"My hopes will never tread the halls of fear..." - Aeschylus

About to step into my first English Honors course... so nervous! New adventure.

Oxford, you've stolen my heart.

"The spirit of the elder days found a dwelling here, and we delighted to trace its footsteps."

- Mary Shelley, on Oxford

officially home sick... :(

but it'll be a great day to read, catch up on sleep, and maybe even paint my fingernails =)

The Lord keeps bringing me back here. This is the entry gate to the Magdalen deer park - yes, for hundreds of years, Magdalen College has boasted a deer park. [You can also glimpse Magdalen Tower between the trees on the right side of the picture... I just noticed that haha...] 
It's part of the Addison walk loop. I took this picture the first of many times that I took that walk. And here was this girl sitting on a bench reading. What a beautiful moment!
To me, this means peace. And Jesus often brings me back to this beautiful, precious place to sit peacefully on that bench with Him.

While making small talk with a customer I just helped, I found out that she's selling her car because she's moving to England to go to grad school. Oh wow! So many mixed emotions.

On the one hand, I wish I could move back to England tomorrow. But, I can hardly stand the idea of being away from home for more than a year! My heart is so in both places. Oh, why do Seattle and Oxford have to be 6,000 miles away from each other?

Employee-appreciation BBQ at work today. Ha. Very funny.

Ummm... just discovered Mars Hill "Film & Theology." Wow! One of their pastors is a film critic and analyzes current films in a church setting. I think I may need to visit. I am currently listening to their Inception discussion and loving it! I'll post more thoughts when I've finished =)

Seattlites can complain if they want,  but I, for one, am stoked about our sunny weekend! Temperatures today should be upwards of 90....and I couldn't be happier. Time to don our sundresses and enjoy the sun while we have it =)

Time for...

...reading
...sun
...nap


..........peace =)

I just finished The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. One of my professors had told me years ago that Age of Innocence was her absolute favorite novel and urged me to read it. I highly doubtful that I would enjoy it. Among the strikes it had against it... it was American Lit. I rarely read American novels--and never an American novel set in the 1880's. But I was delightfully surprised. As I was reading it, I thought the novel was good, but the last chapter was incredible! Overall, a very impacting book.
Another one of my professors quoted Nietzsche as having said, "Master's of the first rate know how to end." And, boy, did Wharton.

Well, I feel successful. I've finished 3 books in 3 days. Oh the joys. Tomorrow I'm hitting up the library to see if my holds have come in =)

Right now I am loving G. K. Chesterton's Manalive... but I just came across this funny quote:
"Pym rose with sincere embarassment; for he was an American, and his respect for ladies was real, and not at all scientific."

"whaaaa?"

What does he mean? about Americans? about ladies? What the heck? hahaha

Watched 2 incredible films on my day off.

I took my sister to see The Help. It was as wonderful as everyone told me. Teared up off. Laughed more. But I loved how the film portrayed the impact stories could make.

I do have to say it was so odd to see Jessica Chastain in the role of Celia Foote--slightly different than her character in Tree of Life ;)

The other film I watched was 84 Charing Cross Road.

[Vintage movie poster]

It's the touching, true story of playwright and avid book-lover Helene Hanff and her correspondance with London Bookshop owner, Frank Doel.

[Marks & Co. - as it was then]

A dear friend of mine told me about the film before I left for England and I bought it thinking I would watch it on the plane. That did not end up happening, but while in London, I found myself on Charing Cross Road and snapped a picture of what is left of 84 Charing Cross Road

["84 Charing Cross Road - The Booksellers Marks & Co. were on this site
 which became world renowned through the book by Helen Hanff"]

I just adored the film. I mean: London, New York, bookshops, old books, incredible authors, friends, the 1960's... what more does a girl really want??

[Came across the first edition cover and just love it!]

Enjoy the long weekend!! Let me know if you see any especially good films =)