I am currently in school, again, working on finishing an English degree. I am taking a full schedule: Brit Lit before 1800's, English advanced writing, a Dance history class (we have lectures on Mon, Wed, and dance on Fri. Fun stuff!), and Geology (give me a rock and I'll identify it!...hopefully). It has been such a blessing to be back in school and feel like I'm one step closer to graduating. Bryan has been such a huge help and support to me as I've transitioned back into college life, something I've been out of for three years now. It hasn't been easy for me to get back into the swing of things, but I'm starting to get the hang of it.
Of course, my favorite class is my Brit Lit class where we get to read works from authors before the 1800's. We've read Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Canterbury Tales. Those works I've read before (but not in Middle English like I did this time with the Canterbury Tales. Reading aloud goes a long way:). The unusual works have been the crazy religious ladies: Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe.
Julian of Norwich was an anchoress (an anchorite is the male form of the word). What does that mean? Well, it means that she voluntarily decided to live in a cell for the remainder of her life, completely shut in. Anchorites denied their bodies and the church would have a burial service for them on the day they were quite literally cemented into their cell. They had one small window facing the inside of the church so they could hear Mass. They also had a small window facing the outside world where they would get their "worldly goods" like food and drink. Other than that, they just hung out in their cell in solitude, praying and writing whatever visions they might have. Julian was shut into the church in Norwich and wrote 16 visions called "A Book of Showings". I have never heard of anchorites/anchoresses before!! It just substantiates the view of the Middle Ages as a dark and dreadful time. The cell looked something like this:
So, I guess you do learn something new every day! And just when I thought Julian of Norwich was strange, we read The Book of Margery Kempe and she is quite literally crazy. Interesting reading! I am glad we'll be on to Utopia this week :).
It has been fun to learn and to study again. I am very grateful to be in school again and to be one step closer to the ever-desirable degree!
2 comments:
Congratulations, Lindsay, on being back in school. Lucky YOU!!! Still wish I had gone to UT when I worked there many years ago. Didn't so have stayed "dumb" all my life. I love your blog. You girls do such beautiful work. I LOVE THE PICTURES too. That's the best part of all three blogs (yours, Rhi and Melissa). Tell Brian hello and hope you stay warm from all that snow. We have had some snow, temp down to 12 last night. BRrrrrr..... Luvnhugs 'n God Bless, Mammaw YOU GET MORE BEAUTIFUL EVERY PICTURE I RECEIVE..
I love your new pic at the top! SOOOO CUTE! Lucky you to have a cat around. I'm just glad it's not me. It's hilarious that he chills in your chairs! :)
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