So, this year, to save me from the regular embarrassment of not updating my blog often enough, I'm going to post a single epistle each month detailing the goings on in the world of the Wardens. I might also post occasional musings.
So what has happened since my last post?
Christmas came and went. It involved us travelling from Lincoln to Nottingham to Stockport to Edinburgh to Aviemore and back again. Despite a bit of illness we had a lot of fun and it was great to see everyone. Dogsledding in Aviemore was a particular highlight but then so was playing Christmas games with our niece.
Since there, here is the news:
- We are in the process of relocating to Nottingham full time. This has been a long decision but it is definitely the right one. We should be moving in late February and are looking forward to enjoying Nottingham life and being closer to everyone. This also means that the next few weeks will be full of boxes and removal men. Although we'll miss our big old house (and particularly the ducks!), it is definitely the right time. I'll be doing a commute back to Lincoln for the time being and am actually quite looking forward to quiet writing and reading time on the train. I've been listening to the BBC's War and Peace over the past few days and reckon I could get quite into spoken books.
- I've been super busy with research work, including writing two abstracts, an invited lecture and numerous forms. I'm also up to 20,000 words of the book which is a big relief as I was beginning to get a little anxious about lack of progress. It's my own fault - there are just too many exciting things happening! Last Friday I returned to one of my favourite archives at the John Rylands in Manchester. Pretty super that I can combine work things with seeing the family, including my rather beautiful 10-week old nephew.
- We watched The Hobbit at the Kinema in Woodhall Spa. I enjoyed it, although we agreed that there were way too many plot holes (what happened to those worm things? Anybody?)
- I've finished the marking. As usual a good mix of stuff this term. Looking forward to the forthcoming term when I'm back to teaching Modern European Drama and Documentary Theatre, my favourites!
- I've been reading a lot. I have made a whole heap of New Year's Resolutions this term, most of which seem to be going OK. One of them is reading a whole fiction book every month. I realise that this doesn't sound like very much but I spend all my days reading books about modernism and theatre and tend to neglect 'fun' reading. So far I've actually read two books (Murakami's new one [very strange!] and a rather beautiful if perplexing book by Carol Sheilds called Unless). I'm now on to Alice Munro's short stories. I read a couple of these when I taught Canadian Literature at Edinburgh but I haven't returned to them for many years. The first one was a bit disturbing but amazing. Looking forward to a train journey tomorrow so I can read the next.
- One of my other resolutions revolves around fitness challenges which, as you'll know, I really like! January is always an easy fitness month for me. It's about getting things back on track: light cardio and, this year, loads of yoga. While I don't really go in for the spiritual side of yoga, I really like the movements and the focus they force you to maintain. I'm following some pretty tough yoga sessions D bought me (yoga 'til failure!) but am really loving it. Hoping that by February I'll be ready to ramp it up a bit in preparation for a nice summer challenge.
The next few weeks will be full with term starting, moving house and three new publications all coming out - an article, a book chapter and, on February 15th, Modernist and Avant-Garde Performance: an introduction.
Hoping you're having a great start to 2015. I have high hopes for this year!
And today on Martin Luther King Day I leave you with this:
CSW
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