Oh, how the mighty have fallen! I am no longer queen of all I survey, but I must conform myself to living an institutionalized life in a college dorm in England. No longer can I eat when my stomach growls (my preferred method) but I must eat when the clock and the cook says it is time. No more meals plopped on the couch with my family and a great movie but with a crowd in the dining hall.
One thing I cannot get used to is this English notion of two spigots in every sink. Now, I don't mean two handles, but two different exit points for hot and cold, spaced as far apart as the sink will allow.
So, you either wash your hands in scalding hot water or ice cold water, or you try the "back and forth really fast" method of mixing the water. At first I thought these faucets were only at Harlaxton, since it was so old, but in my travels I find they are everywhere: in the train stations, on the trains themselves, in the modern shopping centers. In my dorm room it is the most inconvenient. I had hopes of washing my hair in the sink as I do sometimes at home. I tried it yesterday just for fun (!). I filled up the sink by putting in the little rubber plug on a chain and mixing hot and cold to a nice temperature. Then I literally stuck my head down into the water and splashed it with my hands to the back of my head. It was comical and painful. How I take for granted those lovely faucets back home! I remember buying a new faucet for the bathroom at home and the agony of deciding between a one handle or a two handle. I have a new appreciation for the wide range of faucet choices we have in the states. I think if I moved here I would order a bathroom faucet from home!
Another thing that has struck me in this place is how important steps are in my new life here. I'm sure there's a symbolic metaphor somewhere in here for this stage in my life, but I leave it to you to find it. Suffice it to say, I think about steps often and find myself taking lots of pictures of them. The first set I encountered at Harlaxton was the five-flight, straight up, dark and dingy set with a cagey lift in the middle, that ended in the path to my dorm room.
Another thing that has struck me in this place is how important steps are in my new life here. I'm sure there's a symbolic metaphor somewhere in here for this stage in my life, but I leave it to you to find it. Suffice it to say, I think about steps often and find myself taking lots of pictures of them. The first set I encountered at Harlaxton was the five-flight, straight up, dark and dingy set with a cagey lift in the middle, that ended in the path to my dorm room.
It was a love/hate relationship. The exercise was great but it did nothing for my soul. I was soon scouting for an alternative.
The intricate plaster work, the mirrors, the view of the painted ceiling and the natural sunlight does much more for my outlook. Looking up as you climb does that for a person.
The steps that greeted me at the youth hostel drew me up as well, with the beautiful 3 story high stained glass window at the landing. It seems I'm always drawn to the light...
The stone steps up the moors brought back the love/hate relationship in reverse. My soul was satified on the moors, but the exercise was almost too much for enjoyment (we hiked nine miles that day!)
So, I've discovered a love of steps in my life. Now I know why I have often contemplated how to improve the 1880s (now 1980s) staircase in my own home. feel a greater need to rescue it from pure functionality and return it to a thing of beauty. As on the moors, outlook with introspection is everything. Beauty along the way and something to look forward to at the top of the climb can make it all worthwhile. Again, I'm sure there's a life lesson in there somewhere, but I leave it to your own contemplation.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23
The steps that greeted me at the youth hostel drew me up as well, with the beautiful 3 story high stained glass window at the landing. It seems I'm always drawn to the light...
The stone steps up the moors brought back the love/hate relationship in reverse. My soul was satified on the moors, but the exercise was almost too much for enjoyment (we hiked nine miles that day!)
So, I've discovered a love of steps in my life. Now I know why I have often contemplated how to improve the 1880s (now 1980s) staircase in my own home. feel a greater need to rescue it from pure functionality and return it to a thing of beauty. As on the moors, outlook with introspection is everything. Beauty along the way and something to look forward to at the top of the climb can make it all worthwhile. Again, I'm sure there's a life lesson in there somewhere, but I leave it to your own contemplation.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23
Hi Melissa, love the photos of stairs and nice metaphor! By the way, the beautiful staircase at Harlaxton is cedar. And I agree with you about those double faucets. Can't figure out why they haven't figured that out!
ReplyDeleteAhh..now I remember. The very top servant staircase that leads off of this, that goes to the dorms, is called the "oak staircase". I think the jet-lag had something to do with the amount of info that stuck in my brain from our manor tour!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mike: work some more with that steps metaphor. It could prove quite interesting, especially given the psalm you quote at the end. In addition to the double faucets are the electrical outlets where you turn the appliance off and then you turn the socket off as a double precaution. I heard that it was because, at some earlier date, people were worried the electricity would leak out, and the later on there was concern about a fire hazard (but from what?).
ReplyDeleteWow, that place is beutiful. Hey Sweetie, did they tell you anything about the history of the family that lived at Harlaxton? What memories you are collecting, and wealth of information to use in your teaching.
ReplyDeleteLove you,
Don