Monday Random

Phew!

We’re back from a few days away – click back for a couple of sites I saw on the trip.

Some random for you:

• New Tolkien stuff released by his estate:

Unseen photographs and paintings of JRR Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings fantasy books, have been released by the writer’s estate, along with draft manuscripts and letters.

Its website has been relaunched with new material, including sections on Tolkien’s calligraphy and a timeline of his life.

Audio recordings and video clips featuring both Tolkien, who died in 1973, and his son Christopher, who died in 2020, are among the new material.

The relaunch date of 26 February is significant in Tolkien lore because 26 February 3019 was the date in the Third Age when the Fellowship of the Ring was broken at Amon Hen and Frodo and Sam set out on their lonely and terrifying journey to Mordor.

• It’s Ash Monday in the Maronite Catholic Church. Here’s today’s liturgy from St. Elias Maronite Church here in Birmingham. I have often written about the deep historic presence of Eastern Catholics here in Birmingham.

• Speaking of the Birmingham diocese, here’s an article from the latest issue of our local diocesan publication featuring the story of Cathedral parishioner Shannon George and Lenny, his seeing-eye dog:

Continuing down 3rd Avenue, North, Lenny crossed his head staring upward. Wondering what had transfixed his faithful companion, George pointed up in the direction of Lenny’s stare. “Lenny has pulled me out of the street. He’s pulled me to safety before, so [when] he pulled me in this direction, I knew I wasn’t going to walk against that!”

One step after another, Lenny finally got to the top of a set of stairs and pulled his master to a door. “I wasn’t sure what I was walking into. I just knew it was a pretty hefty door,” George recalls.

“I pulled [on the door] out of curiosity and walked in. Once the door shut behind me, it was silent and peaceful. I heard some footsteps approach me: I think it [must have been] the cleaning lady. I asked her where I was, and she stated that I was in the Cathedral of St. Paul.”

More.