all Greek to me ...

Yep, it's official: I'm slowly buying my Greek books (there are a lot) and tomorrow morning I will start to learn the alphabet. "Greek Intensive" is the bulk of my work this fall and will take 4 hours of class time each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The rumor is that others in this class will become your new best friends becuase it is just that time consuming. I have to say that I am actually looking forward to it in a way: I'm at the point where I want to learn the language (at least for now!) and think I will do fairly well with it. So - here goes! alpha, beta ....

This afternoon we grabbed a quick picnic lunch and went to the Huntington Library and Gardens becuase I heard it was free this afternoon. What an absolutely amazing place. We wandered and splashed through the whimsical Children's Garden, and then explored stage 1 of the planned Chinese Garden (to be completed in 2016!) where the kids marvelled at the stone bridges and very large, very colorful Koi in the lake. That area ran downhill into the famous Japanese Garden which was just gorgeous. The breeze kicked up, it was shady and cool, and you could simply feel the city melt away. I could go linger there for hours; it is so quiet, so beauiful, and so much to see. We had to leave because the kids were are near-meltdown stage (and sure enough, Caroline had a complete meltdown on the way out and home. Such fun.) I have no idea who the Huntingtons were or how that area came to be, but I intend to find out. I hear the library is just amazing as well - with the Gutenberg Bible and even some Shakespeare folios in the collection. We just have to go back there.

And finally, I just finished reading N.T. Wright's latest book: Simply Christian. I loved it. It was a winsome and wise explanation and apology for Christianity in today's times. Go get a copy now and read it well. The last page leaves a grin on your face, a spring in your step, and a readiness to get on with this adventurous, creative, and hope-full life to which Jesus calls each of us: the new creation.