a.d. elliott - Take the Back Roads

Dear Henry, I have just recently finished a study on the Gospel of Matthew, and while I've gone through this gospel several times, I am always surprised by some part of the story that sticks out. This time, it was Judas Iscariot and his betrayal of Jesus. Did you know that Judas's motivation for that betrayal is nowhere in the scriptures?   Of course, we all know he received 30 pieces of silver for his betrayal, but even then, 30 pieces of silver wasn't a great deal of money. Perhaps about four months' wages and a small amount for condemning a person to death, much less a friend and the Messiah. And I wonder if the lack of Judas's reasons and excuses is deliberate.   In other words, it doesn't matter WHY Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, only that he did. His "reasons" are "beside the point." And it occurred to me, during my contemplations, that I do something similar (albeit not nearly as severe) to my husband all of the time. You see, I have a

Dear Henry, Book 13, Euripides "Hippolytus" of the Bucket List Book Adventure ( read about that here ), is done! Let me tell you all about it. The playwright Euripides was an Athenian born around 480 BC. He began writing around 455 BC, and his first play was called Peliades.  Although he submitted works regularly to the Festival of Dionysus, he wouldn't win until 441 BC, the competition was dominated by Aeschylus and Sophocles during his early career. Ultimately Eurpidides produced more than 90 plays, and almost 20 survived today.  He is considered one of ancient Greece's three great tragedians (with Aeschylus and Sophocles being the other two).  The play Hippolytus was first performed at the Festival of Dionysus in 428 BC. The character of Hippolytus was a relatively new addition to Greek mythology, appearing in mid-500 BC, and it is thought that Eurpides wrote the first play about him. Hippolytus of Athens was the son of Theseus and an Amazon named Antiope, who had

 Dear Henry, Like everyone, I have good days and bad days. And because of " the accident ," bad days can be very bad. Today has been one of those very bad days, and while trying to take Ziggy for a walk, I began to doubt one of my bucket list items . Ziggy can be a challenging dog to walk sometimes. He's incredibly "sniffy" and sometimes insistent upon checking out a smell. Because he is an 80lb dog, it's jarring when he comes to a dead stop and, on the best of days, can be painful. On the worst days, it's miserable, and today, after a two-mile walk, I was just about ready to cry, and once again, I began to wonder if there was any way I could walk the 500-mile Camino de Santiago. It is about a year from when I plan to start the Camino, and it's time to begin training. The Camino would require 12 to 15 miles per day, and I need to be able to do those miles on bad days. Today I struggled on a two-mile walk with the dog, and I am afraid I won't be a

Dear Henry, A few days ago, Fish and I headed to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. It's an incredible place. Let me tell you all about it. If you remember, June 6, 1944, or "D-Day," was the day Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, to retake the country from Nazi control, which it had acquired through invasion/armistice in 1940. It was a force of over 150,000 men from 12 countries and is history's largest seaborne invasion. At least 4,415 soldiers died between 12:01am to 11:59pm, and on June 6, 2001, a National Memorial opened to remember them. The Memorial was designed by the architect Bryon Dickson and built by the Coleman-Adams Construction Company. The statuary was commissioned by sculptors Jim Brothers, Matthew Kirby, and Richard Pumphrey, and the Memorial site encompasses 50 acres just outside of Bedford, Virginia. Its central feature is stunning and represents the landing itself, and it includes a fountain system replicating t

  Dear Henry, Book 12, Thucydides's "History of the Peloponnesian War" of the Bucket List Book Adventure ( read about that here ), is done! Let me tell you all about it. The Peloponnesian War was a conflict between Sparta and Athens and their allies in ancient Greece. It began in 431 BC and lasted 27 years, ending in 404 BC. Both Sparta and Athens had significant advantages during the conflict.   The Spartans, their army, and their discipline were well known. They had fully refined the disciplined and harsh lifestyle they were known for, and the stories of "the 300" from The Battle of Thermopylae were a mere 50 years prior. They also controlled the largest land area on the ancient Greek map through alliances and direct subjugation.  The Athenians were wealthier, and Athens had a tremendous defensive advantage with their sea walls. Athens also controlled the most formidable navy.   While the war itself was caused by Sparta and Athens jockeying for the dominant po