Above Trafalgar Square sits the British National Gallery, home to a beautiful collection of fine art. Now the afternoon we visited we missed the bronze lions cavorting on the square, but there were plenty of other treasure to view. For an artist visiting the Gallery, it was like being immersed in a crowd of celebrities. 

After perusing the salons at the Gallery we emerged from the building that overlooks Trafalgar Square, and once again, looking at the sights and not watching where I was stepping, I twisted my ankle. And I was even wearing sensible shoes. Apparently it is my annual thing to do in London. I  limped back to the Airbnb that we were staying in and our sympathetic hostesses Magda and Dorotea offered me a cup of tea and an ankle brace- I gladly accepted the ankle brace.   

The next day we were off to Westminster Abbey

The formidable Tower of London has fallen victim to a lot of bad press. Many  historical (hysterical?) videos focus on the dark history and tragedies that occurred there, and are there were many, but it is also a home and today offers a well-preserved look at medieval England.

The story of the Tower begins in 1066 when the Duke of Normandy, William, took the offer of the English throne from the aging King Edward the Confessor who had no heir.

According to the account preserved in the Bayeux Tapestry , Edward sent his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson to notify William in France to come to England to rule. Harold was a member of a powerful family in England;  instead of retrieving William he took the throne himself. When a spy in the castle alerted William in Normandy he was understandably ticked off and began preparations for an invasion.

At about the same time, the Viking King Harald Hadrada of Norway decided to exercise his claim to the throne of England. His invasion arrived in September 1066 in northern England where they battled the English forces at Stamford Bridge. Harold G. won,  and dispatched Harald  H. to Valhalla. Within a few days, William who had been building his garrison in southern England where he had landed near  Pevensey (remember the surname of the children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?), attacked.

Instead of rebuilding his army, Harold marched his tired troops to Hastings where he faced the well-prepared Normans who were not too patient about the whole event. Harold took an arrow to the eye and shortly joined the other Harald in Valhalla. William was so irritated by the inconvenience that he did not allow the fallen English soldiers to be buried. Later in an act of contrition, he had a cathedral built on the site.

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland refers to this bit of history at the beginning of the film as Alice’s sister reads the account of the ascension of William to the throne.

Back to the Tower. William immediately began dismantling the “democratic monarchy” that the Anglo-Saxon kings had been ruling under. This move was not terribly popular with the locals who were stripped of power and property by their new foreign masters. The Normans wisely  instituted a construction project of defensive stone castles including the Tower and Windsor Castle to the west to keep out attacking locals and others (“… the peasants are revolting…the peasants have always been revolting, now they’re rebelling!” Dragonheart.) The ruling class of Normans spoke French and to this day many of the British Royals are also fluent in French.  William introduced French culture to Britain; cuisine and the manners of court would never be the same.

Fast forward to King Edward I (The Hammer of the Scots) who added another circle of walls and another moat to the castle. Although there were Edwards before him, calling himself “The First” was a reference to the Norman dynasty of which he was a descendant.

The modern Tower tours are conducted by “Beef Eaters” a term derived from the medieval practice of soldier’s salaries including an extra portion of beef. These tour guides are retired British military veterans who distinguished themselves in their service to the Crown. They live in apartments onsite.

The history of the Tower is fascinating and deserves more space than allotted here. A few stories include that of the then-future Queen Elizabeth (daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn)  who was imprisoned here by her half-sister Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon. Remember that Elizabeth’s mother had been beheaded in the courtyard of this castle.

The young Elizabeth was allowed to wander the grounds; it is thought she may have fallen in love with a commoner also imprisoned with his father and brother for their political activism. Eventually Elizabeth was released and took the throne, but her romance was doomed. Although they never married, she and her “friend” corresponded through letters for the rest of their lives.

The White Tower was the Keep of the castle with appropriate defensive lodging; it showed the Norman ruler’s power.

One of the saddest stories that emerged from the Tower was that of the “Princes of the Tower.” After the death of Edward IV in 1483, the king’s brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester, took the 2 young princes  to the Tower to be held in “protective custody” until they were of age for Edward V, the eldest, to inherit the throne. The 2 young boys mysteriously disappeared and their Uncle Richard was crowned.

During renovation in 1674, a wooden box containing 2 small skeletons was found behind a staircase. Although it wasn’t proven; it was thought that this may have been the remains of the missing princes; they were interred in Innocents’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.

In addition to the state-of-the-art 11th century construction, this “Norman Gard” or built-in toilet was one of several in the castle. Although indoor plumbing was not yet available, the waste dropped from the tower into the Thames.

The original well bringing fresh water into the castle can be seen in the basement.

The majestic Tower Bridge, one of most London’s iconic sites, is visible from the Tower; many mistake the bridge for the Tower of London. It is said that Hitler’s planes sent in to bomb London During WWII used the bridge as a landmark. They were told not to destroy any of the castles which Hitler planned to inhabit in the case that he won the war.

Although the Tower was infamous for some of the high-profile executions for treason that took place there, the hangings were actually done on gallows built on the hill behind the castle. After the executions, the remains were brought back to the castle and rights were administered. The high-profile executionees were buried or walled up within the Tower grounds. When Henry VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were beheaded, it was on the green in the courtyard of the castle.

The Ravens of the Tower

According to an ancient “prophesy,” if the ravens left the Tower, the castle would crumble and catastrophe would strike the monarchy and the nation. As insurance, 7 ravens live on the property. They are free to wander during the day but are carefully put to bed in their cages at night.

Because the Tower is one of the most secure sites in England, the Crown Jewels are kept there in a huge, formidable safe. Visitors are able to view them but not take photos, so I’m including a few cataloged ones from the Tower website.

This spoon is used to hold the Holy Oil used to anoint the new monarch, as was done in ancient Israel.

“An ancient ritual The Crown Jewels are so significant because they symbolise the passing of authority from one monarch to another during the coronation ceremony. The earliest detailed account of a coronation in England comes from 973 when the Anglo-Saxon King Edgar was crowned in a lavish ceremony in Bath. The coronation rituals have altered little in their essentials in over a thousand years. Image: Queen Elizabeth II on her coronation day. The Queen is wearing the Imperial State Crown, and she carries the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign’s Orb. Photography by Cecil Beaton © Victoria & Albert Museum, London” The Tower of London Website

As at other royal residences, an impressive display or armory was kept at the Tower to remind visitors of the power and wealth of the royal residents.

King Henry VIII’s armor displays his girth and attributes.

The English have always been fond of their horses and went to great lengths to protect them in battle.

The Tudor Rose, a symbol of the reuniting of a divided kingdom. At the end of the War of the Roses, Henry VII married Elizabeth Tudor and had this rose  created depicting the rejoining of the 2 warring houses.

I hope this blog inspires you to spend more time studying the 1,000 year history of the Tower, which has in so many ways influenced our culture and the stories of our families and nations. My fascination? I am a great…great granddaughter of William, Edward and many other historical figures. Family pride and love.

Ciao, ciao, ciao; I think it means “everything is fine” or maybe “there, there…” I’m not sure but it sounds cute when whispered or spoken soothingly by Italians.

Our soldier son, in Month 30 of a three-year assignment from the US Army, needed  quality time with family and we are those kind of parents that suck it up and go where the Army sends him. Even if it means Europe; I know but someone has to do it. So we took a spin across the pond and landed back in London to visit the spots we missed on our last adventure.

So off we went on a Saturday afternoon, or at least that was the plan. We waited for our flight with a connector in Dallas that became delayed because of weather, causing us to miss the connection. Ever-present Newell, jumped in line and asked for new tickets for the next flight which we were told were not available. Hold on – yes there were 2 seats in the back that we could have. Fortunately we were able to continue the journey, for which we were very grateful. Unfortunately they were the equivalent of the nose-bleed section of a concert. They didn’t recline. At all. But it was only 9 hours and we were off again.

Our choices included flying to Rome or for about half the price, flying to London for a few days then taking a hop to Rome, we chose the latter.

I love London. I love flying into Heathrow to the aqua-hued mid-century part of the airport that looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 1950’s. But it was cool and we got through customs, hopped on the Heathrow Express and were deposited in a short time in Paddington Station – yes that Paddington. I hate admit to being such a fan-girl but literary rock stars are my thing.

We figured out our Airbnb destination, bought our Oyster cards and hit the (underground train) Tube (Mind the Gap). Soon we were making our way down autumn leaf-strewn cobblestone streets through neighborhoods that looked suspiciously like Mary Poppins may have  been filmed there. Our hosts Magda and Dorotea were charming sisters from Poland living in the UK; they looked like my step-sister Maribeth.

Needing food, we set off for the nearest market and picked up a picnic that we enjoyed despite the wind and rain in nearby Kennington Park.

According to Wikipedia ” Kennington Common (pre-park) was a site of public executions until 1800 as well as being an area for public speaking. Some of the most illustrious orators to speak here were Methodist founders George Whitefield and John Wesley who is reputed to have attracted a crowd of 30,000.” Apparently marches to Parliament often originated also at this park.

Tomorrow off to the Tower of London.

I cannot remember a time I did not love Halloween. Growing up in the 60’s the holiday was more steeped in innocence than today’s version so in writing A Harvest and Halloween Handbook I decided to give it a retro style.

A Harvest and Halloween Handbook won a “Hot New Picks in Design” award when I self-published it on Amazon. It is also available on BN.com.

My book was inspired by the untimely death of my brother Brian in October 1987. I was mourning deeply because of his unanticipated departure. I also had 4 young children at home and a dilemma; Halloween had always been a time of fun and celebration for our family. I decided not to skip Halloween but to observe it with a gentler atmosphere; no skeletons or undead that year, it  seemed disrespectful. I started decorating with non-macabre themes and eventually the repertoire grew into a volume that needed to be shared with others who love the creativity but not the violence and gore.

I’ve been known to host Halloween carnivals for a couple hundred children and wanted to include ideas for games and activities for all ages. Also from my catering days I had collected and created recipes that have become part of our autumn traditions – you should be treated to them too!

I’ve had the opportunity to publicize and share my peacemaking philosophy and Halloween content on various media sites including BYU SiriusXM Radio 143, US News and World Reports, Good Housekeeping, The Deseret News and newspapers across the country. I’m an artist with an edgy side too so everything is not all sunshine and roses (who wants that at Halloween anyway?) so there are a few traditional surprises too…

If you are looking for new themes and innovative, child-friendly ways to celebrate an old holiday; check out the treats in A Harvest and Halloween Handbook!

So here you have it – fun and frolic minus the fear. We at McMurtry Creative Media wish you a very HAPPY Halloween!

Still strong this fall is Black Panther and the Pantheon of Superheroes. Roll up your magic lasso and get ready for Wonder Woman and her classic cohorts.

Photo by ChicagoReader.com

From Rhonda, “We’re figuring Pooh and friends will probably be popular.

The Anime convention was really popular, so I think Anime characters will be big. Mostly they create their own costumes then  just (add) big wigs and make-up to finish.

Glow in the dark make-up for young pre-teens.

Star wars for little ones is always a hit. Frozen is still really popular for the 4-8 year olds.

We’re seeing lots of interest from adults for Goth, Steampunk and always 20’s, but more the Gatsby look than flappers and gangsters.

Rockstars, especially Freddie Mercury and David Bowie’s early incarnations.

The sexy costume lines have sort of died away. Ladies still want to be sexy, but they want to be a little more covered. Belly Dancers and anything with lots of feathers, like burlesque or showgirls for the 20-30‘s group.

Wizards and pretty witches are in. No one wants warts and green skin, but witchy is good.

We’re getting requests for dragons and unicorns.

Dinosaurs are popular and will probably still be at Halloween. We have the inflatables on order for both boys and men. If I think of anything else, I’ll shoot you a message.” Looking forward to it.

Rhonda, you are the best, thank you!

Need more ideas for your most spectacular Halloween ever?  Download your A Harvest and Halloween Handbook from Amazon.com or BN.com today!

Last autumn we experienced Halloween preparations in their ancestral homelands – Ireland (Samhain) and Italy (All Hallow’s Eve).

In Ireland, what I found was one aisle of decor and costumes in an upscale Target-style retailer. In Italy, more of the same with lots of pumpkins, some sold in cartons. Who did it better?  Well, to be honest what we discovered was the “Americanized” style of decor, costumes, etc., in products probably from China.  Unless you visit Europe, its hard to comprehend the depth and complexity of the influence the West (and I suppose China) has on their current culture.

I was hoping for a Macbethian experience in Scotland, well actually we only visited Edinburgh and they have their own tartan history going on there. But they have the eerie castle thing down to an art.

This fall we will explore London to see if we can find vestiges of Halloween there (I’m guessing not as prevalent in a Protestant country) and return to Italy for one more look.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite Halloween preps and props, most from A Harvest and Halloween Handbook.

Black and white is big this year for fall decor. It promotes a nice crossover from Halloween to Thanksgiving and can be charming incorporated into Christmas, saving precious time during the holiday season.

A Harvest and Halloween Handbook features autumn celebrations such as Sukkot and La Toussaint. Let me help you get ready for autumn 2018 holidays with your A Harvest and Halloween Handbook download. Be sure to take it shopping for decor, recipes and activities to treat your family and friends.

3 of 32 coloring pages included in A Harvest and Halloween Handbook

Hey it’s still July.

Here we are in the middle of another western  summer. After spending a week in alternating blazing heat and spectacular desert thunderstorms in St. George and Las Vegas it feels relatively calm (for the time being) here in the mountains near Salt Lake City. This last week we celebrated my Mom’s birthday, swapped stories with Dad and explored the Hoover Dam with my BFF Mary and husband Brad.

This is how Mormons do Vegas – we went to church Sunday, napped and ate Cowan’s famous tacos, no one does tacos like the Cowans. We played a board game Trek to Zion, made homemade ice cream and played a few other games. Monday we explored the Hoover Dam complex – fascinating technology, visited the Primm outlet mall so Newell could buy his annual (under $10) pair of jeans, shopped at Target for banana split ingredients, cruised the Strip to see the fountain show at Belaggio, the volcano eruption at Mirage and the art galleries at Caesar’s Palace Forum.

The next day we saw Incredibles 2 (I enjoyed it more than I thought I would – really well done.) Made the obligatory stop at Fry’s Electronics superstore. Had lunch, more games and ice cream and headed home so Newell could get to work. The only time we stepped into a casino was to take a shortcut to somewhere else and escape the heat. We didn’t even drop a quarter in the slots. Sorry LV, but we had lots of fun, Mormon-style. Which leads me to the feature of this post.

In a few days we will be celebrating the arrival of the Mormon Pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley of the Rocky Mountains. Our great…great grandparents Chauncey Webb who owned the Webb blacksmith shop in Nauvoo, Illinois  (which you can visit today) came west with Brigham Young’s party and entered the valley on July 24th, 1847. Another ancestor, Christopher Layton, was toiling with the Mormon Battalion on his way to fight in the Mexican-American War and would join the pioneers when they were released from military service. Ancestors such as the Holladays, Ogdens, Fifes and others would live in Utah or be assigned to settle Arizona.

We celebrate these intrepid empire-builders with games and stories, meals and adventures designed to pay homage to their foresight and sacrifice.

First you need pioneer wear. I made bonnets from a McCalls pattern

You can also buy bonnets at Deseret Book. I made a complete pioneer outfit with a long skirt and apron that I wear on special pioneer occasions. Newell wears jeans, a bandana and a cowboy hat; and boots, McMurtrys know how to do “western.” Ask Larry McMurtry, author of Lonesome Dove and other western novels; he’s my husband’s 2nd cousin.

Then you are going to need some Pioneer-style victuals – here are 3 recipes in the Deseret News for beans, beef jerky and marinated vegetables, updated for modern palates.

We play games with our grandchildren or the children at church,  and visit Pioneer-era landmarks in Utah like Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Art and History Museum and the state capitol in Salt Lake City. There’s also a Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City and This is the Place Park.

Children learn through doing and having fun; this is especially true of history. A few of our favorite activities include a Pioneer scavenger hunt that we hide the items and have the children find or do them – this is a link for a downloadable version on Etsy .

One of the favorite activities of the children I teach is making native American-style pictographs on faux skins (brown kraft paper torn in the shape of a small pelt.)  Also downloadable on Etsy:

Pioneer children enjoyed a good beanbag toss!

I saved the best for last. Round up a few stick horses, squirt guns, a bucket of water and blackboards or signs that you can make wildfire and buffalo targets on. Make a racing area outside for the little buckaroos to run around squirting  buffaloes and putting out wildfires!

Need a little more pioneer eye candy? Stop by my Pinterest board and give it a look-see.

Happy Pioneer Day!

Happy Independence Day and happy birthday America!

After touring 6 European countries last year and enjoying the amazing history and art, I came home with a greater appreciation for this heaven-inspired nation and our meteoric rise in only 2 1/2 centuries. We truly have been blessed as a people and, I believe, have been beneficial to the world.

French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville said of our country, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”

We here at McMurtry Creative Media send up a cheer for America and those who fight and work to preserve our freedoms: thank you and God bless America!

We are not naive about the struggles that face our culture, but we hold out hope for a future that is bright and intelligent, safe and sane.

Our 4th will be low-key this year with our families spread across the world and Newell working at the University of Utah Hospital that day,  we plan to celebrate the birth of our great nation with a “new” menu.

Our Unorthodox Independence Day Menu

Newell has instituted a summer challenge – no meat until fall! As a Registered Dietitian and seeker of truth, he decided to cut out all warm-blooded animals from his diet; meaning fish is still in. He read a promise in modern revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants 89 that said:

10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;

13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

 So we are going to take this literally and try a different tack on our holiday dinner.

Instead of the traditional American barbecue, we are going to grill some flounder and add our favorite sides

Grilled Flounder

Baked Beans

Dilled Potato Salad

Corn on the cob

Crudites

Watermelon

Homemade coconut ice cream in white chocolate-dipped cones

Fresh lemonade

Dilled Potato Salad

This is the recipe my grandmother Vada Webb Layton used to make for us. We have never had one we like better!

Place in large bowl

6 large potatoes, cooked, cooled and diced

2 whole Clussen kosher dill pickles, finely diced

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

Dressing

1 C. low fat mayonnaise

1 C. low fat sour cream

1/3 C. pickle brine

3 TBSP. prepared mustard

2 tsp. dried dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

Blend dressing, gently fold into vegetables. Refrigerate until serving. Taste improves if allowed to blend overnight, adjust seasoning before serving. Makes 10 – 12 servings.

I’d like to share one of my favorite patriotic stories about a heroine of the American Revolution and my great…great grandmother Elizabeth Duncan Porter.

Here is a link to some of my favorite Americana eye candy on Pinterest. 

I hope you enjoy the spirit of the 4th, Happy Independence Day!

ENSALADA POLLO – a cool meal for hot summer days

Make this an easy dish with instant wild rice mix, bagged salad and rotisserie chicken. Top with a yogurt lime cilantro dressing and serve it with a frosty limeade .

• 2 – 3 limes, 1 sliced and one juiced

Prepare according to directions, sprinkle with the juice of ½ lime and set  aside.  Reserve the remaining lime juice for the street corn.

• 1 box instant wild rice mix, prepared according to the package

Divide among 4 – 6 dinner plates

• 1 bag of spring greens salad mix

Sprinkle over the salad

• ½ of one bunch cilantro, washed and leaves removed from stems. Discard stems, reserve the other half of the leaves for salad garnish

Shred and remove the bones from

• 1 deli rotisserie chicken

Divide among the salad plates

• the cooked wild rice
• 1 – 15 oz. can black beans, drained
• 1 – 15 oz. can sliced olives, drained
• 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced, sprinkled with the other half of the lime juice
• 1 pkg. heirloom tomatoes, washed with leaves removed
• 1 pkg. crumbled Cotija cheese

Pour over

• Bolthouse Farms Lime Cilantro Yogurt Dressing

Serve with frozen limeade

FROZEN LIMEADE

Juice

• 8 key limes (1/2 C lime juice)

Set aside. In a sauce pan, stir together

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C water

Simmer until sugar dissolves, stir in lime juice, let cool.

In a blender whirl  until slushy

• 6 C ice cubes
• limeade mix

Serve immediately

I cannot adequately  express my gratitude for the men and women that stand between us and danger, evil and the powers that destroy.

Last October we stood on Omaha Beach in France, the site of one of the D-Day landings.

In its current tranquility, it’s hard to image the carnage that took place on June 6, 1944 when the liberation of Europe began.  In the conflict 100 German soldiers killed 2499 Americans and 1915 of their allies.

The Battle of Normandy lasted from June through August 1944 with over 425,000 Allied and German troops killed, wounded or missing. Even the son of President Teddy Roosevelt was not exempt, General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. died of a heart attack after fighting and is buried in Normandy next to his brother Quentin who died in WWI.

83,045 of the casualties were from 21st Army Group: British, Canadian and Polish ground forces.  125,847 from the US ground forces. About 200,000 German troops were killed or wounded. The Allies also captured 200,000 prisoners of war (not included in the 425,000). During the fighting around the Falaise in August 1944, the Germans suffered losses of around 90,000, including prisoners.  This was the beginning of the liberation of Europe.

One battle of one war of far too many. War is hell; some march bravely into the valley of the shadow of death never to return.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 Holy Bible, KJV