Too much going on

It's not that I've got nothing to say. It's that there's so much going on that I don't know where to begin.

First, the news:

"But then, Russia has always been a little bit itchy in those border regions. Sort of rolling over the border and scratching now and then. We're sort of used to it."

- A friend from the Baltic world comments...

The Guardian reports about three hours ago from my mark...

Armed men seize Crimea parliament and hoist Russian flag

Ukraine crisis escalates after Tatar leader says Crimea’s parliament building has been occupied by gunmen.

Reports earlier today said that tanks were converging on the Crimea, but were turned back. It's important because that is where the port of Sevastopol remains the moorage for most of the Russian navy's Black Sea fleet.

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And Putin has put 150,000 troops on military alert.

We seem to be revisiting those ancient quarrels. How long has this part of the world been disputed? I don't know, but I know that for a goodly number of my ancestors the names of Crimea and Sebastopol were prominent in their daily thoughts.

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And, closer to home, I think the expression "Janus Papacy" is going to come into wider use...


The latest instalment of the Chris n' Mike Show...

This weekend's consistory has catalysed the discussion. It's not just Trads anymore who are looking at the weird spectacle and asking, "Errr... hey, hang on, have we actually got two popes?"

And more to the point, have we got two popes who are "looking in opposite directions"?

Oh, and nice to know the secular media is getting tired of the Humble Pope joke. It was pretty tired for the rest of us by the end of the first day.

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And even closer to home, I'll just say that our trip last weekend to Norcia to visit those monks was wonderful. And there has been general agreement on all sides that I can become an oblate there. So, it's back to working on a personal project of the daily schedule, organising the day around the cycle of the Divine Office.

We got to Norcia exactly at their biggest annual local festa, the Nero Norcia festival that started (in the pouring rain) last weekend and goes all week and ends on Sunday.

What's "Nero Norcia," you ask?

Truffles, baby, truffles.

All week, the shop keepers, truffle hunters, pig-product vendors and salami-makers, as well as wine merchants and apple product and cheese manufacturers, all local, all small, home-based and family oriented, set up stalls along the streets of the ancient town, and hand food to you as you walk past admiring, chatting, smiling and taking pictures. Seriously. It's like a dream.

Pics to come.

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