A breathing-space...

...between two busy sessions of work here at EWTN. When not in the studio, I have been spending much of my time reading up on the Crusades, early Medieval church history, the Church's military religious orders, for a series to be tackled with Jamie, who joins me here shortly. Yesterday I gave myself some time off, went for a walk - Alabama still sparkling in unusual frost, locals all astounded at the cold, wooded areas around the EWTN studios looking magnificent in wintry starkness, icy streams gurgling pleasingly, large all-American houses with those wide sheltered porches. It's friendly here - people smile and exchange greetings - and the atmosphere is pleasant, cheerful, neighbourly. On the other hand, it feels rather cut-off - motorways swoop and curl in the distance, and residential areas seem sealed by countryside, next patch of humanity inaccessible except on wheels. It's impossible to pop into a local shop, as there aren't any - people drive to a vast "mall' where a collosal, incredible, intimidating array of every imaginable foodstuff in enormous quantities is stacked in vast aisles stretching in every direction...