Since some of my friends have been asking lately:

Why, no, I'm not dead.

I've been busy with things at work, my desktop publishing class, playing with my new serger, having a broken tooth extracted, and keeping up with the world of horse racing, among others.

This Friday I will be in New York City, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters. It's a day trip with the student art club and some friends. To get ready, I've been re-reading my copy of King of the Confessors, by Thomas Hoving, about the fabulous 12-century carved ivory cross that he bought for the Cloisters. It supposedly came from the monastery at Bury St. Edmunds, named for the Saxon king Saint Edmund, who was buried there. The carving is quite intricate, with scenes from the Bible, prophets, etc., and Hoving was looking for more of the ivory plaques that had been attached to the wooden base. You can see a picture here. The cross is 23 inches high and has 92 carved figures and 98 inscriptions.



I'll be visiting the cross, and hoping that the medieval-style garden at the Cloisters will have something in bloom.