I have now been in Exeter for two and a half days, having arrived safely at my new "flat" around 11:00 AM UK time on Friday. It's now just a little after 6:00 PM on Sunday. My flight from JFK to Heathrow was far better than I could have imagined, and my very good friend Debbie, who is an American who lives in England, was there to greet me.
We found that my new "flat" is lovely. It's on the third and fourth floors of a four-storey building, and my main working area and bedroom, which are combined into one room, are on the fourth floor, in a garrett setting. I have a lovely view across the street to a little park, and it's a very short walk on the lane behind the park to get up to the university campus. It took us between 10 and 15 minutes total to walk to the building where the theology department was, and the hills were far less steep than on the other side of the campus (where I had been the time I came to visit).
On Saturday morning, Debbie and I went to the university's library so that I could ask them where to find the theology sections, including for Augustine, and they actually had someone give us a personal tour. I was thrilled to find out that they have most of the books I'll need --- many of which I had had to leave behind in my own personal library in my home in Bethel. And there are student tables, with laptop connections, directly adjacent to the Augustine section! They also had many of the books on the Trinity and the doctrine of creation I could need --- and fortunately, I brought the ones I really need with me. And they have a great section on theology and creation and science. So, that was wonderful news!
Thanks to Debbie, my new flat is now stocked with the things I need to survive. It's a fully furnished flat, and I should thank my landlords first of all, as everything is lovely, and the kitchen has all the dishes and things you would want, plus a clothes washer and dryer. But Debbie went around the flat and made lists of thing we needed, and for over two days, she took me to various places so that I could purchase what I need. She and I wanted to share a laugh with those of you who know that I don't cook much anymore, and that I was used to eating at Plain Jane's most of the time. For our final "big grocery shop" today, where we took the car to get big things, she said to me, "our cart is full, and you have very little in it to eat!" And she refused to leave the store until we had some more food, including bags of frozen salmon and cod, and lots of rice!
We went to church this morning at the Southernhay United Reformed Church, and I stayed after and introduced myself and met several people, and I told them I'd be back next Sunday. Then we walked by the huge Cathedral (Anglican), and had a lunch at a cafe on the Cathedral green. I'll go to the Cathedral for services from time to time.
I am all set up now, and Debbie, a true saint, left at 4:00 PM today. Tomorrow morning, it's back to my huge chapter on Augustine, and I'm going to the old library on campus to see if they have any hidden Augustine resources there.
The picture of me in front of the church is at the Reformed Church. Debbie is seated on a wall in front of the Anglican Cathedral. We have pictures of my view out front (trees) and the view out back (a Gospel church with a sign that says that Jesus Christ is Lord). And pictures of Debbie and me each sitting in my new desk chair, which we went out and bought, and which Debbie assembled.
Next time, my blog post will be shorter.
Jane
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