. Lewis most likely wrote his fictional books</div><div style="text-align: center;">(his nonfiction books probably were written in his office on campus)<br /><br /><div>From this window, C.S. Lewis would have viewed the nearby pond and woods</div>which were likely inspirations for his Narnia setting</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Interestingly, he did not use a typewriter,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but dipped his pen into an inkwell<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He claimed that during that pause to dip his pen</div><div style="text-align: center;">came his greatest creativity<br /><br />Although best known for 'The Chronicles of Narnia' written for children,<br />Lewis wrote 47 works of non-fiction, 11 fiction, and 4 poetry collections<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT76yzuPOoqW1t4T0rx90cdGcm9xec8mOGFYicet91NovLBoaaGt1aSQ6xIZ-0Yg0wH4QM44KrcZDi4iM7ktnTt5rVjs5mcvJdDHNLjscfSjNnzkk1iQfgoM_n4ksGoNM8fniJfV0SpG6/s1600/DSC08466-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT76yzuPOoqW1t4T0rx90cdGcm9xec8mOGFYicet91NovLBoaaGt1aSQ6xIZ-0Yg0wH4QM44KrcZDi4iM7ktnTt5rVjs5mcvJdDHNLjscfSjNnzkk1iQfgoM_n4ksGoNM8fniJfV0SpG6/s640/DSC08466-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of his closest friends was J.R.R. Tolkien</div><div style="text-align: center;">who wrote 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'<br /><br />Both men were professors at Oxford University,<br />served during WWI<br />and wrote during WWII<br /><br />They were passionate about words, languages, myths, and their religious faith<br />(Tolkien worked for the Oxford English Dictionary<br />defining words beginning with the letter 'W'<br />and later was a codebreaker during WWII)<br /><br />With unusual common interests<br />and fairy-tale success,<br />they were two peas in a pod, really<br /><br />In fact, it was Tolkien who influenced atheist Lewis to become a Christian<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3jHq12C3bbe5L8DReSVtcRR44ku5ZgqIHvbEkfFSiEnuPMhfjt5YNHR0flpie71p9MSH77Ouskb0niajz1vl40Y5IPUO5Yp7UPRW76mGo0pTj3RqAasXJ9EAFmMPpoyRmElZ6loJA3nS/s1600/DSC08460-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3jHq12C3bbe5L8DReSVtcRR44ku5ZgqIHvbEkfFSiEnuPMhfjt5YNHR0flpie71p9MSH77Ouskb0niajz1vl40Y5IPUO5Yp7UPRW76mGo0pTj3RqAasXJ9EAFmMPpoyRmElZ6loJA3nS/s640/DSC08460-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond and woods on C.S. Lewis's property</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />'The Chronicles of Narnia' series and 'The Lord of the Rings'<br />hold elements from fairy tales and mythology from other cultures<br />including Norse, Roman, Greek and Persian<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lewis, Tolkien, and a few other fellow writers</div><div style="text-align: center;">gathered at this pub weekly to discuss their current works<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They called themselves the 'Inklings'<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEVnYD4CiTLqPT3c0ShC44_j4OKnWBC0BvtxYNDKvOM1HYsAfzGLhTNAxyWkGUnCuVLaK6bZ7MeITmmBZvEXwq7j9VkSRpujnxBUNzdVDVxbc4ScA65qX_UQaKCd-iA60LNOdKXdZ7NE_/s1600/DSC08469-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEVnYD4CiTLqPT3c0ShC44_j4OKnWBC0BvtxYNDKvOM1HYsAfzGLhTNAxyWkGUnCuVLaK6bZ7MeITmmBZvEXwq7j9VkSRpujnxBUNzdVDVxbc4ScA65qX_UQaKCd-iA60LNOdKXdZ7NE_/s640/DSC08469-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aka 'The Bird And The Baby' Pub</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />In this pub<br />the Inklings talked, drank, and shared their latest writing projects,<br />providing constructive criticism of each others work<br />from 1939 - 1962<br /><br />Lewis's 'Screwtape Letters' and Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'<br />were brought to the table here<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdHjFgg19ee8YSU1AQnmZPSnLPBL0iKR7jhQ0YI48XTgSabSwmCuV0FXcR-cU3wWy0Ydif5dOxWzgJ4J7-5un80trFAiH1Q_E2PGf24_JUeXGktD11mLqC4CcFD4TGqoSQlBumemlNGxH/s1600/DSC08475-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdHjFgg19ee8YSU1AQnmZPSnLPBL0iKR7jhQ0YI48XTgSabSwmCuV0FXcR-cU3wWy0Ydif5dOxWzgJ4J7-5un80trFAiH1Q_E2PGf24_JUeXGktD11mLqC4CcFD4TGqoSQlBumemlNGxH/s640/DSC08475-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />C.S. Lewis died fifty years ago on November 22nd,<br />the same day President Kennedy was assassinated<br />and author Aldous Huxley of 'Brave New World' died<br /><br />After Lewis died,<br />his furniture and possessions were auctioned off uneventfully<br />and the multiple acre estate was sold off<br /><br />Today, 'The Kilns' is no longer a house in the country<br />but in the middle of a working class neighborhood in Oxford<br /><br />His pond and woods are open to the public as a Wildlife Trust nature reserve<br /><br />On November 22nd of this year,<br />a memorial stone will be placed in C.S. Lewis's honor at<br />Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey<br />in the good company of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIM658zX-wzk_hZGFMEelEaOJOxyGrFdwrx4v0ZEDgaCjfiD5pTzuqtQ9b1PoFiXLEpTC-p04RXknCgQBJh9IqkaT2SGmWR2tZVZ1uDFBAJ8bfUe5lPoC45rLi46qd-ebjrh5z4HEl9OL/s1600/il_570xN.283609557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIM658zX-wzk_hZGFMEelEaOJOxyGrFdwrx4v0ZEDgaCjfiD5pTzuqtQ9b1PoFiXLEpTC-p04RXknCgQBJh9IqkaT2SGmWR2tZVZ1uDFBAJ8bfUe5lPoC45rLi46qd-ebjrh5z4HEl9OL/s640/il_570xN.283609557.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fine art print for sale via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JaneHeinrichs?ref=l2-shopheader-name">Jane Heinrichs</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />And to think this is how it all started...<br /><br /><i>''</i>The Lion <i>all began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella</i><br /><i>and parcels in a snowy wood.</i><br /><i>This picture had been in my mind since I was about sixteen.</i><br /><i>Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself,</i><br /><i>'Let's try to make a story about it'.''</i><br /><i>- C.S. Lewis</i><br /><br />He is such a great story<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">- photos by me -</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Read more about children evacuated during WWII <a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/english-children-of-wwii.html">here</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Tours by appointment only, <a href="http://www.cslewis.org/ourprograms/thekilns/kilnstour/">here</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.cslewis.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">C.S.Lewis Foundation</a>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.wikipedia.com/">Wikipedia</a>, </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/11/29/cs-lewis-narnia-facts-_n_2209399.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Huffington Post</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

C.S. Lewis

Last week I traveled to Oxford to visit the home of C.S. Lewis, who is famously known for writing 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...

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