Thirty-one days of December on the wall . . .

Another month has flown past with the usual swiftness. We began December by celebrating my graduation and the beginning of Advent in our favourite city, joined by my parents (not pictured).

One of my most exciting graduation presents came from the UKBA, in the form of a work visa (we now have leave to remain in the UK until June) and the related return of our passports, which meant we were able to go home for Christmas. Having rushed straight from PhD into job, I was eager for a bit of a holiday, and I. and I. enjoyed our third transatlantic sailing as a Christmas gift to one another. Having taken this crossing a few times previously, we particularly enjoyed the opportunity to figure out some behind-the-scenes details of the crossing and culinary practices. After boarding the Queen Mary, we spent some time watching the final preparations for departure from a little nook on the top deck. We had a great view:

While crossing the Atlantic, we similarly enjoyed four behind-the-scenes culinary experiences. We first watched two very skilled chefs create stunning flowers and animals from vegetables:

We also enjoyed an instructional day in which several chefs demonstrated their decorative skills, while others taught guests to make canapes, sushi, and other delights. These are made etirely of sugar:

The ice swan below was crafted by the same two men who make flowers from vegetables; they are from a village in Indonesia with a long history of wood-carving:

We also had the amazing and unique opportunity to tour the kitchen for our restaurant (there are many kitchens on board the boat). We were able to watch one of the chefs mass-produce these "choux pastry swans," two of which we later enjoyed as dessert after lunch:

In their spare time, some of the amazing bakers on board the boat produce amazing decorative pieces; I believe the gingerbread display (much larger than that shown here) was made by some of the bakers, who also make fresh bread for all the guests each day.

We had rough weather on two days of our crossing, and I got a bit sea-sick due to the thirty-foot waves that hit us on the second day at sea, but once the storm was over, we enjoyed five of the most beautiful days I have ever seen. The sea changed every few hours, the skies were stunning, and the waves were exquisite.

On our last formal night, I. and I. discovered a new lounge at the top front of the boat, and enjoyed an evening of style and glamour while we tried two posh martinis. I. enjoyed the "Vesper," named after the James Bond drink, while I had a raspberry concoction, the construction of which involved lighting an orange peel on fire. (Apologies for the blurry photo; our amazing waitress [wearing stilettos!] manages to shake, pour, and carry two martinis on a rocking boat without spilling a drop, but she was slightly less able to take a clear photograph under the same conditions, which is probably a testament to her amazing Cunard training).

We arrived in New York three days before Christmas, and have spent several days unwinding, catching up with family, and visiting libraries.

It has been a wild and amazing year, and we have been blessed beyond measure. I am particularly grateful for my amazing husband, who has worked hard to keep me sane (and aware of the passage of months and time) and fed. We loved our time in Edinburgh (and miss our church tremendously) but the excitement is far from finished. Our schedule and plans are clear from now through June of 2013, but our plans thereafter vague and mysterious, and we look forward to discovering what God has in store, and (D.V.) sharing those adventures with you as they arise. 

Cheers!

In Which We Become A Bit Better-Travelled

When last I posted (in October), I was a day away from submitting the final draft of my thesis to the powers-that-be at my university. Here I am holding my thesis for a few moments between collecting it from the printers' shop and submitting it to Registry:

The submission of my thesis was followed by a Great Bustle, in which I madly prepped for classes, attended dozens of meetings, submitted lots of paperwork, and marked a large number of student essays. In the midst of all this, I. and I found time to venture outside Sheffield once or twice.

The first days of November found us back in Edinburgh to visit our church family and pack up our flat.

With a rental car stuffed to the gills, we drove back south and embarked upon the now-perpetual adventure of unpacking in a flat with still very little furniture. This adventure was alternately precipitated and halted by our trip to Oxford and the visitations of a number of friends and family members.

Oxford was, as ever, lovely; I spent two frantic days in the Bodleian exploring the delights of manuscripts, and I. joined me for the weekend as he had never yet visited that lovely city.

The weekend following saw us in London to meet one of our Albuquerque friends who is currently travelling around the world. N. and I. enjoyed a few quick strolls through the British Library and British Museum before my arrival, and we three lingered longer in the Science Museum. Among its great delights were the steam engine demonstration, which warmed up the hall tremendously.

I enjoyed learning about the monoplane developed near the beginning of one of the World Wars (and then never fully tested due to demand for weapons of warfare).

I. was more taken with the DNA model that used actual pieces from the original version built by Watson and Crick. (In the interests of fairness and promoting knowledge to the world, I believe I am supposed to mention that while the model was built by these two Nobel Laureates, the bulk of the research was done by Rosalind Franklin). Here's the model:

After the sojourn in London, we were joined by another Albuquerque friend, and I. and they went out on some exciting adventures (including a well-punctured trip to Hadrian's Wall, of which I. refused to take any photographs). We abundantly enjoyed their visit, and after their departure had just enough time to wash the sheets in preparation for my parents' visit, which was brief but fun. Of particular note during my parents' trip was our corporate journey to Scotland, where many celebrations were had by all. We celebrated St Andrew's Day in fine style, visiting the university named in his honour and participating in the graduation ceremonies.

We are now back in Sheffield and enjoying a quiet and empty house in advance of what will surely be a busy Christmas and New Year's. Merry Winter to All, and to All a Good Night!