Split focus

There is much to write in here and I will get on it. I am gainfully unemployed at the moment having left my last job at the beginning of May.

The job search is going well. At least there are openings. I applied for one job at the Smithsonian Institution Museum of American History. I talked to a librarian there and learned that they had 1100 applicants for a single job. "So," I said, "I won't be hearing from you anytime soon."

I have applied for government jobs as well as two positions at Catholic University - that would a 10-15 minute walk from my house!

But there is good news in all of this. I am hopeful that I will land in a job that is right for me - makes use of my skills and my interests. I'm told that the work environment at CUA is great!! At this point I am just waiting for an interview.

Other exciting news - I'm overdue with a write up about my trip to the Holy Land. I was on the ground in the Holy Land for 9 days - April 26 - May 4.

I was on a pilgrimage with members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. (Say that three times fast!)

The pilgrimage went very smoothly - we hit all the high spots - Calvary and the Tomb in Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, the home of Caiaphas (now the Church of St. Peter!), the Upper Room, the Garden of Olives and Gethsemane and the Wailing Wall. In Bethlehem we visited the site of the birth of Jesus and also visited Shepherds' Field.

After leaving Jerusalem we took the bus to Bethany and climbed down into the tomb of Lazarus. Then we headed north, stopping to renew our Baptismal promises at the Jordan River. We also stopped at the ruins of the Essene community near the Dead Sea.

The rest of our trip was centered in Tiberias and we made day trips to Mount Tabor, to Haifa and the Cave of Elijah - now a Carmelite Monastery, the home of St. Peter along the Sea of Galilee. We enjoyed a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee that was spectacular.

The last day of the pilgrimage took us to Nazareth and the grotto where Mary received the message from the angel Gabriel.

I will post some photos and tell some of what transpired while we were there. A magnificent trip!