When I finished, I had to wait for my eyes to uncross; not unlike those wonderful days of higher learning when the coursework was way over my head but the instructor was incredibly sensitive and made understanding a joy. I truly could not put the book down.

Lots of illuminating cranial moments for me this week, John…thank you! I am now highlighting my way through *How Harry Cast His Spell* and thinking I should buy some sticky-flags or something similar to mark what I think will be frequently-cited pages when I need substantiation for the Harry-doubters in my life

Well done, Professor

Luscious Badboy and Curious Black are locking eyes at the moment…

If you’ll permit me to mention the following here; I don’t know where else to put it, and every All-Pro should have a chance to see this, if possible.

We returned last week from vacation in the Seattle area and were thrilled to see an exhibit of originals from the St. John’s Illuminated Bible at the Tacoma Art Museum, its only West Coast showing this year (and two days before it ended). This Bible (www.saintjohnsbible.org) is the one with breathtaking hand-done calligraphy and art (some iconographic, some contemporary). Honestly, I felt like taking my shoes off, as if it were holy ground; it’s beauty and meaning moved us to gasps and tears, and it was difficult to tear ourselves away. To see people transfixed by this amazing work (people who may never have read scripture in their lives), to see the originals with three dimensional gold paint, notations and scribbles outside the margins, the labor and love put into this, was not only the high point of our trip, but an experience of a lifetime.

There are only two more exhibits of the originals (several pages of the Gospels, Acts, Pentateuch, Psalms–what we saw) scheduled in the near future: Mobile, AL, Oct.-April; and something in Baltimore, MD (Modern Vision Through Medieval Methods–sounds up your alley, John), Feb.-May. There are some exhibits of (what I hopefully assume are top-quality, embossed) giclee prints elsewhere. Any plain print sold in a museum shop is just flatly ‘eh.’ See the website for further information and photographs.

These are pages even the kitties wouldn’t dare lie on…

Even if it’s not Harry-related, I hear the Professor is pretty good on Lewis as well. See you all.

Safe travels, John. I hope to see you at tomorrow’s talk, but only briefly, as I have to take my wife to the airport.

Nicholas

Oh yeah,,,live and learn! I just simply hit the link and ordered not thinking… like Harry in Potions class; distracted enough to be dangerous to everyone around me!

Thanks, John, for your kindness.

PJ, glad to have family safe and sound again.