Aldhelm

Saint of the Day: Aldhelm. He was a prolific Anglo-Saxon writer. Although all of his extant works are in Latin, we know he wrote a significant amount in Old English. He is most famous for two works: "In praise of Virginity" and a compilation of 100 riddles, some of which are pretty ribald and form a nice irony with his other work.

To remember Anselm, I have these new earrings that I got from etsy. They are curly question marks with a pretty little stone at the bottom. The seller named them the "Everlasting Why" earrings which is a reference to the book/movie "A Room With a View" which is one of my all-time favorites. As soon as I saw the quote in the description, I pressed the "buy" button. How can I not support such a kindred spirit? They haven't arrived yet, so they're not in the outfit picture. I'm just pretending they are. There is a Toad in the outfit picture, though!

Just for fun, I'm including an English translation of one of Aldhelm's riddles:

The earth was my mother - I was raised

From her cold, wet womb. I know in my mind

I was not woven from hair or wool

By skillful hands. I have no winding

Weft or warp, no thread to sing

Its rushing song; no whirring shuttle

Slides through me, no weaver's sley

Strikes belly or back. No silkworms spin

With inborn skill their subtle gold

For my sides, yet warriors call me

A coat of joy. I do not fear

The quiver's gift, the deadly arrow flight.

If you are clever and quick with words,

Say what this strange coat is called.

Any guesses?

Chores: Straighten guest bedroom and change sheets

Reading:

Old English: Bede's account of the conversion of King Edwin, sentences 20-end; in which the king finally converts and burns all of the pagan altars to the ground

Middle English: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, books 1 and 2. In which the Green Knight ruins everyone's Christmas by beheading some folks and Gawain wanders around aimlessly for a while until he stumbles upon the Green Knight's castle.

Contemporary American: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, pp. 1-61

Workout: Yes! 35 mins

Food:

Breakfast: cheese toast and V-8

Lunch: fish sandwich

Dinner: Chicken Sorrentino with cauliflower and green beans

Snacks: blackberries and cherries