Again, what season is this?

When there is no other topic of conversation in South Dakota one can always bring up the weather! We’ve had an interesting week with bitter cold and snow and then sunshine and temps in the 50s. I’ll take the later thank you very much.

I’m sitting at my computer typing these words which will shortly go out over the internet to whomever wants to read them. I think back to the days when monks of old sat in the scriptorium and copied books so they would be available to others. Many of those books took years to complete. Many of them were beautifully illuminated. Some are still around today having been carefully preserved. Hanging on my living room wall is a page from a book of chants, hand lettered and notated. Who know how long it took a monastic to copy that page from another book. It’s a far different world now. 

I thought about that as two friends and I made a pilgrimage to Omaha yesterday (Friday) to view the exhibit at the Joslyn Museum. The exhibit is the St. John’s Bible one of the masterpieces of the 21st century. The computer played only a minor role in the production of this book.  It is the first hand-written Bible to be produced since the invention of the printing press. It is amazing to see 76 pages from the Bible. The calligraphy is beautiful and unique to the Bible. The illuminations are stunning.  

I have the reproduction of the Bible in seven volumes, the same as it will be bound when it finishes its travels. The illustrations are good but they are not illuminations, just photographs of them. The colors are much more vivid and the use of gold, silver, and platinum leaf really gives the “wow” factor when you see the “real” pages.

The Bible took several years to produce and is the work of many calligraphers and artists. It was commissioned for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of St. John’s Abbey. Again, if you would like more information you can find it at  https://www.saintjohnsbible.org

When we travel to Omaha it is usual to shop and eat so we did that as well. Stops at Penzey’s Spices, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are obligatory since we have not those venues in Sioux Falls. Lunch was at an Indian restaurant. The curry was good!

The temperature in Omaha was about 60 degrees which made a most pleasant day. Along with the activities mentioned above two of us needed to procure the Advent Calendar for Cats so our beloved beasts can properly celebrate the season.

The rest of the week was busy and rewarding. Exercise classes, walks, OLLI classes on jazz composers and a New Zealand trip, choir practice, greeting visitors at the Washington Pavilion, serving lunch at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and a very frigid time on the river front attending a blessedly short rally on behalf of DACA were the activities of note.

I’m still feeling fine. I need to shave every two days now rather than once per week so the hair is growing again. I don’t think I’m going to get my wish of curly red hair upon its return to my head. It appears that it is going to be white.  I’ll accept that and will post a picture when it is worthwhile to be viewed.

Thanks once again for your comments, prayers, and thoughts.  All are very much appreciated and mean the world to me.

Have a wonderful week.