Fran did this to me!

A very tidy fantasy of book stacks.
Wish mine were this pretty and tidy.

Really. Honest. Usually someone does a meme or a quiz and I just yield to temptation because I am a weak and silly person, easily led astray. But Fran actually tagged me. She is also a notorious flatterer, calling me "a very learned and wise man" which actually translates to "pedantic and silly," but I'll take what I can get.

It's a book meme.

It goes like this:

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)

Find Page 123.

Find the first 5 sentences and read them.

Post the next 3 sentences.

Well, such a dilemma. Books are piled all around me when I am at the keyboard. Actually, if one is in the library, my office, my bedroom, or my living room there is high likelihood of sitting near piles of books. Some of the books are even on shelves. Many hundreds are still in boxes in the garage.

The instruction, however, says the nearest book of over 123 pages. I almost needed a ruler but the winner is (drumroll, please)....

The Liturgical Dictionary of Eastern Christianity by Peter D. Day (Michael Glazier Books).

The [Royal] Hours conclude with the kontakion, a collect hymn, the Prayer of the Hours, and a Dismissal.

HOZOH (Armenian)
A garment that is put around the shoulders of the dead.

HUDRA (East Syrian)
(also spelled Hudhra, Kudra)
A liturgical book that contains the Proper of the Liturgy as well as the Office for Sundays, feasts of our Lord, and principal saints' days.

For the sentence count I ignored the headers.

I think it is patently obvious that I did not cheat if this is what I came up with.

Quite a challenge--making charming piffle out of this. Fran had much more fun with hers, which included passing mention of somewhere I lived for two months: Montpellier (Hérault). [Fran and I keep triggering each other's memories, journeys, and stories.]

Runners-up in the category of nearest books include A New Pocket Dictionary: English-Armenian / Armenian-English; Contemporary Office Book (the breviary I use for daily reflections); Byzantine Daily Worship; The Photoshop Elements 5 Book; dictionaries in several other languages that I do not speak (Russian, Welsh, Lakota, Turkish) and one I do (French); sundry spiritual writings, a travel guide to St Petersburg; and one mystery novel.

The more interesting stacks of books are obviously elsewhere. Valerie Wilson's Fair Game sits near the comfy glider in the living room. Dom Crossan's God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now is in my briefcase (I was reading it yesterday). Scads of other books are lying around waiting for me to actually pick them up and read them. Someone needs to get offline for Lent, eh?

So, I am now going to go water the fruit trees. Then perhaps I will sit down and read some more Crossan. Today's Lenten reflection will be late.

UPDATE:
Trees and roses were watered. More Crossan was read. Homemade soup was consumed. And I forgot to tag anyone. Which is different from saying I am not tagging anyone. Which I am. Not tagging anyone, that is. But earlier I just forgot. Now I am choosing. BB (Boris Bear--hah! you thought it stood for the Byzigenous Buddhapalian) out.
--the BB