Week 4 of Satisfying Seminary Life

This morning, I thought, three weeks ago, I would have been waking up to my first morning in this seminary apartment.  Let me collect some reflections about living here for the first three weeks:

--People ask me if I'm settling in, and the most true answer is that it's complicated.  I've continued to leave each week-end, and there was the Labor Day holiday.  This week will be the most settled in that I've been, with a full week of classes that are starting to require more of me followed by a week-end where I don't leave town.

--Last night I dreamed I was moving into seminary housing.  It was slightly different, but also on a middle floor.  The former tenant in my dream had pasted sea shells to the wall.

--I do not miss people with the yearning that I expected to feel, but a melancholy loneliness does descend from time to time.

--I am enjoying my walks.  It's a beautiful neighborhood that I'd likely never have had a chance to explore this way without living in seminary housing.  

--It's beginning to look a bit like Halloween.

--Here's a longer view of the house:

--Last night was the first night I wished I had a TV.  I did bring one with me, so I tried to connect it.  The TV and the antenna were not communicating.  After half an hour, I finally just went to bed and read one more chapter of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.

--I'm enjoying Wolf Hall, but it's not compelling the way I'd like fiction to be.  On the other hand, I can read a chapter and still get to sleep at a reasonable hour.

--Today I have a class at 6:30, but that still leaves plenty of time for bread making and working on some seminary projects.  I will also make some apple butter.  I've got lots of apples that will need to be used up soon.

--And because I will need a jar for my apple butter, I'll have pasta with jarred tomato sauce for my lunch--then I'll clean up the jar for the apple butter.

It's a glamorous life, isn't it?  A morning walk through all sorts of beautiful streets, a video chat with my spouse, some bread baking and seminary work, an afternoon walk, more seminary work, and then class.  So far, even though it isn't glamorous, it's very satisfying.