HERE AT THE CHURCH O THE PINES IT IS A QUIET DAY, as are most. The residents and congregation are mostly untroubled by the tweets of destructive idiots, comforted instead by the tweets of birds. Nuthatches ‘yank.’ Chickadees ‘chick.’ The cardinals ‘chip.’ Occasionally the Bluejays let fly with a slightly louder commentary. But on the whole it is a quiet day. Gray and quiet. The gentle sound of eaves dripping is a pleasant reminder that, although many weeks of winter remain, spring and sun and green things are not so far away. For today however, the sun is not in evidence. Instead we have snow. And sleet. And rain. And other forms of cloud-to-ground precipitation not completely identifiable. We know that out in the world there are slippery, snowy roads and wind and skid-outs and accidents, and we hope that all holiday travelers will be safe—and perhaps enjoy some peace and quiet of their own. We wish you Good Sabbath…