Yoga and Cider and Homework - Oh My!

Greetings, gentle reader!

Between homework (which I'm caught up on!), walking 3-5 miles a day, and yoga in the evenings - I am exhausted!!

Went to the Shakespeare festival last night in an open park here in Oxford and saw Midsummer Night's Dream - amazing! Titania and Oberon on stilts and a magician playing Puck - the performance rivaled that of Staunton Virginia and Ashland Oregon!

Got to run to class - we're having dinner at the professor's house tonight...should be interesting.

Thanks again for everyone's good wishes. I'm having the time of my life, but miss everyone incredibly and cannot wait to come home...to the mounds of work on my desk!!!!

Mollie - I am seriously thinking about taking up yoga when I get back. Another student (Faith) has been leading us at night and I love it!

Jill - congrats on the boy child!

Hazel - congrats on the wheel! Let me know if you want to bypass the raw fibers and work on some nice clean roving - I have tons!

Still can't find a yarn shop!!

If I sent anyone a post card, please let me know if you've received it. If you want to send money (which I'm sure you all want to do!) please contact Steven...;)

Rachael, my darling, I love you very much and have lots of presents for you! Be my good girl!

Cheers, everyone! (But especially to Steven!!!!!)

Stay

The Time of My Life...

I am sooooo tired!

I made it to Oxford last Friday evening and checked into my dorm. It's quite lovely actually. My room is on the top floor, but I have a window seat and four large windows that open up to let in the breeze...a lot of people have said that they are jealous: apparently I have one of the larger rooms! (More room for yarn...;)

My first class was on Monday. Dr. Barry Ryan is an amazing professor and quite engaging. He really pulls you into the subject. "This is a great story." Stuff like that. One great topic was "when did Rome fall?" Had us going for about half an hour on trying to give an actual date to the fall of the Roman empire......gives us meanings of words from the original greek - amazing!

Classes, classes, classes...yes I am studying while I'm here! And trying every existing different kind of cider! Fabulous pubs!

The best part of my trip (thus far) was yesterday - Bath and then Stonehenge. (Yes, Joanne, Bath is amazing, and no, Mollie, I did not fall through the gap - would have been interesting though!) First Bath...

People have been coming to Bath for the waters for about 5000 years now... There is a pool there that has the original water from Roman times - did I touch it? You better believe it!!!! Moving on to....

Stonehenge. The most amazingly wondeful and depressing place that I have ever been to. The stones are huge! If you sit there quietly, you can hear the wind rustle through the Salisbury plain and feel a true connection to the land....that is until you hear the tourists behind you with their comments/cameras, the buses honking their horns, and the cars passing along the freeway right next to it. Here's this grand monolith that existed for thousands of years unsullied on the plain, and they have to rope it off because of idiots that have tried to desicrate it!! At the closest point, you can come up to about 5 feet away from the heel stone, and 10-15 feet away from the largest outer stones....I have some lovely shots (I hope!) that I can't wait to develop and share!

Last night, I went into the downtown area of Oxford for the release of Harry Potter - fabulous! Little kids up at all hours dressed up, tired parents holding their hands, teenagers walking around like gothic hoodlums...12:01 am the book was released! I'm on chapter 3, and paid 10 pounds for the book - regularly priced at 16.99 pounds - brilliant!

Still haven't found a yarn shop yet, but I did find my tartan skirt for 10 pounds!

Was originally going to go to Nottingham today, but it was going to take 3 hours by train (46 pounds roundtrip) or 4.5 hours by bus (30 pounds). Either way funds are running low (send money!)...so sticking around today to do homework and take in the city..again. (BTW, pounds are about half - so Harry Potter cost about 18dollars, and the train would be about 85 dollars...ick. I like thinking in pounds better! Seems cheaper...)

Well then, I'm off and will try to update much more frequently. Go explore your backyard, and have some grand adventures!

Cheers, Stacey

Finally Made It!

WOW! I'm actually here! As I type this post, I am listening to an outdoor performance of Madame Butterfly....beautiful. It's about 10pm, and still pretty light outside.

I had such grand plans for today: I was going to arrive, check in to my youth hostel (Holland House, a 17th century estate), and jump right over to the British Museum. Unfortunately, my bed had other plans for me, and I ended up taking a 4 hour nap. Definitely needed, but kinda blew my first day here....oh well. I'll go tomorrow...

Everyone here is very friendly. There are a lot of police about, but there doesn't seem to be any anxiety over the attacks. Of course, I haven't made it into the City yet, so things may be different there.

Tomorrow I check into my dorm at Abingdon House. Yes, I already got my homework done so I'm ahead of the game. Which leaves more time for museum tours and knitting (of course). Need to go to a yarn shop already, as I lost one of my double pointed needles on the way from Chicago into Heathrow.....

Love to all!

Cheers, Stacey

In Light of This Morning's Attacks...

As I'm sure you are wondering...in light of this morning's attacks in London - yes, I am still going. I refuse to live my life in fear. I will, of course, be very cautious. I asked for an adventure, and it looks like it has been given to me in full measure. My plane leaves at 7:50pm!!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things that you did do." Mark Twain

"Risk everything, or gain nothing." Geoffrey de Charnay, 1385

Cheers, Stay

34 Hours and Counting....

I can't believe it - I'm actually going to London! This blog will give you, gentle reader, a chance to join me on my escapades during my 3.5 weeks in the English countryside...And remind me to do my homework!

Stay