I’m nearing the end of Purgatorio by Dante. I am simultaneously reading two versions of the Commedia.  This is my second time through the entire work. The translators are Dorothy L. Sayers on the one hand and Marcus Sanders and Sandow Birk on the other. I think of it as Lord Peter Wimsey versus the surfer dudes (this is one thing that Sanders and Birk have in common. Sandow Birk is an artist who has done illustrations and installations using Dante’s piece.

I am finding that I can understand the work more theologically this time. This is largely Sayers take on it. But at the same time I understand it, I am developing a distaste for the historic Christianizing of the Hebrew Scriptures. This is because of Robert Alter’s brilliant work.

Today I have my first online session with my therapist. I have a couple things to talk to him about. But, I think I am at a new normal and would like to go back to seeing him once every two weeks.

One thing I am working on is understanding my own feelings about losing full use of my hands musically. As I have said here, I can still play and practice. My guitar chops are coming along as well as my keyboard chops. But I noticed that this was bothering me more than I anticipated it doing.

I am plowing ahead in Homer in English. I haven’t read Emily Wilson’s translation all the way through yet. I have only used her in conjunction with translating the the first couple Books. I have changed from studying Homer back to studying Ancient Greek in general. This seems to be working for me.

Right now I’m waiting for my bread to rise so that I can put it in the oven.

It’s still kind of rainy here in Holland.

I have called the Holland Sentinel for four days in a row to report a missing paper. I am trying to get on their subscription list in order to support local reporting. I can pretty much access their stuff online but last week’s On The Media was about local reporting. It convinced me to subscribe to the Holland Sentinel.

Now if I can get them to bring it to me automatically without a phone call, that would be nice.

Oddly enough, we have started receiving the Wall Street Journal. I did not subscribe to it and haven’t read any of the copies that have shown up in front of my house. If I could speak to someone at the Sentinel I would let them know about this in case it’s related. But this morning the phone robot recognized my phone number and promised a paper later today and hung up on me.

So, Dante, Homer, Shakespeare, and Blake. That’s how I’m getting through my days. Plus practicing and baking.