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Showing posts from September, 2020

Graham Greene

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 Graham Greene A Sort of Life (autobiography) Greene walks the reader through his memories of notable sights in his hometown of Berkhamsted , with its chapel, canal, and renowned boarding school .   Greene describes his first day of school as the    The curtain wall and yard of the old castle that Graham Greene says was built by Chaucer in the 13th century. The castle bailey is site of a modern alms house.   Berkhamsted School Berkhamsted School in 1907, when Greene was 3 years old and living at St. John's , one of the campus boarding houses, where his father was housemaster.  He would later become headmaster of the school.   When Greene returned to St. John's as a boarder at age 13, he writes that "most of [his] memories (and very unhappy ones they are) of the time date back to that time."  Indeed, boarding at school must be an awful existence for the children.  School can be bad enough without having to live there, too.  Photo courtesy of Hertfordshire Genealogy we

Big Island 2020

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 Big Island 2020 We spent 6 weeks in July and August 2020 at Mama Papai.  Two weeks of quarantine was followed by 4 weeks of school.  It was a good place for both.  We did make time to get out....for walks each day and for a few day trips or half day trips.  We were most enchanted by the Big Island.  The mild climate, stunning landscapes, and exotic fruit feasts made each day wonderful.   Flying Into Honolulu Mama Papai Glorious Papayas in Sue's Front Yard! And so much more! First Hawaii Day, First Hawaii Rain A Walk Along Government Road (Southbound)   That's a log, not a sea lion.  The lava is jagged and forbidding. Daily Rituals The Daily Walk In the bushes outside the post office.   Peace, Tic-Tac-Toe, and eradicating invasive species go hand in hand.  It is interesting to note how these leaves make a durable writing surface. Lava! The Road to Leilani Estates Cut by Lava Flow We thought about purchasing a house there.  Yikes!  Phew! We were told we have to stop at Tex.  We