First, I MUST give a great big, "THANK YOU" to my mom and my sister who each sent me pictures and updates of my beloved kitty cats whom I miss horribly! I can't tell you how much I appreciate just getting to see their cute little kitty selves!
Secondly, I have like ten entries already written on my computer which I will eventually get up here. Most of them are to be included in the Oxford Outsider's Guide, but not all. I sometimes write them at home when I'm in the mood, but then I can't post them because we don't have a phone or internet access there, so I have to wait until I get to the library to get them up. And there's still a big site re-design underway which we hope to execute soon (I'm really NOT still on summer vacation! Honest!). Anyway, thanks for the patience there.
I have spent some quality time recently with our friend Simpkins. I'll put up the pictures. Since it's been cooler outside, he's been spending a lot more time in the library. When he does and I'm there, he likes to sleep on my lap. The first time he did this, he slept on my lap for over an hour! I then got up to stretch while he was doing likewise, and he plopped himself down on my coat in my chair. This coat, btw, is Romeo's favorite object on the planet. I actually contemplated leaving it at Mom's for him. Simpkins then sat next to me on my coat and slept for another 3 or 4 hours! Every time I petted him he PURRRRED. What a great cat! Since then, similar scenarios have played out repeatedly.
We have also been attending evening prayer services at Hertford Chapel. It's a rather nice way to relax in the evening, reflect on your day, keep things in perspective, etc. We have very much enjoyed them and the chaplain is young and very kind. We had already been impressed with him before attending service. Simpkins, we are told by the chaplain, does make regular appearances in the chapel. However, he doesn't like him in there during services because he tends to make a spectacle of himself. Once Simpkins jumped on the chaplain's head during a service and scared him half to death! LOL! Also, the poor guy is allergic to Simpkins. We found this out yesterday when we went to evening prayers and he kept having to take Simpkins outside. LOL
Hertford Chapel is amazingly beautiful. It is, according to Steve Ward (MCR president), the only Victorian chapel in Oxford. I hope I'm not misquoting him there! Anyway, it is really amazing. Dark and complex and lovely. They have morning and evening prayers every day in addition to other services. So far very few people (like literally one or two besides us and the chaplain) have been in attendance when we've been there. But it's a lovely place and I enjoy the prayer services very much. It's quite different from what I'm used to in Methodist church in the States. Just some prayers, a Psalm reading, two bible readings, and more prayers. Very nice, quiet, contemplative services.
The weather has been absolutely awful until today. It rained for about 5 straight days here and was cold and windy. The sun did not shine at all for about three days until today. Dreary, indeed! Although I haven't been outside yet today (I write this from my little cave of a flat), I can see the lovely blue sky and the sun between the branches of the huge tree that overhangs our yard. Andrew tells me it's quite cool outside and it is still breezy, but it's nice to see the sun. Friends from Australia and New Zealand tell me I really need to get some yellow lights for our flat because by January I will be severely depressed. The sun doesn't come out for more than a few hours a day and, often, it is too cloudy or dreary to see it. So they tell me that by December or January I will be very gloomy if I don't take steps. :-/
The novel is in neutral. I have begun reading a biography of Mary Shelley and can't seem to put it down! A great read! But I will away now to work on my own beloved creation. Cheers!
Posted by Erin at October 17, 2002 02:03 PM