A serious step forward for my summer work of reading, research and writing is now accomplished.
When you leave a place like Rome, with all its libraries and resources and, yes, distractions to retreat Horace-like to the quiet of the countryside away from the noise and fumes, it is necessary to gather the proper instruments for your work.
The chapel is clean and looking good. I have a couple thousand books at hand including good reference works, some unparalleled databases for the Fathers and for St. Augustine in particular. I have mastered the use of the internet catalogues and interlibrary loans through the good but small library nearby. Nice people. My bandwidth here is a zillion times faster than what I suffered with in Roma. Skype keeps me in video and audio contact with all points of the globe and I get upward of 300 e-mail a day.
However, there are somethings without which a man simply cannot work.
Yes, friends, my deck furniture has been extracted from the storage barn and my grill is back in place.
I can now begin my work in earnest.
A jar of sun tea is in development as I write (I added mint this time). And, let’s see… there is Braves @ Twins game tonight.
