Swings and Roundabouts

Yesterday I was swinging...on a swing. I love that word: swwwwiinnnng. I stopped in time for a moment as I fully comprehended the sensation in my body, no doubt enhanced by having a mild hangover and a slight middle ear infection. It is such fun! no wonder my little Os will swing for so long when we are at the park - he has just mastered 'doing it himself'. Pulling forward legs OUT, lean forward legs BACK, start again: pulling forward legs OUT... My point is this: that momentary stopping in time and fully observing my body sensations and looking around the playground, the trees, the sky - its like I was all of 5years old again. I'll always have a go on the swings, even when I'm old and the chains dig into my hips and my arms hurt from pulling, once I get up high I'll stop, float and feel it all over again.

SHOOTING STARS

Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even

On a sunbeam, swift as a shooting star

In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired

Impress the air...

Oh, I love this! This is from Paradise Lost. Satan has just seen Eden with Adam & Eve in all their perfection and plans how he is going to destroy man to revenge God. Uriel is the angel who let Satan (disguised as a cupid) into Earth and Uriel has just seen Satan for who he really is. He is coming into Earth to tell the angel Gabriel (who is guarding Eden) what he has seen. He glides through the evening on a sunbeam, like a shooting star! Are shooting stars angels coming into earth? what a beautiful thought!

Not long ago, in our garden I set up a mattress, covered with pillows and duvets, surrounded by twinkling candles and lanterns we lay looking at the sky for the first time ever. I counted 7 shooting stars, this really surprised me because we live in the middle of London and I could only see about 5 stars! Like in the poem, our breathes were vapour that left an impression in the night too. Love it!

Back to Study

6 weeks ago I returned to University. I haven't studied for 13 years so it is very exciting and I am still on the honeymoon. I am thrilled to be using my brain, to be challenged in different ways. I'm studying Combined Honours - English Literature & Art History - my favourite subjects as school, all those years ago. Today I took my camera to photograph the beautiful grounds, things that I walk past to go to lectures. A feast for the eyes all the way - I feel so lucky!