Home Again

We got back last night catching an afternoon ferry from Nanaimo. It was a circle trip: down to Seattle (a brewery and two wineries), Tacoma (three museums), Port Angeles (the lovely drive along US 101), Victoria (a brewery pub), Duncan and Cobble Hill (four wineries and some farm-fresh eggs) and return. It's good to be back.

Now the six days of twelve-hour shifts begins on Monday. I'm hoping to hear from the Union that this isn't allowed so a more humane solution can be used. Otherwise I'll be huffing and puffing (psychically speaking) until late June. Still, the prospect of (semi-)retirement is still a great lure. Deo Volens!

Sun Run Fun

So I survived the run, where I walked and jogged. It was fabulous weather, sunny and cool. My time was an improvement on last year's, so that was nice too.

Now Mom and I are planning a few days off for a trip in the neighbourhood. If all goes well, we'll be back Saturday. I have no access on the road, so you few faithful can leave off checking the blog for a few days. Be good!

And Breathing Hard

Tomorrow is the Sun Run, and, though our team fell short of the required numbers (for a distinctive team logo), we will be running, jogging and walking our way to glory. My training disappeared a couple of weeks into the thirteen-week program, so I'll just alternate walking and jogging as circumstances permit. The weather promises to be glorious. Next year I'll do the full thirteen weeks of training and do a full ten kilometre jog. Next year...

Up for a Breath

Work, work, work: yech. Twelve-hour shifts, four and five at a go, with two days off in-between, is just too stiff a pace for this aging man. There is some light on the horizon, however.

The Employer and the Pension Corporation agree that I'm in the unique position of being able to retire from one set of jobs (a part-time and a casual) while retaining another, part-time, job. With changes coming to the community clinic that's within walking distance of home, I'm aiming to move my semi-retirement there. While the details are being worked out I'll be working a stiff six twelve-hour shifts in a row (Monday to Saturday), with one week off at the community clinic (ah blessed Spring). Currently this arrangement (which I've questioned the Union about) would last into late June. After that, a more rational and permanent arrangement would be put in place.

I plan to hold onto the first job until October 1st, when I can (semi-)retire without penalty. So a rough Summer may lead to a Blessed Autumn, Deo Volens.

A Mother's Courage

Have a look here. That's what puts things in perspective when things seem to be going bad at home.

Thanks to Mark Shea at CAEI.

Happy Easter

The Sun will be setting here soon, so, by way of anticipation, a Happy and Blessed Easter to all. He is Risen!

Historical Heretical Hogwash

(I'm in a euphonic, alliterative mood.)

Amy Welborn of Open Book sheds some light on the strange confluence of extreme skepticism and utter gullibility that we see in the various, silly, radical "discoveries" about Christianity. And a good discussion follows in the Comments.

Gnostic Nonsense

(The G in Gnostic is silent, making such a lovely euphony.)

It's more than a little exasperating that the Gospel of Judas is making such a splash. One of the best descriptions is "An Authentic Fabrication" (Thanks to Bill Cork of Ut Unim Sint.

This is getting (or has is always been?) just silly. Witness Insight Scoop's parody:

What did B16 tell the Roman curia? Here's the truth behind the secret behind the conspiracy...:

"CWNews.com reports:
'Pope Benedict XVI met with leaders of the Roman Curia on Friday
morning, April 7, but the Vatican issued no announcement about the
topics that were discussed or any decisions that were reached.'

There is speculation that the meeting may be about a document being
prepared (or that is already prepared) that allows for the 'broader use
of the Latin Mass.' But isn't it more logical to conclude that this
meeting is part of a cover-up of the incredible, mind-blowing,
life-altering, world-shaking, Church-destroying 'Gospel of Judas,'
which reveals, among other things, where Jesus actually came from:

Judas [said] to him, ‘I know who you are and where you have
come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo. And I am not
worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you.’ (Gospel of
Judas, scene one)

Ah, just as I always suspected: Barbelo! No, it's not an island in the South Seas, but refers
to a feminine or androgynous emanation of the Divine Being — a popular
notion among many gnostic sects.' 'This figure,' Wikapedia states, 'is
also variously referred to as 'Mother-Father' (a moniker that hints at
her apparent androgyny), 'First Human Being', 'The Triple Androgynous
Name', or 'Eternal Aeon'.' Kurt Rudolph writes that the word is
'difficult to explain but certainly an artificial Semitic or Aramaic
word' (Gnosis, HarperSanFrancisco, 1987], p 80). 'Barbelo,' he
adds, 'represents the female aspect of the Father and is a kind of
gnostic mother goddess' who has 'bisexual features,' being 'the first
male virgin aeon.'

It's hard to ignore how absolutely enticing this is, so I'm sure that
Benedict and the curia are working hard to figure out ways to keep
people from becoming 'Barbelognostics' or 'Barbeliotes' (as the early
Church fathers called them). After all, as Rudoph points out later (p
214), the Barbeliotes, when they greeted one another, 'made a tickling
stroke on the palm of the hand.' Can you imagine how exciting that
might be! However, the wildly fun world of Barbelognosticology wasn't
all fun and tickling games, as the Catholic Encyclopedia points out:

According to the Pistis Sophia (ch. xxix) Sophia, daughter
of Barbelos, originally dwelt in the highest, or thirteenth heaven, but
she is seduced by the demon Authades by means of a ray of light, which
she mistook as an emanation from the First Father. Authades thus
enticed her into Chaos below the twelve Æons, where she was imprisoned
by evil powers. According to these ideas, matter is the fruit of the
sin of Sophia; this, however, was but a Valentinian development; in the
older speculations the existence of matter is tacitly presupposed as
eternal with the Pleroma, and through her sin Sophia falls from the
realm of light into Chaos or realm of darkness. This original dualism,
however, was overcome by the predominant spirit of Gnosticism,
pantheistic emanationism.

Got it? Good. Now you know the truth, and the truth shall tickle your palm. And perhaps your fancy. Not to mention your aeons."

(Via Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog.)

Update on Daughter Number Two

A looooonngg time ago I mentioned the family's anxiety about a biopsy. There was a long delay in hearing from the doctor about the specialists findings. We consoled ourselves that "no news is good news". So doltish father keeps slogging on, the unknown biopsy results just adding the background anxiety of life.

Lo and behold, I suddenly remember the biopsy at dinner the other night and Mother responds "Oh, of course, the doctor's office called some time ago: nothing to worry about". It's so nice to be kept up to date. :-(

Anyway, our thanks to those whose prayers were offered. And apologies for the unconscionable delay in reporting the happy news.

Deo Gratias!