This is one of the most helpful pieces I've ever read on disenchantment and the relationship to faith and religious practice. Thank you for writing this!

The book flood is the publishing season before Christmas.

We have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. Exchanging presents happens after dinner. This may or may not involve books.

The sitting up reading happens late in the night if at all. Cocoa? Possibly.

I did some index work as a research assistant in grad school. Had no idea it was a whole career! The possibilities!

I think about going for a proper diploma often. For all of my years on the bench, I never did get around to finishing one.

Hooray! I was really just teasing, but I'm so glad it helped!

Thanks for finding him. Literally every reply of his on here is condescending criticism. Yikes.

You can read Alter's Isaiah whenever you want, Marguerite. Nobody can stop you!

One of the best days of the year.

I've watched the first season twice and then peter out in the second. I dunno why, I just don't stay engaged.

Your mileage may vary.

It looks like Nyack was first copyrighted in 1970 which means, for Canadian Anglicans anyway, Common Praise 1998 was the first realistic opportunity for it to appear. Somehow, there is no setting of "Here, O My Lord" in that book at all! (In '38 and '71 it's set to St Agnes.)

This and "The royal banners" in Passiontide are the two office hymns that I anticipate (and talk about how much I love to my husband's very patient amusement) for weeks before their seasons arrive. Such wonderful texts and tunes.

I feel Hobbes' pain in the opposite direction:

When I was born we lived in a house with hardwood floors. That's where I learned to walk. Whenever we would visit a house with carpet, I spent most of the time tripping and falling.

This is the way.

Had this last night. Got an email from Purolator saying they'd attempted delivery, no answer, left message, package being redirected to depot at customer's request.

The first part might be true, but there was no card, no call, and I certainly didn't request they take it to any depot. Maddening.