September 11th: Technically today - year 5787 - is the 1st Day of 2027 by ancient calculations of the Jewish New Year π But for the sake of those who follow the roman-catholic mandated calendar, I'll keep my posts headed under 2026 until the Gregorian calendar flips it's last December 2026 page π π️
Holland was feeling punky π€’ & asked me to drive him to the hospital around noon ⚕️; we left the hospital around 4 PM. Holland was been diagnosed with COPD related pneumonia π¬ & we're pretty sure that's what he was dealing with when I took him to ER last week … and he was sent home without being properly diagnosed by the skeleton crew walking around ER like zombies. His condition is a lot worse, now.
Poor guy is not liking his Life's Journey very much, in this moment ❤️
I took my book with me, to the hospital: it gave me something to do to occupy my waiting time while Holland was being ferried about for exams.
Because I am military born & bred, strategic warriors interest me. There is not doubt, given Historic accounts - that Attila was a brilliantly strategic warrior that managed to conquer a great deal of ancient land mass. Was he a "barbarian"? Yes, and No: to romanized peoples, he was a barbarian - but he also had charisma, and had no issue mixing with [civilized] romans (keeping in mind that the historical relevance of roman civility is an historically thorny issue, that could also be categorized as "barbarian" - and often was, even in the ancient world standards). The Hungarian mindset is that Attila is "a hero and a legend" & his tribe was called the Hunnic tribe. Historically speaking of military maneuvers … Attila the Hun, the notorious conquering horseman, who terrorized and ravaged the European Continent is compared to the greatest military warrior king, Alexander the Great - whose brutal tactics carved out one of the largest empires in history. That's saying something! Modern military strategy shares core principles with Alexander the Great’s campaigns, even though the tools and contexts have changed dramatically. Historians and military theorists note that while the specific technologies and operational environments differ, the essence of strategy & winning by deliberately matching ends, ways, and means … remains consistent: while the means have evolved, Alexander’s strategic thinking, mobility, adaptability, political integration, and human leadership, resonates with modern military theory. His campaigns remain a case study in how timeless strategic principles can be applied across eras.
The catacombs also interested me - I remember reading a while back (quite a while back - decades ago), while doing Biblical research for studies, that early Christians used to go underground - into the catacombs - to avoid persecution … and to also worship without roman harassments. Remembering how the Early Believers were squeezed in their Life's Journey, helps me keep my Life's Journey in perspective.
So, today's portion of the book was a good contemplative read ππ§ π
{{Catacombs of Domitilla: are among the oldest and largest in Rome, originally dug as an underground Christian cemetery on land owned by the Flavia Domitilla family, part of the imperial lineage of Emperor Vespasian. Spanning about 10.56 miles of intricately carved tunnels, they house ornate tombs, early Christian symbols, and fascinating frescoes that reflect the deep connection between art and faith. Since January 2009, they have been entrusted to the Society of the Divine Word, continuing their legacy as a significant religious and historical site.
Flavia Domitilla was a 1st-century Roman noblewoman of the Flavian dynasty, granddaughter of Emperor Vespasian and niece of Emperors Titus and Domitian. In 95 CE, her husband was executed - and Domitilla was exiled, accused of 'atheism' for adherence to Judaism or Christianity. She died in 96 AD & later catholic traditions venerate her as a Christian saint and martyr, with feast days in May, and associate her with the Catacombs of Domitilla in Rome. Spouse: Titus Flavius Clemens, who was a Roman politician and cousin of the emperor Domitian, with whom he served as consul from January to April in AD 95. Shortly after leaving the consulship, Clemens was executed, allegedly for atheism, although the exact circumstances remain unclear. Over time, he came to be regarded as an early Christian martyr.
Early Christian Fellowship Meetings in Catacombs: in the early centuries of Christianity, especially during periods of persecution, catacombs were used as places for Christian fellowship, worship, and community gatherings alongside their primary role as burial sites. By the 2nd century, Christian communities in Rome began carving extensive underground burial networks into soft volcanic rock outside city walls. These were not secret hideouts, as once mythologized; they were public, legally recognized cemeteries well known to Roman authorities. Why Catacombs Were Used for Worship: Public worship was dangerous under emperors like Nero, Decius, and Diocletian. Catacombs offered a hidden, hard-to-policing location for Eucharist, prayer, and scripture reading. Many martyrs were buried there, and gatherings often included commemorations of their faith. Community identity: In a time when Christianity was still a minority faith, the catacombs became a shared sacred space for affirming beliefs in. Evidence of Worship: Archaeological finds in catacombs show frescoes, inscriptions, and identifying symbols (e.g., the Good Shepherd, the fish) that reflect Christian theology and communal life. Some cubicula contained small altars or niches used for liturgical purposes. While not all gatherings were formal liturgies, they were regular meetings for fellowship, teaching, and worship. Decline of catacomb gatherings: With the Edict of Milan (313 CE) and the legalization of Christianity, catacombs gradually ceased to be the main worship sites. By the 5th century, most Christian burials moved above ground or into basilicas.
The guided tour of the Catacombs of Domitilla allows you to enter the largest Christian underground cemetery in Rome , with its 17 km of tunnels and corridors spread over four levels, for a total of 150,000 burials.
Located near the Catacombs of San Callisto , on the Via Ardeatina, the Catacombs of Domitilla stand on the site of the ancient properties of the Flavian family, one of whose members, the consul Flavius Clemens, had Christian sympathies and was therefore condemned to death by the Emperor Domitian. The catacombs' name derives from one of the family's members named Flavia Domitilla , either the wife of Flavius Clemens or the consul's niece, who, before her exile, made her possessions available to the Christians.
The complex is also known as the Catacombs of Nereus and Achilleus , the most important martyrs buried here, two soldiers who were probably victims of Diocletian's persecutions (304 AD). Their bodies were buried in the semi-underground basilica of the same name: a grandiose apsidal hall built during the time of Pope Damasus (366-384), preceded by a narthex. The tomb of Saint Petronilla is also located here.
In the 9th century, Pope Leo III transferred the relics of the martyrs to the church of Saints Nereus and Achilleus, near the Baths of Caracalla , leading to the progressive abandonment of the catacombs, which were rediscovered in the 16th century and studied in the second half of the 19th century.
The investigations revealed a clear lack of homogeneity in language , symbolism, and construction techniques , attributable to differences in wealth and construction period. Among the oldest nuclei is the Flavian Hypogeum , built in the 2nd century AD as a private pagan hypogeum and converted in the 3rd century AD into a place of Christian burials, decorated with scenes from the Holy Scriptures.
The guided tour of the Catacombs of Domitilla is a fascinating journey into the underground world of a vast and complex complex , where we can discover the most significant aspects of the life of the first Christian communities through the decorations of the stone fragments and the magnificent frescoes that we can still admire today.
~Various Information Sources}}
After we got back from the hospital, Holland snoozed for a bit π₯±, & I used the leftover yarn from the other Day's Kitchen Towel Set design - to work up this over-sized "hand towel" π§Άπ✂️ to drape over dishes drip-drying in the sink … or over cooling breads:
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While he slept, I checked my Blogger Friends' posts π»ππ while drinking my morning joy juice ☕️, Pat's post caught my attention: her Colorado yard seems to be a wildlife thoroughfare π¦π»
Holland & I have driven through portions of Colorado on different road gypsy ventures that took us that way - but I've not been able to actually view the landscape (1 drive was during a torrential summer storm & the other was around midnight, during a snow storm); so, I was surprised to see that Pat's landscape pictures πΈ of Colorado that looks similar to the landscape of WA State's gorge region - which I really like, and enjoy driving.
Holland has been to Colorado many times before we met, married, and began living on the road; his cousin Bruce lives in Colorado.
But, this morning's Colorado focus, was Pat's exciting life adventure π
Her previous wildlife post, was a mama deer & her twin fawns:
Coffee finished, my laptop was shut down & the prescriptions were retrieved from Castle Rock; & handed to Holland.
Then, I made a cup of fragrant tea π΅, turned up my favorite messianic playlist π»πΆ (I've been listening to Joel's music since 1979; Bob took me to his concert, when he was visiting a local Messianic Fellowship in 2012) & to the backbeat of raindrops on Independence's roof π§ - settled into the latest Fargo adventure to the last page π
Rosh Hashanah Χ¨ֹΧΧ©ׁ ΧַΧ©ָּׁΧ ָΧ, also known as the Feast of Trumpets: I love the sound of the shofar π―, and have been missing the (Teruah) blasts, proclaiming that the King is coming soon! The sound of the shofar Χ©ׁΧֹΧ€ָΧ¨ calls us to repentance, renewal, and hope in Yeshua ΧֵΧ©ׁΧּΧ’ַ, our Redeemer and King.
Keep me different, Lord.
Establish me solidly in Your ways, Lord.
By Your grace, Father, plant my feet firmly on the straight & narrow - steering me forward, blinded to the left or the right.
Hold me by Your might.
Assure my flighty heart that though I walk Earth alone in my difference … I am never truly alone: You, Abba, are always with me in my Life's Journey.
The Tombs #1~September 1, 2026 - TENINO & ATTILA~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/tenino-attilaself-care-2026-castle-rock.html
The Tombs #2~September 2, 2026 - RELAXING TO THE RHYTHM OF THE RAIN; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/relaxing-to-rhythm-of-rain-castle-rock.html
The Tombs #3~September 4, 2026 - UNEXPECTED; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/unexpected-castle-rock-wa.html
The Tombs #4~September 10, 2026 - BE PATIENT~Wonderland Complex Fires; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/be-patientwonderland-complex-fires.html
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