First day of term

This is Alexandra Square at Lancaster University. Term has started and the area that you see on the right is usually thronging with students. In this square there is a library, a Waterstone's, banks, Greggs, newsagents, careers offices, a florist.....

The whole campus holds about 20,000 students apparently, and it is really like a small town.

I would love to be more a part of the community, but as I found last year, that is pretty challenging with a family and a business.

I really love my time on site and treasure it. I love chatting to my fellow students over a coffee or having the luxury of peace and quiet with my books in the library ( and anyone who knew me from the ages of eleven to twenty one would be astonished to hear this especially my mum!). The classes are great. It makes me realise how scant my knowledge is and how piteously ignorant I am of world faiths, and of my own faith. Where to start!

I have done two essays so far: one on euthanasia ( under ethics) and one on complementary medicine ( under the title of ' the turn to mind, body and spirit'). My next class is called ' Women and Sexuality in the Christian Tradition'. Should be good! Not sure if I will do an essay on this one or not- I am going to miss a few classes sadly. This is because of the department's refusal to set a timetable earlier than the first day of term - infuriating! We all sit with our diaries planning in when we can do- by then my work schedule is booked in. Sigh.

Today we are doing our compulsory class on 'Religious studies'. What it is, how to study it and how to do a dissertation' type of stuff. Only 25,000 words on the latter...should be a breeze!

Saturday and the weather is still being temperamental

The weather continues to play hide and seek here in Bowness on Windermere. My son tells me the test match (England/ South Africa) is awful, rather like the weather really. One moment it is quite warm and there are hints of sunshine, and the next it is black clouds and spitting rain. Plans and clothes are a constant challenge and have been for weeks. If anyone is here on holiday or has been in the last few weeks- sorry! I always feel sad for the soggy tourists and be-draggled kids who wonder damply around the streets on bad weather days. Only the truly brave go hiking on days like these. Maybe I can start an informal tourist information service on my blog, helping prospective visitors with a little local knowledge.

We have just been for a little walk to our favourite Bowness haunt 'Costa's coffee'. Quite a few locals ( and regular visitors) were resistant to it coming as it saw the advent of the big chains coming into to town ( Tesco now too!). However, it is a large light room with a relaxed atmosphere and I think you could stay there reading all day and no-one would bother you. I love that.

Have just put a Tesco order in and it astonishes me how much security we have to get through these days to achieve anything! I appreciate it is for our increased safety etc but I wonder if it really is keeping the bad guys out, or just the genuine customer?

I have put our website on my blog. I hope people will visit. Soon our new one is launched. and it will more interactive and up to date. I do like the current one, but we have little control over the content other than the news page. We are doing a lot of exciting things in the business now but the current website does not reflect these as strongly as the new one will.

We are doing a whole range of NLP programmes here in the fabulous English lakes ( why would anyone choose anywhere else- the most inspirational place in the world- ask Wordsworth and Ruskin) and are really excited about becoming Cumbria's number one NLP solution provider.

It is challenging getting up to date with all the technology available for communicating. Like many people of my generation ( born in the sixties) I had no formal training in IT. My husband ( the lovely Paul) is pretty switched on ( the computer obeys him and defies me) and he has taught me a lot. I have done a lot of self teaching through trial and error and constant practise, but have so much more to learn. I am enjoying doing a bit every day on this blog, and gaining confidence in all the bits and pieces I can do on it.

Better get on with my essay- only a thousand words to go and over a week to finish.Its looking good, and I feel confident about it

into the 21st century

My good friend visiting from Chicago alerted me to the joys of blogging so here I go. It is hard to imagine anyone tuning in to hear all about my life in the English Lake District, but apparently people do enjoy reading about each other's lives so I will give it a try and see if I get any readers. I like reading 'real life' stories in magazines so I suppose it isn't that different. I will start visiting other blogs and see if I enjoy it.
I am doing an MA at Lancaster University in Religious studies so I am hoping to scan blogs for opinions and tips on complementary medicine. I am hoping to do my dissertation on it: 25,000 words!