Paulinus of Nola

Saint of the Day: I don't have an outfit to show, but I do have a youtube video to post that demonstrates the crazy party that is associated with the feast of Paulinus of Nola. Paulinus was the bishop of Nola. He was married to a woman named Theresa whom he credits with his own conversion. They joined a monastery together and had one baby daughter who died just 8 days after her baptism. They were both very wealthy people who gave up their worldly possessions to lead religious lives. It was Paulinus who wrote to St. Augustine of Hippo's friend asking of their conversion. It is widely thought that St. Augustine's Confessions are the answer to Paulinus's inquiry.

On Paulinus of Nola's feast day, there is a huge parade in Nola (and other parts of Italy) which involve a several gigantic towers (gigli) which are carried around town. Here is a short video showing one of the towers and the humongous crowd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnaVBIDdAvk&feature=related

Reading:
Old English: Today I start The Battle of Maldon which will take several days to get through. So far, the British ruler Bryhtnoth and a Viking ruler are shouting insults at each other. The battle will undoubtedly commence soon.

Middle English: CT - The Parson's Tale and Chaucer's Retraction
The Parson's Tale is really a sermon about the nature of contrition, definitions of and remedies for the seven deadly sins, and types of penance. It was OK. It's in prose, so it was a little harder to get through. There was one passage, though, which was really amusing to me. The Middle Ages were a rough time on fashion. The church really thought it was a total waste of time and even downright sinful to think much about or spend money on clothes. Here's a small excerpt from the Parson's Tale on men's fashion:

"On the other hand, to speak of the horrible inordinate scantiness of clothing, let us notice these short-cut smocks or jackets, which, because of their shortness, do not cover the shameful members of man, and even wickedly call attention to them. Alas! Some of them show the very bulge of their penis and the horrible pushed out testicles that look like the malady of a hernia under their hose; and the buttocks of such persons look like the hind parts of a she-monkey in the full of the moon...As to the hind parts of their buttocks, the thing is horrible to see. For, indeed, that part of their body from which they purge their stinking excrement, that foul part they proudly show to the people in despite of decency!"

If he could only see us now! He would disapprove, I'm sure.

Contemporary American: Still no Caramelo. If it comes before vacation, I'll read it then.

Malory: I got an old reading list from one of my colleagues who took a Malory exam, so I'm going to just copy hers until I get an official reading list from my professor. I'm sure there will be some overlap. I will start reading for this exam after vacation!

Workout: No. I got a massage this afternoon instead.

Food:
Breakfast: toast, juice, coffee
Lunch: grilled shrimp tacos at Fuzzy's
Dinner: Beef stew. It's so hot! Why am I making this? Because I have some beef I need to use up before we leave and all the rest of the ingredients, too. It's simmering now and smells delicious!