Episcopal trivia w/real implications: we got a notice from our vestry today saying our parish "has been operating under the Vestry Act of Maryland (1798) which established vestries as governing bodies for parishes, handling temporal matters like finances, buildings, and leadership selection." ⚓ 🧵

Scary situation on the respiratory bug front: a friend emailed that she is at Washington Hospital Center w/RSV+pneumonia and no phone charger. I asked if I could drop off a charger for her and she said, "Thanks, but no place to plug in. Stacked 4 stretchers deep in the hall." ‼️‼️

Look what just arrived! #medievalsky #bookhistory

No cheating, repost w your most recent picture of your pet.

First experience calling the DC emergency shelter hotline for someone and I got an immediate and compassionate response on the phone. I hope they're able to get him indoors.

Stephen Maturin connection!

Family files excavation, Dad's elementary school report cards edition: 5th grade math: "Charles is an able boy who is not working to capacity. He produces good work in satisfactory amounts only when pressure is applied." Reader, he turned out okay.

Your monthly reminder that the list of Saints + Manuscripts posts is up to date at my website: ruffnotes.org/saints/ We're only 8 days away from the end of the series, since I started on January 11th!

The winter issue of HMML Magazine is now available! Read a digital copy or sign up for a free subscription to the print edition: hmml.org/about/publications Three covers celebrate the online availability (vhmml.org) of all Ethiopian Manuscript Microfilm Library (EMML) microfilms located at HMML .

Rounding out New Year's Day by starting the new season of Shetland!

Printmaker Gillis van Breen, hard at work, and drawn by Hedrick Goltzius. it's his day.

FB memories are reminding me of Bunter, who left us halfway through the year. He was never all that bright and he was experiencing some amount of doggy dementia by this time. But he was always sweet. One of my two pandemic adoptees, already a senior when I brought him home in the spring of 2020.

Time to reflect and to write Cambridge Trinity College, R.17.1; The Edwine Psalter; 12th century; (cir. 1150 CE); Christ Church, Canterbury; f.283v @trincolllibcam.bsky.social

Pointing angels 👉👈 BL Add MS 11695; The 'Silos Apocalypse'; 1091-1109 CE; Spain, N; ff.52v, 59r, 63v, 77r

Not only is it New Year's Day, it's Fulgentius of Ruspé's day! Fulgentius, d. ca. 527-33, was from what is now Tunisia and he was VERY pro-Filioque. 🕯️ I found an exceptionally beautiful manuscript containing his Letter to Peter on that subject, which was often attributed to Augustine.

My New Year's Day Gift to you: the latest version of the listing of the extant manuscripts once owned by Humfrey, duke of Gloucester, now standing at 51 items. bonaelitterae.wordpress.com/2026/01/01/a...

Happy New Year, all! I will definitely not be awake at midnight local time, but I'm happy to see the greetings from the UK pop up in my feed. I'm ending the year pretty darn happy, considering everything: galaktoboureko for a treat, Murder Before Evensong on video, a cool project in hand, [1/2]

This happened to me before texting was a thing.

Weird side-note to Today's Discourse (Renaissance history ed., I guess?) is that somehow I never realized that one of my most important mentors was married to a man 15 years her junior. I never met him and just assumed they were of an age till, as I say, TIL.

Visigothic script! What a great way to close out the paleographical year.

This was great!

🚨 Tall skinny manuscript alert! 🚨

Good night from Dolly.

Caxton Club Journal Digitizing Back Issues 📜 lhrt.news/2025/12/30/c...

The sideeye! The toesies!

If you're not actually writing over there, we should be doing something more fun.

Lots of other good (and sometimes gross) advice at the link! www.nga.gov/artworks/860...

This is the feast of St. Ecgwine, d. 717, about whom nothing is known. But that didn't stop Byrthferth from making stuff up! Byrthferth's Vita S. Ecgwini was commissioned in the early 11c by the monks of Evesham, of which Ecgwine was the founder. The Life survives uniquely in BL Cotton Nero E I.

I learn via @andreloez.bsky.social of these 18th-c. model monastic cells, made by their inhabitants for their families. This one is about 37cm wide.

I remain in awe of the collection of Lego dogs on display at the front desk at Ryan Veterinary. The texture on the poodle 🐩 = 🤌

🧵‼️👇 #bookhistory #medievalsky

Odd spellings often have interesting etymological reasons behind them. But sometimes, what I assume is just one weirdo's odd conception of a word gets immortalized & I like it so much. Like this spelling of 'transporting': "was strancesported" and then "so stransesported" in the line below.

Just received the first book I’ve seen with a 2026 publication date, a present from me to me. But sad to be reminded of the loss of Björn Weiler, as it includes one of his last articles. #medievalsky

Dolly bouncing, Dolly posing.

Nothing quite like the intricacies of a carpet page Lichfield Cathedral, MS Lich 01; St. Chad Gospels; c.730 CE; p.220 @lichfieldcathedral.bsky.social

Intricate carpet pages from the Book of Durrow for you to contemplate Trinity College Dublin, IE TCD MS 57; Book of Durrow; approx. 650-699 CE; Ireland; ff.125v, 192v @tcdlibrary.bsky.social

This is the feast of Thomas Becket, martyred this day in 1170. 🕯️ The MS from which many have already shared images today, Cotton Claudius B II, is back online at the BL. Yay! It is a late-12c copy of John of Salisbury's life of Becket w/Alan of Tewkesbury's collection of 598(!!) of Becket's letters!

Reliquary w/ scene of the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury & turbulent priest, which occurred on this day in 1170.

I am an elder X, but this rings true. Also, 🧵👇.

January is a time for warming one's feet in front of a roaring fire, and having a drink. #MedievalCalendar BL Add MS 60629; Psalter; 13th century; Germany, W; f.1r

Illustrating Early Church History with LEGO: St Simeon Stylites on his pillar.

29th December is the feast of St Thomas Becket. These bas-de-page scenes depict St Thomas Becket being reconciled with the king but then being murdered by four knights. BL Royal MS 2 B VII; 1310-1320; 'The Queen Mary Psalter'; London; ff.296v, 298r

Forging on through British Academy biographical memoirs. There is an unexpected connection between Francis Wormald's childhood and @cor-mirfield.bsky.social! Here is the text, a must-read for manuscript people: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/11... #medievalsky

"There had now been at least five uncompleted books, and there would be at least five more.” I've just read Blair Worden's biographical memoir of Hugh Trevor-Roper. So much sadness, and so much historiography. These essays are must-reads for those interested in the histories of their professions.

3 best things I did in 2025, in ascending order of happiness: Bought a rice cooker. Posted about manuscripts on Bsky and so got to know @themedievaldrk.bsky.social, who I'm sure will be thrilled to know she ranks between a rice cooker and a beagle. Adopted Dolly Beagle, who says, Well, of course!

#Dunnettcontent I've just added a new page to the Dunnett website - a list of all the articles and reviews about Dorothy's books that I've so far been able to find. www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/external-rev... If you know of any others please let me know.