First Week Summary

With the first week of classes done, along with a load of laundry and mundane daily tasks, I am beginning to feel settled in. Harlaxton still has this wondrous feeling to it even as the various routes to the classrooms, Refectory, library, and such are no longer resulting in wrong turns or finding new unexplored routes. I can’t tell you how welcoming and friendly everyone is! Overall, it just feels “right” and I am thrilled to be here.

View from my room

As much as I had wanted to head out and explore more of this beautiful country, the past weekend was spent more on getting my lesson plans together, doing laundry and exploring the village just outside the Manor. The three classes I’m teaching are all new courses and so I am working from scratch. But I’ve caught up with my lectures and lessons plans for this coming week and part of the next, as well as now having a good template to work with moving forward.

                                                             Harlaxton Village

 

But the end of the week wasn’t all work and no play. I did make time to get outside and walked Harlaxton Village, a half mile from the manor. And of course, the first place I had to check out was the local pub “The Gregory.” I had a cider and was able to sit by the fire. (It was 36 degrees when I went out for my walk, so the fire and pint was a nice respite.) I walked through this small village and seeing the moss-covered low stone walls and beautiful brick homes along narrow streets, I found myself thinking that it was exactly what I might have expected in an English village. There was even a red phone box, which has now been converted to a take-a-book, leave-a-book library!

The UK Government has been providing daily Rapid Flow Tests for free. You just have to request them online and they are then delivered to your address. Harlaxton gave us a box of 7 when we arrived and asked us to order more for our use while here. The ones they gave us were simple to use and involved a swab in each nostril. Not too bad. But when I arrived in England, we had to take a Lateral Flow test, involving a self- administered swab of our throat and then a swirl in in each nostril. Ugh!  Glad that was over with! However, when my free government order arrived in the post, I found out that they have two types they can send. I was unlucky in the lottery and received the tests that require throat and nostril! Oh well, knowing I’m COVID free is worth the discomfort - I think…. :)

I guess the other thing that I’m still trying to get used to is the time difference as it relates to communicating with everyone. Collin & Tori are four hours behind and Cissy, along with the rest of Texas, are six hours. I have to be careful when I send a group text to the family that it might be 7am for the kids but it’s 5am for Cissy! Both Thursday and Sunday were a nice treat because I got a chance to have a nice phone conversation with Cissy. Thursday was at 11pm for me but she was just getting off work. Similarly, I get emails from work and friends late in the evening or even while I’m asleep if they send them in the afternoon. Like this morning I woke up to 14 text messages from the family as they discussed the Cowboys game last night. (Oh well, we now look to next year…) So communicating home is something that takes me some extra thought but I’m getting used to it now. 

Weather-wise, it has been very nice based on what I was expecting. Mornings are typically cold, but we seem to have more bright sunny days than we do overcast, rainy or foggy. It doesn’t get very warm in the day, so layers and a jacket are a must if you’re outside. Interesting to me was Friday when a fog bank rolled in about mid-day and covered the Manor and surrounding area with only a foot or two of visibility. I was blinded by the glare it caused in my room through the large window but could not see anything at all. The next day we had some lingering around but it wasn’t even close to Friday. And as I write this on Monday morning, the sun is shining brightly in my room and I can see for miles!

                                                            

                    Frost on the grounds

      

Main Gate to Harlaxton Manor & College

Overall, with the first two weeks under my belt and the beginning of my third, it continues to be an awesome, amazing adventure! I’m looking forward to what comes next. 

 

Sculpture in South Gardens