In case you want to follow the search for a new pope right on your desktop:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s&u=/pope1/static

What a world we live in! If only Fr. Guido Sarducci were there to offer commentary . . .

As for other news . . . I've been buried in penultimate-end-of-semester tasks. Grading, mostly. (Perpetual, I know.) I spent much of yesterday lost in the "not-gonnas" (not gonna have Honor Roll children, not gonna lose 30 pounds by June, not gonna set the world on fire . . . ) but I finally pried myself out of the house for a bike ride in the early evening yesterday, which cleared the cobwebs.

We did manage to get some gardening done. I planted strawberries and some pinks. Emil made a sturdy platform for my Gazing Ball. (Not that I have a gazing ball at the moment - the last one bit the dust when Charlie and Sean had a baseball game in the back yard about five years ago . . . but if I get one, I'm ready.) Unhappily, my Favorite Peony has not returned this year; it got mowed at the end of last year. The Backup Peony (which has yet to flower!) is doing fine, natch. So there may be another peony in our future. We planted more lilacs, too, on the theory that you never can have enough. Emil began this year's bricklaying project (a walk that will go from the steps to the bench by the pond).

Today it's teaching, then lunch with Louise, then hopefully another bike ride this evening . . . I'm really counting down, here: This is my last week to meet classes and I am ready to be done. (Not that it's been unpleasant - but summers are pleasant, too!)