You thought I had forgotten all about you, didn’t you? Well, I haven’t. But life in the thrilling world of postgraduate study is awfully busy. In fact, I haven’t been this busy in years…a rather depressing thought when you consider I’m paying enormous sums of money for the privilege to be this slammed with work! But I never have pretended to have a shred of sanity, so I’m comfortable with that thought.
The research does goes well. The cold cave in which I study (a.k.a. our downstairs bedroom/office) has become my usual lair, though I’ve been spotted emerging from time to time to forage for food. If I’m not there lodged beneath a mountain of books, I’m down at the Cosin Library by the Cathedral (where it is warm) holed up with other postgraduates studying hard and resisting the urge to spend copious amounts of money on overly expensive coffee.
Fortunately, I am making progress in my study of Augustine. The man wrote far too much and desperately needed an editor, but I have uncovered some gems and the old North African has given me some insights into delight (the topic of my thesis) that I did not have before. But he does not give up such gems easily and I often feel like I’m wrestling with the long-winded saint. Still, the beginnings of a thesis have begun to emerge and I have high hopes of beginning to dabble in my later authors–John Cassian and Gregory the Great–in the near future. I know, your heart has begun to palpitate with excitement for me!
All is not work, however, and we still try as a family to get out and about. The best trip we’ve made since my last post was to Scotland to visit my second cousin, Tony. He’s done well for himself running a playground equipment company (I was disappointed to find that his house wasn’t filled with various contraptions for us to play on!) and now lives with his fiance, Caroline, in a lovely renovated farmhouse in the hills north of Perth.
It was my and our first trip into Scotland. We drove up the A68 over the mountains of Northumberland through the old monastic town of Jedburgh and along the outskirts of Edinburgh. What a lovely trip! We’ll definitely go back to visit the area in the spring or summer.
Although both Newcastle and Edinburgh are major British cities, there is no motorway connecting the two, and so any journey into the land of kilted barbarians is a long one. With only a stop for lunch at a delightful little teashop in Jedburgh, it took us six hours to get to reach Tony’s. But the drive was a happy one with many a dramatic vista of the countryside. Sure beats an equivalent journey on I-26 or I-95!
I had not seen cousin Tony since, well, since before I could grow a beard. I enjoyed him tremendously, though the
switch from his south Yorkshire accent to Caroline’s soft Scottish one was at first a wee bit disconcerting, thaknows. But both were consummate hosts and made us feel very much at home as did their two cats and wonderful German Shepherd. The house in which they live was apparently remodeled by the mistress of some wealthy tycoon who would fly in from time to time in his helicopter. She spent an obscene amount of money on the place before having to sell it all at a fraction of what she had spent on it. Still, after seeing what she had done, I’m now encouraging Diane to become the kept woman of a wealthy tycoon! It would solve a lot of problems!
We spent much of the Saturday lounging around or seeing a little of the local countryside. Paul was thrilled to get to ride on an ATV with Caroline and equally as happy to ride a horse for the first time in his life. Between that and the over-sized television, my son was not at all interested in going home. I repayed
Tony and Caroline’s generosity by cooking up a western North Carolina barbecue chicken dinner, thus at the same time continuing my missionary venture to introduce the Brits to fine southern barbecue!
More recently, we’ve had a goodly amount of snow here in Durham. In fact, it has been awfully cold. Last weekend we had the thickest frost I’ve ever seen that made the world look like it had just been pulled out of a freezer. Things had just begun to thaw when the snow arrived. We had about 2″ yesterday, just enough for Paul and me to have a brutal snowball fight.
Well, I think I can hear Augustine beginning to call my name. I hope that I can get back for another post sooner than I’ve done this time. Cheers!
Nice that you’re getting some relaxation and travel in amidst the studies!
You’re too kind….. (!!??)
Good job it wasn’t this weekend the Claviers were gonna visit though….. the snow has been somewhat deeper than in the photo’s since Tuesday and now that the proper car is back from the ‘hospital’, I’ve been unable to get it outta the drive!!
Caroline struggled with the snow this morning….. in a Landrover Discovery!!! The quad bikes have been getting abused though…… great fun!
Rain and sleet now as I type away this Friday afternoon so it’ll either have gone by tomorrow or be an ice rink…?
Never-the-less, its still beautiful and there is one member of the household thats been having a blast all week (clue; Diane’s new best pal!). Thank goodness for mops and hard floors!
Keep the updates coming Mark and we’ll see you all again in, say, 26 years time…… or maybe we should consider lessening the timescales this time around??!!!! Spring time ’09 it is then(?)
Love to Diane and Paul and of course yourself from the two of us and the zoo.
Tony & Caroline xx
Hello Mark,
I am reading J.J. O’Donnell’s bio of Augustine, which I am sure you know. A different take on the bishop of Hippo, for sure. He also has a website on Augustine, FWIW:
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine.html
All good blessings for a holy Advent and a joyous Christmastide.
+Pierre Whalon