"It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty."

-L. M. Montgomery

Jane Austen's Donkey Cart

 

Bath

Bath, especially the Pump Room and the Assembly Rooms,

seen above, was a prime hangout for Jane Austen characters

(Catherine from Northanger Abbey and Anne from Persuasion).

inspired by Rev. 4:

"After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.

And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.

A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne."

Situation Number One

Well, this is my first post ever! (Other than a deleted "test" post, upon which someone nevertheless felt the need to comment.) Blogging is sort of intimidating because some people are such good, faithful bloggers, while I am so bad at keeping anything up regularly. I don't know how it will turn out. It's intended just to be a way to keep in touch with a lot of people at once, but all you people in my life are so different. It seems weird to share the same things in the same way with everyone -- at least for a person with people-pleasing impulses. So I don't know how superficial or indepth this will be. But I'm sure it will be a good chance to grow and stretch. . . in my relationships with other people, my knowledge of myself, and my faithfulness to God. I'll try to be real. Oh, and I was excited to get such a tubular URL -- I was sure it would be taken!

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I finished my last paper yesterday afternoon, thereby ending a month-long struggle with final assignments. Oh, it was such a sweet relief! I then wrote my second exam this morning from nine to noon. English Romantic Period (1780-1830) -- primarily Keats, Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Blake. Some of these guys are so self-absorbed, it's really stunning. Writing epic poems about themselves! Studying them sheds some interesting light on the idolatries of that time -- not always so different from our own.

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The one Romantic whose work I do love is William Blake -- his mind is so original and startling. I don't agree with all his views, but still I admire him. He was a genius who was thisclose to being crazy, he had supernatural visions, fought injustice, and was even a good husband:

Blake's wife, Catherine, an illiterate, signed her wedding contract with an 'X'. Later on Blake, as well as teaching Catherine to read and write, trained her as an engraver; throughout his life she would prove an invaluable aide to him, helping to print his illuminated works and maintaining his spirits following his numerous misfortunes. Their marriage, though unblessed by children, remained close and loving throughout the remainder of Blake's life.

Okay, that was a super-long tangent.

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Back to my excuse for starting this blog. As most of you know, I'll be in England from January to April this year, studying Shakespeare and Drama as an associate student (emphasis on the associate) of Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, and living in the village of Charlbury. (I happen to be leaving Friday the 13th.) So I plan to post pictures and thoughts and traveller's tales on here, to keep a record of my journey that I can share with all you wonderful people at home.

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It seems appropriate to start today, since the idea of going to England is finally becoming real to me.

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At lunch, I packed up my dorm room and sent it home with my dad and my sister (who turned 18 on Thursday and promptly registered to vote and bought a lottery ticket -- happy birthday, Koopa!) Things are so bare now. Packing up made me realize that I am really leaving! ~WOW~ My roommate and I have even started saying goodbye. . . I'm really going to miss her. Only 4 more days. But in those 4 days I still have 4 exams left to go (one of which is a take-home that I should be working on right now).

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Then. . . Christmas! My life, I must say, is pretty great.

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A light in sound, a sound-like power in light

Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere-

Methinks, it should have been impossible

Not to love all things in a world so filled