The Lurgey

The lurgey has got me in it's death grip.  Basic things like breathing and sleeping are now monumental efforts.  My nose and sinuses. Imploded.  I really just want to get better, please. Please.

Since the lurgey attacked, I have:

1. Put my slow cooker to use by having hot apple cider on the boil all day long
2. Watched all of the Harry Potter films. And discovered TWO are missing. So upsetting. 
3. Steam baths. Steam baths make my heart beat fast.
4. Zelda. To Zelda or not to Zelda. That is the question.
5. Bought ridiculous things for the wedding. [Cone of shame]
6. Not left the house for four days.
7. Developed a thorough hatred for dust.

In other news, as of today, I get married in 3 months! It was has been a 10-month engagement, and it's nearly over and I'm so excited! Wahey!

The start of September

Mailing letters, a lovely walk, some gorgeous days of sun, a trip to south shields, a view of the chapel, a door I hope to call home.

Enjoy your weeks!

The last of August

After returning from the States. A walk through the woods.  A bank holiday weekend at the regatta. Dinner on the roof. A trip to a&e for a sprained ankle. A little bit of northeastern culture shock. And a trip to Gateshead watching races, a concert at the Sage, and a stop at the Angel of the North.  I like it now. I'm not sure I liked it before.

Thoughts on a Thursday

- This is August. It must be butterfly season. They are simply everywhere. I saw one flit though the bottom of an open window, have a look about the room, and then flit through the top of the window to leave.

-  I will never understand instagram food photos. So gross.

- The Spurgeon Morning and Evening phone app has been one of my favorite things lately.  I have enjoyed it so thoroughly and this surprises me.

- I have taught Indy and Felix to feed from my hand.  This appears a very good agreement between us. They are delightful.

- I have rediscovered my highschool love for running.  What a dormant thing it has been, for such a long time.  It is interesting how something so forgotten can give the same, what shall I call it, shall we say pleasure, once again?  Lewis makes a big fuss about something like this.  And then, what was it that Eric Liddel said? 'When I run, I feel God's pleasure'?

  Yes, that was it. The riverside of Durham is easily one of the most beautiful places to imagine that possible.

- Reading has once again become a pleasure. American literature, especially Southern Literature. I love it. I love the old Southern world Thomas Wolfe paints with his biscuits and collard greens.  I am charmed by Walker Percy's one-liners. Like this one:

"At night the years come back and perch around my bed like ghosts.” -The Moveigoer

Or this:

"Have you noticed that the narrower the view the more you can see? For the first time I understand how old ladies can sit on their porches for years.” -Lancelot

It has been awhile since I have truly been taken with an author or a book, but those mopey lost-generation authors have done it. Fitzgerald and Hemingway. I read them first at fourteen and this time round, I think, perhaps, I understand them better.

While at home

Home was just as lovely as ever. Food was a big highlight.

• I ate my body weight in queso and chips
• We had a low-country boil
• I ate boiled peanuts as my dinner four times
• Fresh vegetables from the garden
• More BBQ than I could shake a stick at

In addition to that it included:

• a most lovely bridal shower
• wedding planning stuff 
• shark week
• a trip Georgia to see family
• skeet shooting
• a week at the beach 
• a trip to Charleston 
• kayaking on the Edisto River
• fishing boat in the ocean 
• reading
• porches and rocking chairs and sweet tea 
• lots of good time with family

It was so good and so lovely and I had such a good good time.

Centre Parcs and Newcastle

I've been spending lots of my time lately in Newcastle.  Not exactly exploring, but an occasional wander.

 

Working lots at the Lit & Phil. Really love it there. So atmospheric.

This is us stopped in a little village of Tewksbury for lunch. Such a lovely medieval town. 

I'm learning to drive on British roads these days. It's a much different animal to the wide and straight roads of the States.  Fran's family had planned a trip down to Centre Parcs, and we drove, allowing me to have ample practice.

At Centre Parcs we seemed to see and do everything.  Here is mini-golf, themed just to suit my tastes.

Fran's cousin pulling the sword for the stone.

We went biking in the rain. I don't think I'd been on a bike in about ten years!

Several games of pictionary. Can you spot Fran's drawing of Spiderman and Nightmare?

We even got to stop in Southampton and see the dog.

Here is Indy and Felix, having a little rest from foiled attempts to breach the fence.

And this is me, studying for my motor theory exam in the Newcastle train station.

This past weekend we did indeed trek down to Centre Parcs to see Fran's family.  It was good to see them all again. Centre Parcs I found was more of a conquering of fears, such as riding a bike, or dislikes, such as swimming in public pools, though I did thoroughly enjoy being active the entire weekend. I've been trying to get back into the habit of doing a photo-a-day and though not terrible successful, find that it's a lovely way to remember.  I have indeed been learning to drive, and studying more diligently than I ever did at UNC, to pass my theory exam. Who knew that the incentive to finally get me to study was the humiliation of having to pay £36 again?  And now, we're off again, tomorrow, to the States! Very excited to see my family, and of course, my neurotic dog (we haven't seen either since our engagement) and then there's food. I may have been dreaming about fried chicken last night. xo

A weekend and thoughts on home

Fran's parents & grandmother were here this weekend.  We had a lovely time strolling around the countryside, swimming in the hotel pool, and eating lots of fabulous food. They even went rowing and were good enough to come along to see the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibit in Durham.  This weekend also boasted a beautiful bridal shower for a sweet friend.  We drank tea, played games, gave toasts, unwrapped gifts, and ate and ate and ate. It was perfect.  Weddings are lots of fun.

In other news, I've been made the social secretary of my college, which is good fun. That takes up some time now too.  I've also been thinking lots about being a TCK, and growing up in a culture not your own.  In the recent past, I've tended to not embrace this, to downplay it, to think, well it was important, but it was only a little while and you're American now.  But the longer I'm over in England, the more sense of distance I feel from America.  This makes me very sad, but it also reawakens the same feelings I had growing up in Singapore.  A sense of distance and removal, a sense of searching, a sense of wondering about home, and homeland. Some things never really go away. I think this might be one of them.

Fran often says I look forward to things too much and don't take enough time to savor what is happening now or what has already happened. Perhaps that's another token-TCK indicator.  Even as I write this, I'm thinking about my PhD to-do list, my before-I-leave-to-go-to-the-States  list, and more excitingly, what-I'm-going-to-do-when-I'm-home list.  I'm so excited! I can't wait! I'll get to see my family! And eat food! And make about 5,000 wedding decisions in the space of ten days. I've been planning my meals for about three weeks now.  Can you guess what's at the top of my list? Right here.  But before I get too carried away, here's to being grateful for our daily bread, and the space in between.  Love.