Bye-bye, Buddy! Hello, ravens!

Tom had to go to work today, and I wasn't sure when Jay and Helen would arrive to get Buddy the Dog. We learned last night that John was going to come with them for a visit in Minnesota before heading off to start law school in Austin.

I put on some soup and picked up sandwich makings in case they were here for lunch, but Helen called a bit before ten to say they had just made it into Chicago and would probably be here mid-afternoon.

While waiting on them, I decided to start work again on a book idea I had been bouncing around last year. It is a reflection on the story of the prophet Elijah being fed by the ravens during a drought. (This is an important symbolic story for Carmelites, and I am using it as a springboard for thoughts on spiritual dryness and so on.) It is a warm, sunny day and I thought I would take my laptop out onto the deck and write there. When I opened the door to step outside, two pileated woodpeckers flew out of the poplar just a little beyond the end of the deck. I hadn't seen them in quite a while, and I thought it was a good sign to see large black birds, even if they are not ravens. On the other hand, it turned out to be impossible to view my screen outdoors, no matter how I turned it. So back into the house.

I did do some work, though. I filled out the outline and got the preface written. Well-begun, as they say...

I don't remember if I told you that Spiritual Life magazine is going to publish another article I sent them, the one on the names we give to God. (I probably did tell you. I suspect it won't be out until sometime in 2009.)

Also, I have updated the link to Kristin and Vince over in the sidebar. Click on it now and you will go to their new site.