Ground-breaking

Yesterday's ground-breaking ceremony was really an invigorating event. About 300 people gathered under a tent near the construction site -- which is actually the series of barns where our founders first lived 66 years ago.

We heard from a commissioner of Rockdale County, the mayor of Conyers, the archbishop of Atlanta, the bishop of Savannah (when we were founded, we were part of the Savannah-Atlanta diocese that was later split in two), the chair of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (of which we are a part -- the "spiritual gateway"), and various friends and donors, including a well-known football coach from a large state university not too far away. Listening to all the speakers, who were all brief, amusing, and interesting, I got a good picture of how this place fits within a lot of larger places and institutions and how it has touched a number of lives.

Here is a picture of me with the bishop of Savannah:

My friends George and Irene came and left me with 2 books for my beach reading. (My beach is my bed.) I am already well into Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It is amusing so far -- although I continue to refuse to even consider reading Android Karenina. There are some boundaries that are not to be crossed!