Quarantine Corner

10 days down, 4 to go. Anyone have a life size bubble they could loan me??

Some quick highlights from quarantine life:

• LOTS of tea. I am now next level in the tea game. I've even been truly committed to the British way - meaning adding milk to my tea - even with no one watching. Integrity is key, fam.

• Of course, our friend Netflix. Specifically, catching up on Season 3 of The Crown and finishing Schitt's Creek (Best Wishes, Warmest Regards 😭).

• Playing with my favorite new toy, the Apple Pencil 2! Trying to decide if I have a knack for it or if I'm just the only one to impress here. (See image for my charcoal edition of Big Ben.)

As for struggles? Well, let's just say I've considered hollering at people as they walk by on the street below for a quick chat. Not surprising considering my strong preference for extraversion, but I find it hard to believe anyone would relish this much time alone. While I love good alone time, there's usually the promise of human interaction sometime during the day. These days? Not so much. Introverts, feel free to come at me on this one.

On that note, I am extremely thankful for the All Saints Peckham team and how well they have cared for me so far. Between grocery deliveries, quarantine porch visits, Zoom meetings, and rolling me into the life of the church in whatever way they can, I am already feeling a part of the family. Their support has made this transition bearable in a way it probably wouldn't be if I was to be in quarantine unable to start getting connected.

The Lord has been sweet to teach me during this time. One of the worship team members gave me this word for my quarantine time: cocoon. As strange as it is to literally not leave your living space for 14 days, I've had time to reflect, adjust, and rest in the ever loving arms of my savior. Have I questioned what in the world I'm doing here? Absolutely. But his presence brings peace where my fallible self cannot.

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Becoming British

Please enjoy my new segment entitled "Becoming British," where I will introduce all the normal British things I'm learning. Maybe I'll compile a nice list for those crossing the pond (if that's ever allowed again teehee)? But here we go!

1. Storage heater: What's that?? Shout out to YouTube for tutorials on this one!! You set your input to whatever level seems appropriate for the weather, then in collects heat (not really sure how this happens) throughout the night. You set your output for how quickly you want to distribute the heat throughout the day. Be careful, don't want to lose all that heat my mid-morning!! Travesty!!

2. Laundry: Dryers? Not a thing. BUT this washing machine is, as the kids say, pretty nifty. Please observe the array of settings available. The washing cycle seems pretty standard for this American, but the "drying" cycle is more like a nice steam? The clothes come out warm, but damp. You could probably get a better result turning up the temperature, but I'm far too scared of singeing all of my towels and/or setting the building on fire to find out.

3. Shower: Those knobs at the bottom? Utterly useless for showering in this shower! (They are useful for the tub, don't want to sell them too short.) Also that contraption next to the shower head? You have to turn on the power outside the shower in order to actually get water flow. Took me a few minutes to figure that one out!!

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Recommendations

Stuck in your own quarantine? Looking for some entertainment recs? Here for you!

1. Watch: OMG David, Schitt's Creek!! No, seriously. The show lives up to the hype. Decide from the beginning that it's supposed to be ridiculous, and you'll probably get hooked quickly.

2. Read: "We Don’t Know What’s Going to Happen and That’s Okay: Living in Holy Uncertainty" - My main man John Mark Comer just released a short ebook. Get on his email list here to get this one and the others he will be releasing!

3. Watch: If you haven't yet, download the app to watch Season 1 of The Chosen. Part of my cocooning has been imagining Jesus with me even here, and The Chosen is an amazing glimpse into the lives of the disciples and the community of Jesus's time. I'm only a few episodes in, but it is definitely worth the watch.

4. Read: American Royals by Katharine McGee - Finished this one just before leaving and now reading the sequel. A story of the present day royal family of America if Washington had become King instead of President. An interesting take on what could have been and a fun rom com style at the same time.

Thanks for reading! Friends, if I haven't sent you my new UK number, please reach out, and I'll send it your way. As I continue on in this journey, I'm eager to stay in touch with my people.

Jolly good!