Botanists. Please could you identify this shrub in my driveway. Is it worth saving? |
Same mystery shrub needing identification |
We’re home for this four day weekend, having enjoyed Italy over Easter.
We had Tomasz, our Polish cleaner, house-sit for us. He winked, as I left saying, “I’ll give your house a make-over. You won’t recognize it.”
Well, he did. I had asked him to paint three rooms, but he astonished us by thoroughly arranging the girls’ room; catching up with their laundry, and even mine!!; sorting out and tidying up the greenhouse; dismantling the old shed that I’ve been wishing away forever; sweeping up and tidying the garden etc. Wow! And welcomed us back with fresh flowers and a kiss!
Sometimes God saves the best for last. I’ve got through so many cleaners and home helpers before I found someone just right for our family, who’s fond of us, and vice-versa.
* * *
We came back early for an Oxford Uni weekend course, “A Romp Through the History of Philosophy” taught by Marianne Talbot.
I love studying the history of things–Art, Literature, Christianity, and of course the history of countries, and tracking the evolution of ideas.
However, instead of a straight history of philosophy, this looked at the key thinkers in each of the four branches of philosophy–ethics, metaphysics, logic and epistemology.
She started with Socrates, whom I have always been enthralled by, and I was, predictably, enthralled.
And then jumped to Hume. What? The reasoning was abstract and irrelevant compared to Socrates’ forthright, to the point reasoning. I grew increasingly bored, and could not see myself sitting through 4 more lectures. (It was a weekend course).
I spent about 15 increasingly bored minutes, choosing between the rudeness of leaving a lecture which bored me, or staying. Left.
* * *
Zoe, for a reason I don’t get, wants to do an A level in Philosophy, in addition to Theology, English and French. (We would rather she did Psychology or Italian rather than Philosophy.)
So I called her enroute home, with the bad news that she was to go to the University, and sit out the weekend course. She went, with some grumbling.
And loved it. And still wants to do philosophy.
Better brush up my debating skills then!
Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
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My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) or UK