Visiting Trinity, Day 2

[Photos: The Marianist Brothers at their community house in Ballybrack, Fr. Michael Reaume, SM (left) and Bro. Fred Rech, SM; flowers in St. Stephen's Green; and the last three are from the grounds of the ISE]

Today is Thursday, 07 September 06, and I had a great day in Dublin! I met with Prof. John D'Arcy May from the Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE), and we talked about my proposal and how he could help me with my research. I also saw briefly Dr. Linda Hogan, who will be my advisor, and talked with Christine Houlahan, who helped me with some of the administrative and logistical aspects of the program.

Afterwards, I managed to find the Marianist brothers down in Loughlinstown (where they have a school), and I joined them for Mass and dinner at their community house (which is in Ballybrack, near the Kiliney DART station).

Their house is gorgeous, and they were quite friendly; it was a great connection to the Marianist Family. Seriously, they could not have been more welcoming, and they are some great guys. After dinner, one of the guys walked me down to the DART station (a short walk), and - I am not making this up - as you stand on the platform, you can hear the ocean waves breaking on the beach below you!

I am currently at an internet cafe in Dun Laoghaire (the port which has the Ferry Terminal), but I need to run, as tomorrow I have an early flight to London, lunch with Jack Calentine, his wife Gracie, and Dan Long, and then a train to Cardiff!

marianist

Visiting Trinity

Today is Wednesday, 06 Sept 06, and I am in Ireland visiting with Dr. Linda Hogan. She has agreed to be my tutor (i.e. dissertation advisor) for the Ph.D. at the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin. This is my first visit back since I was admitted to the program, and I am whistling as I skip down the streets!

That despite catching the 4:20 p.m. British Airways flight out of D/FW, transferring to Ryan Air at London Gatewick, checking in to the student dorms at Dublin City University, riding the bus to the other side of town, and getting to my appointment at the ISE just in the nick of time!

I had a great conversation with Dr. Hogan, and I am looking forward to working with her at the ISE. For now, I have to get some sleep! Tomorrow: pictures!

Trinity Says "Yes!"

Just got the word from Trinity College Dublin, and I have been admitted to the Ph.D. program for the spring term!

I leave tomorrow for Ireland, and will meet with the head of the school, and my new advisor. For the record, I am very excited about this! I interviewed at Trinity in January and July, and I have been holding my breath a long time! For the last two years, I have been challenged and happy in Wales, but the chance to study at Trinity is an unsurpassable opportunity.

Now, the program begins in the spring semester. For the fall, I am finishing my coursework and thesis for the LL.M. at Cardiff University in Wales, which is due 15 Dec 2006. So, for now, we are living at the family farm in Ft. Worth, which has been wonderful (my parents are enjoying having little "AJ" around!). Because we are going to be here through December, I also took a part-time job, teaching Philosophy at Tarrant County College (which has been great fun, and it leaves me time to work on the thesis - see below!).

Well, we are busy, happy, and thrilled about the great news from Ireland! More soon....


From: "Hill, Andrew"
To:
Subject: FW: Registration to higher degree by research with the Irish School of Ecumenics
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 16:57:47 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Admissions [mailto:Research.Admissions@tcd.ie]
Sent: Mon 9/4/2006 6:41 AM
To: Hill, Andrew
Cc:
Subject: Registration to higher degree by research with the Irish School of Ecumenics

Dear Andrew,

The Irish School of Ecumenics has recommended your acceptance to the
postgraduate research register for April 2007.

Your formal letter of offer and registration details will follow shortly.

Kind regards,

Anne Doyle
Executive Officer
Research Admissions
Graduate Studies Office
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Tel: (+353 01) 896 3354
Fax: (+ 353 01) 671 2821
www.tcd.ie

Please Clean that Baby!

Keeping this kid clean, dry and fed is one MAJOR chore! However, it is blessing, and we are happy to be a part of his life!

AJ visits Aunt Naomi in Mississippi

The New Job - Philosophy Professor!

On Monday, 27 August 06, I start teaching three sections of "Introduction to Philosophy" at Tarrant County College. It should be great teaching experience, and I am looking forward to meeting my new students!

I am teaching part-time, as I finish my thesis for the LL.M. at Cardiff University. Both the thesis, and my grades for the semester, are due on 15 December 06!!

Welcome to Matthew Glen Jackson!

The Eagle Has Landed!

This has been a good week, as we have been packing and visiting with friends as we prepared to move. We had a chance to visit with Patricia Mejia, have lunch with Bro. Ed Violett, and dinner with Kathleen Maloney and Camille Langston (pictured above with Rose Marie Cutting and Mary Lynne).

Mary Lynne had lunch with Diane Gonzales Bertrand, I had breakfast with Rey Gustamente, and we both had a chance to visit with Alice Kersnowski, who has been a wealth of information about Ireland.

I also had a chance on Wednesday to visit Brad and Ashley Jackson, and meet their new son, Matthew. He was born on Monday, 14 Aug 06, and weighed in at 8 lb.s 15 oz., and mother and son are doing well. Migdalia Garcia and I gave Ashley some flowers, and little "AJ" played with their three-year-old daughter, Morgan.

We drove on Thursday, 17 Aug 06, and almost as if to prove that you cannot leave St. Mary's behind, we ran into Dr. Patricia Owen (Chair, Psychology) when we stopped at the Post Office to change our address, and we ran into Deidra Coleman (Associate Director, Counseling & Testing) when we stopped in Temple, Texas at the McDonald's!
Small world!

Well, after our first night at the farm, I was back down the next day with my dad and brother in tow, as we packed up a 26' truck with furniture and appliances. We drove down Friday morning, packed the truck that afternoon, and drove back to the farm in Ft. Worth that night! Ouch!

We still have a few things at the house, but for now, we are trying to unpack and square-away what we have here. As we were unpacking, the cows came up to the door! No kidding, two GIANT longhorns came right up on the porch and looked in the windows! "AJ" loved it...and now we know why they call it "Cow Town!"

More moving news later!

Goodbye, for now...we will miss you!

This is the week! We are off to the farm!

We are slowly taking down and packing up the last pieces of the house. We plan to drive up to the family farm on Thursday (17 Aug 06), with a load of fragile items, and then I will come back on Friday to move up the big truck with the last of the furniture and appliances (probably arriving Saturday afternoon).

Of course, much of the furniture is already there, in Mom and Dad's garage or Mike and Dena's house. I should only have the one truck trip this weekend, so we hope to be settled in soon.

We brought the furniture down from upstairs today, with the help of our friends Marida and John Salinas, and Matthew Mangum. They came over with breakfast tacos, and we had a great visit and moved some furniture. It was great to see them, and wish them farewell.

Speaking of which, I had lunch with two of my all-time favorite people: Dan Rigney and Larry Hufford. I hit them up to write letters of recommendation for me for the program at Trinity, but it was more than just a business meeting: as always, it was great conversation, about things that matter, with enjoyable company.

In the afternoon, Mary Lynne packed up some items from her office at St. Mary's, and then came home for the "neighbors' dinner." Although Erin could not make it, Paul Garro and Debbie Patton came over, and Laurie B. Hawkins joined us from next door. And, of course, the honorary neighbor/land lord, Bro. Cletus Behlmann, S.M. came over too! He brought art supplies with him, so after dinner we all sat around the table having dessert, visiting, and painting pictures! Very fun!

This is the week! We are off to the farm!