Bullseye

So last week, I wrote a story about the sadness and depression I was feeling. I was very grateful for all the support I received and I want to say that when I wrote it I wasn't looking for sympathy or pity but merely wanted to express everything that I was feeling. That being said, thank you to all the people who love me. I know I am a very fortunate person to have so many wonderful people in my life.

This week has been much better. Archery has improved though I may have injured myself. My academic work has lightened considerably, and if anything I have spent most of my time on my own catching up on some relaxation and planning for the whirlwind of travel that I will embark on in less than two weeks.

Let's start with archery. Last Sunday I went out to practice with the experienced archers and when the experienced coach got a look at my form, she more accurately diagnosed what was wrong and the following Monday when my bow was adjusted and the changes I made in myself, I shot the best I had since I had begun shooting. That being said, sometime in the course of everything, I did injure one of my muscles in my shoulders and at strength training on Monday night, I could do a bench press using my left arm. That being said, the muscle is not an important part of my form, and so I can still shoot.  Also, at this point, it appears to have healed up. I have a match tomorrow in Loughborough and am looking forward to seeing another part of England and meet more people. I leave this picture here, but I feel that this image provides a good metaphor for my turn around this week.

Academically things have been rather easy. I had a minor tutorial, and unfortunately, my major tutor was ill, so my work got pushed back half a week. So what did I do with most of my time? Bake.

 At my first archery tournament, people made a lot of baked goods and shared them among the archers. One very common and simple baked good is a flapjack. Some of you may have seen my post on Facebook, but a flapjack is not a pancake as it is in the US. A flapjack is a gooey oat bar that is sweeter than an granola bar and can be flavoured with just about anything. So, I attempted two batches this week. It essentially involves caramelizing sugar and butter and then adding in the oats and baking it for about a half hour. I added apricots and cinnamon and nutmeg to mine. I will bring the latest back to the archery tournament tomorrow. I also practised making sweet potato tarts for the MCR (middle common room, the common room for graduate students) Thanksgiving. They turned out better than I expected. I am looking forward to making the next batch next Saturday. 

The only other thing of note for my week is the festival that is going on in Oxford right this very minute. Every year around the end of November, Oxford has a festival for the lighting of all the Christmas lights. Over the course of the weekend there are lots of musical acts and stands with food and crafts and mulled wine and ciders. The lights are bright and accenting every building and stretching across all the main roads. There is a very cheerful and Christmas feel all around the city. It isn't quite as big as a fair in the US at a major city, but there is certainly unique and quaint suits it very well. 

Not as long as in the past, but in the coming weeks I will be busy finalizing all the travel details and getting my final tutorials together. Until then, I have a 50th anniversary of Dr. Who to watch.

Adventures Await

KH