My debut as a WPost blogger

I'm very happy to finally announce something I've been sitting on for many weeks; that on Monday (Jan. 10), I began blogging for The Washington Post's On Faith page. Specifically I post daily entries on the "Under God" blog. This is the nice intro with my photo and a short description of my writing career and this was my first blog - on why the newest Narnia movie is doing so badly at the box office.

Every week day I'm supposed to post something that reflects a religion story in the daily news flow or do some additional reporting on a certain topic. This is a very part-time job; hopefully I'll get so many page views that the Powers That Be at the Post want me to work more hours a week. I was gratified that the founder of the On Faith site, Sally Quinn, sought me out in late October to contribute in some way to the blog and that finally it's happening less than three months later.

I also wanted to post a photo of me standing in a local Orthodox cathedral talking with Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church in America. Yuri Gripas, the photographer I am working with, shot it. I am working on a magazine story about Jonah and it's been so much fun going out on interviews. I was at his church on Thursday, wrapped in clouds of incense set to Slavonic chant, and I dragged Veeka there on Sunday. She really liked all the icons and priests walking about in long, gold brocade robes. She liked it even better than the Smithsonian exhibit I dragged her to a few hours later. This child often talks about how she loves Jesus and church; again I am blessed.

So, seven months after being laid off, I am somewhat back in the saddle; not full-time as I hope to be but at least working in my specialty. This cuts the final tie to The Washington Times which is said to be hiring back a lot of people it laid off. But not me - I am happy to have moved upward and onward.