In two weeks, the school year will begin. For the second year, I am amazed by how quickly the summer, which always appears to stretch out endlessly when classes end in May, slips by. There's no question that this was a very good summer in a number of ways. I criticize myself for taking vacation …
Summer is, unfortunately, coming to a close. I have about a month to see how far I can get on additional comprehensive exam readings, and, of course, I haven't gotten through as much as I wanted to by this stage. I think that feeling is likely, to some degree, inevitable. Being on a school …
Traveling to northern England is truly a highlight every summer. This time, we really made an effot to travel to new places in the region, and the results were both very successful and very promising. One of the best things about England is the public transportation system. I know that there is lots to …
A vacation in York is never complete without visits to the many fascinating local sites. On the site of the remains of St. Mary's Abbey are some fantastic gardens and an excellent museum focusing on the city's history. This time, a local bird sanctuary set up to do demonstrations and to seek donations on …
One of my favorite places to visit is the city of York in northern England. About a decade ago, I attended the University of York, working on a Master's degree in Medieval History. I had never traveled to England before, and, over the course of the year, York became my second home. I had …
And, the verdict is: All books read -2.5 (I did read half of one book in the "incomplete" pile). Whew. This was not without challenges. In fact, I think that this whole process was one big learning curve. To even come close to finishing this list, I had to read at least 2 books …
I've heard more than one person say that taking some time off at the end of the semester is important. I acknolwedge the wisdom of this recommendation, but it is hard for me to conquer the feeling that I should be accomplishing something, literally, all the time. Last week, I visited my parents in …
It's official. It is now "frogs sleeping in my potted plants" season here in South Florida.
Medievalist in the Making 