Scargill Parable. SAY WHAT?

Speaking British, honey.

Everyone who comes to Scargill to live "in Community" agrees to work in some capacity.  Some people work here for years. (like the Directors, the Chaplains, the administrative team, etc.  And others come here to live in Community for 1-2 years. (these are mostly college age kids who are here for their "gap year".  Some of these are International Community members from all over the world, like India, Hungary, Africa, Spain, etc.  And I guess I am kinda part of that International Community because I am the only person here from America right now. (More about that in a minute.)  I am technically on "Sabbatical" while I am here which by the Scargill definition means that I am here for a temporary time and agree to work for my room and meals, and I can also take part in any of the seminars or programs available during my time off.  And there are also "working friends" who are mostly lovely retired adults who live somewhere in England and like to come to Scargill for a few days at a time to volunteer their time.  From what I have observed, we couldn't get along without them.   

I've been in the UK before so I thought I would have no problem at all with the language.  I mean we all speak English, right?  Wrong.  They speak British.  And I speak American.  Southern-style, honey.  I was really surprised at how difficult it was to understand everyone. I'm not talking about the charming British accents. Its one thing to be a tourist, saying hello, or making a purchase, or ordering from a menu.  But its another thing when you are trying to have a serious conversation and you have no idea what the person just replied to you.  

So a few days after I arrived, I started composing a little song about all the different words we use to describe the same thing and I sang it for the Community one day.  They all accepted it with the good-natured way I meant it and I think it helped break the ice a little more.  It has certainly opened up conversations for me with everyone.  And I really admire the international students for coming here and speaking English.  I cannot imaging how hard it must be for them.  England is a small country (about the size of North Carolina) but they have many different dialects and accents.  Sometimes it is hard for the British to understand each other, depending on what area of the country they are from.  So you can imagine what they must think if I offer them some waddur.  (water) Or what runs through my mind when a man says its a bit chilly and he's going to nip off to get his jumper from the boot.  (translation: run out to get his sweater from the trunk of the car.)  
                                     

Moral of the Story:  Seriously, learning to accept each other and communicate with each other with all our differences and diversities is part of being open, loving, and genuinely respecting each other as brothers and sisters.  It's a heart-warming thing in a way that I have never had the opportunity to experience before.  And I love it.  

Here's my silly little song:

I say tomato.  You say to-mah-toe.
I say potato.  Do you say po-tah-toe? 
But a baked potato, you call a jacket spud. 
Let's call the whole thing off!

Someone asked me to Hoover.
But my ears heard "hover"
So I stood around and hovered 
while someone else hoovered.
OH NO!  Hoover= vacuum.
Vacuum= Hoover



Let's call the whole thing off!

You lay the table.  I set the table.
You say trolley.  I say cart.
You say rubbish.  I say trash.
Let's call the whole thing off!

You say Gammon.  I say ham
You say pudding.  I say dessert. 
You say sweetie.  I say candy.
Let's call the whole thing off!

When you say biscuits, you mean cookies.
When I say biscuits, I mean bread.
(A little like a round scone, but soft and slightly salty)
Let's call the whole thing off!

When you say TEA,
I think cold sweet tea.
When you say "gotta nip off"
I'm thinking scissors.
Celsius,  Fahrenheit,
Liters, Gallons,
Let's call the whole thing off!

But, Oh, if we call the whole thing off, 
then we must part.
And oh, when we have to part
then that will surely  break my heart.

When you say "creche"
I think Christmas
And when you say holiday
I also think Christmas.
(see how confusing this is?)

When you say coach, I say bus.
When you say lorry, I say truck.
When you say car park, I say Parking Lot.
Oh, Let's call the whole thing off!

But wait!  
When you say sister, and I say brother,
We all know what that means 
cause we love each other. 
Its our love for Jesus
that bonds us all together...
So I'm calling the calling-off OFF! 
Yes, I'm calling the calling-off OFF! 

A couple weeks ago, I went with some of the Community  to "Billy Bob's"'  
https://www.billybobsparlour.com/
This is a British interpretation of retro Americana.  Felt kinda like we were in Nebraska.  It was surreal for me.  Kinda like a British Pub in the USA.  The menu was American food and signs said "Howdy."

I ordered grits so everyone could have their first taste of one of our real American foods.  But the funniest thing to me was the reaction to the American signs that said "RESTROOMS"

My new Brazilian friend Gabrielle said "Why do you call it a restroom?  You don't go in there to rest." 

HMM, Gabrielle, I really don't know why we say Restroom.  

The British say Toilet or Loo.  And the really funny thing here at Scargill is while all the rooms have a sink, many of the guest rooms do not have toilets and tubs in the room (Which they call en-suite).  So you go down the hall for showers and trips to the loo.  If a door says TOILET, that is all there is.  But if it says SHOWER, that is all there is.  And one room says BATHROOM and the bathtub is all there is.  No toilet.  Cause it said Bathroom.  Kinda tricky.  Keeps everyone on their toes.  

So we might use different words, but we're all basically the same when you get right down to it.  You say Loo and I say Restroom, we mean the same thing. Know what I mean?  😜

Till next time, 

Deep Peace to ya'll, 

Audrey 

Hey ya'll from Audrey in England; WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING HERE? Part 5. Kitchen Parable. Cooking for God.

If you come to Scargill to live with the Community, you are assigned to teams, like House, Kitchen, Estate, Hosting, or Admin.  When I arrived, I was pleased to learn that I would be working on several teams: House, Hosting ...and... KITCHEN!!!😱  Oh NO!  
Some of you have heard me say, over the years, that I have a recurring nightmare of being responsible for preparing a meal or an event for a large amount of people and peeping out the door to see a room full of people and I don't even have a plan, or a menu planned, much less food prepared, and I always wake up about that time, so thankful that it was just a dream...😟well, when they told me that I was assigned to work with the Kitchen team, I almost said "Oh, no, I really can't do that."  Then I stopped and thought about what a sense of humor God has. 😉 OK, I have come all the way to England for a new experience, and here it is.  So instead, I took a deep breath and said, "OK, I'm willing to do it, but please don't expect me to be responsible for a meal.  Please."  They gave me a few days to get my bearings, and eased me into the daily routine here at Scargill.  

First day in kitchen: June 2.
OK, so I have never worked in a restaurant or commercial kitchen before.  Just saying.  I am given a kitchen tour and instructed about hand-washing, clean side, dirty side, sanitation, equipment safety, etc.  Then I am issued a kitchen uniform:  Hair covering, white chef's shirt, chef's pants, and washable Crocs for the feet,  remove all  jewelry.  Honestly, about then, I'm thinking my 'Chef Outfit' is kinda cute, and this kitchen stint might turn out to be fun.  (At this point, enter Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn) How do I look?  How's my hair?  "reporting for Duty, sir!"

SO, I get suited up and given my first assignment: wash and remove the eyes from 10 gallons of new potatoes.  And the meal is in about one hour. WHAT? 😱 So scenes from my recurring nightmare start creeping in and I start washing.  About 5 minutes into it, I start feeling like a kid in boot camp who is given the grunt work.  Then 10 minutes later, my back begins to ACHE from bending over the sink.  I start thinking, is this some kind of hazing ritual?  Like maybe they are trying to break me on the first day and want to see what I will do.  "OK, 2 can play this game. I won't crack!"  I keep washing, removing eyes, washing, removing eyes, washing. My back hurts.  And I've never see so many potatoes in my life.
After awhile, I start looking around to see what the others are doing in the kitchen.  

Everyone is busy chopping and cooking, cleaning, quietly focused on their assigned tasks.  So maybe my potato assignment is not so bad after all.  Then I start thinking about the scripture "Do all things without murmuring or complaining." (Philippians 2:14, my version)  OK.  I get it.  Even peeling potatoes.  😳  hmmm.  Attitude check.  
Then I start thinking about Brother Lawrence, the little monk from the 1600's who worked with joy in the monastery kitchen while experiencing an awareness of God all the while.  (The Practice of the Presence of God) 
"Hmm, OK, maybe I can do that while I wash potatoes."
Then I remember a scripture I  recently read about the women who served Jesus and his disciples.  ( Luke 8:1-3)  So I think, OK, if I was preparing a meal for Jesus today, I would probably be sure that these are the very cleanest potatoes.  I would do my best.  And it would be my pleasure and honor.  So I go back through my growing pile of washed potatoes to be sure there were no eyes left behind.  Then I start thinking about our guests who will soon be eating these potatoes and how when I serve them, I really am serving God. Got it.  So before I know it, all 10 gallons are washed and all eyes removed.  "Yes sir!"
I've gone from Private Benjamin to Brother Lawrence in 30 minutes.    The potatoes are whisked into our convection oven and cooked in no time flat. Beautiful. Brilliant! Mission Accomplished.  Feeling pretty good about the lesson learned...I've got this.  😉  

Then DAY 2 Kitchen Shift arrives. June 3. My assignment:making toast for breakfast.  No problem.  ANYBODY can make toast, right?  So they show me  how to work the toaster thingy and I begin.  No problem.  Right.  Now, the trick with toast is that you make it at the last minute so it is hot.  Right.  And I'm making toast for about 70 people.  Right.  Now, there is also something about the British and their breakfast toast.  They really like it.  And they like a lot of it.  So I'm feeding the bread through the commercial toaster machine, which has a little conveyor belt.  You just feed the bread through at the top, it slides out the bottom nice and perfectly browned, then I cut each piece on the diagonal and put it in the little toast holders.  

No problem.  I've got this.  Until I notice that the toast is getting darker and darker, leaning toward burnt.  The toaster is set on 3 so I turn it down to 2.  It gets darker and darker.  So I turn it to 1.  That's low, correct?  Oh, no, it gets darker.  Yes, it really is burning now.  And nobody wants burnt toast.  About now, the kitchen is starting to smell like burnt toast and the guests are asking for more toast.  YIKES!  It's my nightmare coming true.  😱
Remember Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory?  Well, that's me with the burnt toast machine. 😲


YIKES!  Then one of the kitchen team comes to my rescue and shows me that I was turning the toaster to HIGH when I thought I was turning it down.  They turn the dial to 5 (low) and turn on the exhaust fan.  I'm embarrassed and humiliated.  I can't even make simple toast.  And you know what?  The kitchen team just laughs and says "No problem.  We'll make bread crumbs'.  They start telling me some of their horror stories of kitchen mishaps.  Seems that everyone has broken something or burnt something or messed something up.  They were great about it.  So I guess I'm officially part of the kitchen team now.  Yes sir, we are cooking for God.   Serving our guests the best we can.  Doing all things without murmuring or complaining.  Humbly.  And I'm no longer patting myself on the back.

Moral of the story: Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  (I Cor 10:12)  Cause you never know what's gonna happen in the kitchen.  

God really does have a sense of humor.  (And they can't fire me, because I'm only here for 6 weeks anyway.😜)

SUMMARY on June 14.  OK, so I've been working with the kitchen team for 8 shifts now.  Everyone on the kitchen team (except me) is in their 20's.  And many of them are from other countries, like India, Africa, Hungary, Italy, so they have to learn to communicate clearly to understand each other.   They all work together beautifully, and without the direct supervision of an older adult.   I'm so impressed with them.  I am falling in love with every one of these kids.  They are really outstanding young adults. They produce 3 large meals a day on time, plus wash and clean up everything correctly between each meal.  Plus tea and coffee and cakes and hot chocolate several times a day.  And start over again the next day without complaining.  The meals here are good and abundant, but I am figuring out that being on the kitchen team is about more than food.  It is really about learning self-control, doing the right thing even when nobody is watching, being responsible, following directions, practicing self-discipline, and most of all, practicing hospitality by serving others.  I feel so proud to work with them.  (More about hospitality another time) 

Oh!  And sometimes I even get to ring the dinner bell.  (5 minutes before mealtime,  someone from the kitchen walks all over the complex ringing the bell to call everyone to the table.   It's the most fun job of all because everyone comes out smiling!)  Yeah!  I'm having a blast. 

 😉And learning to do some things without murmuring and complaining. 😇 More humbling kitchen lessons are ahead, I'm sure.  

till next time, 
Deep Peace to you from Audrey 

Hey ya'll from Audrey in England; WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING HERE? Part 4.

SCARGILL HOUSE TOUR



I want to show you some more photos of the Scargill House. 


I already posted some images of some of the guest rooms in Part 3. 
But there are a few really cool older rooms from when the last family lived here in the 50's like this one:


and there are a few old vintage bathrooms: (makes me think of Downton Abbey)



This is the library, upstairs in the old house.  Someone said they think it was the nursery when the last family lived here.  I love the old beams.  This is where I sit to read or write or paint.




As I said earlier, there are lots of hallways and several hidden stairways.  It took me about 10 days to find my way around.  There are some doors I still have not opened. 

And here are images of some of the lounges:

                                      

This is the dining room that can seat about 84 people.  It is usually full for 3 meals a day.  wow. 

If you wonder what the gray things are on the ceiling, they are "clouds" made from sheep wool.  they help muffle sound (because it gets loud when everyone is talking) plus they are cute.  

There are gathering areas 

and multi-purpose meeting rooms. 

This is the interior of the chapel where quiet prayer is held 3 times a day plus worship and communion twice a week.  Its a beautiful space with large windows that open to the hills.  It's easy to worship here.

There are also 2 large houses where some of the members of the Community live.

And this complex of rooms and apartments is where young Community members live. 

                                     

This is the building where I am staying with other temporary Community members.  It is an old converted barn with thick rock walls.  

                                             

That's all for now.  End of house tour.  All is well.  

Till next time, Deep Peace to you,  Audrey 

                                             

Hey ya'll from Audrey in England; WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING HERE? Part 3.

SCARGILL HOUSE TOUR

Hi, I thought I would tell you more about this place before I tell you about the people here.
But first of all, a few days ago when I said this place was old and squeaky and taped together, I hope I didn't sound like I was complaining about that.  No, I think these old buildings are wonderful.  If I wanted something new and shiny, I might as well stay in the USA and go stay at the Hilton, right?  Someone here said it is "Higgledy-Piggledly" which they meant as a term of endearment.  When you walk into Scargill House, it kinda wraps its arms around you and says "welcome, get comfortable, have a cup of tea and kick your shoes off."    Everyone who comes here seems to love it and the peaceful setting.

The bones of the original old country estate are still here with large parlors, sitting rooms, and gardens:

and there were some old buildings and barns, etc, that have been converted into useable space:

then additions were added when it became a conference center with guest rooms and meeting rooms:

and a wonderful modern chapel was built:

and all the buildings and rooms are connected with corridors and a maze of hallways, up and down countless stairs

into a sprawling complex of old and newer buildings

that have become the Scargill House.

What happens here?  New groups of guests arrive every few days for conferences, and private retreats. Weekly conferences are Monday through Friday, then another group comes in for the weekend, Friday through Sunday.  The "Community" of people who live and work here are responsible for preparing and cleaning guest rooms and bathrooms, cooking three meals a day plus refreshments for tea breaks, and keeping the estate grounds maintained, plus planning and running all the programming and conferences that happen here.  Not to mention worship and prayer and music. Wow. It really does take a village!   

A typical day looks like this:

8:00 morning prayer in the Chapel 

8:15 - 9 BREAKFAST

9-11 conference sessions for guests

or 9-11 work for the Community 

11:00 tea, coffee, biscuits (that means cookies)for everyone

11:30 - 1 pm conference sessions for guests

or 11:30 - 1 pm work for the Community 

1:00 LUNCH

1:45 Community prayers in the Chapel

2:00 - 4:00 free time for guests (including daily hikes or walks)

or 2:00 - 4:00 work for the community 

4:00 Afternoon tea, coffee, cakes for everyone

4:30 - 6 Free time, or sessions for guests, or work for Community 

6:00 evening prayer in the Chapel

6:30 EVENING MEAL

7:45 evening movies or entertainment or sessions for guests

9:00-9:30 hot chocolate before bedtime

More about the amazing Scargill Community later.  

Till then, Deep Peace to you, Audrey