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A Little Flower Grows

Catholic Blog by Stephanie Peter

{England Trip} Part 2: Shakespeare, Tolkien, + a Palace

June 16, 2015

During our stay in Oxford, we took a day trip to the adorable town of Stratford-upon-Avon, home to Shakespeare’s birthplace as well as his grave. There we toured his Birthplace (pictured in the first four photos above), and then visited Holy Trinity Church, where his grave is located (pictured in the last four photos). Since my high school puts on a Shakespeare play every year, this was a special day for everyone in my group. Shakespeare holds a very dear place in each of our hearts, so it was exciting, unforgettable, and quite an honor to visit the place where he was born, walk through the town he lived in, and pray at his grave site.
Our day became really special when some of the kids in my group had the opportunity to perform at the Birthplace! There were a few actors in the courtyard outside the Birthplace performing scenes from Shakespeare plays on the spot + by request. At some point, it came out that our group had just put on a production of King Lear in May, and the actors invited us to perform some scenes, if we wished. I of course was not in King Lear, since I graduated two years ago, so I did not perform, but I excitedly and proudly spectated as the kids (my sister among them) acted out four of their scenes. How cool for them to get to perform Shakespeare, right there outside his birthplace, in Stratford-upon-Avon! It was a pretty unforgettable experience. 

Earlier this same day, on our way to Stratford, we made a quick stop at Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough. There we had lunch and had time to explore the beautiful grounds. Though it was a blustery, chilly day, we had fun burning off some energy while wandering around outside the gorgeous palace.

Oh, and I almost forgot. At the beginning of this same amazing day, we visited J.R.R. Tolkien’s grave. Yup. 🙂

As a perfect end to a perfect day, I had some of the most amazing fish + chips of my life at a restaurant in Stratford called Loxley’s, accompanied by a delicious rose wine and followed by a divinely delicious brownie + ice cream dessert. I still can’t believe it, but I ate every bite of it all. And I even got to dine with Shakespeare.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more tales of my adventures in England!
~Stephanie

Related

Categories: adventure, England, Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon, travel

Related Posts

Highlights of Europe: Paris
Highlights of Europe: Lisieux
{D.R. Mission Trip} Part 2: Self-sacrifice
Previous:
{England Trip} Part I: Oxford
Next:
{England Trip} Part 3: Highlights of London

Comments

  1. Abbey Noelle says

    June 17, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    You look so European! I'm really loving looking through your pictures..so fun!

    Reply
  2. Gabrielle says

    June 18, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Stratford-upon-Avon's tudor style buildings and mullioned windows are so cute! And Blenheim palace is one of my favorites too. Out of all the places/cities you visited in England, which was your favorite?

    Reply
  3. Stephanie Peter says

    June 19, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    Hehe, thanks Abbey! 🙂 Yay, I'm glad you're enjoying my pictures — I'm loving sharing them!

    Reply
  4. Stephanie Peter says

    June 19, 2015 at 2:21 pm

    Aren't they adorable?! The buildings are one of my favorite things about Stratford-upon-Avon! And yes, Blenheim Palace is gorgeous!
    Oh my goodness, it's so hard to choose a favorite place/city… But I would definitely have to say Oxford, and also the Lake District. I haven't posted about the Lake District yet (I will soon!), but we went hiking through some trails + mountains there, and it was so breathtakingly beautiful!

    Reply

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About Me

Hi, I'm Stephanie!

Catholic wife, mama of two, and homemaker. Michigan native, thrift shopper, and tea drinker. Embracing and striving for authentic womanhood as God designed. Welcome to my little corner of the internet, where I share from my heart about wife life, mama life, and Catholic life. Pour a cup of tea and stay awhile!

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“Not all of us can do great things, but we can d “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” (Mother Teresa)
Motherhood + homemaking are full of “small things.” Vacuuming, washing dishes, changing diapers; picking up toys, folding the laundry, reading stories. And so often we find ourselves doing these things with bitterness, annoyance, or reluctance. But let’s catch ourselves and instead try to do them with “great love” in our hearts. Making this simple mindset shift can make all the difference! Instead of seeing drudgery in all our day-to-day tasks, let’s see them as opportunities to love our families (and, by extension, God) even more. ✨
“The homemaker has the ultimate career. All othe “The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career.” • A beautiful quote about homemaking from one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis.

Fellow homemakers & mamas, we are not “just” homemakers or “just” stay-at-home moms. We have the most important job in the world: caring for our children & our homes, forming little souls, shaping the next generation, and most importantly, raising future saints. 

It is a privilege and a blessing to have such a job, one that God designed women for in a unique way. May God always give us the we need to do it well. 💕
New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be w New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be when you bring a new baby home. When you feel like you can’t get anything done anymore. Between feeding, changing, and holding the baby, oftentimes there’s no time (or energy) for anything else. And while caring for your baby is of course a worthy job, it doesn’t change the fact that there are things you need or want to do. 

I get it—I’ve been there and still am! But I’ve figured out some hacks along the way that I want to share with you.

So mamas, here are my top 8 tips to get things done, even with an infant in the mix!

1. Prioritize prayer over everything.
2. Make checklists.
3. Prioritize 1-2 tasks for the day.
4. Babywear.
5. Take advantage of small windows of opportunity.
6. Accept help.
7. Practice teamwork with your spouse.
8. Go easy on yourself.

Read all the details in my newest blog post! Link in bio. And always remember mamas, you’re doing a great job, and God chose YOU to be the mother of your baby! There is no greater mother for your baby than you! 💗

What are your best tips for keeping up with tasks after a baby? Let me know in the comments!
One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes f One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes from my favorite saint (and the namesake of my little babe featured in this video), St. Thérèse the Little Flower: “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.” Her own mother is also a canonized saint, St. Zélie—so I know Thérèse spoke from firsthand experience! How beautiful that the love in our own motherly hearts is a reflection of God’s love for us! Let’s strive to live up to that reflection, and to follow St. Zélie’s example in our own motherhood and raise wonderful saints.
Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re n Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re new here, or welcome again if you’ve followed me before! I’m revamping & relaunching this account, as well as my blog (A Little Flower Grows) with a whole new sense of inspiration and mission ✨

A little bit about me:
• I’ve been married to my husband, Marcus, for a little over 4 years
• We now have two babies, Benedict (20 months) and Therese (6 months)
• I’m a full-time stay-at-home mom and homemaker, and it’s my dream job
• I’m a devout Roman Catholic
• We live in southeast Michigan where I grew up
• Check out my blog post to read more! (Link in bio)

I can’t wait to dive into this account and blog to bring you inspiring, encouraging content on womanhood & motherhood from an authentically Catholic perspective. 

Please feel free introduce yourself in the comments—I can’t wait to get to know you all!
Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours tr Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours truly 🇺🇸 Speaking of baking, did you catch last week’s blog post about my top 8 essential baking supplies?! Hop on over to read my list - from one beginner baker to another - of baking supplies that every beginner needs! Link in bio👩🏻‍🍳
——
I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! 🙏🏻
New post on the blog today about my top 9 favorite New post on the blog today about my top 9 favorite, powerful novenas 🙏🏻 “Personally, I love novenas. As someone who appreciates schedules, I think it’s something about the nine-day structure that draws me to novenas. Plus I have found them to be extremely powerful and efficacious in my life for many an intention - not the least of which is the finding of my now spouse...” 💕 Continue reading #ontheblog ➡️ link in bio!
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