I know. My life is very hard.

Yeah. Mine too.

English churches felt stuffy, hidebound. They were very pretty, but reminded me of a knick-knack cluttered parlor in some stuffy upper-class home.

Interesting. I don't have a lot of basis for comparison, since I haven't been to the Continent proper yet, just the UK and Ireland. But I love English churches. They feel like home to me. Though I like the ancient little village churches better than the cathedrals. And I don't think it's anything specific to my Christianity, either. In Avebury, for example, I got the exact same feeling that I belonged there from the stone circle as from the church.

And then there's St. Paul's, though I don't lump it in with other English churches. It is what it is, and thinking about it makes me want to dance.

But I really need to see more of Europe. Just to compare, you know. Spain and Italy are calling me.

KristinT, you wanna summarize the chapter on Diversity from my Reading in the Content Area textbook for me? That'd keep you occupied, right?

I just seem to have a mental block against textbooks these days.

Speaking of lizardbrain fear, someone walked into our house last night. We were sitting there watching MI5, the dog ran to the door, and this guy just walked in.

Thing is, we have people stop by all the time- usually though, they'd say something before just walking in, at least knock or announce their presence.

Several years ago, when I was living in Northfield in an apartment, I had an unusual enounter of a similar startling sort.

It was a weekend, and I was up late baking Toll House cookies. The living room adjacent to the kitchen was dark, as I had turned off the TV at 11 pm. I saw lights flashing in the parking lot facing the house, but thought nothing of it at the time. A bit later, as I took a tray out of the oven, I sensed someone in the middle of the living room. She must have been just on the edge of my peripheral vision.

I was startled. I looked at her and said, "Hello."

"Hello," she replied, and nothing else.

Standing there with a tray of hot Toll House cookies, I waited, expectantly for a few beats for something in the way of an explaination. Getting none, I decided my first defense should be attitude. I threw my shoulders back, stood erect, and cocked the eyebrow closest to her.

"One usually knocks or announces oneself as they walk into another's house," I pointed out icily.

She left quickly and without a word.

Come to find out she was from Australia and was my friend Ed's new fiancee. Later still she turned out to be using him to get a green card and he had to divorce her in absentia when she took off without a word.

Still later Ed told me that she had said, "I don't think Dan likes me very much."

"Go figure," I told him.

Emily, I'd take you up on that, but I think I need to go get drunk. Or eat. Or something.

See you all laters...

Have fun, Kristin!

Though I like the ancient little village churches better than the cathedrals. And I don't think it's anything specific to my Christianity, either. In Avebury, for example, I got the exact same feeling that I belonged there from the stone circle as from the church.

That was one area I didn't get to explore that I would have liked to. I tend not to get any vibes from outdoor sites, but the fact that most henges and megalithic sites were constructed for possibly religious or quasi-religious purposes, I'm curious as to how I would have responded at those sites. I think a lot of what I feel about churches is from the fact that innumerable people have been in the building and it's soaked up all those feelings over the years. Somehow, I tune into that. With an outdoor venue, I don't know that it would feel the same.

The interesting thing is that I can appreciate the looks of the building and like it for aesthetic purposes, but actually entering it and getting a feel for it is a whole 'nother matter.

Aw, I missed blondie.

Hec has a new tag.

I took a nap. It was nice.