NEWS FLASH: Book of Kells available now online!

This just in.... The Book of Kells will now be available to view online!!!  Great news!  Trinity College, Dublin, has made digital images of the book available, in honor of St Patrick's Day, and just out of pure awesomeness!  You can access the images directly here.

I am truly amazed by the Book of Kells. I urge you to watch the animated movie, "Secret of Kells," as well, just gorgeous!

Overwhelmed

So, I've recently figured out that I am (or have become?) lactose and gluten intolerant.  This means I need to change  some stuff about how I eat.  Mostly I think it's a good thing, and I it will further reduce the amount of processed foods I eat.  I always tell my kids that if you can't see the food that you're eating, it's not that good for you.  Like, if you're eating an apple, you know the ingredients.  But I'm contemplating a trip to the grocery store.  And I want some sweet goodies to eat, and things feel complicated.  A friend posted this NPR piece on the Face Book, and it resonates, profoundly, for me today.  I'll figure out how to make a vegan, gluten free cupcake.  Someday.  Today, maybe I'll just eat a banana.

What's Happening Inside the Catholic Church?

I'm not Catholic, but I am paying a lot of attention to the recent events in the church, and I feel like the Pope's resignation is a bad sign of the health of the institution.  This segment from the Guardian really covers the issues well.  I agree with MacCulloch's premise that centralization was a bad thing for the Church.