I drove all day today, and I am now at Virginia Theological Seminary.  I feel holier already!  I am going to be here for about ten days doing research.  I need to write about fifteen more entries for the New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, finish up a paper I am delivering in Budapest, and start some research on the dating of the Priestly source in the Pentateuch.  I know — it sounds so exciting that you wish you could be me!

I am staying in the guest house for the first six days, and then will be staying with a friend who is a professor here.  Next Sunday, I will drive up to Baltimore to stay with another friend so I can do some research at the Johns Hopkins library.

This morning we left Tennessee behind and came to visit Stephanie’s Aunt Pam and Uncle Peter. They live on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia, just southeast of Roanoke. They retired here from Charleston. We got here a day late, since Stephanie had to stay in Tennessee to recuperate from her illness. That means we only get one day with them, and then we have to move on to Ohio tomorrow.

They have a beautiful home. It is on the edge of the lake and their view is spectacular. The house is very open with lots of glass. They have a dock and a boat, plus a swimming area. It couldn’t be more idyllic. Right now I am sitting on the back deck with Peter, sipping a gin and tonic, while blogging. Life is good!

Aunt Pam has just published a book entitled A Confederate Chronicle: The Life of the Civil War Survivor. It is the story of their ancestor, Thomas Wragg, who was in both the army and navy during the Civil War. He worked on one of the first iron clad ship, the CSS Atlanta, a ship that was not as successful as the Monitor. After the way, Thomas became a doctor in Florida. He ended up being murdered by the brother of a woman who gave birth to an illegitimate son. The brother had been told that Thomas was the father, when in fact the father was probably the girl’s uncle, a state senator at the time. Stephanie has already read it and I am looking forward to it. If you are into genealogy or the Civil War, I encourage you to get a copy.