Let me preface this post by stating for the record that I am a happily married woman of 17 years standing. If I thought that I would have to enter the dating circus again, I would probably “get me to a nunnery”. Having said that, I feel that I must get something off my chest. Metaphorically speaking. Obviously. So, if you’ll indulge me…I was watching a recording of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” the other day – as I am… Read more »
“Inferno” is the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, “The Divine Comedy” – parts two and three are “Purgatory” and “Paradise”. Written around 1314 in Florence, “Inferno” describes Dante’s imaginary journey, accompanied by the spirit of the Roman poet Virgil, through the nine circles of Hell. The poem describes the nature of the sinners in each circle, and the punishments they endure. It is a incredible literary work, and is widely regarded as a brilliant allegorical interpretation of the politics of medieval Europe.The New… Read more »
Recently, I joined an online writer’s group offering the challenge to write 500 words a day for 31 days. Each day, you receive an email with a topic, theme, inspiration or suggestion for you to base your day’s writing on. Members join together on the group’s Facebook page to empathize, support and generally encourage one another – I’m finding it to be very helpful. Day 7’s challenge was to offer guidance to your younger self about life and lessons you have learned from it. I… Read more »
One of the first posts I ever wrote on this here blog concerned last year’s visit of Pope Francis to the US. You can read it here. To recap, the Presidential election cycle had just started, Donald Trump had just entered the race, and everyone was excited about the Pope’s visit. Given the rhetoric of the “Christian Conservatives” and their lack of charity towards the poor and needy , I pondered whether Pope Francis’ visit would have any discernible effect upon their… Read more »
On this Valentines Day, I thought that it would be interesting to look at the origins of our annual celebration of love. I was surprised to learn that it was not just a made-up “Hallmark Holiday” (although it has certainly been commercially appropriated). Like many of our contemporary celebrations, Valentine’s Day has ancient origins. I found the following story on the NPR website. It encompasses many of the theories surrounding Valentine’s Day’s. To avoid re-inventing the wheel, I thought I would share… Read more »
