sarabeth jones

← → © 2015 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. This one’s for the white folks 14 Jan '15 Let’s get real. It’s about to be Martin Luther King Day and I want to get in your business a little bit and know what your plans are. And while I think everyone could benefit from putting a little thought into observing the day, I really only feel comfortable telling white people what I think they ought to do. White people, we need to do better. If you are the slightest bit awake to what has happened this past year, you know that race is still a huge issue for us. And surely,…

← → © 2015 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. Stonehaven: the best fish and chips in Scotland 8 Jan '15 If you remember, we left off at Dunnottar Castle: running through ruins hanging high over the North Sea. We’d had a full morning, and it was high time for lunch. In fact, some people in the car that day might have been there solely for the promise fish and chips in Stonehaven. I’m not naming any names, as I’m a pretty huge fan of fried food of any sort. So I understand. It’s worth remembering here that the Chino family – every member – thoroughly enjoys food. Alison and Taido…

← → © 2015 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. Sing yourself in 6 Jan '15 Sunday morning at church I walked into the room with dirty hair. I had stayed in bed too late; my clothes were uncomfortably tight after the holidays. The music had already started; I found a chair and crossed my arms. I didn’t want to be there, but that’s not really an option for me most Sundays. I mean – whatever – I did want to be in the building, there were things happening and people there I didn’t want to miss. But I didn’t want to be there. Present. Engaged. I had shown up, done my…

← → © 2015 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. Amateur Traveler comes to Little Rock 4 Jan '15 I am such a fan of the internet, and crazy stories like this are why. Many of you know that last year I applied and was chosen to teach a workshop on iPhone photography at TBEX in Athens, Greece. Even better, Alison met me there! I’m still reeling over that one – it was an incredible experience all the way around. After the conference in Athens, a group of us got to travel to Meteora, Greece, sponsored by Visit Meteora – basically so that we could see the area, and then tell people about it.…

← → © 2014 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. Dunnottar Castle: wild & windy 30 Dec '14 The first Saturday after we arrived in Scotland happened to be my birthday, so we all piled into the Chinos car to celebrate with a trip down the road to Dunnottar Castle. And I do mean piled. European cars are weensy, y’all. Combine that with the whole wrong side of the road thing and I was white-knuckling it for a lot of our drives. Dunnottar is a lovely castle ruin, jutting right out over the North Sea. We climbed waaaay down the winding trail, then waaaay back up the other side to reach it.…

← → © 2014 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. A day in Edinburgh, Scotland 27 Dec '14 One of the only things we had planned for sure before we headed to Aberdeen to see the Chinos was a day trip to Edinburgh. When we told Kevin of our plans (remember Kevin?) he fairly berated us for wasting our time walking in ooogly Aberdeen (that’s ugly with an Irish accent) but then proclaimed Edinburgh to be a ‘fairytale wonderland.’ Even though I was a little miffed at him for calling Aberdeen ooogly, once I went, I had to admit he was right. Edinburgh is the first major city I ever visited in Europe, and…

← → © 2014 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. Balmedie Beach, Aberdeen, Scotland 27 Dec '14 One of the most wonderful things about traveling to visit people you love who live in a foreign land is the simple pleasure of learning their new home, seeing their everyday: trips to Tesco for dinner supplies or walking to school. A luxury, to be sure – such an extravagance to wing halfway around the world to familiarize yourself with your friends’ new haunts – but one I have been ever so grateful for. I remember my mother visiting me when I married and moved, saying now I know where you are. Now I…

← → © 2014 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. Walking Aberdeen with Alison 21 Jul '14 In June of 2014, my daughter Elizabeth and I went on an absolutely incredible trip together visiting the Chinos in Aberdeen, Scotland, staying in Paris, France for a couple of days, and doing mission work in Migori, Kenya. I took a bazillion pictures and am writing about it all and you can read more posts from the trip here, if you’d like. On the first morning after Elizabeth and I arrived in Scotland, she got hit hard with jet lag and was sleeping soundly. I however, was running on I CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE I’M…

← → © 2014 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. off we go: Scotland, Paris, Kenya 11 Jun '14 I am sitting in the airport in Paris, in what are the wee hours of the morning where I’m from. I should be asleep, or I would be if I were home – but I am not. I am bleary from dozing on a transatlantic flight, waiting out the 7 hour layover before we get on one more short flight and wind up in Aberdeen, Scotland. I meant to write this post before I left, I meant to write many posts before I left. I am not even sure when I will…

← → © 2014 Sarabeth Jones. All rights reserved. ashes to ashes 5 Mar '14 I’m not doing anything for Lent, I declare inside my head. Who do I think I’m talking to anyway – stomping my foot, crossing my arms. Some imaginary other, some critic, some watcher? I’m not doing that this year. Lent is here, that’s fine, but I am not doing it. I gave up enough last year. I am tired and cranky and want to be left alone. This has been going on for a couple of days, my bad temper over a trip out of state for a hard funeral firmly cemented into place by…