Twenty-one days down and forty-nine to go. A few have asked this week if I am homesick and the answer is yes, but I’m doing okay with my tour guide 2 Papa keeping me busy. On top of that, mom and John Luke will be here next Friday! They’re bringing more peanut butter so I don’t have to get a loan to buy another jar. Mostly, they’re bringing themselves! YEA!
Our mornings are getting quite boring. We sit straight across from each other (computers touching) on the tiny kitchen table and work. (See photo to properly feel sorry for me.) It’s no wonder we played solitaire on separate IPhones all through dinner tonight. That is pitiful, isn’t it? Apparently we’ve seen way too much of each other lately!! At one point, 2 Papa said, “Do you think people know we’re married or do they think it’s a date gone really bad?”
We were a little late for lunch today so the faculty table was full and we had to sit with the students. We had been told we would meet with the students each week, but that really isn’t how it works here. We don’t have much interaction with them, but every now and then we get to visit with one or two. Some of them come to lunch, at 1:00 mind you, looking like they just crawled out of bed--hair sticking up, pajama bottoms, slippers. Wait, did I just describe Willie Jess at work. Seriously, he would fit right in. I guess the college is so small they act like they’re at home. No one seems to care. The dining hall is about the size as the mess hall at camp. We asked the girl across from us what she was studying. She said she’s is a third year, theology student—it’s her last year. She doesn’t have any idea what she wants to do, but is considering being a consultant. I didn’t want to say what does that mean. Many of the students get jobs outside of the field of study. Simply graduating from Oxford, with its unique teaching style, tells employers they can learn to do anything.
After lunch, we went on a guided tour of the Cotswold. “Cots” means an enclosed area and “wold” means rolling hills. In this case, it’s the rolling hills of central England with stone fences that have held sheep for many hundreds of years. Until the industrial revolution, sheep and the wool they produce was a huge money maker for this area of England creating much wealth for the area. But, the wool from the Cotswold sheep didn’t work well with the new machines, so a recession took place as the business declined. Soon, cottons and other fabrics took over.Today, Cotswold sheep are raised mostly for their meat, but the area is still very beautiful and the little villages left behind are amazing. The tour guide said for a village to get village-status it has to have a church and a pub. But, we went through one village without a church. He said it had two pubs, so two pubs equal one church. I’m telling you, it’s amazing the amount of beer drinking done over here. It’s a miracle anyone can drive. We also saw a number of buildings built in the 1100’s that are still in use. We complain when a home in the US is twenty-five years old. What is wrong with us? :) We also visited another really old and very ornate church with this really cool tomb. Just included the picture above as 2 Papa and I are thinking we should be remembered this way. My new boots would look great in stone.
However, we couldn’t have picked a worse day for a countryside tour as it rained all day. Many times the rain and “blowing the umbrella inside out” kind of wind were pretty miserable. But, we persevered and managed to have a spot of tea in a quaint little village and take some great pictures. (See old church photo above.) There was a little old grandma from America on the tour who reminded me of my Grandma Shack. She wasn’t afraid to speak up and asked any question that came to mind. One question that stumped the tour guide, who had just told us 40 stagecoaches a day had gone through this one village, was, “How did those ladies in all those big dresses go to the bathroom when they were riding on a stagecoach?” Typically British-polite, he replied, “Love, number one, I’m not a lady and number two, I didn’t live in the 1600’s. I don’t have any idea.” I actually would have loved to know the answer myself. Who hasn’t wondered that?
Speaking of the word “love,” it’s now my favorite word. It’s used here for everything by everyone—the waitress, the store clerk, the taxi driver, the man behind the mask with the knife—just seeing if you were paying attention. :) I think it’s like our southern term “bless her heart.” Like we think we can say anything about anyone if we preface it with “bless her heart.” Over here, one could be saying something really terrible, but addressing the person as “love” just softens is. It helps to have that beautiful British English accent too. 2 Papa can’t seem to stop himself and tries to speak with an accent, but it’s awful!! I keep punching him when he’s talking to the bus driver or the store clerk. I really don’t think he realizes he’s doing it. Today he tried and sounded like he was Chinese. His terrible accents are running together. I don’t even try. I've learned not to embarrass myself on purpose.
Our mornings are getting quite boring. We sit straight across from each other (computers touching) on the tiny kitchen table and work. (See photo to properly feel sorry for me.) It’s no wonder we played solitaire on separate IPhones all through dinner tonight. That is pitiful, isn’t it? Apparently we’ve seen way too much of each other lately!! At one point, 2 Papa said, “Do you think people know we’re married or do they think it’s a date gone really bad?”
We were a little late for lunch today so the faculty table was full and we had to sit with the students. We had been told we would meet with the students each week, but that really isn’t how it works here. We don’t have much interaction with them, but every now and then we get to visit with one or two. Some of them come to lunch, at 1:00 mind you, looking like they just crawled out of bed--hair sticking up, pajama bottoms, slippers. Wait, did I just describe Willie Jess at work. Seriously, he would fit right in. I guess the college is so small they act like they’re at home. No one seems to care. The dining hall is about the size as the mess hall at camp. We asked the girl across from us what she was studying. She said she’s is a third year, theology student—it’s her last year. She doesn’t have any idea what she wants to do, but is considering being a consultant. I didn’t want to say what does that mean. Many of the students get jobs outside of the field of study. Simply graduating from Oxford, with its unique teaching style, tells employers they can learn to do anything.
After lunch, we went on a guided tour of the Cotswold. “Cots” means an enclosed area and “wold” means rolling hills. In this case, it’s the rolling hills of central England with stone fences that have held sheep for many hundreds of years. Until the industrial revolution, sheep and the wool they produce was a huge money maker for this area of England creating much wealth for the area. But, the wool from the Cotswold sheep didn’t work well with the new machines, so a recession took place as the business declined. Soon, cottons and other fabrics took over.Today, Cotswold sheep are raised mostly for their meat, but the area is still very beautiful and the little villages left behind are amazing. The tour guide said for a village to get village-status it has to have a church and a pub. But, we went through one village without a church. He said it had two pubs, so two pubs equal one church. I’m telling you, it’s amazing the amount of beer drinking done over here. It’s a miracle anyone can drive. We also saw a number of buildings built in the 1100’s that are still in use. We complain when a home in the US is twenty-five years old. What is wrong with us? :) We also visited another really old and very ornate church with this really cool tomb. Just included the picture above as 2 Papa and I are thinking we should be remembered this way. My new boots would look great in stone.
However, we couldn’t have picked a worse day for a countryside tour as it rained all day. Many times the rain and “blowing the umbrella inside out” kind of wind were pretty miserable. But, we persevered and managed to have a spot of tea in a quaint little village and take some great pictures. (See old church photo above.) There was a little old grandma from America on the tour who reminded me of my Grandma Shack. She wasn’t afraid to speak up and asked any question that came to mind. One question that stumped the tour guide, who had just told us 40 stagecoaches a day had gone through this one village, was, “How did those ladies in all those big dresses go to the bathroom when they were riding on a stagecoach?” Typically British-polite, he replied, “Love, number one, I’m not a lady and number two, I didn’t live in the 1600’s. I don’t have any idea.” I actually would have loved to know the answer myself. Who hasn’t wondered that?
Speaking of the word “love,” it’s now my favorite word. It’s used here for everything by everyone—the waitress, the store clerk, the taxi driver, the man behind the mask with the knife—just seeing if you were paying attention. :) I think it’s like our southern term “bless her heart.” Like we think we can say anything about anyone if we preface it with “bless her heart.” Over here, one could be saying something really terrible, but addressing the person as “love” just softens is. It helps to have that beautiful British English accent too. 2 Papa can’t seem to stop himself and tries to speak with an accent, but it’s awful!! I keep punching him when he’s talking to the bus driver or the store clerk. I really don’t think he realizes he’s doing it. Today he tried and sounded like he was Chinese. His terrible accents are running together. I don’t even try. I've learned not to embarrass myself on purpose.
But, I might start using “love” for something other than my tennis game.
“Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’" Mark 12:29
Goodnight loves.
Hugs, 2 Mama
“Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’" Mark 12:29
Goodnight loves.
Hugs, 2 Mama
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