Something to do with my new life

Nigel rang me up last week to suggest that there is no time like the present to start learning to write in a serious, academic way. My inner hedonist said, "Uh, oh" but the new me agreed with him so he set me a little task. I'm finding that it is quite different trying to write seriously with book based evidence than just churning out a blog or a story. I've been reading about Anglo-Saxons so he suggested writing a short piece about them and relating it in some way to the present day. It has taken days but I'm finally finished and I shall give it to him today. I'm still waiting to hear from Ruskin as to whether I will have to pay fees for my course in the autumn.

We are suffering the final days of August. It has been wet and cold. The cold I don't mind but the rain is only good for keeping me out of the garden by necessity rather than choice. The new border that Judith planted is coming along very well. Because it is a herbaceous border, it won't come into its own until next year. I did manage to mow half the lawn but it grew back again before I could get to the second half. I have finally got a date for the fence - 8th Sept. I'm going down to Brighton on Thursday to see Harry. Oh, Alison and Sian as well.

Family Reunion

Here we are, the happy fifteen. Starting at the top from L to R we have - Charlie Gee, Jane Hacking, Alison Pike, Harry, Sian Williams, Rachel Gee, Catherine Foglesong, Queen Mother holding Rosie, Chloe Gee, Michelle Hacking, Charlie Gee (the younger) Sam Foglesong, Adam Gee and Daniel Hacking holding Olivia.

It was a wonderful week. Sometimes these things have lots of hiccups and bumps but we rubbed along pretty well. This picture was taken by a photographer whom I hired to take good family pictures and it was worth it. We celebrated Sam's birthday that day. He was 12. On the Friday we hired a minibus and driver to take us out for the day. It could have been a complete disaster because it happened to be the day that 150,000 people were converging on Blenheim Palace for a game show. Our driver picked up the Headington contingent at 9:30 at the Black Boy and an hour and a half later we arrived at the farm for the others (usually a 20 minute journey). Then we tried to head off for Stratford. Fortunately, Phillip, the driver, new the back roads but it hardly helped because so did everyone else. It was 11:45 and we were no where near Stratford so we stopped in Bourton-on-the-Water for our picnic lunch. We let the kids go wild for half an hour then reboarded. It was clear that our time was running short so we dumped Stratford and headed straight for Warwick Castle. This was smart because it is an excellent place for children. It's kind of like Walt Disney meets Simon de Montfort (sorry, I couldn't resist that). They fired off the final trebuchet (look it up) at 5:30 and we collected ourselves and climbed back on the bus. We left Warwick just before 6 and got home 2 hours later. Daniel figured out that the amount of time we were on the bus, we could have flown to New York. You might think that everyone would have been feeling miserable and rotten but not a bit of it. There were no fights and no crying babies. We all decided after the event that it was a great day that we would always remember because of its quirkiness. We came home and gobbled up a takeaway and fell into bed. Alison and Sian left the next day and Daniel and Michelle a few days later. I had Jane's company for the rest of the week - a big plus. She was able to come to Nigel's and to the Book Club.

Outcome

Whatever I did on Monday it seems to have worked. I had a letter from Ruskin on Thursday accepting me for their one year access course for a history degree. I don't know whether it was the outfit, my babbling about Anglo Saxons or my overall air of intelligence and determination but they are having me. Needless to say, I am tickled pink. It was nice that all the children were here because we settled down with family and a few friends and we celebrated. I owe a lot to Nancy and Nigel both of whom wrote references for me which I'm sure played a big part in the acceptance. The only possible hitch now is finances. If I can tell them I have been resident for three years, I pay very little. If I can't say or prove that, it will cost a great deal for this first year. I don't know how much but when I asked the people who were interviewing me for a ballpark figure, all they would say was, "It's prohibitive."

Interview

I have been invited for a second interview. This one is on Monday afternoon so very little time to be nervous and anxious. I'm still counting on the Anglo Saxons which I'm reading and very happily. Now I just have to worry about what to wear. Zoe suggests a JoJo outfit but I'm afraid it might be too colourful and flamboyant. On the other hand, I don't want to look like some blue stocking frump or some older woman trying too hard. Any suggestions gratefully received.

P.S. I am serious about the course but one has only one chance to make a first impression!

Branching Out

I've been going along now for two years living as a single person. It has been quite rough at times but I'm doing pretty well. However, my activities fall into the niche of older retired woman; taking things quite easy and doing many things outside the house that I've always done. Lovely though it is, I had begun to realize that it wasn't enough. I need to try something that will take up all of my time and energy and clog up my mind. So guess what I'm trying to do? A proper first degree at University. It turns out that in order to be considered, I have to do an Access/Foundation Course. I haven't been a student for about a hundred years and I need to get back in the groove and prove to the College that I'm serious and that I can do it. I have applied for a few different preliminary courses and I'm waiting to hear if any of them will have me. I have actually got one interview for a history access course on 4th September. Apparently I have to be ready to discuss the period of history in which I'm most interested and books that I have read. Oh Oh! I knew there was going to be a catch. Never mind. I started last night reading a book on AngloSaxons and I have historian friends who will help me with vocabulary. I had coffee this morning with some of them and already they suggest that I start learning Old English. This is a precursor to Middle English and then Modern English. It is like a totally foreign language so I had better get busy. When I start writing this blog in Old English you will know that I have succeeded.

Enter, The Fox

I spent three days in Brighton last weekend looking after The Fox while his parents went away overnight for a much needed break. It was Sian's birthday. I was slightly nervous but I needn't have been. He slept all through the night and woke up happy in the morning. They had put him to bed the night before so having me appear beside the crib was a surprise. I was treated to a big smile. We breakfasted together and then he went back to bed. His Mummies came home at lunchtime. Everyone was glad to see everyone else.

Here he is smiling, pursing and looking like a stud.

Mummy Ali and me

My Mummy reads me a story every time I put my head down for a nap or a good night's sleep. I'm getting the hang of it and pretty soon I'll be able to read to her. Oh! I forgot. I can't talk yet.

On the Upswing

I appear to have recovered from my last bout of flu. At least I'm up and about and doing things. It was my birthday on Sunday. I was 67!!! I don't feel a day over 65. On Friday evening I went out for a meal with Diana, Zoe, Nancy and Amanda. We went to the Black Boy and I enjoyed a large plate of fish and chips. Nancy insisted on drawing the attention of the staff and other patrons to the event taking place "a la table moi" so they put a tea lite in the middle of a bowl of strawberries and sang Happy Birthday. I pretended to be embarrassed but I was secretly pleased.

On Sunday (actual birthday) I went down to the farm for a Birthday Tea. The children had made a cake and decorated it with strawberries and cream and candles. Once again, we sang, we blew, and we ate. Adam was a considerable help with all three. I had a lovely birthday. Thank you everyone.

I had my final photography class last evening. It was an excellent series, pitched at just the right level. I feel much more competent now with Photoshop but I still need hours of practice. I rushed from the class to a meeting of the Book Club. We read "Readings in the Dark" by Seamus Deane. Set in Northern Ireland in the 50's, it is an excellent book. It is interesting how, no matter where I go, there are always a few people with a Catholic background.

I'm going to Brighton on Thursday to have my first overnight session with the Fox (without his parents). I was thinking of taking him to Revenge. That's the gay nightclub in Brighton that I love and I haven't been there since 2002 when we were all super groovy! I had better be careful since his parents might be going there and I don't want me and the Fox to have our style cramped by a couple of middle aged ladies.

Sick Again

I seem to be plagued by illness. I spent last Thursday with Rosie who had a streaming cold. I find it impossible not to pick her up and be close so, of course, I came down with same streaming cold. I can cope with a cold and this was fortunate because I had booked myself into an open day at Harris Manchester on Friday. I snuffled through the event and then drove to Brighton to spend the weekend with Alison and Harry. As luck would have it, Harry had diarrhea and vomiting. Once again, couldn't resist holding and cuddling. We were afraid I would give him the cold but instead, he gave me what he had. I woke up on Monday morning (back in Oxford) with all three complaints in full force. It would appear that my immune system is not at its best. I know I blogged recently about joining the gym and I did feel good. Oh well. Nowhere to go but up.

The Gym

Here is a perfect example of how lazy I am. I joined a gym at the beginning of the month and promised myself that I would go at least every other day, aiming for four times a week. Today was meant to be a gym day and there is even a class that I like on Sunday evening. Am I there stretching and puffing? Of course not. I'm sitting in front of my computer pretending to be doing something worthwhile. My gym interactions have been interesting. You have to be induced (induction) by one of the little gym rats before you are allowed loose on the machines. My little chap is called Dave and he wanted me to list my problem areas. Where to begin? How honest should I be? I decide to be truthful so I write down things like, "pain in my legs, pain in my joints, shortness of breath on walking upstairs, dizziness, headaches." He looks at the list and says, "Have you seen your GP lately?" I assure him that it is just age and inactivity and nothing to worry about. He's not having it so I have to promise to go and bore my GP for ten minutes. I do this and GP does his thing and declares me fit and well. He says that the only help for my symptoms is exercise!! So there, Dave! I go back to the gym and Dave shows me things to do. Very simple, very elementary. I've done a lot of gym stuff in the past so, the next time I go, I ignore Dave's mamby pamby routine and really go for it. This followed a two mile walk with Rosie so I was feeling pretty chuffed and pleased with myself until I woke up the next morning. Oh dear. I'm telling myself that that is why I didn't go today but the real reason is that I went to a lunchtime party and had a couple of glasses of wine so exercise was off the agenda. I spoke later to my allotment partner who had also been at the lunch. She had just come back from a run down to the allotment to check on the beans, etc. She was running, I was napping. We each do what the Lord put us on earth for.