I found her heart in the District of the Lakes. I touched her work, her genius, and her abounding inspiration.

I was generously allotted a few mornings uninterrupted to scour a library full of her works and works of her students. My fingers danced along the lines of unpublished un-displayed Charlotte Mason treasures. To see her philosophies on page, in the workbooks of her students, to experience tangibly C. Mason’s standard of beauty and excellence in the products of her educated, will forever be a gift to my life as a person and teacher.

I continue to humbly receive the blessings of Charlottes teaching philosophies and the aspiration she continues to share with Mothers and Teachers.

A dripping sky procrastinated my search for Miss Mason’s final resting-place. Reluctantly on my final evening I romped through the rain and was rewarded by a warm glinting break of sun shinning directly above.

Beneath the shade of majesty I found her final mark on the world, written with all honour due and testifying boldly for history to read

~ lies her life and destiny ~

~

In Loving Memory of

Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason

Born January 1 1842 Died January 16 1923

“Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty”

Founder of the Parent’s National Education Union, The Parent’s Union School & The House of Education.

She devoted her life to the work of education believing that children are dear to our Heavenly Father and that they are a precious national possession.

“Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life“

“ I Am. I Can. I Ought. I Will. “

“For the Children’s Sake.”

~

Charlotte your love for God, Children, Nature and Quality Education continues to gift generations with insight, inspiration and direction. Your wisdom has helped form a life I am humbled and blessed to live.

I am eternally thankful.

Northward into a greener damper world of the Lakes, home too geniuses of pasts.

A long visit at Hill Top Farm with all the imaginary wonder that as a child I could have mustered… and a wee bit more!

Nooks, crannies, gardens, pets, lands and views that inspired much loved children’s fables were brought vividly alive.

Beyond the fanciful childlike characters we found a kindred women, thoughtful, bright and challenging.

It will be an experience that stays with us for some time, bringing to life the magic Tom, Peter and Hunka-Munka.

(I am writing from home ~ settling sweetly back into my House of Dreams. Excuse my long pause on these pages, my babes needed assistance during their cross continent time changes, I linger over the joy of being home ~ For Good ~ letting permanency seep straight into my heart. I hope to finish up my journal of travels and then get on to all the beauty that is taking place around me… )

Naturally we found our selves walking the ancient literary pilgrimage to Shakespeare’s home.

Humbly in awe of the history we were experiencing.

Loving the aged details.

Enjoying alighted interest ~ deepening enjoyment ~ growing understanding of this worlds great story teller.

~

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove.

O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wand'ring bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Sonnet 116 ~ William Shakespeare

~

Stone cottages with it’s clusters of fragrant vines and front gardens of heritage Victorian blooms ~ fancies my romantic nature. Sweeping green country sides, dotted with sheep farms and it’s spring lambs, rock walls climbing and twisting along fields and forest, bramble hedged charm, meadow’s of wild flowers, are but a few of the Cotswold delights.

Dare I rival this patchwork county charm against my other European favourites…

Tuscany? Provence? Amsterdam?

For me there is an obvious love.

One where modern time takes a humbled bow to the slow farming pace, nature the art, flowers the master piece, history the foundation and country is your life.

I wish to hold my breath ~ capture these wonders ~ infusing some English inspiration into my life...