God is a Refuge

February 7, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Reading through Psalm 9 recently, these verses stood out to me:

“God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.” (Psalm 9: 9-12, The Message)

You’re never sorry you knocked.

Isn’t that beautiful?

I can imagine walking up to God’s door, like walking up to the home of a best friend where you’re fully accepted and always welcome just as you are. Weighed down with problems, the moment you enter His presence you feel utter relief.

Have you ever felt utter relief? I have.

The world can be exhausting, can’t it? Health problems, relationship drama, political divisiveness, disappointment.

What is the mountain you’re facing?

What is the disappointment weighing on you?

What is the grief that’s spilling out of you?

You know, God is always with us. His presence is already here, with you in your day-to-day moments.

Take a moment right now to rest and relax with Him; to leave what is burdening you at His feet.

“You’re never sorry you knocked.”

The Scandalous Art of James Ensor

January 3, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Over the summer I made a trip to the Getty Museum on a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles to take in the stunning architecture, views of LA and an interesting art exhibit by a Belgian artist I’d never heard of before.

The exhibit was entitled The Scandalous Art of James Ensor.

Ensor (1860-1949) was a painter, printmaker and draftsman who lived most of his life in Ostend, Belgium. He began as a portrait painter and created hundreds of realistic portraits, sketches, and landscapes.

Some of his “normal” paintings include Old Lady with Blue Shawl (The Artist’s Grandmother), 1881

and Russian Music, 1881.

The years of 1888-1892 were a turning point in Ensor’s work that earned him the scandalous reputation. During that time, his work began to focus on religious themes, and though he was an atheist he seemed fascinated by the torment of the suffering Christ. Ensor was fascinated with masks and skeletons and enjoyed painting grotesque images in these works, most of which were rich with symbolism and political commentary.

Perhaps his most controversial work was the large painting Christ’s Entry into Brussels, 1889. In it we see a large mob of people walking alongside Jesus as he rides on a donkey (no doubt a play on the Triumphal Entry recorded in the New Testament). Many members of the crowd are wearing grotesque masks. In the crowd there are several historical figures, including Belgian politicians, and even members of Ensor’s family. Ensor felt that he could relate to the mockery Jesus received from others.

Other interesting grotesque paintings by Ensor include The Intrigue

Skeletons Fighting Over a Pickled Herring, 1891

and Skeleton Painter in His Studio.

Ensor had an important influence on expressionism and surrealism. In the early 20th century he finally became respected and acclaimed. He was even knighted and given the title of Baron.

It was quite interesting to see so much of Ensor’s work in person and to learn about this instrumental and “scandalous” artist.

Delighting in the Vineyards of Champagne

April 29, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.” –F. Scott Fitzgerald

Last spring Joel and I drove 100 miles east of Paris to stay for several days in the Champagne region of France. We both quickly fell in love with the area!

We stayed in a lovely gîte overlooking the vineyards in the small and charming village of Hautvillers. This village was home to Dom Pérignon in the 17th century, the now-famous monk who was one of the fathers of the method in which champagne is made.

There was a conviviality and joy that seemed to fill the air!

Most people tend to drink champagne only at celebrations and parties, although I personally think anytime is the right time to drink champagne! (In fact I’m currently drinking a glass as I write this).

Even though there are more than 300 champagne villages in the region with several thousand champagne producers and 84,000 acres of vineyards, it feels as if everyone is united under the common banner of making quality champagne to be shared in people’s happiest life moments.

We enjoyed visiting several champagne houses and their vineyards. One of those was Lasseaux & Fils. Vincent Lasseaux was so gracious to spend the whole morning with us as we tasted their range of champagnes and journeyed out into their vineyards.

The small, family owned champagne house was established in 1970. We drove through lush green forest trees and field after field of vibrant yellow flowers as we made the short drive from Hautvillers to La Neuville-aux-Larris, the tiny village (only 200 inhabitants) where they’re located.

The Lasseauxs share that “the limestone subsoil and south facing vineyards provide us ideal conditions to produce some of the best pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes necessary to our limited production.” It was a wonderful morning exploring one of the many talented family champagne houses who produce small batch, high quality champagnes.

Champagne felt like home. I can’t wait to return!

Did you know...

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced from grape varietals in the Champagne region of France; the main grapes used being pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay.

Some use the term champagne as a generic term for sparkling wine, but in most countries, it is illegal to officially label any product champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region and is produced under the strict rules of the appellation using the Méthode Champenoise (Champagne Method), which includes secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to create carbonation.

If you’re interested in Champagne I highly recommend watching the delightful documentary A Year in Champagne.

Joel (in the pink shirt) in the vineyards with brothers Vincent and Baptiste Lasseaux. This is their plot of pinot meunier grapes.They gave us a lesson in spring vine pruning.

Here are some of the lovely champagnes we tasted, paired with delicious charcuterie and cheese from the local city Reims. These champagnes are (L to R) Bled Rosé (100% pinot meunier), Vintage 2011 Millésime (chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier), Brut, and Rosé Classique (100% pinot meunier),

Joel and Vincent Lasseaux.

We brought back a bottle of their 2010 Blanc de Blancs Champagne to enjoy at our gîte. The cork was hand tied with string, a method that was used hundreds of years ago.

Flower fields on the way to La Neuville-aux-Larris.

And…bouncing through the Lasseaux’s vineyards in Vincent’s vintage French Army 4×4. Just a slightly bumpy ride!

Falling in Love with the Lake District

July 22, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

“Where is that?! I want to go there!”

Those are the thoughts that ran through my mind more than a decade ago when I first saw the Lake District of Northern England.

Sitting alone in a darkened movie theater, I was completely drawn in by the stunning scenery I was seeing unfold on the big screen.

I was watching the movie Miss Potter, which tells the story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved children’s book, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”. She lived in the Lake District and the local beauty inspired her illustrations and writing.

I went home and immediately looked up the filming location.

The Lake District.

I never forgot it.

In May, Joel and I drove into Northern England (on the left side of the road!) and spent the most glorious five days in a small rented cottage in the Lake District.

In the county of Cumbria, covering 2,362 square kilometres, the region was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. There are Nearly 16 million visitors a year, most coming to visit one of the 16 main lakes.

Staying near the town of Penrith, we were surrounded by rolling green farmland and our only neighbors were approximately 200 sheep.

We wanted to relax while we were there so we spent the days breathing in fresh air and beautiful countryside on long walks through the local surrounds. We visited local pubs and in the evenings we tucked ourselves into our cottage with a bottle of wine, a roaring fire and our favorite British TV shows.

It was my very favorite stop on our trip and I could have happily stayed there indefinitely. I can’t wait to return!

On one of the days we drove down the road to Keswick, a popular market town of around 5,000 people. Our destination was the lake Derwentwater, just south of the town.

We spent a lovely day there gliding around the lake on the passenger ferry and hiking up a fell called Cat Bells, which gave us stunning views of the lake and the surrounding fells.

The ferry stops at seven landings around the lake. You can get off and on throughout the day and go on a variety of hikes. There are also boats and kayaks for rent, and a number of pretty picnic areas.

In addition, there are a variety of hiking paths through wooded areas surrounding the lake. It was so stunning I didn’t want to leave!

Here are some of our memories from the day.

London’s Oldest Wine Bar

June 20, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

Last month when Joel and I were in London, we enjoyed visiting Gordon’s Wine Bar, nestled under the streets of the city. Established in 1890 and located near Victoria Embankment Gardens, it’s thought to be the oldest wine bar in London.

Run by several generations of the same family over the years, it has a lived-in, musty atmosphere and is filled with interesting decor.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for you might miss the entrance as you’re strolling down Villiers street. Through the door we walked gingerly down a steep and narrow staircase.

It’s an enjoyable environment where you can sip and dine by candlelight in their underground vaulted cellars. It brings to mind the French cave, a cellar, vault, or cavern.

While there we drank some lovely Bordeaux, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc and shared a platter of Parma ham, a mild cheese, pickles and freshly baked French bread.

They have a good selection of meats, cheeses and sundry bites to customize your cheese platter. They also serve lunch and dinner year round in their cellar and on the outdoor terrace.

Peruse the wine list online here.

The staff were warm and welcoming and as they say at Gordon’s, they aim to “bring the French joie de vivre to the atmosphere and ensure our customers are well looked after.”

The bar tender was friendly and interesting to chat to; a young hip Italian with a British accent when he spoke English. At various times there were several people in the parlour speaking melodiously and loudly in Italian.

In the late 1800s Rudyard Kipling was a tenant in the building and both he and G.K. Chesterton wrote some of their works in the wine bar’s parlour.

If you’re in London it’s definitely worth a visit!

Rayni Risher

God is a Refuge

The Scandalous Art of James Ensor

Delighting in the Vineyards of Champagne

Falling in Love with the Lake District

London’s Oldest Wine Bar

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